Recovering America's Wildlife Act of 2021
Floor Speech
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Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1170, I call up the bill (H.R. 2773) to amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to make supplemental funds available for management of fish and wildlife species of greatest conservation need as determined by State fish and wildlife agencies, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
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Mrs. DINGELL. 2773.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2773, the Recovering America's Wildlife Act. This legislation has been years in the making, and this moment is the culmination of the collected works of a bipartisan group of Members, a strong, diverse coalition of advocates, and grassroots support from across the country.
This work began in 2015 when the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies--which represents State fish and wildlife agencies across the country--established a blue ribbon panel on sustaining America's diverse fish and wildlife resources.
After working closely with hunting and fishing organizations, as well as partners in the sportsmen's community, businesses, and other advocates, it was decided that we needed a 21st century model of funding conservation to address the current shortfalls in wildlife conservation.
Right now, the United States is facing an unprecedented biodiversity crisis. One-third of all bird species are in need of urgent conservation action. In fact, the number of birds in the United States and Canada have fallen by 29 percent since 1970; a decline of almost 3 billion fewer birds.
We have seen similar declines across the board. For example, 40 percent of freshwater fish species are also at risk. One-third of all U.S. wildlife species are currently imperiled or vulnerable.
These developments threaten our common environmental heritage, reduce opportunities for outdoor recreation, and will require costly and aggressive interventions if not addressed soon.
This legislation is particularly critical for the sportsmen's community. As one of the co-chairs of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, I have always said that sportsmen and women are some of our best conservation advocates, as they understand the on-the-ground reality of the decline in wildlife and the importance of cost-effective conservation.
Their input has been critical to the historic and innovative legislation before us today. Without a change in the way we finance fish and wildlife conservation, the list of Federally threatened and endangered species will balloon from nearly 1,600 species today to thousands more in the future.
The cost of inaction is immense. The longer we wait to address this issue, the more resources we will ultimately need to safeguard our Nation's wildlife and environment. And we cannot keep waiting. We must take the bold, urgent action that addresses the scale of the threat. We need strong, proactive conservation measures to address these unmet needs, and that is why the Recovering America's Wildlife Act is necessary.
The legislation provides approximately $1.4 billion in dedicated, annual funding to the States, territories, and Native American Tribes for proactive conservation efforts for the approximately 12,000 species of wildlife and plants identified under State wildlife action plans.
This bold investment in our Nation's wildlife will pay significant dividends. It will allow States to take proactive action that will prevent at-risk species from becoming endangered. This is critical not only to preserving our common environmental heritage, but for supporting hunters, anglers, and the almost $900 billion outdoor recreation economy.
As I have said previously, as one of the co-chairs of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, I understand the importance of these measures to support fishermen and hunters across the country.
I thank my three fellow co-chairs of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus who have sponsored the Recovering America's Wildlife Act as well. It shows the strong, bipartisan support for this bill.
The broad group of stakeholders supporting the Recovering America's Wildlife Act underscores the need for action and the support for this approach. Hundreds of leading sportsmen's groups, hunting and fishing advocates across the country, conservation organizations, environmental organizations, and businesses, all support the legislation for good reason: it utilizes proven funding mechanisms, boldly addresses pressing conservation needs, and prevents the need for more costly interventions in the future.
The Recovering America's Wildlife Act is the product of years and years of work and consultation with these stakeholders and has broad bipartisan support. This legislation has received bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, and the thoughtful input of my colleagues has resulted in strong consensus legislation that will benefit every single congressional district in the country.
