A bipartisan effort in Congress to curb the loss of plant and animal species could get a Senate committee vote as soon as this week.

The Recovering America's Wildlife Act would invest $1.4 billion annually in state and tribal conservation efforts, and dedicate at least 15% to recovering threatened and endangered species.

Danielle Moser, wildlife program coordinator with the group Oregon Wild, said it would send nearly $25 million annually to the state for the Oregon Conservation Strategy and Nearshore Strategy.

"These two strategies are our premiere wildlife conservation measures in the state," said Moser. "But unfortunately they have been woefully underfunded for far too long. So, passage of this legislation at the federal level would be a huge boost for Oregon's wildlife conservation programs."

The Senate version could receive a vote in the Environment and Public Works Committee as soon as Wednesday. Oregon Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley sits on that committee.

The bill has 32 cosponsors in the Senate, split evenly between Democrats and Republicans.

Moser said the measure would help not only species on the brink, but also proactively save Oregon species like the western painted turtle, which isn't listed as threatened.

She said the turtle species found in the Columbia River Basin and the Willamette Valley lays its eggs near the water, but faces pressure from habitat loss.

"This one in particular," said Moser, "if there were an actual infusion of dollars into the Oregon Conservation Strategy, it means the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife could finally take the necessary steps to better protect this species and its habitat that it's relying on."

Mike Leahy is director of wildlife, hunting and fishing policy for the National Wildlife Federation. He said states have identified more than 12,000 species of animals and plants in need of conservation assistance, and called this a "silent crisis."

"There is awareness of some of the more charismatic species out there that are in decline," said Leahy. "But there is widespread wildlife and biodiversity declines with pollinators, aquatic species, fish, various types of birds."

If the Senate committee approves the bill this week, the Recovering America's Wildlife Act will be ready for a floor vote in both the House and Senate.

Beluga whales are known as the "canaries of the sea" for their melodious songs but conservation groups are concerned one pod in Alaska could be rendered silent.

Belugas have lived in the Cook Inlet near Anchorage for centuries but because of a deteriorating environment, they are now on the federal Endangered Species list.

Ragen Davey, Alaska marine representative for Defenders of Wildlife, said the population of the extremely social and vocal Cook Inlet belugas has alarmingly decreased by about 80% since the 1970s.

"They stay in Cook Inlet all year round," Davey explained. "They live under the ice for parts of it. There's so many different threats that are affecting them. The three main ones are noise pollution, water pollution and prey availability."

Davey noted the Beluga whales are experiencing a variety of threats not endangering other whale populations in Alaskan waters. She pointed out their territory in the Cook Inlet is right outside one of the most developed areas of the state.

While orcas and polar bears are the belugas' natural predators, Davey emphasized water pollution and a diminishing salmon population account for much of their decline. And although by law they are no longer hunted by humans, the trappings of modern-day civilization also weigh on their survival.

"When feeding, belugas use echolocation to find food," Davey added. "Parts of their habitat are in a lot of the most developed parts of the state in Cook Inlet, so commercial ships and machinery noise can really impact the whales when they're trying to find food and talk with each other."

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Alaska Beluga Monitoring Program trains volunteer citizen observers to monitor the whales at various points along the inlet and report their findings. Davey stressed the extra eyes are needed to count them and keep tabs on the species' progress.

"I really encourage Alaska residents to sign up to volunteer for the monitoring program," Davey urged. "The more people that understand what this population is enduring, the more people that are able to join in on the recovery."

The fall migration period for birds is underway, and the nonprofit Defenders of Wildlife is trying to save as many birds as possible.

The Lights Out Texas! campaign encourages building owners, businesses, developers, and homeowners to turn off non-essential lights at night to keep birds from getting disoriented.

Azalia Rodriguez - the Texas representative for Defenders of Wildlife - said as birds fly at night they are attracted to the bright lights, and then collide with buildings during the early morning hours.

"Birds don't understand the concept of glass, they don't understand that it is an invisible barrier," said Rodriguez. "And so when they see glass they will see a tree reflected on the glass, and so they think it's habitat and they'll try to fly into that habitat."

Rodriguez said 70% of the collisions are fatal. It's estimated nearly two billion birds pass through Texas from August 15 through November 30.

Multiple cities in the Austin area, the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, the Houston-Gulf Coast area, and El Paso in West Texas, participate in Lights Out Texas!

You can get a real time count of the number of birds flying into a city at birdcast.info.

Rodriguez said building collisions are the second leading cause of bird deaths in the United States.

"One billion U.S. deaths occur for birds from building collisions," said Rodriguez. "It definitely is a huge problem and so it is causing a decrease in our population. Building collisions are actually the number two biggest threat to birds."

Cats are the number one threat to birds.

Peak fall migration dates are between September 5 and October 29. Spring migration dates are March 1 through June 15.

A federal decision on the endangered status of grizzly bears has been delayed.

Wildlife managers in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho have petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove grizzly bears from the federal endangered species list in certain areas, including the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. It would leave states in charge of their management.

According to the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, the region's population has met recovery criteria for more than two decades, after the species gained federal protections in 1975.

Andrea Zaccardi, carnivore conservation legal director and senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, said the population's spread across isolated ecosystems can be detrimental to recovery.

"Because Yellowstone bears are completely isolated from any other population, they have genetic diversity issues," Zaccardi pointed out. "The ideal is that we keep these bears protected until the populations are connected and there's actual genetic exchange."

A federal decision expected on July 31 was delayed until early 2025. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has said the delay is to ensure consistency in decisions across several petitions. Gov. Mark Gordon called the missed deadline unacceptable.

The Yellowstone area is spread across three states, so if grizzlies are delisted federally, they would be subject to multiple state management plans and hunting regulations.

Rick King, chief game warden and wildlife division chief for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, said there is already a tri-state agreement and, with the National Park Service and other federal agencies, a conservation strategy prepared.

"That provides the overarching guidance and commitments that all of the states and those agencies will make to ensure a healthy and robust grizzly bear population persists," King contended. "Even once they're removed from the ESA list."

Yellowstone grizzlies were delisted briefly both in 2007 and 2017 but both decisions were overturned in court.


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