A measure in Congress which would fund local efforts to protect animal and plant species before they become endangered has passed the U.S. House and moved on to the Senate.

The Recovering America's Wildlife Act would dedicate $1.4 billion to the work of states and tribes, to prevent vulnerable species from declining.

Montana would receive $27 million a year to conserve nearly 130 species identified as being at risk, including bull trout and sharp-tailed grouse.

Alec Underwood, senior policy and development director for the Montana Wildlife Federation, explained the benefits of the legislation.

"There's a reason that every major hunting and fishing group in the country is backing this bill, and it's because hunters and anglers, and outdoor recreationists, for that matter, want to see our at-risk species recovered," Underwood asserted. "And ultimately, restoring their habitat will, of course, benefit the species that we like to hunt and fish."

Montana's outdoor industry provides more than $2 billion to the economy each year. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., has been a leading voice on the measure, but its critics have called it flawed because it would create a spending program without a dedicated revenue source.

Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, which supports the bill, said his organization has been speaking with members of the House and Senate to identify additional revenue sources. He also noted proactive measures to protect wildlife save money.

"If a species declines to the point where they need listing protections under the Endangered Species Act, it can be very expensive to try to recover the species at that point," O'Mara explained. "And it's a little like health care, right? It's a lot more expensive to wind up in the emergency room than it is to do your annual checkup to make sure that everything's working well."

O'Mara believes it is the most significant conservation legislation in 50 years.

"Right now, the one-third of all species that are at heightened risk of extinction, the 12,000 species of greatest conservation need -- desperately need -- action, and inaction is the greatest ally of extinction," O'Mara contended. "This bill is a solution that's of the magnitude of the crisis."

The bill passed in the House with bipartisan support. The Senate version already has 35 co-sponsors, nearly half of whom are Republicans.

Wyoming's practice of feeding elk over winters is a century old but the spread of disease has increased concerns. Now, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition is rolling out a new solution.

The group launched a voluntary program in 2019, incentivizing ranchers who live near elk feedgrounds to ship their cattle elsewhere during winters, allowing elk to roam on their native winter range instead.

It keeps cattle and elk from commingling, which can lead to the spread of dangerous diseases such as brucellosis and Chronic Wasting Disease.

Teddy Collins, Wyoming conservation associate for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, said the program is beneficial to the elk and cattle ranchers.

"It is very timely to have these agreements as a tool in the toolbox for state wildlife officials to try and move away from this process that has been around for a hundred years, but has negative repercussions," Collins emphasized.

Collins noted Chronic Wasting Disease was detected in four of the state's 21 feedgrounds this winter. A rancher in Lincoln County signed on in the fall, adding to the two agreements Teton County ranchers have signed since 2019.

The agreements are tailored to each rancher. Generally, cattle leave the property for more temperate areas of Wyoming or Utah from around Dec. 1 to April 1. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition shares associated costs with producers.

"These are voluntary agreements and they are incentive-based," Collins explained. "Each agreement is unique to the needs and the topography and the business of the individual producer."

Producers are, he added, "quite satisfied" with the program so far.


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Minnesota bird enthusiasts should keep their binoculars handy. April is a good month to spot various species migrating back to the region. Experts have tips on making it easier for them to settle in.

A good place to start for "birding" during spring migration is the Mississippi River corridor, a key flyway for birds traveling between their winter and summer homes. In the greater Duluth area, folks might also notice a lot of raptors, such as hawks and eagles, this time of year.

Monica Bryand, executive director of the Urban Bird Collective in the Twin Cities, considers this a worthwhile and fun activity.

"I've only been a birder for over 20 years, and I didn't realize what was out there until somebody took me birding," she said, "and, of course, now I'm just absolutely hooked."

As birds fan out across the state, Bryand says residents can do their part to keep obstacles and threats out of the way. That includes limiting backyard time for outdoor cats. And since birds tend to migrate at night, dimming or turning off outdoor lights is helpful, so long as personal safety isn't compromised. Applying window treatments such as films with UV patterns reduces bird strikes.

The latest State of the Birds report from national science and conservation groups is out, showing continued population declines, especially for grassland birds.

Bob Dunlap, a zoologist and data specialist for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, said that aligns with his research.

"We're down to 1% or less of the original prairie in Minnesota," he said, "and over time, that's definitely going to take a toll on these birds that do need grasslands to survive."

Researchers, along with the nonprofit Friends of the Mississippi River, have noted that habitat restoration has allowed species such as the Henslow's sparrow to see a turnaround. Meanwhile, Dunlap encouraged birders to use the "e-Bird" app when they're out. He called a reliable tool for citizen scientists to enter sightings.

"And so, the more data we have," he said, "the better to keep track of some of these trends."

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., has introduced a bill to remove gray wolves from the list of endangered and threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

The measure would also prohibit any challenges to the law in court.

Jewel Tomasula, national policy director for the Endangered Species Coalition, said H.R. 845 is essentially recycled legislation.

"The bill would reinstate a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisting decision issued in November of 2020, the end of the first Trump administration," Tomasula explained. "This was overturned in court because the Fish and Wildlife Service did not use the best available science, among other serious errors."

The move comes as President Donald Trump and allies have accused federal courts of trying to overtake the executive branch's authority by blocking a number of executive orders.

After being hunted and poisoned to near extinction, the return of the gray wolf to the Lower 48 states is widely viewed as one of America's greatest conservation success stories. The livestock industry, which has overtaken large swaths of historic wolf habitat for grazing, has opposed protections citing concerns about predation.

A separate bill aims to put the brakes on getting species listed as endangered, speed up the delisting process and remove guardrails meant to prevent species from becoming extinct.

Kaitie Schneider, Colorado wolf representative for Defenders of Wildlife, said preventing the loss of keystone species like gray wolves is important for maintaining ecosystem viability and resilience in the face of a changing climate.

"We know that it's better not to lose that piece of the puzzle to begin with," Schneider stressed. "But it's critically important to put it back where we can. Keeping our ecosystems intact and restoring native species is not only important for us, but for our future generations too."

Nine in 10 Democrats and eight in 10 Republicans support the Endangered Species Act. And 84% of Americans support returning wolves to suitable landscapes in the Lower 48.

Schneider noted states like Colorado are showing wolves and people can coexist.

"If these bills and efforts to delist wolves from the Endangered Species Act federally do go through, that's not going to stop the wolf reintroduction to Colorado," Schneider asserted. "Because the voters of Colorado decided that this is a priority for our state. That's going to continue."