WASHINGTON, D.C. December 22, 2020 The U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate passed year-end legislation to fund the government for the next fiscal year. Funding for several critical conservation programs was included in the legislation.

"Ducks Unlimited volunteers, partners and staff work tirelessly throughout the year to share the importance of conservation funding, said DU Chief Policy Officer Zach Hartman. "It is fitting that the 116th Congress, which has made conservation a bipartisan priority, continues to ensure adequate funding for critical programs that conserve wetlands and other habitat. We appreciate the hard work of Democratic and Republican Appropriations leaders to prioritize the most critical conservation programs such as the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. These investments will benefit not only wildlife, but communities as well.

Notable conservation programs to receive funding:

  • Chesapeake Bay Program $87.5m in appropriated funding
  • Delaware River Basin Restoration Program $10m in appropriated funding
  • North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) Appropriated at $46.5m
  • Soil Health and Income Protection Pilot Program (SHIPP) Extends SHIPP sign-up until September 30, 2021
  • Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Appropriated at $330m
  • Migratory Bird Management $15.1m allocated for North American Waterfowl Management Plan/Joint Venture Programs
  • Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation $4.9m appropriated funding
  • WaterSMART Extension and Expansion Increases authorization of WaterSMART program from $530m to $700m. Expands applicant eligibility for WaterSMART program to nonprofit conservation organizations

In particular, the Members serving on the Appropriations committees in both the House and Senate deserve recognition for including this important conservation funding, most notably the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Subcommittee on Interior and Environment Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen. Tom Udall, Rep. Betty McCollum and Rep. David Joyce.

For more information, visit www.ducks.org, and be sure to Follow DUs Twitter feed @DUNews1937 to get the most up-to-date news from Ducks Unlimited.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world 's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved almost 15 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.

Media Contact:
Parker Williams
(202) 621-1646
pwilliams@ducks.org