WASHINGTON (June 15, 2016)– The House Appropriations Committee has marked up the FY 2017 bill to fund the Department of the Interior and other agencies and it is riddled with riders that harm our lands, air, water and wildlife. In addition to provisions already in the base bill that undermine Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in Wyoming and the Great Lakes and the sage-grouse, additional amendments were included today that:
· Block protections for the imperiled lesser prairie-chicken under the Endangered Species Act (ESA);
· Prevent implementation of landmark federal land management plans and other measures intended to conserve the imperiled sage-grouse; and
· allow for unsustainable levels of water pumping from the California Bay Delta, undermining ESA protections for salmon and other native California fish species listed under the ESA.
Statement from Former Defenders of Wildlife President and CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark:
“When will the Congressional onslaught on our nation’s wildlife and lands end? The House Appropriations Committee has doubled down on its efforts to undermine the Endangered Species Act. Conservation efforts for the lesser prairie chicken and the greater sage-grouse are on the chopping block. As if that weren’t enough, the bill that was approved by the Committee also would devastate west coast fisheries and the thousands of fishing jobs in California and Oregon that depend on them. These shameful riders are unabashed attacks on our natural heritage and should be struck from the final spending legislation, once and for all.”
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For nearly 80 years, Defenders of Wildlife has worked to protect and restore America’s wildlife at risk of extinction, advancing a vision of a future in which wildlife thrives, sustained by broad public support and a resilient network of healthy lands and waters. With a network of more than 2 million supporters, Defenders is an advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on Instagram @defendersofwildlife.
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