TWS urges including RAWA in stimulus bill

Recovering America’s Wildlife Act should be included in a future economic recovery package, says a letter signed by The Wildlife Society, over a dozen TWS organizational units, and 230 additional organizations from across the United States that was sent to the leadership in the House of Representatives last week.

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 vulnerable to extinction. That funding would put people to work, the letter says.

The letter calls the bill a “smart, future focused investment that will create immediate and significant numbers of direct jobs, will help restart the outdoor economy, and will support key sectors, such as agriculture, forestry, and ranching” and notes the legislation’s extensive list of co-sponsors and its strong bipartisan support in the House Natural Resources Committee.

“The Wildlife Society is proud to stand with so many other organizations in supporting the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act,” said Caroline Murphy, AWB®, government relations manager at The Wildlife Society. “This bill will create jobs across the country and reduce long-term conservation costs by making smart investments in vulnerable species today.”

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act was first introduced in 2016. It was approved by the House Committee on Natural Resources in December and awaits a vote in the full House.