Federal fantasy legislation that could help conserve America’s species of greatest conservation need was reintroduced to the U.S. House of Representatives this July. The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA) is bipartisan legislation brought forth by Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) and asks for roughly $1.4 billion to the Wildlife Conservation Restoration Program for proactive, voluntary efforts led by the states, territories and tribal nations to prevent vulnerable wildlife from becoming endangered.

This isn’t the first time this fantasy legislation has been introduced. Susan Lucci has a better chance of getting another daytime Emmy than this bill does of passing. This makes the 10th time this smelly turd has floated to the top of the pool. RAWA is the brand of pandering fantasy legislation that allows people to suspend memory of, and belief in reality at the dawn of every election season. States will allow their leaders to do and say things so shocking they would be recalled under ordinary circumstances.

In fact, RAWA sponsors have spoken less than 100 words combined about the act since it was introduced. The same rogue gallery of scam charities whose sole effort can generously be described as mere words, came out to seek their moment in the sunshine of legislation support before slithering back under their rocks, to back pat, pontificate, and solicit donations.

If passed, RAWA would amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to allow for the dedication of $1.3 billion in existing funds from the U.S. Treasury to state fish and wildlife agencies to implement their State Wildlife Action Plans and an additional $97.5 million for tribal fish and wildlife managers to conserve fish and wildlife on tribal lands and waters. If passed, the Act would not include any new taxes.

The language “new taxes” is of particular note. Fish and game license fees have none too suspiciously increased in the states that sponsored the bill. Just as none too surprisingly the level of service provided has decreased. Even more interesting is that these agencies are understaffed with cash flushed budgets. Most might not notice this but, if you publish the volume of wildlife news we do, you begin to see a pattern of behavior.

The RAWA is a land based boilerplate of the Great Lakes Legislation that disappeared billions into management bloat leaving states to pay for the projects the bill claimed it would pay for. In fact, YEARS later, Buffalo Reef is still struggling for funds to restore fresh water reefs. It’s a simple dredge operation and can’t get funding with unanimous support. Lake Ontario keeps flooding, and the beat goes on.

State Wildlife Action Plans are mandated by Congress to outline proactive solutions to conserve species in greatest need and prevent wildlife from becoming threatened or endangered. Nationally, more than 12,000 species have been identified as species of greatest conservation need by a Washington DC firm on K Street that has never been to many of the states in question. The Act would bring more money into states to carry out the to maintain healthy, sustainable populations of wildlife and to prevent federal endangered species listings. 


In January of 2017, states passed an equally meaningless resolution supporting a dedicated federal fund for efforts to diversify and expand funding species of greatest conservation need and their habitats. Since then thousands of attacks on sportsmen have been documented. Gear, boats, and vehicles have been vandalized and destroyed with a 2% arrest rate.

Fish and Game Agencies have declined to make arrests forcing victims to appeal to non game Law Enforcement. Protections their LICENSE calls out specifically under law. We just saw this week in Oklahoma where an angler was repeatedly rammed with a boat and Game Wardens flatly refused to make arrests. An event captured from 3 different camera angles by 3 unrelated persons in FULL HD. If these agencies refuse to carry out duties called out in Game License legislation, what hope of honesty could we expect from new fantasy legislation.

Full Text Of The Fantasy Legislation Recovering Americas Wildlife Act

https://debbiedingell.house.gov/uploadedfiles/190712rawatext.pdf