Congressman Zinke, Senator Padilla introduce the bipartisan Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act
Today, Republican Congressman Ryan Zinke (MT) and Democrat Congressman Don Beyer (VA) introducedThe Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) introduced the companion bill in the Senate. Zinke made the announcement at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation headquarters in Missoula, MT, where he was joined by representatives from Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Boone and Crocket Club, Mule Deer Foundation and the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association. In 2018, Secretary Zinke signed Secretarial Order 3362 “Improving Habitat Quality in Western Big-Game Winter Range and Migration Corridors” which committed federal and state agencies to collaborate and ensure the health and longevity of big game migration corridors and identify critical wintering habitat.
This legislation will build off Secretarial Order 3362 by codifying Zinke’s Wildlife Movement and Migration Corridor Grant Program. This grant will provide funding to eligible entities for conservation work in support of big game wildlife migration corridors and habitat connectivity. It will codify SO 3362 as well as the Wildlife Crossing Pilot Program and USDA’s Migratory Big Game Initiative.
Big game species defined in the legislation as native species of large mammals, including deer, elk, pronghorn, wild sheep, and moose, for which State and Tribal wildlife agencies have established regulated means and methods of take- rely on migration corridors for winter and summer range habitat. These corridors can cross swaths of both public and private land with obstacles such as fencing, highways, subdivisions, and other development which can block wildlife movement and lead to drastic downturns in big game herd populations.
The bill would:
1. Create the Wildlife Movement and Migration Corridor Grant Program
2. Establish the State and Tribal Migration Research Program
3. Add migration corridors and seasonal habitat conservation efforts as eligible for financial assistance under the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.
4. Direct United States Geological Survey Cooperative Research Units to map big game corridors and movement areas
Read the full text of the bill here.
More photos from the press conference can be found here.
“Wildlife follow the path that has been bred and programmed into them over generations with no understanding of the distinctions between private and public or federal and state land. That’s why collaboration and partnerships are so important when managing migratory species such as Pronghorn, big horn, and Mule Deer,” said Congressman Zinke. “It has been five years since I signed S.O. 3362 and a lot of quality conservation work has been done to promote big game habitat in that time, and now is the time to solidify the intent and purpose of the program to promote public-private partnerships in conservation and focus on migratory big game. I thank Representative Beyer, Senator Padilla, for joining me in this critical effort.”
“With one in five migratory species facing the threat of extinction, recognizing connectivity corridors can help us understand biodiversity loss and better protect the migration patterns of iconic American species, like the Pronghorn,” said Rep. Don Beyer. “Our Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act would provide the necessary grants and technical assistance to enhance wildlife connectivity and enable the collection and analysis of data on wildlife movement areas. Additionally, this bill would support the U.S. Geological Service mapping efforts that track wildlife movement to accurately identify active corridors and migration patterns. I thank my colleagues and conservation leaders who worked with us to craft this important bill and urge my colleagues to support it as we seek to protect our wildlife diversity by ensuring that species can move freely across landscapes and access vital resources.”
“Wildlife across the country face additional barriers to their migration, threatening the vibrant biodiversity of our nation and putting human lives at risk,” said Senator Padilla. “From the sprawling urban wilderness of Griffith Park to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to the Atlantic Flyway, protecting wildlife corridors is a crucial bipartisan priority, and I am glad to work across the aisle to better conserve, restore, and enhance habitat connectivity and migration routes across the nation.”
Statements of Support:
“The Boone and Crockett Club strongly supports the Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act," said Tony Schoonen, CEO of the Boone and Crockett Club. “This bill is the natural next step to formally extend the last 5 years of successful habitat improvement under the Interior Secretary’s Order 3362. The bipartisan leadership of Senators Padilla and Representatives Zinke and Beyer is expanding the number of species and areas of habitat that will benefit. The Club is proud of the teamwork among sportsmen and other partners that helped develop this important bill.”
“The Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act is directly aligned with the mission of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), and we thank Senator Padilla and Representative Zinke for introducing this bipartisan and bicameral legislation,” said Kyle Weaver, President and CEO Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. “RMEF has successfully advocated in Washington DC to prioritize migratory areas through Interior Secretarial Order 3362, the Wildlife Highway Crossings Pilot Program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and USDA’s Migratory Big Game Initiative. Generous contributions by RMEF members and partner organizations have allowed us to make these valuable habitat investments, critical to conserving and improving elk and wildlife habitat. RMEF’s mapping work has accelerated through partnerships with US Geological Survey researchers at the University of Wyoming and partnerships with state wildlife agencies and the federal land management agencies in the Interior and Agriculture Departments. Passage of Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act will send a clear message that Congress prioritizes big game migration and habitat enhancement now and in the future.”
“This bill has been a major objective of the Wild Sheep Foundation since 2020 when the incoming Biden Administration endorsed the Trump Administration’s original program of improving habitat in areas where big game, including wild sheep, move in migrations or other forays,” said Gray N. Thornton, Wild Sheep Foundation President and CEO. “The bill is a great example of bipartisan leadership under the banner of wildlife conservation and teamwork among our many conservation partners. We applaud this bill for protecting property rights and multiple-use management of federal lands, and advancing our on-the-ground work in California, Montana, and across wild sheep country. “Credit goes to Senator Padilla and Representative Zinke for finding ways to make good ideas actually work on the ground.”
“Successful migration conservation requires collaboration between local, state, Tribal and federal governments, private landowners, and the NGO community,” said Becky Humphries, President and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “This bill would authorize existing federal programs that support locally driven, collaborative conservation projects that restore and conserve the most important areas wildlife need to migrate and move to fulfill their lifecycle needs. TRCP thanks Senators Padilla, and Congressman Zinke and Congressman Beyer for introducing this critically important, bipartisan legislation.”
“The Mule Deer Foundation thanks Congressman Zinke for his continued leadership on this important bi-partisan issue which ensures that our wildlife can continue to thrive,” said Steven R. Belinda, Chief Conservation Officer of the Mule Deer Foundation. "From his executive action as Secretary of the Interior issuing the SO3362 order at the Mule Deer Foundation's Western Hunting and Conservation Expo in 2018 through today's introduction of this important piece of legislation, Commander Zinke has proven that conservation is vital to America's future and can be celebrated by all who love the outdoors. We applaud his efforts and ask Congress for quick action to make this bill a law.
Legislation supported by: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Wild Sheep Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation, Boone & Crockett Club, Safari Club International, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, National Wild Turkey Federation, Whitetails Unlimited, National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society, National Parks Conservation Association, National Wildlife Refuge Association, The Nature Conservancy, North American Grouse Partnership, Camp Fire Club of America, The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Rewilding Institute, Delta Waterfowl, Endangered Species Coalition, Environmental Policy Innovation Center, ARC (Animal Road Crossing) Solutions, Masters of Foxhounds Association, Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project, Wildlands Network, Wildlife Management Institute, The Wildlife Society, Archery Trade Association, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, California Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation, Center for Large Landscape Conservation, Central Oregon LandWatch, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Conservation Florida, Conservation Northwest, Houston Safari Club, Oregon Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Oregon Wildlife Foundation, Scenic Hudson, Southern Environmental Law Center, Southern Oregon Wildlife Crossing Coalition, Susquehannock Wildlife Society, Inc., SWVA Sportsmen, Virginia Conservation Network, Wild Virginia, Wyoming Outdoor Council, Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation, and Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative