Habitat loss threatens the wildlife, lands and waters that hunters and anglers rely on, and a new report from the National Wildlife Federation outlines the consequences in states like Texas.
Texas is home to tens of thousands of native animal and plant species, as well as a booming outdoor recreation economy worth an estimated $31 billion a year, according to the Outdoor Industry Association.
Aaron Kindle, the federation’s sports advocacy director, called habitat loss perhaps the biggest threat to wildlife.
“The time has come,” he said. “I can’t take too much habitat loss and still enjoy the things we’ve enjoyed in the past.”
The report says wildlife and plant species in the United States have lost an average of 6.5 million acres of vital habitat over the past two decades. The amounts and consequences vary by species, but the outdoor recreation industry supports nearly 300,000 jobs in the Lone Star State.
As Congressional leaders consider historic investments in natural infrastructure and wildlife habitat, report urges hunters and anglers to take the lead and use their own on-the-ground knowledge to speak out on wildlife issues and habitat loss. Kindle said the report is a call for these groups to engage and advocate.
“Hunters and anglers, those who go out and pursue these species, are the ones in the best position to find the solutions, advocate for the solutions, talk to members of Congress, and make it all happen,” he said. he declares.
The report cites the America the Beautiful initiative and the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act as strategies to conserve, connect and restore 30% of public lands and water by 2030. Kindle said it was important to give species of game and fish the opportunity to stabilize and recover.
“When you have a healthy river with vegetation on both sides, that provides habitat, but it also slows flooding,” he said. “It cleans the water before it reaches a source of human drinking water.”
The report says energy development and development as towns and cities expand are making the situation worse. He said that ultimately the lost habitat jeopardizes the survival of sporting traditions such as hunting and fishing – which in turn affects the mainly rural communities that depend on them.
Disclosure: The National Wildlife Federation contributes to our fund for reporting on climate change/air quality, endangered species and wildlife, energy policy, environment, public lands/ wilderness, salmon retrieval, water. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.
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Oregon state lawmakers have crossed the political divide, coming together to seek funding for the Infrastructure Act wildlife crossings from Congress.
In the 2022 session, the Oregon Legislature approved $7 million for structures to improve the ability of wildlife to cross roads.
Rep. Ken Helm, D-Beaverton, sent a letter to the Oregon Transportation Commission, asking for an additional $10 million to the bipartisan infrastructure package passed by Congress last year. The letter received the signatures of half of the state’s representatives and senators.
“It’s not a very partisan issue,” Helm pointed out. “It’s a problem that needs to be solved, and the results are good for people, and they’re good for animals.”
Oregon is far behind other states in terms of wildlife crossings. The state has just five, compared to states like Colorado, with 69, and California and Utah, with 50 each. Helm said Oregon is similar to those states, with wildlife moving in large herds across the landscape, and crossings have proven successful elsewhere.
Rep. David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford, was part of a Helm task force formed last year to identify projects across Oregon ready for funding. He signed the letter asking for federal money for the crossings, saying the issue transcends the political divide as well as the urban-rural divide in the state.
“I look forward to continuing to work with Rep. Helm and our stakeholders so that we can implement the legislation and secure wildlife crossings,” Smith said. “And catch up to Oregon with the rest of the western states that have already made those investments.”
Smith added that with people driving less due to rising fuel prices, it is important to secure funding where possible for projects. Wildlife crossings have been shown to reduce collisions by at least 80%.
Support for this report was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.
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The latest report from the US Department of Agriculture on its wildlife culling program, which aims to reduce the loss of livestock to carnivores, suggests the agency continues to prioritize lethal management.
More than 404,000 wild animals were killed in their natural habitat last year.
Lindsay Larris, wildlife program director for the WildEarth Guardians group, said when managers fail to target specific animals encountering livestock by using traps, snares, sodium cyanide bombs and shooting animals from low-flying aircraft, collateral damage can be significant.
“Three golden eagles were unintentionally killed, hundreds of gray and red foxes,” Larris said. “And we found that there are two livestock protection dogs – these are dogs whose purpose is to protect livestock – that are being killed by this federal program.”
In 2021, wildlife services killed 64,000 coyotes, nearly 25,000 beavers, 3,000 foxes, 600 bobcats, 433 black bears, 324 gray wolves, 200 cougars and six endangered grizzly bears. More than 2,300 coyotes have been killed in Wyoming by planes and helicopters, which Larris says costs taxpayers about $800 an hour.
For two consecutive years, wildlife services have received nearly $1.4 million specifically for non-lethal “predator” management. Larris argued that non-lethal options, including guard fences, horse riders, donkeys and llamas and displaying colorful flags, were effective in keeping wolves and other livestock predators away.
“Herders, agricultural producers appreciate these options,” Larris said. “So if they exist and they work, let’s see more of them and don’t unnecessarily kill native species.”
Larris noted that people travel from all over the world for the chance to see Wyoming’s iconic wildlife, which is an important economic driver. When apex predators are removed from wild landscapes, she pointed out that entire ecosystems can be thrown out of balance.
“Wild animals should be able to live in the wild, especially on public lands, when it comes to native species,” Larris argued. “And eliminating them, without any kind of reason and any kind of thought behind the impact on that, is really concerning.”
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A bipartisan effort in Congress to curb the loss of plant and animal species could get a Senate committee vote as early as this week.
The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would invest $1.4 billion a year in state and tribal conservation efforts and dedicate at least 15% to the recovery of threatened and endangered species.
Danielle Moser, wildlife program coordinator with the Oregon Wild group, said he will send nearly $25 million a year to the state for the Oregon Conservation Strategy and Coastal Strategy.
“These two strategies are our first wildlife conservation actions in the state,” Moser said. “But unfortunately, they’ve been woefully underfunded for far too long. So passing this legislation at the federal level would be a huge boost for Oregon’s wildlife conservation programs.”
The Senate version could receive a vote in the Environment and Public Works Committee as early as Wednesday. Democratic Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley sits on that committee.
The bill has 32 co-sponsors in the Senate, evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.
Moser said the measure would not only help species on the brink, but also proactively save Oregon species like the Western Painted Turtle, which is not listed as threatened.
She said the turtle species found in the Columbia River Basin and Willamette Valley lays its eggs near water but faces pressure from habitat loss.
“This one in particular,” Moser said, “if there was a real injection of dollars into Oregon’s conservation strategy, it means the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife could finally take the necessary steps to better protect this species and the habitat it is based on.”
Mike Leahy is director of wildlife, game and fish policy for the National Wildlife Federation. He said states had identified more than 12,000 species of animals and plants in need of conservation assistance, and called it a “silent crisis”.
“There’s an awareness of some of the more charismatic species that are in decline,” Leahy said. “But there is a general decline in wildlife and biodiversity with pollinators, aquatic species, fish, various types of birds.”
If the Senate committee approves the bill this week, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act will be ready for a floor vote in both the House and Senate.
Disclosure: The National Wildlife Federation contributes to our fund for reporting on climate change/air quality, endangered species and wildlife, energy policy, environment, public lands/ wilderness, salmon retrieval, water. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.
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