Congressman Wittman's Bill To Amend North American Wetlands Conservation Act Flies Through Committee

Press Release

Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources, of which Congressman Rob Wittman is a member, approved Wittman's bill (H.R. 3433) to amend the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) by unanimous consent. H.R. 3433 would allow up to 50 percent of the non-federal share of projects in Canada to be paid for by Canadian conservation supporters.

Since 1989, the current law has required that each Federal dollar spent on a conservation project be matched by non-federal money. However, due to the irreplaceable nature of the breeding waterfowl habitat in Canada, a decision was made not to require matching funds from Canadian sources. Therefore, projects in Canada have been matched by conservation dollars from the United States.

"The authorization of funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act does not expire until September 30, 2012. We simply cannot wait to make this change because the non-matching share imbalance will continue to grow and must be paid before the authorization expires," stated Wittman.

Under current law, Congress appropriates money each year to be spent on projects to acquire, enhance, protect and restore wetlands in Canada, Mexico and the United States. Over the past 20 years this program has funded over 1,600 projects to conserve more than 20 million acres of wetlands and associated uplands across North America. According to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the North American Wetlands Council has approved conservation projects in Canada worth nearly $70 million during its current five-year funding cycle which began in 2007. Under law, this means that $70 million in private matching funds must be provided.

"Broad support exists for amending this legislation, and given the overwhelming interest in protecting wildlife habitats, we shouldn't waste another moment or dime in failure to act on this legislation," added Wittman.

Wittman's legislation has been vetted and endorsed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and members of the North American Wetlands Conservation Council which includes: Ducks Unlimited, the National Audubon Society and the American Bird Conservancy.

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