Newly introduced national legislation would fund New Mexico wildlife conservation efforts.
U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) introduced the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA), which invests in proactive, on-the-ground conservation work led by states, territories, and tribal nations, according to a press release.
"Protecting America’s fish and wildlife habitat means conserving the creatures we love before they ever become imperiled," Heinrich said in a press release. "After all, our children deserve to inherit the full breadth of American wildlife, from bumble bees to bison, that we know today. This legislation will make that possible."
The legislation would provide tribal nations $97.5 million annually to fund proactive wildlife conservation efforts on roughly 140 million acres of land, according to the press release. It would also accelerate the recovery of 1,600 U.S. species already listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
In New Mexico, 235 animals are listed as those of most importance to focus conservation of according to the New Mexico Wildlife Action Plan, according to an article by the NM Political Report. While not all those animals are endangered or immediately threatened to become endangered, the wildlife plan lists those species as top importance because they could become endangered in the next decade.
"Missouri is home to some of the best hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation our country has to offer," Blunt said in a press release. "We can better protect our land, waterways, and wildlife by encouraging states, territories, and tribes to make significant contributions to voluntary conservation efforts. I’m proud to help introduce this bill that will help preserve our nation’s wildlife for future generations."
U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) introduced the companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives, the press release said.
"As we continue our work to combat the biodiversity crisis, bold solutions are needed to safeguard our nation’s wildlife from further decline," said Dingell. "The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act represents a strong commitment to addressing the current biodiversity crisis using innovative, on-the-ground collaboration that will protect our nation’s environmental heritage for years to come. With Senator Heinrich and Senator Blunt’s support in the Senate, we can commit to bolder investments in wildlife and habitat conservation."
