Press Releases

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (Association) applauds the Biden-Harris Administration (Administration) for awarding more than $90 million in grant funding for conservation and restoration projects through the America the Beautiful Challenge (Challenge). Last week, the Administration announced that 55 new grants across 42 states, 3 U.S. territories, and 14 Tribal Nations have been selected for locally led ecosystem restoration projects under the public-private grant program.

Today, the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) published the State of the Birds 2022 Report, highlighting two important trends and revealing an important message. The report reveals that birds are declining overall in every habitat except in wetlands, where decades of investment have resulted in dramatic gains. Comebacks of waterfowl show the power of dedicated conservation funding and policy investments. Passage of proactive conservation legislation, such as the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, is essential to reverse this trend and bring birds back.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) recognized 15 individuals and one private landowner for their dedication to advancing fish and wildlife conservation at the Association’s Annual Awards Ceremony held both in person and virtually on September 20, 2022 in Fort Worth, Texas.

The voting membership of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies passed four resolutions during its Business Meeting held on September 21, 2022.

During the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies’ 112 th Annual Meeting, held September 18-21, the members recommended the approval of 55 projects to be funded through the Multistate Conservation Grant Program (MSCGP). All proposals responded to the Association’s strategic conservation priorities and were reviewed by subject matter experts from the Association’s Committees.

The membership of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (Association) elected Curt Melcher, Director of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, as its new president during its 112th Annual Meeting in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (Association) applauds the Biden-Harris Administration (Administration) for establishing the Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council (Council). On Friday, September 23, the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the membership of the newly-recharted Council, which will serve as a Federal Advisory Committee to the Administration advancing the needs of the sportsmen and women that form the foundation for conservation and restoration of fish and wildlife species and flourishing habitats.

A new survey conducted by Responsive Management finds that 70 percent of Americans support the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, pending federal legislation that would allocate an additional $1.4 billion in annual funding to state agencies and tribal land managers for wildlife conservation.

Across the country, State Fish and Wildlife agencies stand on the front lines of conservation, and effectively use Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration funds as an indispensable part of their budgets to conserve wildlife and fisheries, restore habitat, provide shooting ranges, and connect people with nature. These funds, generated through a 10-11 percent federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition through the Pittman-Robertson Act, have generated $15 billion for conservation since the law was enacted in 1937. In 2022 alone, State Fish and Wildlife Agencies received a record $1.1 billion in funding through the Pittman-Robertson Act to support state and local outdoor recreational opportunities, and wildlife and habitat conservation efforts.

Today, the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies was excited to witness a passing vote on the House floor for the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (H.R. 2773). The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act is the single most impactful wildlife conservation bill in a generation, benefiting our nature, outdoor recreation, our overall health, clean air and water and our economy. The final vote was 231 to 190 including Republicans and Democrats, highlighting the bipartisan support of this historic piece of legislation that would help expedite the recovery of thousands of at-risk species through proactive, collaborative conservation.