One-third of all fish & wildlife species in the U.S. are at risk of becoming Endangered. Of the country's 12,000 Species of Greatest Conservation Need, Texas is home to more than 1,300. Please contact your U.S. Senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, and ask them to vote YES for S. 2372, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act.
The bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (S. 2372) would dedicate $1.4 billion annually in existing federal funds to wildlife conservation projects aimed at keeping species off the Endangered Species list. Texas would be eligible for more than $50 million per year to implement projects that benefit the Species of Greatest Conservation Need in our state.
The Recovering America's Wildlife Act would afford an incredible opportunity to protect wildlife and wildlife habitats in Texas and throughout the country - a "game changer", says Texas Parks and Wildlife Executive Director Carter Smith.
The funding would be used for wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, research, and outdoor recreation and education programs that benefit at-risk species. The focus of the funding would be to stabilize declining fish and wildlife species and keep them from slipping closer to the brink of extinction.
Ask Your U.S. Senator to vote YES on S. 2372, the Recovering America's Wildlife Act
The funds directed by the Recovering America's Wildlife Act would be funneled to the wildlife agencies in the various states. These agencies would, in turn, take applications from conservation organizations, land trusts, universities, researchers, other state agencies, municipalities, and private landowners for projects to benefit at-risk fish and wildlife species. Applicants would be required to provide a 25% match, ensuring that the funds all go to valid serious projects.
The benefits of healthy wildlife populations and healthy ecosystems are far-reaching. Texas' booming outdoor recreation industry generates over $50 billion in revenues and directly supports more than 400,000 Texas jobs. Natural ecosystems filter our water, clean our air, protect the pollinators that support the state's agriculture, and provide food, fiber, and lumber for all Texans. One amazing example: bats provide an estimated $1.4 billion in benefits to the agriculture industry in Texas, by consuming insect pests and pollinating crops.
"The Recovering America's Wildlife Act is one of the most exciting initiatives I've seen in 35 years of conservation," says, Janice Bezanson, executive director of Texas Conservation Alliance. "Please ask YOUR U.S. Senators to vote YES for S. 2372!"
