Newly introduced bill from Capito focuses on extending wildlife conservation

America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Reauthorization Act of 2024, cosponsored on Feb. 8 by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), would renew the nation’s important habitat and wildlife conservation efforts through 2030.

S. 3791, which is sponsored by U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), would help conserve wildlife and wildlife habitat, including by reauthorizing the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act, and the Chesapeake Bay Program, according to a bill summary provided by the senators.

The bill also would address the threats of emerging wildlife diseases, such as Chronic Wasting Disease, and would protect livestock from predators and combat invasive species, the summary says.

“The ACE Act includes important provisions to support conservation and habitat restoration efforts in the Chesapeake Bay, which will help boost our state’s outdoor recreation industry, especially in the Eastern Panhandle,” said Sen. Capito, ranking member of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, which is considering the bill.

“I appreciate [EPW] Chairman Carper for partnering with me to introduce this bipartisan legislation and look forward to advancing it through the EPW Committee,” she added.

Sen. Capito is joined by seven other original cosponsors of S. 3791, including U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS).

The proposed bill has garnered support from Ducks Unlimited, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, the National Wildlife Federation, the American Sportfishing Association, the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.

“The ACE Act is a vital tool to protect our nation’s natural beauty and conserve our wildlife,” said Sen. Carper. “The ACE Act also recognizes that wildlife conservation is a shared responsibility between the federal government, state partners and many stakeholders, including hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers.”