WASHINGTON (December 24, 2024) – As the year draws to a close, we reflect on the hectic ending weeks of the 118th Congress, where despite the chaotic moments, there remained a bipartisan commitment to getting some important conservation policies over the finish line. From adding new protections to hundreds of thousands of acres of coastal areas and safeguarding vital bird habitat, to establishing new funding for global conservation projects, these wins will conserve vital habitats and nurture economic growth for years to come. Unfortunately, much was left undone and significant bipartisan conservation bills faltered as time ran out—leaving much work ahead for the next Congress and administration.
Here are 7 wins for conservation, and migratory birds, from the 2024 lame-duck Congressional session (post-election day until now):
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More than $110 billion in disaster recovery funds to restore private and public lands and related infrastructure. In the rushed final days of the 118th Congress, bipartisan support ensured conservation programs related to disaster recovery received notable funding. This includes supporting farmers and private forest landowners in their conservation efforts with $828 million for United States Department of Agriculture’s Emergency Conservation Program and $356.5 million for the Emergency Forest Restoration Program. Additional disaster recovery resources went to federal land agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service.
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America’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization (ACE) Act will ensure continued funding for multiple conservation programs like the North America Wetlands Conservation Act. It includes resources for conservation in the Chesapeake Bay and for the National Fish Habitat Partnership, which has funded more than 1,100 aquatic conservation projects across the country since its inception in 2006.
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The Bolstering Ecosystems Against Coastal Harm (BEACH) Act modernizes the 40-year-old Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA), protecting an additional 280,000 acres of coastal lands on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It represents the largest addition to the CBRA system in its history, with most of the newly protected areas in the states hardest hit by recurring hurricanes and coastal flooding. These coastal areas serve both as buffer for severe weather and as habitat for numerous birds and other species.
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The Water Development Resources Act (WRDA) supports a range of critically important infrastructure projects to improve the management of rivers and harbors and provides key conservation protections and resources to restore the Florida Everglades.
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The U.S. Foundation for International Conservation will establish a new foundation to leverage private and public investments for global conservation projects, which has the potential to provide up to $3 billion over the next decade to conserve vulnerable habitats across the globe.
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The Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act increases accessibility to our nation’s public lands, which are enjoyed by millions of people—including millions who like to birdwatch. This legislation, which has long been championed by Audubon’s nonprofit conservation partners, is a major win that will ensure all Americans have access to and can enjoy public lands. By supporting greater access, by extension people will not just appreciate these special places but will work to conserve them for future generations.
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The Great Salt Lake Stewardship Act allows for water conservation within the Great Salt Lake basin to be an approved practice for funding from the Central Utah Project Completion Act, providing a new tool for protecting and stabilizing water resources in this critical ecoregion.
Additionally, there were several bills related to the health and sustainability of the nation’s waterways that passed Congress. These include the Fishery Improvement to Streamline untimely regulatory Hurdles post Emergency Situation (FISHES) Act, which is designed to speed up access to resources for fisheries recovering from disasters; the Colorado River Salinity Control Fix Act, which gives local jurisdictions increased access to federal funding for salinity control programs; and the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act of 2023, which provides a seven-year extension to programs that advance protections for native fish species, helping improve ecosystem health that birds and other wildlife depend on.
But it wasn’t all wins, and vital conservation policies that enjoy bipartisan support failed to make it over the finish line. Three key missed opportunities were:
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The lands package falling apart. Among the legislation that could’ve been pulled into a larger lands package were two bills focused on conservation action along the Colorado River Basin, multiple Tribal water rights settlements, bills that would’ve protected public lands and rivers across six western states, and more.
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Reinvesting In Shoreline Economies and Ecosystems Act of 2023 (RISEE). Introduced in 2023, the legislation would have created a revenue sharing model to help fund coastal restoration, both helping conserve vital bird and wildlife habitat and providing protection to communities from extreme weather and sea level rise.
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Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act of 2023. The legislation would have encouraged growth in domestic renewable energy production through the responsible development and siting of wind and solar energy on public lands. The increase of renewable energy is vital for addressing climate change.
As we close down 2024, we take stock of the important gains we’ve made, the partners we have that share our mission of addressing biodiversity loss and climate change, and the bipartisan support for conservation that will be so critical as we look to the year ahead.
Audubon is looking forward to working with the new Congress to call for continued action to protect the waters and lands that birds call home.
About Audubon
The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Audubon works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, Audubon believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.
Media Contact: Jeff Billington, [email protected]
