Wittman and Kind are “going to the birds”

Rep. Rob Wittman, who represents part of Prince William County, and Rep. Ron Kind, from Wisconsin, introduced the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, which funds habitat protection, education, researching, and monitoring to provide long-term protection of neotropical migratory birds.

“A life-long resident of La Crosse, I have always appreciated the beauty of these birds and understand the importance of preserving their natural habitat,” Rep. Kind stated. “The yearly journey of migratory birds south draws people to western Wisconsin and contributes to our local economy, which is why it is so important to preserve these habitats.”

“As a member of the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission and sponsor of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, I am a supporter of maintaining healthy populations of migratory birds, which are critical to coastal and wetland habitats across Virginia. The expansive migration route of neotropical migratory birds necessitates a unique international conservation effort,” Rep. Wittman stated.

“The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act has proved to be an effective method of funding critical conservation projects to protect these creatures and their habitats across more than three million acres in 40 U.S. states and territories, as well as more than 30 Latin American and Caribbean countries. I’m proud to join with Congressman Kind on reauthorizing this valuable conservation initiative.”

“Billions of birds making the perilous journey through the United States on their way to or from their southern winter homes is an anticipated migratory phenomena beloved by millions of Americans every year,” Dr. George Fenwick, President of the American Bird Conservancy stated.

“But these birds need habitat and abundant sources of food or their numbers will continue to decline and this biannual journey will eventually end. We commend Congressmen Ron Kind and Rob Wittman for their bipartisan work to ensure future generations can continue to bear witness to one of nature’s most impressive wildlife spectacles.”

The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act has not been re-authorized since 2010. This legislation would provide much needed grants to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean for the conservation of these birds through a competitive matching grants program to leverage funding from a range of non-governmental sources. Up to one-quarter of the annual grants can be used for projects in the United States.