We have a conservation, economic, and moral rationale to act in order to protect and recover America's wildlife for future generations. This is an opportunity to take historic action to address a pressing conservation need, and I ask my colleagues that they support the Recovering America's Wildlife Act.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's perspective on permanent funding, and I have a great deal of respect for him. We have and will always continue to work together on conservation issues. But the fact is we know that stable and predictable funding is critical to effective conservation efforts, and that is what the blue ribbon panel on sustaining America's diverse fish and wildlife resources--which included 26 members from the hunting and fishing business and outdoor recreation communities--found in their 2016 report whose recommendations formed the basis of this legislation. We have seen that this funding structure has been fundamental to the success of Pittman- Robertson and Dingell-Johnson conservation programs upon which this is built.
I appreciate my colleague's views on oversight. This legislation contains robust guardrails to ensure that there is appropriate use of public funds, including reporting requirements and other oversight provisions.
So the Recovering America's Wildlife Act does meet the moment because of its funding structure and because of the strong oversight language which is supported by the coalitions of hundreds of organizations.
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Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to note that hunting and angling collectively support over $200 billion in economic activity annually, including over 1.5 million jobs as well as almost $15 billion in Federal tax revenue.
My home State of Michigan, the Great Lakes State, is home to almost 650,000 licensed hunters and over 1.1 million licensed fishermen and - women as of last year. However, with over 40 percent of freshwater fish at risk, and significant declines in game and nongame species that support local ecosystems, we need RAWA's investments in on-the-ground conservation to support hunting and fishing for future generations, which is why the major sportsmen's groups, like the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation and Ducks Unlimited, have endorsed this legislation.
Before recognizing my colleague, I would like to talk about these costs and address the fact that dollars invested properly do save dollars.
I note that the droughts in the American West cost $8.6 billion just last year, according to NOAA, and that the impact of wildfire cost over $10 billion last year alone.
Restoration efforts, which this bill would help do, that make habitats and communities more resilient to climate change have an exceptionally high return on investment, such as reducing drought and wildfire risks, increasing job opportunities, and growing local economies.
Conservation and restoration of key habitats help reduce the threats of wildfires and help States conserve water and improve water quality, making their water systems more resilient to the drought.
Finally, full implementation of State and Tribal wildlife plans will help species recover and be removed and even stay off the endangered species list, which is what we want, saving the U.S. taxpayers millions of dollars each year.
The large economic and social benefits of this legislation would boost our economy and help us deliver on our climate commitments for years to come as well.
I say to my colleague, I deeply agree that these fires are horrific in what they are doing to our natural resources and our habitat, but that is why this bill is so important.
It is not Washington telling the States or the Native lands or territories in the Native lands what to do. It is the State wildlife plans that are being drafted at the local level where they know what needs to be done that we will be funding and trying to prevent fires like that.
I say to my colleague, we have worked in good faith. We will continue to work in good faith.
The Senate, which doesn't work together as closely at times the way we do, has negotiated a legacy fund that is a bipartisan negotiated provision by the chairman and the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Actually, more Republicans voted for that than Democrats did.
This bill has been supported by a broad cross-section of Senate Republicans and Senate Democrats. Quite frankly, there are some of your Senate Republican colleagues who will only support it the way it is now. I have talked to many Republicans who want to see this bill go through. I don't know how the final vote will be today. I know people want to support it.
By the way, it addresses a shared goal, what the Senate did, that third provision helping to move species off of the ESA listings more quickly. It contains guardrails on the use of funds that I know were important to my Republican colleagues. These include prohibitions on the use of funds to make any listing or critical habitat determination relating to the endangered or threatened status of any species or to acquire any Federal land, which I know is really important on your side.
The broad coalition supporting the bill, including the State wildlife agencies and sportsmen's groups, have also backed all these provisions. We are not done. If the bill passes the House, we will go to conference with the Senate. We will all be at that table. But the time is now. We need to get this done. We have lost almost 3 billion birds since 1970. We are losing 40 percent of our fish. You and I both fish. I am not as great a hunter as you guys are, but I was married to one. But they know what is happening. The time for action is now.
