Wildlife Conservation Sees Bipartisan Support in 116th Congress

The United States spans a variety of ecosystems and habitats and contains over 200,000 species of plants and animals. Regardless of where a species lives, it is likely affected by the changing climate and will have to adapt. According to a 2019 report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, one million plant and animal species worldwide are facing extinction due to threats from climate change and habitat loss. In response to this and other reports, the 116^th Congress has proposed legislation and heard testimony aimed at preserving the nation’s biodiversity. Congress has paid particular attention to wildlife corridors, habitat and land preservation, endangered species conservation, and invasive species management.

Wildlife corridors

The 116^th Congress has introduced two connected pieces of legislation promoting the establishment and management of wildlife corridors, the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act of 2019 and the Tribal Wildlife Corridors Act of 2019. A wildlife corridor is protected land allowing species to migrate between two larger pieces of habitat that would otherwise be separated by human development. Maintaining habitat connectivity promotes diversity and lowers extinction risk, while also reducing conflicts between human and animal activities.

The Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act of 2019 (H.R.2795/S.1499), introduced by Representative Donald S. Beyer (D-Va.) and Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), would protect migration routes and species populations by increasing federal capacity to establish, maintain, and protect wildlife corridors. Multiple states already have policies regarding the management of wildlife corridors, and this Act would enhance federal data collection, improve cooperation across jurisdictions, and direct interagency coordination. Specifically, the Act would establish a Wildlife Movement Grant Program, a Wildlife Corridors Stewardship Fund, a Wildlife Connectivity Database, Regional Wildlife Movement Councils, a National Coordination Committee, and a Tribal Wildlife Corridor initiative. The bill has received bipartisan support and has been reported out of committee in the House.

The Tribal Wildlife Corridors Act of 2019 (H.R.5179/S.2891) gives tribes power to enhance habitat connectivity on tribal lands. Specifically, it requires the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to consider options to link Tribal Wildlife Corridors to USFS-managed lands, requires the Department of the Interior to consult with and provide assistance to tribes that administer Tribal Wildlife Corridors, and establishes a grant program encouraging native species movement. The Tribal Wildlife Corridors Act of 2019 was introduced by Representative Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Senator Udall, and has passed out of committee in the House.

In an October 2019 hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Examining the Impacts of Diseases on Wildlife Conservation and Management, Stephen Guertin of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) identified a link between habitat disconnectivity and disease. Conservation practices that promote diverse ecosystems and connectivity produce resilient ecosystems and wildlife populations that are better able to withstand the impacts of disease. Preventing disease in wildlife does not only maintain wild populations, but it also prevents the transmission of certain diseases to humans or domestic animals.

Habitat and land preservation

Members of Congress introduced two significant bills aimed at land preservation that would protect wildlife habitat. The Protecting America’s Wilderness Act (H.R.2546), which was introduced by Representative Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and passed the House in February 2020, combines six bills to protect over 1.3 million acres of land and 1,000 miles of rivers in Colorado, California, and Washington. According to a fact sheet accompanying the bill, wilderness areas promote biodiversity by protecting habitat, increasing ecological connectivity, and protecting clean air and water. Wilderness areas also provide spaces for education, recreation, and scientific research.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act (H.R.3195/S.1081) was introduced by Representative Jefferson Van Drew (D-N.J.) and Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and would authorize $900 million in annual expenditures from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The LWCF, established in 1964, funds federal land acquisition and state and local grant programs, including the Cooperative Endangered Species Program to protect habitat for threatened and endangered species. The Fund is financed through offshore oil and gas receipts, but the money can only be spent if appropriated. Appropriations have lagged behind receipts, and the LWCF now accumulated a balance of over $22 billion, which the LWCF Coalition reports could help resolve a $30 billion backlog of federal conservation needs. The Act passed out of committee in both chambers in November 2019 with bipartisan support.

In March 2020 Senators Corey Gardner (R-Co) and Joe Manchin announced new legislation called The Great Ameriacan Outdoors Act (S.3422), combining the Land Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act with the Restore Our Parks Act (S.500), which was introduced by Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) in February 2019 in order to address the maintanence backlog in national parks. The Great American Outdoors Act has 58 Senate co-sponsors and received support from President Trump.

Endangered species conservation

Along with species-specific bills, such as the Monarch Action, Recovery, and Conservation of Habitat Act (MONARCH Act, H.R.5920/S.3304), Congress has considered legislation aimed at strengthening the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Protect America’s Wildlife and Fish in Need of Conservation Act of 2019 (PAW and FIN Conservation Act of 2019, H.R.4348/S.2491) would nullify rules passed by the Department of the Interior in 2019. The changed rules made it easier to delist species, allowed the government to use economic assessments when determining whether a species should be protected, removed protections for species listed as threatened, and limited designations of critical habitat. The Act, which was introduced by Representative Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Senator Udall and passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee in January 2020, would restore the rules to their previous requirements.

Invasive species management

Congress has shown bipartisan interest in improving invasive species management. In a February 2019 hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Joe Rogerson of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control testified that invasive species are a driver of biodiversity loss, and often are a primary factor causing species to become endangered or threatened. At the same hearing, Slade Franklin of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture called for federal support for local and state invasive species management through cross-jurisdictional programs developed with the input of local experts and through increased funding to support long-term management. According to Franklin, invasive species affect everything from agricultural yields to infrastructure, and are estimated to cause billions of dollars in economic losses annually. They also impact native wildlife and can reduce biodiversity and ecosystem health. To help improve invasive species management, Franklin spoke in support of the Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver Act (WILD Act, H.R.872/S.268).

The WILD Act was introduced by Representative Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) and Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and has received bipartisan support. It would reauthorize and expand several wildlife conservation programs, establish invasive species management requirements, direct certain federal agencies to develop strategic plans for implementing invasive species programs, and direct the USFWS to establish the Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize program to encourage innovation in wildlife and species management.

Maintaining the nation’s biodiversity and healthy ecosystems in the face of climate change and development is crucial; it is a priority that has seen support on both sides of the aisle. Science-based conservation and management programs have provided benefits for recreation, science, health and safety, and the economy, and Congress should continue to pursue bipartisan action on protecting wildlife.

Author: Abby Neal