House Interior Bill Hammers Imperiled Wildlife with Riders, Cuts

The House Appropriations Committee released a Fiscal Year 2019 Interior and Environment spending bill last night that is slated for markup in subcommittee at 5:30 p.m. this evening. The legislation cuts funding for a key Endangered Species Act program and contains several damaging anti-wildlife provisions that cast aside the importance of science in decision making, block citizen access to the courts and jeopardize years of collaborative wildlife conservation planning.

Statement from Former Defenders of Wildlife President and CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark:

“The Appropriations Committee pulled out their sharpest knives to make cuts to vital wildlife and wild lands protections in yet another attack on the Endangered Species Act.

“The rider blocking protections for greater sage-grouse – at this point, a perennial favorite of anti-wildlife members of Congress – represents a one-two punch for this species, as Secretary Zinke is already laser focused on gutting collaboratively developed, comprehensive land management plans aimed at conserving the imperiled bird and many other species that depend on that special habitat.

“The bill also puts endangered salmon runs at incredible risk and wages war on wolves in the lower 48 states. It also threatens sensitive fish and wildlife, healthy watersheds and the local communities and economies that depend on these resources.

“These provisions are the antithesis of responsible stewardship of our lands, waters and wildlife, and have no place in an Interior appropriations bill that truly aims to preserve our natural heritage.”