February 24, 2020

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Speaker of the House Minority Leader U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives U.S. Capitol, H-232 U.S. Capitol, H-204 Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leader McCarthy,

As organizations collectively representing millions of Americans who enjoy the outdoors through hunting, fishing, birding, hiking, paddling, and gardening, as well as the state fish and wildlife agencies and other natural resource professionals charged with stewarding our nation’s wildlife, we write to express our strong support for the bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (H.R. 3742) and urge you to advance it to the House floor for a vote.

This legislation provides a comprehensive strategy to protect our wildlife heritage by assuring sufficient funding for on-the-ground activities that support states’ most urgent wildlife conservation priorities. This proactive approach to solving the ever-increasing challenges facing our nation’s fish and wildlife has brought over 170 Members of Congress together as cosponsors of this legislation. Just two months ago, the bill received overwhelming bipartisan support in the House Committee on Natural Resources and was reported out by a 26-6 vote, with a majority of Republican committee members present voting in favor. The momentum and increasingly bipartisan support building behind this bill underscore the urgency of advancing it to the floor. With more than one-third of all U.S. species at increased risk of extinction, we can’t afford not to take swift action.

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act will help recover and conserve species at risk by dedicating $1.3 billion for state-level conservation and $97.5 million to Tribal nations for on-the- ground conservation projects. The legislation funds the implementation of the congressionally- mandated State Wildlife Action Plans, which outline specific conservation actions necessary to recover and sustain healthy fish and wildlife populations, while also accelerating the recovery of species already listed under the Endangered Species Act. Similarly, tribal nations will expand conservation efforts on their lands, which provide vital habitat for hundreds of fish and wildlife species, including more than 500 species listed as threatened or endangered. This bill also allocates more funding for wildlife conservation in the territories, as recent natural disasters have exacerbated pressures on native species.

The premise of this bill is simple: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We can save wildlife and save money in the long run by investing in collaborative solutions before species require more restrictive and expensive “emergency room” measures under the Endangered Species Act. This approach will save federal taxpayers tens of billions of dollars by ensuring more regulatory certainty for farmers, businesses, and industry while also growing our continuously expanding $887 billion outdoor economy that supports more than 7.6 million jobs.

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act builds upon the incredible legacy of the Pittman- Robertson and Dingell-Johnson Acts, which brought iconic fish and wildlife species back from the brink of extinction through cooperative, science-driven wildlife management, supported by reliable funding. It will take a similar vision and effort to address the escalating problems facing our fish and wildlife in the 21st century, and this bill presents a solution that meets the magnitude of the challenge.

Passage of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act is unequivocally the most important thing this Congress can do to protect our nation’s outdoor heritage. We look forward to working with you to bring this legislation to the House floor in the coming weeks.

