By: Sarah Johnson
Climate change is one of the most important issues for engaged voters this election. According to a Pew Research Center survey from earlier this year, 88% of Democrats consider climate change a major threat to the nation. This same survey found concern about climate change has also increased within the Republican party; 31% of the surveyed population consider climate change a major threat, 45% believe it is a minor threat, and 24% believe it is not a threat. This week we’ll take a closer look at some climate policy, the America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act. This bill passed out the Senate in mid-September and of the House of Representative the first week of October.
What does the ACE Act do?
The ACE Act is a comprehensive package of bills aimed at helping conserve wildlife and wildlife habitat. This bill reauthorizes some very important programs like the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (allocating $60 million per year for five years) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act (allocating $7.2 million per year for five years), while also creating new programs aimed at addressing other emerging threats to the wildlife living within the United States. One wildlife threat the legislation particularly focuses on is the emerging disease known as Chronic Wasting Disease. Chronic Wasting Disease is “a contagious neurological disease affecting deer, elk and moose. It causes a characteristic spongy degeneration of the brains of infected animals resulting in emaciation, abnormal behavior, loss of bodily functions and death.”
Other main objectives of the ACE Act are:
- Reauthorization the Chesapeake Bay Program until 2025
- Reauthorization the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails network and the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Grants Assistance Program until 2025
- Authorization the Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense Program until 2025
- Creating a commission a study by the National Academy of Sciences regarding the pathways and mechanisms of the transmission of Chronic Wasting Disease in the United States
- Establishing a CWD task force to develop an interstate action plan for state and federal cooperation relating to the disease
- Authorization funds to combat the threat of invasive species
- Encouraging partnerships among public agencies and other interested parties for promoting fish conservation
- Establishing the Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize for reducing human-predator conflict
- Addressing losses in livestock due to depredation by federally protected species
What will the ACE Act impact?
This bill works to address some of the most important programs that exist to safeguarding our nation’s wildlife. Many of the reauthorized programs are the only programs to focusing on important aspects of wildlife and wildlife habitat nationally. The other new programs included in the bill are pivotal to protecting our wildlife and their habitat.
The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) is the only federal grant program entirely focused on conserving wetlands for waterfowl and some migratory birds. Without funding for this program, these animals and their habitats would be left without the support they need. The ACE Act also includes authorization and funding for the National Fish Habitat Conservation Through Partnerships Act. Through leveraging on-the-ground partnerships, this program has supported more than 840 projects benefiting fish habitat since 2006.
The reauthorization and increase in funding for the Chesapeake Bay Program and the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network is essential part to the watershed restoration and enhancement of outdoor recreation in the Bay. The authorized $15 million annually creates a grant program to support ecosystem preservation and restoration efforts.
When looking at emerging threats, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been documented in 26 states. This disease poses a real and imminent threat to wildlife populations the outdoor recreation and conservation groups depend on. Addressing the disease and attempting to contain it is very important to these wildlife populations.
The bill also looks at the human–predator conflict and livestock depredations. There is a big effort across the country to help protected wildlife, like grizzly bears, sharks, alligators, and wolves, rebound, but this has impacts on human life as well.
When these protected animals rebound in areas where humans keep livestock and enjoy outdoor recreation, the human-predator conflict come into play. Last year, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held hearings on the “Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize: Innovative Solutions to Reduce Human-Predator Conflict” (part of US S2194) about the possibility of providing a financial incentive for the development of non-lethal, innovative technologies to reduce conflict between human and wildlife predators. This is included in the ACE Act.
This act also looks to compensate ranchers and other producers for livestock losses they experience as a result of depredation from federally protected species (many of these “rebounding species” are part of this group). In the bill, depredation is defined as the “actual death, injury, or destruction of livestock that is caused by a federally protected species.” It does not include “damage to real or personal property other than livestock, including damage to other animals, vegetation, motor vehicles, or structures.” The term “federally protected species” means a species that is or previously was protected under the Act of June 8, 1940 (commonly known as the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act), the Endangered Species Act of 1973, or the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Some states have looked to implement programs like this, like Montana, but there has been no federal implementation of a program like this in the past.
This Act has been viewed as a bipartisan win for the environment and others who enjoy the outdoors. In a time where Congress has never felt more polarized, it is nice to see some good legislation that benefits many different facets to the outdoors and wildlife. Mike Leahy, director of wildlife, hunting, and fishing policy at the National Wildlife Federation, had this to say about the legislation,
Cover Photo by Ray Hennessy on UnsplashIt’s no secret that our wildlife populations are stressed with a third of all species at risk of extinction. This act will restore wildlife habitat, encourage partnerships with state and tribal leaders for wildlife and disease management, and promote coexistence with wildlife on working lands. This is good news for all Americans who enjoy outdoor recreation, particularly our sportsmen and women.
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