Senator Casey Supports Bipartisan Bill To Galvanize Wildlife Conservation, Help Prevent Extinctions Nationwide
Senator Casey Supports Bipartisan Bill To Galvanize Wildlife Conservation, Help Prevent Extinctions Nationwide
HARRISBURG, Pa. (September 29, 2021) — Senator Bob Casey is co-sponsoring the most significant wildlife conservation bill in nearly half a century, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. The bipartisan bill will devote $1.4 billion annually to locally-led efforts – including $20.7 million to Pennsylvania – to help at-risk wildlife species.
“We’re facing a looming wildlife crisis, and this is the most important piece of wildlife legislation in the past fifty years,” said PennFuture Senior Director of Government Affairs Ezra Thrush. “We thank Senator Casey for co-sponsoring this fiscally responsible effort to help at-risk wildlife with collaborative, voluntary measures across every state, territory and Tribal nation.”
More than 660 local species would benefit from the bill, including eastern hellbenders, northern flying squirrels, and brook trout.
“Recovering America’s Wildlife Act is grounded in common sense,” said Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans. “By extending more help to fish and wildlife species in greatest need of conservation, and doing so before species reach crisis levels, more-costly emergency action can be avoided and our collective investment in fish and wildlife can be ensured. It’s a proposal that’s easy to support and difficult not to, and more and more of our federal elected officials are seeing it the same way. On behalf of the Game Commission, I’d like to thank Senator Bob Casey for his support of this landmark legislation that’s so important to fish and wildlife in our Commonwealth and every Pennsylvanian who enjoys the outdoors.”
Nationwide, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act dedicates $1.4 billion annually to locally led wildlife restoration efforts. At least 15 percent of the funds will be used to help species already designated as endangered or threatened. Federally recognized tribal nations would share $97.5 million annually to fund wildlife conservation efforts on tribal lands.
“Senator Casey’s support of this legislation is another step towards securing adequate resources to proactively manage and protect hundreds of precious, at-risk species which call Pennsylvania home,” said Tim Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. “The result will keep common species common, prevent species from becoming threatened or endangered, and more aggressively help those species on the road to recovery.”
“Saving the thousands of at-risk wildlife species will require bold, bipartisan leadership and unprecedented collaboration,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “We are so grateful to Senator Casey for leading the way on the historic Recovering America’s Wildlife Act that will have an immediate impact – saving species and creating jobs in Pennsylvania and all across the country.”
Nine Pennsylvania's representatives are among the more than 100 bipartisan supporters of the House version of the legislation.
“The Pennsylvania Chapter of The Wildlife Society thanks Senator Casey for his support of a once-in-a-generation investment in our state’s wildlife resources.” said Reg Hoyt, Conservation Affairs Committee Chair for the Pennsylvania Chapter of The Wildlife Society. “Passage of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act will provide a solution that matches the scale of the conservation crisis, allowing Pennsylvanians the ability to hold our state’s wildlife in the public trust for generations to come.”
“Wildlife conservation is an issue that unites all Pennsylvanians. We hope Senator Toomey and the rest of the Congressional delegation will join Senator Casey in cosponsoring this commonsense bill,” said Thrush.
Contact:
Jared Stonesifer, PennFuture Director of Media Relations, 412-443-4466, stonesifer@pennfuture.org
Lacey McCormick, National Wildlife Federation, 512-203-3016, mccormick@nwf.org