Sincerely,

Alabama Department of Conservation and Arizona Outdoor Sports Natural Resources Arizona Predator Callers Allegan Conservation District Arizona Shooting Sports Education American Fisheries Society Foundation American Sportfishing Association Arizona State Council of Trout Unlimited Anglers United Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife Conservation Arizona Antelope Foundation Arizona Wildlife Federation Arizona Bass Federation Nation Arkansas Chapter of the American Fisheries Arizona Big Game Super Raffle Society Arizona Bowhunters Association Arkansas Chapter of The Wildlife Society Arizona Chapter National Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Federation Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission Arizona Chapter Safari Club International Arkansas Watertrail Partnership Arizona Deer Association Association of Northwest Steelheaders Arizona Desert Society Atlantic Salmon Federation Arizona Elk Society Audubon Arizona Arizona Flycasters Club Audubon Minnesota Arizona Houndsmen's Association Audubon Pennsylvania Arizona Outdoor Adventures Audubon Society of Lincoln City, Oregon Colorado Chapter of the Wildlife Society Audubon Texas Confluence Consulting, LLC Audubon Washington Connecticut Forest & Park Association Austin Science Advocates Connecticut Ornithological Association Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Conservation Council for Hawaii Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Texas Conservation Federation of Missouri Chapter Conservation InSight Barry Conservation District Conservation Northwest Barry County Drain Commissioner Conservation Resource Management Bass Pro Shops Cornell Lab of Ornithology Bat Conservation International Council to Advance Hunting and the Baxter State Park Shooting Sports Bayou Land Conservancy Crow Nation Bexar Audubon Society Delaware Valley University Big Thicket Association Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Biodiversity Research Institute Downeast Salmon Federation Biological Conservation Downeast Trout Unlimited Bird Conservancy of the Rockies Ducks Unlimited Bucks County Audubon Society Environment Council of Rhode Island Buffalo Creek Watershed Association Environmental Collaborative Of Ohio Burns Paiute Tribe Environmental League of Massachusetts Cabela's First Light Wildlife Habitats California Invasive Plant Council Flathead Audubon Society Cedar Run Decoy Company Forest Society of Maine Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation of Montana Fort Worth Zoo Christian Hunters of America Four Townships Water Resources Cibolo Conservancy Land Trust Franciscan Earth Literacy Center Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed Freeport Wild Bird Supply Friends of Malheur National Wildlife Kentucky Waterways Alliance Refuge Klamath Watershed Partnership Friends of Stewart B McKinney NWR Lake County Forest Preserve District Friends of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Lake Erie Islands Conservancy Refuge Local Ocean Seafoods Galveston Bay Foundation Lower Brule Sioux Tribe Georges River Chapter, Trout Unlimited Maine Association of Wetland Scientists Grand Prairie Friends Maine Audubon Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance Maine Coast Heritage Trust Gulf Coast Bird Observatory Maine Council of Trout Unlimited Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association Maine Professional Guides Association Hill Country Alliance Maine Rivers Houston Safari Club Maine Wildlife Conservation Council Houston Wilderness Maryland - Delaware Chapter of The Indiana Chapter of The Wildlife Society Wildlife Society Indiana Wildlife Federation Maverick Ranch-Fromme Farm Ingham Conservation District McBain Associates, Applied River Sciences Innovative Wildlife Management Services, Mercy Ecology LLC Michigan Audubon Institute for Natural Resources - Portland, Oregon Michigan Chapter for The Wildlife Society Iowa Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Michigan Forestry Assistance Program - Oceana Conservation District Izaak Walton League of America Michigan Nature Association Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation Minnesota Chapter of The Wildlife Society Kahuna's Kids Mississippi Flyway Council Kalamazoo Nature Center Missouri Breaks Chapter of the National Kalamazoo River Watershed Council Audubon Society Katy Prairie Conservancy Mohave Sportsman Club Kennebec Valley Chapter of Trout Montana Audubon Unlimited Montana Wildlife Federation Oregon Biodiversity Information Center Montana/Wyoming Tribal Fish and Wildlife Oregon Chapter of The Wildlife Society Commission Oregon Chapter, American Fisheries Society Narragansett Chapter, Trout Unlimited Oregon Health Sciences University National Association of State Foresters Oregon Outdoors Coalition National Audubon Society Oregon State University National Shooting Sports Foundation Oregon Wildlife Foundation National Wild Turkey Federation Oregon Wildlife Society National Wildlife Federation Oregon Zoo Native American Fish and Wildlife Society Oregon Zoo Foundation Native Plant Society of Texas Outdoor Experience 4 All Natural Land Institute Outdoor Industry Association Nebraska Chapter of The Wildlife Society PDXWildlife NEC Solar Pennsylvania Biological Survey Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen & Nemours Wildlife Foundation Conservationists New Jersey Audubon Penobscot Nation Department of Natural Resources New Mexico Wildlife Federation Pierce Cedar Creek Institute Newaygo Conservation District Pines and Prairies Land Trust North American Falconers Association Planning and Conservation League North Dakota Natural Resources Trust Prairie Hills Audubon Chapter North Dakota Wildlife Federation Prairie Hills Audubon Society of Western Northeast Association of Fish & Wildlife South Dakota Agencies, Inc. Protect Animal Migration Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association Quality Deer Management Association Ohio Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers QuietKat, Inc. Openlands Ravenswood Outdoors Oregon Association of Conservation Rhode Island B.A.S.S. Nation Districts Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association Southwest Wildlife Foundation (Yuma Valley Rod & Gun Club) Rhode Island Zoological Society SRT Outdoors Riverside Nature Center Tennessee Wildlife Federation Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Foundation Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation Zoo Texas A&M Student Chapter of The Rogue Basin Partnership Wildlife Society Salem Audubon Society Texas Alliance for America's Fish and San Francisco Bay Chapter of the Wildlife Wildlife Society Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society Schoolcraft Conservation District Texas Conservation Alliance Sebago Chapter of Trout Unlimited Texas Foundation for Conservation South Carolina Chapter of The Wildlife Texas Land Trust Council Society Texas Society for Ecological Restoration South Dakota Association of Conservation Districts Texas Wildlife Association South Dakota Chapter of The Wildlife The Alabama Chapter of The Wildlife Society Society South Dakota Waterfowl Association The BASS Federation South Dakota Wildlife Federation The Connecticut Audubon Society South Eastern Arizona Sporstmen Club The Frontera Land Alliance Southeastern Association of Fish & Wildlife The Indiana Chapter of The Wildlife Society Agencies The Maine Chapter of The Wildlife Society Southeastern Section of The Wildlife The Northwest Guides and Anglers Society Association Southern Quail Forever The Northwest Guides and Anglers Southern California Chapter of the Wildlife Fisheries Restoration Initiative Society The Ohio Chapter of The Wildlife Society Southern Division of the American Fisheries The Wildlife Society Society -Alligator Gar Technical Committee The Wildlife Society – Arizona Chapter Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy The Wildlife Society - Iowa Chapter The Wildlife Society-North Central Section Wildlife Management Institute The Wildlife Society, Nevada Chapter Wimberley Valley Watershed Association The Wildlife Society, San Francisco Bay Women’s Progressive Party Area Chapter World Wildlife Fund The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Wray-Todd Ranch, LLC Conservation Wyoming Outdoor Council Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Wyoming Wildlife Federation Thornapple Area Parks and Recreation Xtreme Predator Callers Commission Yellowstone River Parks Association Trout Unlimited University of New England University of Tennessee Valley of the Sun Quail Forever Virginia Chapter of The Wildlife Society Virginia Conservation Network Washington Chapter of the Wildlife Society Washington Wildlife Federation Watchable Wildlife Foundation Watershed Guardians WaterWatch of Oregon Wayne County Conservation District West Virginia Rivers Coalition Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Western Pennsylvania Conservancy White River Marine Group Wild Oceans Wildlife Consulting and Photography Wildlife Habitat Council