Earlier this week, the Senate passed the America’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act of 2024, S 3791 Act by unanimous consent, showing complete support for reauthorization of some of the nation’s most successful conservation programs including the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA).

“NFHP continues to be one of the most effective and highly leveraged conservation programs in the nation,” said Robert Boyles, Chair of the National Fish Habitat Board and Director of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. “Reauthorization and increased resources for NFHP will mean even more voluntary projects between state, federal, NGO, and private partners to reverse declining fish populations and enhance aquatic habitats.”

In addition to extensions through 2030 and increased funding authorizations for NFHP and NAWCA, if passed by the House and enacted, the bill would continue programs for conservation of the Chesapeake Bay, efforts to combat aquatic invasive species under the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, funding for livestock depredation compensation and prevention, continuation of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and establishment of the Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force.

Thank you to the bipartisan cosponsors who made unanimous passage of this legislation possible: Sens. Cardin (D-MD), Boozman (R-AR), Padilla (D-CA), Wicker (R-MS), Whitehouse (D-RI), Mullin (R-OK), Van Hollen (D-MD), Cassidy (R-LA), Wyden (D-OR), Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Graham (R-SC), Peters (D-MI), King (I-ME) and Barrasso (R-WY).