CONTACT:
Michael Marchand: (603) 271-3016
Nicola Whitley: (603) 271-3211
August 17, 2018

CONCORD, NH – The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department wants you to know about the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in December 2017 and just recently in the U.S. Senate. It is considered the most important conservation legislation in a generation. Senators James Risch (R-Idaho) and Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) introduced the recent legislation that recommends funding for conservation of those fish and wildlife species in greatest need across the country.

This bipartisan legislation would authorize $1.3 billion in existing revenue from the development of energy and mineral resources on federal lands and water for fish and wildlife conservation. This legislation was proposed following an unprecedented alliance of business, government, education, and conservation leaders that united to provide a solution for one of America’s greatest threats – the endangerment of our fish and wildlife. The proposed legislation will not increase taxes for individuals or businesses and is complimentary to other existing conservation programs.

“Here in New Hampshire, our fish and wildlife are among our state’s most valuable resources and outdoor recreation including hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching are traditions that are part of our history and our culture,” said New Hampshire Fish and Game Executive Director Glenn Normandeau. “It is our responsibility, Fish and Game’s and every resident of the state, to do all we can to preserve species and their habitat for future generations, and this bill will help set on the right course for many years to come.”

Scientists estimate that one-third of wildlife species in the United States are at risk of becoming threatened or endangered without much-needed funding for their conservation. “The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would provide critical funding for New Hampshire’s Wildlife Action Plan, which sets priorities for restoring and managing our wildlife, including threatened and endangered species,” said Mike Marchand, Supervisor of the NH Fish and Game Department’s Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program. “The best way to help the 169 species identified in the plan as species of greatest conservation need and the 51 listed as threatened or endangered in New Hampshire is through science-based management, along with educating the public about those resources, and this funding would help enormously with this mission.”

The Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson acts originally provided critical funding for fish and wildlife on the brink of extinction, but they are not a sustainable funding model for protection of all wildlife. Now there is an opportunity to pass legislation to protect our great natural heritage.

Visit OurNatureUSA.com to learn more about the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act so that future generations may enjoy the same abundant fish, wildlife, and outdoor recreation opportunities that exist today.

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