WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, introduced the America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Reauthorization Act, which he co-authored alongside EPW Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.). The ACE Act will reauthorize important habitat and wildlife conservation efforts throughout the country. The legislation also builds on previous efforts to protect and preserve ecosystems from evolving threats such as invasive species and wildlife diseases.

“The ACE Act is a vital tool to protect our nation’s natural beauty and conserve our wildlife,” said Chairman Carper. “This legislation once again reauthorizes programs such as the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund and the Chesapeake Bay Program, which help preserve vital ecosystems, restore habitat and conserve wildlife. The ACE Act also recognizes that wildlife conservation is a shared responsibility between the federal government, state partners and many stakeholders, including hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers.”

“The ACE Act includes important provisions to support conservation and habitat restoration efforts in the Chesapeake Bay, which will help boost our state’s outdoor recreation industry, especially in the Eastern Panhandle,” Ranking Member Capito said. “I appreciate Chairman Carper for partnering with me to introduce this bipartisan legislation, and look forward to advancing it through the EPW Committee.”

The ACE Act helps conserve wildlife and wildlife habitat, including by reauthorizing the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act, and the Chesapeake Bay Program. It also addresses the threats of emerging wildlife diseases like Chronic Wasting Disease, protects livestock from predators, and combats invasive species.

The ACE Act is co-sponsored by Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).

The legislation is endorsed by Ducks Unlimited, the Congressional Sportsmens Foundation, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, the National Wildlife Federation, American Sportfishing Association, the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.

The full text of the bill is available here.