Mr. Speaker, we are prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for the constructive debate and input that we have had to date on Recovering America's Wildlife Act. This legislation is historic, and our shared efforts today will help move us one step closer to a bold solution to the biodiversity crisis and will establish conservation measures that will endure for generations, which I know we both care about.
The Recovering America's Wildlife Act has strong bipartisan support, the backing of hundreds of meetings of sportsmen's groups, hunting and fishing advocates, conservation organizations, environmental advocates, businesses, and countless others.
It will fund proactive conservation measures that will benefit every State and territory and contains a strong Tribal title to support Tribal organizations' efforts to protect wildlife on tens of millions of acres of land.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Recovering America's Wildlife Act. It will make a difference in every congressional district in this country.
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Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1170, I offer amendments en bloc.
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Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, this en bloc consists of four amendments: Amendment No. 3, offered by the gentlewoman from Texas; amendment No. 7, offered by the gentleman from Georgia; amendment No. 6, offered by the gentlewoman from Washington; and amendment No. 1, offered by the gentlewoman from Florida.
Amendment No. 3, offered by the gentlewoman from Texas, requires the Secretary of the Interior to submit a report to the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works outlining the dollar amount of grants, contracts, and subcontracts, and the percent of total awards and grants that were awarded or allocated under RAWA to HBCUs and minority-serving institutions, minority- and women-owned businesses, and community-based organizations serving minority communities.
Current conservation and restoration practices underutilize the breadth of traditional, indigenous, and local knowledge found in our communities. To be successful in our restoration and conservation goals, we must use all of the tools at our disposal.
Amendment No. 7, offered by the gentleman from Georgia, adds activities that support native pollinator conservation and restoration to the list of appropriate uses of funds from the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Subaccount.
While many State wildlife action plans already include projects that will conserve and restore native pollinator species and habitat, we recognize the important role that pollinators play in ecosystem functionality.
Twenty-seven States included monarch butterflies in their State wildlife action plans, and thousands of other pollinators are identified as species of greatest conservation need.
Our pollinators are at risk, and it is important that we not forget the important impact they have on our landscape.
Amendment No. 6, offered by the gentlewoman from Washington, clarifies that the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Subaccount funds may include conservation infrastructure projects related to the protection and conservation of a species of greatest conservation need and the habitat of those species.
Conservation infrastructure projects are cost-effective methods to enhance conservation and build climate resiliency. They can protect against excessive heat and coastal storms while improving wildlife habitat and carbon sequestration.
Conservation infrastructure projects improve the health and management of ecosystems so that they provide important benefits and services. Examples include managing stormwater runoff, improving water quality for wildlife, restoring wildlife habitat in the built environment, and attracting beneficial species.
Finally, amendment No. 1, offered by the gentlewoman from Florida, broadens the appropriate uses of Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Subaccount funds to include using innovative technologies, tools, strategies, or collaborative partnerships that accelerate, expand, or replicate effective and measurable recovery efforts for species of the greatest conservation need and endangered species.
Supporting the implementation and expansion of new, creative conservation methods is of the utmost importance if we wish to interrupt the ongoing mass extinction event. In this time of need, our species and ecosystems need all the help we can provide. Funding innovative ideas will fill the gaps left by traditional conservation methods while spurring research and creating jobs.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I am glad we found an area of agreement this afternoon. I think we have more agreement than people realize.
Jackson Lee), the author of one of these very critical amendments.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to be yielded to by the gentlewoman. I thank her for championing this outstanding legislation, and I thank my good friend for acknowledging the en bloc.
I will say that there is good news. The good news is that the Recovering America's Wildlife Act is once-in-a-generation funding for the conservation of threatened species of animals and plants as well as habitat preservation. I will discuss the importance of it as I also present to the body my amendment.
Let me, first of all, say I pay tribute to Ellison, 7 years old, and to Roy, 7 years old, my twin grandchildren who love every species that they can find within their backyard or anyplace else that you would take them. I see in their lifetime the vision of this legislation. They love the outdoors. They love to see crawling things, and they are a boy and a girl.
