Why it Matters: The America’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act (ACE) reauthorizes nearly a dozen provisions that will bolster the conservation of fish, wildlife, and their associated habitats across North America and provides an important protection for America’s anglers. The ACE Act has been a long-standing priority for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) since first enacted with CSF’s support in 2020.
Highlights:
- Recently, the House Natural Resources Committee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a legislative hearing to consider a number of bills, including a top CSF priority known as the America’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act (H.R. 8811).
- This bipartisan legislation is led in the House by Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Members Rep. Wittman, Dingell, Kiggans, and M. Thompson.
- The Senate bill is also led in a bipartisan fashion by CSC Member and Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Sen. Carper, EPW Ranking Member and CSC Member Sen. Capito, who are joined by CSC Co-Chair Sen. Boozman, CSC Members Senators Mullin and Wicker, among other bipartisan cosponsors.
The ACE Reauthorization Act is an important piece of legislation that reauthorizes critical fish, wildlife, and habitat conservation programs across the nation for a period of five years. Specifically, these programs include the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), the National Fish Habitat Conservation Through Partnerships (NFHP), among other funding programs, as well as an important protection for recreational anglers.
NAWCA provides strategic investments to conserving and restoring degraded wetlands across North America. Since its inception 35 years ago, NAWCA has provided over $2.1 billion in federal grants that has leveraged nearly $4.3 billion in non-federal contributions. In total, there have been over 3,300 NAWCA projects that have contributed to the conservation of nearly 32 million acres of wetlands in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Additionally, this legislation reauthorizes the National Fish Habitat Conservation Through Partnerships. NFHP is a state and locally driven program that leverages partners to conserve priority aquatic habitat needs, restore fish populations, and enhance recreational fishing opportunities. CSF’s Senior Director, Fisheries Policy, Chris Horton was recently reappointed to serve on the NFHP Board.
The ACE Act also includes an important protection to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating the use of lead fishing tackle under the purview of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The EPA has consistently reaffirmed state management authority of lead fishing tackle and this legislation will ensure the EPA cannot be petitioned to regulate lead tackle under TSCA for a period of 5 years.
CSF thanks the House leaders of this legislation as well as the Natural Resource Committee for hearing and discussing this important bill. CSF will continue to work to see this legislation get across the finish line in 2024.
