Habitat Bill Passes Out of Committee, Highlights Need for Additional Funding

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The House Natural Resources Committee has passed the America's Wildlife Habitat Conservation Act on a party-line vote.

"Our nation's wildlife are in crisis. We are seeing steep declines in species from birds to butterflies and whales to waterfowl. This bill recognizes the existence of the crisis and could allow Congress to provide the states, Tribes, and territories with additional funding, but not automatically and only if future appropriations are made," said Mike Leahy, senior director of wildlife, hunting and fishing policy at the National Wildlife Federation. "Unfortunately, we've seen how difficult it is for Congress to pass even flat funding bills in recent years. Further, the bill takes back existing, much-needed conservation funding, demonstrating the risk of short-term funding promises.

"This issue has bipartisan support, we'd love to see a bipartisan solution like the Recovering America's Wildlife Act."

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