Yet, what are we facing today? The world is facing an unprecedented loss of wildlife. Bird populations have declined almost 30 percent in the U.S. and Canada since 1970. Over 40 percent of America's freshwater fish are at risk of extinction, and State agencies have identified 12,000 species of wildlife in need of conservation.
The Speaker pro tempore knows that Texas and Louisiana experienced a catastrophic oil spill some years ago. I remember visiting oyster fishermen and others who were devastated. We need to get in there and make a difference.
Mr. Speaker, 12,000 species are currently identified as endangered in the United States, and 1,300 of them are in my State of Texas. As I said, fishermen are still crying out for help. Climate change poses an unprecedented challenge to plant and animal species due to wildfires, droughts, floods, and temperature shifts. Hurricane Harvey devastated the coast and the opportunities for wildlife. The resulting threat to biodiversity has the potential to disrupt our ecosystem and, with it, human quality of life and sustainability.
Urban sprawl as well as development of suburbs and exurbs also encroach on the habitat that supports biodiversity, and it has ripple effects that compound the gradation of our environment from climate change.
We want to be hanging in there with fisherman, sportsmen, bikers, hikers--bikers in the appropriate atmosphere, but hikers in particular.
Our children deserve to know the natural beauty of their country. They deserve to see the beauty of wildlife. They deserve to be good custodians of that, and the children need to be diverse.
So the amendment that I offer is to ensure that children will continue to spend their days fishing, gardening alongside bees, watching the migratory birds, but also looking at the wilds and the species that are in them.
The Recovering America's Wildlife Act provides $1.3 billion in funding to protect our Nation's wildlife, $50 million of which will go to Texas.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, this is a great effort. My amendment fixes and adds to this. By adding title IV, we stipulate the Secretary of the Interior must, no later than 1 year after passage, provide a report on the dollar amount of grants, contracts, and subcontracts that were allocated to historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving educational institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, and women- and minority-owned businesses.
My amendment goes into the broad span of Americans, brings them into the arena, and gives a needed investment in people of color who deserve to be not only included but intentionally targeted in new conservation investments to open their eyes, to give them the opportunity, and to ensure our Native American friends are included as well along with women- and minority-owned businesses. Let them have an investment as well.
In addition, with the enactment of this legislation, my amendment would create a framework for prioritizing historically disadvantaged groups in environmental efforts, bring them, again, into the fold, which should be replicated in future efforts. This is an important step.
I want you to listen to me, historically Black colleges and Hispanic- serving institutions, this is also a day for you. Support this legislation, and we will expand and build and support America.
Mr. Speaker, as a staunch advocate for the environment I rise in support of the Recovering America's Wildlife Act of 2021.
This bill provides once-in-a-generation funding for the conservation of threatened species of animals and plants, as well as habitat preservation.
12,000 species are currently identified as endangered in the United States. 1,300 of those are in my home state of Texas.
In addition to providing $1.3 billion in funding to protect our nation's wildlife--$50 million of which will go to Texas--the Recovering America's Wildlife Act of 2021 designates portion of this federal funding for special projects that revitalize species facing a conservation need.
In addition to my support of H.R. 2773, I rise to put forth an important amendment to today's legislation.
Firstly, this legislation does not stipulate significant transparency regarding the handling of these funds.
Secondly, nowhere in this bill does it require the Department of the Interior to include people of color.
My amendment fixes both of those issues. By adding Title IV, we stipulate the Secretary of the Interior must, no later than one year after passage, provide a report on the dollar amount of grants, contracts, and subcontracts that were allocated to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving educational institutions, Tribally controlled colleges and universities, and women and minority owned business.
My amendment addresses a needed investment in people of color who deserve to be not only included, but intentionally targeted in new conservation investments.
Passage of this bill will encourage fairness in the allocation of contract, subcontract, and grant dollars, as well as greater transparency into the details of those allocations.
