Ridding Interior Appropriations of Harmful Riders

AWI joined a coalition of groups urging US representatives to oppose riders in the House version of the fiscal year 2025 Department of the Interior spending bill that would undermine the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and other key protections for wildlife. The groups also urged opposition to language that would effectively compel Eglin Air Force Base in Florida to seek exemptions under the ESA and the Marine Mammal Protection Act to fire munitions into the Gulf of Mexico habitat of endangered Rice’s whales. The US Air Force did not request such an exemption and, in fact, has actively worked with the National Marine Fisheries Service to mitigate harm to Rice’s whales from weapons testing.

Program Terms: Marine Wildlife, Terrestrial Wildlife

AWI Quarterly Terms: Government/Legal, Quick Read