WASHINGTON- (Tuesday, June 16, 2015)– The just-completed House Interior appropriations bill includes a number of anti-wildlife riders which attack the Endangered Species Act (ESA), weaken habitat protections and block tighter restrictions on the illegal sale of ivory. Rep. Betty McCollum (MN-4) offered an amendment to strike all anti-environmental riders from the bill, Rep. Chellie Pingree (ME-1) offered an amendment to strike all anti-ESA riders, but both amendments were defeated. Rep. Steve Israel (NY– 3) also offered an amendment to eliminate a rider that opposed tighter restrictions on the sale of ivory needed to stem the flow of smuggled ivory into this country.

The following is a statement from Jamie Rappaport Clark:

“The House of Representatives continues to wage its war on wildlife and our natural heritage and this appropriations bill is only the latest shot fired. This bill takes aim at vulnerable species like the gray wolf, northern long-eared bat and greater sage-grouse and blocks the development of tighter restrictions on the sale of ivory.  We are grateful to conservation champions like Rep. McCollum, Rep. Israel and Rep. Pingree who stood up for our natural heritage against tremendous odds and we thank them for their efforts to stop these disastrous riders in their tracks. We look to the president to ensure these needlessly destructive riders are removed.”

 

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Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 1.2 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.org and follow us on Twitter @defendersnews.

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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