Capito Votes to Advance Bipartisan Help for Wildlife Act

Press Release

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today voted to advance the Hunting Heritage and Environmental Legacy Preservation (HELP) for Wildlife Act. The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works approved the bipartisan legislation by a vote of 14 to 7.

"West Virginia offers so many opportunities to enjoy incredible natural beauty and wildlife our country has to offer," Senator Capito said. "The HELP for Wildlife Act will support the preservation of those resources now and for years to come. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to continue moving this bill forward and helping it pass the full Senate."

The HELP for Wildlife Act will authorize several important government wildlife conservation programs and provide regulatory clarity for sportsmen and farmers. It includes a number of measures introduced by Senator Capito--including provisions to support the building and expansion of public target ranges, as well as the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay.

Specifically, the HELP for Wildlife Act will:

Reauthorize and fund the North American Wetlands Conservation Act until 2023;
Reauthorize and fund the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Act until 2023;
Reauthorize and fund the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act until 2023;
Mandate the reissuance of final rules de-listing the gray wolf in both Wyoming and the western Great Lakes and prohibits judicial review;
Reauthorize and fund the Chesapeake Bay Program until 2023;
Reauthorize and fund the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails network and the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Grants Assistance Program until 2023;
Finalize partnerships among public agencies and other interested parties for promoting fish conservation;
Prevent farmers from being held liable for bird baiting for hunting purposes if they adhere to U.S. Department of Agriculture and state agricultural best practices and
Promote the building and expansion of public target ranges.

Source