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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Funds for ND Part of Federal Wildlife Plan in Congress

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Friday, June 17, 2022   

The biggest investment in wildlife conservation in decades cleared the U.S. House this week, and supporters said if the Senate follows suit, North Dakota would get major financial help in protecting certain species on the decline.

The Recovering America's Wildlife Act sets aside nearly $1.4 billion a year for preservation efforts. Tribal governments would also receive funding.

Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said with one-third of all species already at heightened risk of extinction, the approach serves as a prevention tool.

"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."

Supporters say North Dakota's annual share of nearly $15 million would help more than 110 species around the state. The bill has bipartisan support in the Senate, but along the way, there have been some divisions over how to pay for it.

John Bradley, executive director of the North Dakota Wildlife Federation, said the funding would help the state carry out its Wildlife Action Plan, for protecting species like the western meadowlark. And with land development and extreme weather more prevalent, he stressed quick action is needed to preserve habitat.

"Those events, like flooding and extreme heat or drought are still going to occur," Bradley acknowledged. "But the habitat allows those animals to mitigate that disaster a little bit better."

In the Senate, there are 16 GOP co-sponsors of the bill, including Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., although he did not support it in committee. The state's lone Congressman, Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., voted against the plan. The White House has signaled support for the proposal.

Disclosure: The National Wildlife Federation contributes to our fund for reporting on Climate Change/Air Quality, Endangered Species and Wildlife, Energy Policy, Environment, Public Lands/Wilderness, Salmon Recovery, and Water. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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