Coalition makes conservation recommendations for next U.S. administration

The Wildlife Society, as part of a coalition of nearly 50 partner organizations known as the American Wildlife Conservation Partners, is providing recommendations to the next presidential administration and Congress for wildlife management and conservation in a new report.

“Wildlife for the 21st Century: Volume VI” includes recommendations to improve U.S. federal agencies’ stewardship of the nation’s fish, wildlife and their habitat, and to enhance access to federal lands and waters for outdoor and wildlife-associated recreation.

“The Wildlife Society is proud to offer these recommendations alongside other organizations in American Wildlife Conservation Partners,” said Caroline Murphy, AWB®, government relations manager at The Wildlife Society and a member of AWCP’s steering committee. “This report offers concrete steps that Congress and the next administration can take to help improve wildlife conservation and provide wildlife professionals the resources they need to do their jobs.”

The report is made up of ten recommendations, such as securing permanent and dedicated funding for conservation, improving implementation of the Endangered Species Act, and supporting states in dealing with wildlife diseases, such as chronic wasting disease.

In the report, the coalition calls on Congress to pass both the Great American Outdoors Act and the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. The Great American Outdoors Act, which has been passed by the Senate and awaits consideration in the House, would provide full, permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, as well as funding for federal maintenance of recreational infrastructure such as roads, trails, campsites and more.

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would provide about $1.4 billion to state, territorial and tribal wildlife agencies for the conservation of thousands of fish and wildlife species identified as species of greatest conservation need. The bill is included in the infrastructure package recently approved by the House, although without mandatory funding.

The report also calls on Congress to pass a federal highway bill with provisions to address wildlife corridors and wildlife-vehicle collisions, such as the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program  and the Wildlife-Vehicle Collision Research in the House transportation bill, which was passed as part of the infrastructure bill and now goes to the Senate for consideration.