FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 3, 2021
Contact: press@michigan.gov
Governor Whitmer leads Bipartisan Coalition of Great Lakes Governors to Protect America’s Wildlife
LANSING, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer led a bipartisan group of governors, including governors DeWine (R-OH), Evers (D-WI), Wolf (D-PA), Holcomb (R-IN), Walz (D-MN), and Pritzker (D-IL), in sending a letter to leaders of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources voicing their support for the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act.
“Our fish and wildlife and their natural habitats are one of our greatest assets, and any threats to them impact not only our environment but also our economy,” said Governor Whitmer. “The future of Michigan’s economy rests on our ability to come together and protect our wildlife and natural resources. That’s why I am proud to come together with a bipartisan coalition of governors to support the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. I want to thank Congresswoman Dingell for her leadership on this issue and I look forward to working with anyone to put Michiganders first and working hard to protect our natural resources and environment for future generations.”
“The passage of RAWA would mark a big step forward for states like Michigan that continually struggle to secure long term support for species without dedicated sources of funding, including those that are threatened or endangered,” said Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director Dan Eichinger. “RAWA will allow Michigan to annually invest as much as $30 million more in managing and protecting species that are important to our ecosystems and Michiganders. The result will be even more conservation success stories for our state and the nation.”
Passage of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act will help promote and enhance our nation’s conservation efforts and ensure the long-term health of fish and wildlife throughout the country.
The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, sponsored by Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI-12), would:
- Fund conservation efforts for more than 12,000 species of wildlife and plants in need of assistance by providing $1.3 billion in dedicated annual funding for proactive, on-the-ground efforts in every state and territory.
- Accelerate the recovery of 1,600 U.S. species already listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
- Ensure wildlife recovery efforts will be guided by the congressionally-mandated State Wildlife Action Plans, which identify specific strategies to restore the populations of species of greatest conservation need.
- Provide Tribal nations $97.5 million annually to fund proactive wildlife conservation efforts on roughly 140 million acres of land.
- Include improvements to ensure funds are appropriately targeted to the areas of greatest need and facilitate additional investments in protecting at-risk plant species.
To view the full letter, click the link below: