Recovering America’s Wildlife Act of 2022 - Fall

Team Members: Mel Peh, Ezekiel Maben, Candice Asare, Morgan Lehman, Ishaan Ghose, Haotian Ni, Carrie Fernandes, Courtney Federico, Jackson (Ziqi) Liu, Moulika Aluri, Oliver Hegi

The United States faces an accelerating biodiversity crisis, with approximately one-third of species at risk of extinction due to habitat loss, pollution, and climate change. These declines threaten ecosystem stability, food systems, and economic activities dependent on natural resources. The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act addresses this challenge by establishing a dedicated funding stream for proactive conservation, providing up to $1.3 billion annually to support state and tribal wildlife conservation programs. This funding enables early intervention to protect vulnerable species before they require emergency protections, reducing long-term conservation costs and improving ecological outcomes.

Effective implementation requires coordinated grant programs, strong oversight, and clear performance metrics to ensure conservation investments produce measurable biodiversity recovery. Dedicated innovation grants support new conservation strategies, while oversight mechanisms ensure accountability and equitable resource distribution. Strategic planning and monitoring enable adaptive management and continuous improvement. Expanding conservation funding strengthens ecosystem services such as pollination, water purification, and climate regulation while supporting economic sectors dependent on healthy ecosystems. By shifting conservation efforts toward proactive protection, the legislation improves biodiversity resilience and secures long-term ecological and economic benefits.

Learn more about the MPA-ESP Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Management.