In September, the House passed HR 3354, an omnibus (bundled) spending bill that included four amendments to weaken the Endangered Species Act. Then, in November, the Senate Appropriations Committee’s draft funding bill for the US Department of the Interior proposed blocking or restricting protections for gray wolves, lesser prairie-chickens, and sage-grouse; limiting the ability of other federal agencies to consult with the US Fish and Wildlife Service on projects that could be detrimental to protected species; and decreasing funding for activities necessary to determine whether species should be listed as threatened or endangered.
AWI continues to closely monitor these spending bills and will actively oppose any riders that undermine important animal protection measures.