From TRCP:
The legislation passed the U.S. Senate on December 18, 2024, and will reauthorize multiple programs that benefit hunting and angling.
The America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Reauthorization Act of 2024 passed the Senate by unanimous consent on Wednesday December 18, 2024. The legislation was sponsored by Senators Carper (D-Del.) and Capito (R-W.Va) and Representatives Wittman (R-Va.), Kiggans (R-Va.), Dingell (D-Mich.), and Thompson (D-Calif.) and will reauthorize multiple programs that benefit hunting and angling including:
The National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP), which focuses on state-led, science-based, collaborative efforts to protect, restore, and enhance aquatic ecosystems across the United States. Since its founding in 2006 NFHP has provided over $320 million in funding support for fish habitat conservation projects.
- The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), which authorizes grants to public-private partnerships to protect, enhance, restore, and manage waterfowl, and the wetlands they rely upon. NAWCA has provided $2.28 billion in grants that have helped conserve more than 32.6 million acres of vital habitat.
- The Chesapeake Bay Program, which is a regional partnership that guides the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. Since its inception in 1983 there have been billions of dollars in leveraged funds that have reduced nutrient pollution in the bay.
- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a non-profit organization chartered by Congress, is dedicated to sustaining, restoring, and enhancing the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats. Since its founding in 1984 it has grown to become the nation’s largest private conservation foundation.
The ACE Reauthorization Act also helps address threats like chronic wasting disease (CWD) by reauthorizing the CWD task force, which coordinates state, tribal, and federal efforts to limit the spread of CWD.
“America’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act benefits fish and wildlife while enhancing outdoor recreation opportunities for millions of hunters and anglers,” said Joel Pedersen, CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “We look forward to this important bipartisan legislation becoming law and ensuring the continued success of crucial conservation programs that will benefit hunters and anglers for generations to come.”
The original ACE Act was passed in 2020 and portions of it were sponsored by Representatives Wittman, Dingell, and Thompson. Many of its authorizations were expiring in 2025, necessitating the passage of the ACE Reauthorization Act of 2024 to ensure these programs can continue to operate in good legal standing.
The legislation was endorsed by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Ducks Unlimited, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the National Wildlife Federation, American Sportfishing Association, the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and the National Audubon Society.
