Governor Whitmer Leads Bipartisan Coalition of Great Lakes Governors to Protect America's Wildlife

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

October 15, 2019 

Governor Whitmer Leads Bipartisan Coalition of Great Lakes Governors to Protect America’s Wildlife 

Governors Voice Support for Bill Championed by Congresswoman Debbie Dingell 

LANSING, Mich. -- Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, along with governors DeWine (R-OH), Evers (D-WI), Wolf (D-PA), Pritzker (D-IL), and Walz (D-MN), sent a letter to chairman and ranking member of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources voicing their support for the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. 

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, sponsored by Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI-12), will help conserve and recover our nation’s fish and wildlife by dedicating $1.3 billion for state-level conservation and $97.5 million to Tribal nations to recover and sustain healthy fish and wildlife populations. The funds will be used to accelerate the recovery of the more than 12,000 species of greatest conservation need across the country by implementing the strategies identified in each state’s Congressionally-mandated State Wildlife Action Plan. 

“The decline of our fish and wildlife, and their natural habitats, are one of the greatest threats to our environment and our economy,” said Governor Whitmer. “The future of Michigan, and the entire country, rests on our ability to come together and protect our wildlife and natural resources. That’s why this bipartisan coalition of governors have come together to support the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. I want to thank Congresswoman Dingell for being a fierce leader on this issue and assure Michiganders that I will not stop working to protect our natural resources and environment on behalf of future generations.” 

“Bold solutions are needed to safeguard our nation’s fish and wildlife from further decline,” said Congresswoman Debbie Dingell. “Thanks to Governor Whitmer’s leadership, Michigan leads the nation in innovative conservation programs to safeguard the environment for current and future generations. The broad, bipartisan support from these Great Lakes governors for the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act is a strong commitment to tackling the biodiversity crisis.” 

“RAWA represents a unique opportunity to secure long-term support for species that don’t currently have a dedicated source of funding,” said Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director Dan Eichinger. “We were recently fortunate to celebrate the removal of the Kirtland’s warbler -- a songbird that lives almost exclusively in Michigan -- from the federal endangered species list. Bringing that species back from the brink of extinction was the result of a lot of investment and hard work by partner groups and agencies like ours. Passage of RAWA will allow Michigan to annually invest as much as $30 million more in managing and protecting species like the Kirtland’s warbler. The result will be even more conservation success stories for our state and the nation.”

Passage of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act will represent the largest investment in conservation funding in more than a generation and help ensure that future generations can enjoy the same abundant fish, wildlife, and outdoor recreation opportunities that we have today. 

The governors’ letter was sent to Congressman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-3), and Congressman Rob Bishop (R-UT-1). 

To view the full letter, click the link below:

• RAWA Great Lakes Govs Letter 10.15.19.pdf

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