Both chambers of Congress are in session this week. It is anticipated that next week a number of relevant committees will hold their final regularly scheduled markups for the 118^th Congress. Congress will then leave for recess until the second week of November following Election Day. At that point there will be five more weeks of session scheduled in the 118^th Congress.

House Committee to Vote on ‘Good Samaritan’ Legislation

The Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act (H.R. 7779), led by Reps. Celeste Maloy (R-UT) and Mary Peltola (D-AK), addresses liability barriers that prevent willing 'Good Samaritan' entities from aiding in the remediation of abandoned hardrock mine sites, the number one source of pollution on our public lands and waters. 

On Wednesday, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee held a markup on this legislation which was passed without objection via voice vote. Now it must receive a vote by the full House of Representatives before advancing to the president's desk. President Biden has previously signaled support for ‘Good Samaritan’ legislation.

An estimated 33,000 abandoned hardrock mines sites actively contaminate our rivers and streams across the United States, with 40% of Western headwaters polluted by mine tailings and runoff. By implementing a pilot program with permits for qualified entities, this legislation would responsibly facilitate private investments to fill resource and capacity gaps critical to restoring healthy fish and wildlife habitat, which is necessary for sportsmen and women to pursue our outdoor traditions in a natural setting.

Companion legislation, led by Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Jim Risch (R-ID) along with 41 co/sponsors (20 Democrats and 21 Republicans), was passed by the Senate without objection on July 31, 2024.

Take action here to support Good Samaritan legislation.

Movement on Wildlife Corridor Legislation

Last Tuesday, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a hearing to consider the Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act (H.R. 8836), led by Reps. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) and Don Beyer (D-VA). Companion legislation has also been introduced in the Senate, led by Sens. Alex Padilla (D-CA) and John Hoeven (R-ND).

Wildlife across the United States including deer, elk, pronghorn, wild sheep, and moose rely on intact migration and movement corridors to access seasonal habitat across public and private land. The Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act would build upon collaborative efforts to conserve those corridors, reducing obstacles to wildlife movement to ensure healthy populations of big game and other species.

By establishing the Wildlife Movement and Movement Area Program, this legislation would codify the successful Secretarial Order 3362 “Improving Habitat Quality in Western Big-Game Winter Range and Migration Corridors’’ issued in 2018 by then DOI Secretary Zinke and continued under the Biden administration. This would expand collaborative work to improve habitat connectivity by providing financial and technical assistance to state and tribal fish and wildlife agencies, private landowners, and non-governmental organizations. Eligible projects include habitat leases, fence modifications, and infrastructure modification to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions.

To support this work the bill would also establish the State and Tribal Migration Research Program to collect, research, and analyze data on wildlife movement corridors; support the U.S. Geological Survey’s Corridor Mapping Team to map priority migration routes with a 50% set aside to focus on big game; and allow funds from the USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program to support terrestrial connectivity, wildlife movement, and migration route conservation.

With a strong possibility for Congress to take further action on the Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act in the coming weeks, we are encouraging people to take action here and elevate their support for this legislation.