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Support
the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in their efforts to repair damaged
resources
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Resource Protection Act
(H.R. 4558) was introduced to Congress with
bipartisan support last month. This important bill would give the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service the authority to collect compensation for any
damages knowingly and intentionally caused by a third party to living
and non-living resources within the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Currently, any
damages to the Refuge System deliberately caused by a third party are
fixed using American tax dollars from the existing U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service budget. This means that repairs
needed as a result of damages are paid for by stripping away funds from
wildlife management and conservation programs or added into the
maintenance backlog.
H.R. 4558 would remove the payment responsibility from the taxpayer and
justly attribute it to the guilty party. Funds accrued by the guilty
party would go directly to the restoration or replacement of damaged
resources, ensuring budgets for wildlife management and conservation
programs remain intact. Other natural resource management
agencies, such as the National Park Service and the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, already have this authority.
Take action today to enable wildlife professionals
by asking your U.S. Representative to support the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service Resource Protection Act!
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