In Landmark Vote for NM, Stansbury Passes Major Outdoor Economy and Wildlife Bill
The bipartisan bill, championed by Sen. Martin Heinrich in the Senate, makes the most significant investment in wildlife and habitat conservation in a generation.
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) voted to pass the bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA) to invest billions in New Mexico’s outdoor recreation economy and ecosystems statewide. Rep. Stansbury is a cosponsor of the legislative package, which represents the biggest investment in conserving America’s wildlife, fisheries, and habitats in a generation.
RAWA is led in the Senate by U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (N.M.), where the legislation has gained significant bipartisan momentum and key committee hearings.
Existing federal funding currently fails to provide the resources required to meet the nation’s conservation needs. Species in New Mexico that currently lack necessary funding for management are expected to benefit from RAWA’s investment of over $28 million federal dollars to support conservation management and the state’s Wildlife Action Plan. This investment will additionally benefit New Mexico’s outdoor recreation economy that generates billions of dollars in economic growth each year and directly supports 26,000 jobs.
“New Mexico’s lands and waters are home to critical habitats for thousands of species of wildlife and sustain our thriving outdoor recreation industry. I’m proud to cosponsor the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act to invest in conservation and preserve our wildlife for generations to come,” said Rep. Stansbury. “As we adapt to the climate crisis, we must invest in the resilience of our ecosystems and our communities. I am grateful for Senator Heinrich’s work championing this legislation in the Senate so states, territories and Tribes have more tools to dedicate $1.3 billion in annual funding for on-the-ground conservation efforts of wildlife, fisheries, and habitats across our country.”
The critical recovery work funded by RAWA will be guided by the wildlife conservation strategies and plans developed by states, territories, and Tribes. These science-based strategies would restore populations of species with the greatest conservation need. State, Territorial, and Tribal wildlife agencies have identified more than 12,000 species in need of conservation assistance.
The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act:
- Funds 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 across the country.
- Provides Tribal nations $97.5 million annually to fund proactive wildlife conservation efforts on roughly 140 million acres of land.
- Ensures 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.
- Accelerates the recovery of 1,600 U.S. species already listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
- Includes improvements to ensure funds are appropriately targeted to the areas of greatest need and facilitate additional investments in protecting at-risk plant species.
RAWA is supported by a wide array of organizations representing Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Tribes, sportsmen, environmental and conservation advocates, and members of the outdoor recreation industry.