Policy News
The House Rules Committee members heard testimony on H.R. 200 on Monday, a bill that seeks to amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). They will take up the bill again today and it could go to the full House tomorrow for a vote. However, the House is embroiled on immigration issues which... Read More
The American Fisheries Society (AFS), The Wildlife Society (TWS), and the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) hosted a Congressional briefing on the status of U.S. fish and wildlife, along with a new funding mechanism that could address the current wildlife crisis. The event focused on a recently released report, Reversing America’s Wildlife Crisis, which shows that... Read More
One year ago President Trump released his first budget proposal to Congress. The proposed cuts caused much consternation about the future of important fisheries and conservation programs. After a long slow crawl, Congress finally sent a budget deal to the President’s desk this spring. With the increase in the budget ceiling passed in early 2018,... Read More
Scientists, fisheries stakeholders, wind developers, and representatives of conservation organizations will converge in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Tuesday, August 21, during the AFS Annual Meeting for a panel discussion on offshore wind energy. Offshore wind energy development is poised to rapidly expand in the United States, with the mid-Atlantic as the epicenter of development... Read More
The House Appropriations Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee released a Fiscal Year 2019 funding bill last week that would restore funding to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units (CRUs) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s State and Tribal Wildlife Grants. President Trump’s FY19 budget proposal eliminated funding for the... Read More
Last week, the White House released an updated timeline to repeal and replace the 2015 Clean Water Rule, also known as the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule. According to a document released on Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers will not finalize their planned repeal of the Clean... Read More
The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act is gaining momentum in Congress. As of this month, 52 members of Congress have joined Representatives Jeff Fortenberry (R.-Neb.) and Debbie Dingell (D.-Mich.), the lead sponsors of H.R. 4647, in co-sponsoring the bill. There’s more work to be done! We’re expecting a companion bill in the Senate in the near... Read More
In late April, the Keep America’s Refuges Operational Act was signed into law. This legislation reauthorizes the National Wildlife Refuge System volunteer, community partnership, and education programs that help ensure the public can visit, explore, fish, hunt, and study wildlife for generations to come. H.R. 3979 passed the House in December, with overwhelming bipartisan support.... Read More
The American Fisheries Society (AFS) and The Wildlife Society’s (TWS) Climate Change & Wildlife Working Group (CCWWG) are seeking nominees to serve on a synthesis team to address emerging climate change issues in natural resource management. Last year, more than 150 participants participated in a survey to identify topics for a collaborative synthesis effort that... Read More
AFS joined with a number of organizations and professional societies in calling for support of the Forest Service’s Research and Development (R&D) program to improve the future health and sustainability of the nation’s forests and grasslands for the benefits to forests, wildlife, and fish. In a letter to Chairman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Ranking Member... Read More
