U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Introduces Wildlife Legislation to Promote Conservation and Wisconsin’s Hunting Heritage

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) and a bipartisan group of 4 Senators to introduce The Hunting Heritage and Environmental Legacy Preservation (HELP) for Wildlife Act (S. 1514). The bipartisan legislation will reauthorize important conservation programs and help protect Wisconsin’s outdoors traditions.

“Wisconsin has long been a national leader for conservation and we have a proud tradition of hunting, fishing and enjoying the great outdoors,” said Senator Baldwin. “Our bipartisan legislation will help protect these traditions for future generations and safeguard the natural resources we enjoy in Wisconsin.” 

“America has been blessed with remarkable wildlife,” said Senator Barrasso. “The HELP Wildlife Act promotes conservation based on sound science and provides needed protections for America’s sportsmen."

“Wisconsin sportsmen and women strongly support the bipartisan HELP for Wildlife Act because it provides critically needed funds for habitat restoration for a wide variety of fish and wildlife and also ensures strong state and federal management of fish and wildlife,” said George Meyer, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation. “The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation thanks Senator Baldwin for helping lead this effort conserve America's outdoor heritage.”

“The bipartisan HELP for Wildlife Act will advance key priorities of sportsmen and women, including important wildlife conservation programs,” said Collin O’Mara, president and chief executive officer of the National Wildlife Federation. “While other bipartisan sportsmen bills have come close to passage in recent years, this bill represents a great bipartisan effort to conserve America’s outdoor heritage for hunters, anglers, campers, hikers, and wildlife enthusiasts. We applaud Senator Baldwin for leading on this important legislation and for standing up on behalf of Wisconsin’s sportsmen. By protecting and bolstering our outdoor heritage, we can help recover wildlife in Wisconsin and across the United States and empower the next generation of conservation champions.”

The HELP for Wildlife Act will advance several important wildlife conservation programs that protect and improve wildlife habitat in Wisconsin and aross the country. This will help create new opportunities for Wisconsin’s hunters, fishermen and birders. The conservation efforts strengthened by the bipartisan legislation help support local and regional priorities for wildlife habitat, conserve wetlands and support public-private partnerships to improve freshwater fisheries.  The legislation will also protect Wisconsin’s hunting traditions by providing regulatory clarity for sportsmen and developing public target ranges to promote safety and hunting education. 

Specifically, the HELP for Wildlife Act will:

• Reauthorize and fund the North American Wetlands Conservation Act until 2023;
• Reauthorize and fund the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Act until 2023;
• Reauthorize and fund the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act until 2023;
• Finalize partnerships among public agencies and other interested parties for promoting fish conservation;
• Promote the building and expansion of public target ranges.
• Mandate the reissuance of final rules de-listing the gray wolf in both Wyoming and the western Great Lakes and prohibits judicial review;
• Reauthorize and fund the Chesapeake Bay Program until 2023;
• Reauthorize and fund the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails network and the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Grants Assistance Program until 2023;
• Prevent farmers from being held liable for bird baiting for hunting purposes if they adhere to USDA and state agricultural best practices following crop loss from flooding; and
• Promote the building and expansion of public target ranges.

Text of the legislation is available here.