Senate Bill Will Provide Critical Support to Wetlands and Bird Conservation

WASHINGTON (February 14, 2024) – Bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate would benefit birds by reauthorizing funding for programs to conserve wetlands across the country and North America, conservation efforts in the Chesapeake Bay region, partnerships to protect fish habitats, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and more. The America’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act – also known as the ACE Act -- was introduced by Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.)

“The ACE Act would ensure that programs around the country would continue to support habitat conservation efforts for birds and provide resources they need to survive,” said Jesse Walls, senior director of government affairs at the National Audubon Society. “Effective conservation of the birds we love means ensuring that the wetlands that they call home can endure, and that the fish they need to sustain themselves and their young are also plentiful. We thank Senators Carper and Capito for their leadership, and hope this comprehensive bill passes swiftly.”

In addition to reauthorizing programs in the Chesapeake Bay, the legislation would reauthorize the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). Since 1991, the NAWCA program has been a highly popular and successful conservation effort that protects and restores wetlands and associated habitats. It has leveraged more than $4 billion to benefit more than 31 million acres from 3,200 projects in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, contributing to the long-term recovery of many wetland-dependent birds.

The ACE Act also includes reauthorization for the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) program, which since 2006 has funded over 1,100 aquatic conservation projects across the United States. At $10 million a year for five years, this ensures that the NFHP can continue its long and successful mission of defending aquatic and coastal habitats that are critical for endangered nesting and migrating bird populations.

About Audubon
The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Audubon works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, Audubon believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.

 Media Contact: Robyn Shepherd, robyn.shepherd@audubon.org