Climate change poses unprecedented challenges to plant and animal species due to wildfires, droughts, floods, and temperature shifts.
The resulting threat to biodiversity has the potential to disrupt our ecosystem, and with it, human quality-of-life and sustainability.
Urban sprawl as well as development of suburbs and exurbs also encroach on the habitat that supports biodiversity, and it has ripple effects that compound the degradation of our environment from climate change.
This bill takes these problems seriously and provides funding for programs that are essential for human sustainability as well as the resilience of plants and animals.
Our children deserve to know the natural beauty of their country.
They deserve to grow up in an America teeming with wild strength, diversity, and beauty.
They deserve to embrace the long American history of wildlife sportsmanship, recreation, and appreciation.
By supporting H.R. 2773, we ensure that childhood days spent fishing at the lake, gardening alongside bees, or watching the flight of migratory birds are not things of the past.
Through this bill we preserve the heritage of our country.
Additionally, enactment of this legislation would create a framework for prioritizing historically disadvantaged groups in environmental efforts that should be replicated in future efforts.
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Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this en bloc package as well as the bill upon final passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1170, I offer amendments en bloc.
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Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, en bloc No. 2 consists of two good- government amendments offered by my Republican colleagues: amendment No. 2 offered by the gentleman from Oregon and amendment No. 8 offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin.
Amendment No. 2 stipulates that no more than 1.85 percent of funds can be used for administrative costs in the grant programs authorized by title III.
The purpose of the Recovering America's Wildlife Act is to fund on- the-ground efforts that are focused on conserving and restoring wildlife and habitat. This 1.85 percent cap will ensure that these dollars are being used toward actions that create the most impact.
Amendment No. 8 offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin requires that half of 1 percent of the money in the Endangered Species Recovery and Habitat Conservation Legacy Fund be directed to the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of the Interior to oversee the expenditure of the fund.
This amendment will ensure that money from the Endangered Species Recovery and Habitat Conservation Legacy Fund is used appropriately and in a manner that is in line with the spirit of this legislation.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on en bloc No. 2, and
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Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker,
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Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the en bloc package as well as the bill upon final passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
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Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend from Michigan for this amendment.
This bipartisan amendment offered by the gentleman from Michigan and cosponsored by the Republican gentleman from northern Michigan makes it clear--or western Michigan, not from where Dan and I are, but it is Michigan--makes it clear that eligible funding for conservation activities under the Endangered Species Recovery and Habitat Conservation Legacy Fund include invasive species and disease management control and prevention efforts.
Invasive species and diseases pose severe threats to our Nation's wildlife population, especially for species that are already threatened or endangered.
Few places in the United States are more familiar with invasive species than the Great Lakes region which has been battling sea lampreys, zebra and quagga mussels, and now Asian carp. Native fish species are smaller and less plentiful than they once were thanks to these invasive species.
On the disease front, chronic waste and disease, a fatal disease for North America's deer, elk, and moose have spread to 25 States posing significant risks to those populations.
To properly recover native species, we must provide the resources and coordinate efforts to eradicate or control invasive species, prevent new introductions, and better understand emerging diseases.
I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
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Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, this amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Arizona and the gentleman from North Carolina adds nonprofit organizations to the list of entities that are eligible to compete for innovation grants funded by the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Subaccount.
Ten percent of subaccount funds are used to fund innovation grants. These grants are meant to catalyze the innovation of techniques, tools, and strategies while fostering collaborative partnerships that accelerate, expand, or replicate effective and measurable recovery efforts for species of greatest conservation need and species listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Including nonprofit organizations in this competitive grant process will foster collaboration and ensure that the best strategies and efforts are being funded.
Madam Speaker, I am sure that none of the groups are the radical groups that you are referring to, but I don't know. It is a competitive process that will be carefully managed.
Madam Speaker, I support my colleague's amendment.
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