A bill that is bringing hundreds of organizations and agencies across the country together for wildlife conservation and recreation may be on its way to becoming law.

In a recent meeting, the South Carolina Natural Resources Board, the policy-making body for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), came together and unanimously passed a resolution supporting the federal legislation that is “designed to provide much-needed funding for wildlife of conservation concern at the state level,” according to a report from the SCDNR. “If passed, the bill would provide South Carolina with millions of dollars in new funding to support existing and new initiatives for wildlife conservation, research, management, habitat protection and education.”

First introduced in late 2017, the House Resolution 4647, known as the “Recovering America’s Wildlife Act” (RAWA) gained the attention and support of many agencies and organizations from across the country. And in the last several months, it has continued to make great strides with both political parties. “This unique bill has united Republicans, Democrats, hunters, anglers, hikers, bird watchers, outdoor industry executives, non-profit environmental groups and government agencies,” according to the report.

“The proposed legislation dedicates $1.3 billion in existing revenues from the fees paid for the development of energy and mineral resources on federally-owned public lands to existing Wildlife Conservation-Restoration programs that distribute funding to state wildlife conservation agencies. The bill would NOT impose any new taxes or fees.”

To read the full article, head over to www.dnr.sc.gov.