What is Teaming With Wildlife?
Teaming With Wildlife is a national coalition of more than 5,500
conservation organizations and businesses working together to prevent
wildlife from becoming endangered. The coalition supports dedicated
funding for fish, forest and wildlife conservation, education and
outdoor recreation. The Teaming With Wildlife coalition includes
conservation leaders, hunters, anglers, birdwatchers, hikers, educators,
conservation-supportive business owners and other wildlife enthusiasts
who support the goal of restoring and conserving our nation’s wildlife.
In Missouri,
more than 300 organizations and businesses belong to the
coalition, sponsored by the
Conservation Federation of Missouri. The TWW Coalition also supports implementation of
Missouri's Comprehensive Wildlife Strategy
Why is Dedicated Funding Needed?
- By the early 1900s, America’s wildlife resources were largely
depleted due to unregulated hunting, lack of enforcement of existing
hunting regulations and habitat loss. State wildlife agencies imposed
regulations to control over harvest, but had limited resources to
restore habitat and conduct surveys and research. In 1936 the US
Congress passed the Pittman-Robertson Act and in 1950 the
Dingell-Johnson Act. These laws dedicated a permanent excise tax on
hunting and fishing equipment to wildlife and fish conservation. These
funds were matched with license fees on hunters and anglers and provided
the funding necessary to recover numerous game species including elk,
wood ducks, bass, wild turkey and white-tailed deer. Although many
nongame species benefited from these efforts, there was no similar
program for the 95% of species that are not hunted or fished. Nationally
over 1,000 species are listed as federally threatened or endangered and
countless others are considered to be species of conservation concern.
Why Expand the Teaming With Wildlife Coalition?
- In 2000, at the urging of the Teaming With Wildlife coalition,
Congress and the President made an important decision to start investing
in wildlife and vital natural areas by creating the State Wildlife
Grants Program. Since its inception, more than $485 million in federal
funding has been distributed to the states including over $9.7 million
to Missouri. In Missouri, State Wildlife Grants have made funds
available to numerous organizations and agencies through the Wildlife
Diversity Fund, Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative Grants and other
individual opportunities. Now that each state has a wildlife action plan
(Missouri’s Comprehensive Wildlife Strategy), we are ramping up
proactive wildlife conservation efforts in Missouri. Missouri’s
Comprehensive Wildlife Strategy identifies actions that are needed to
conserve all wildlife in Missouri. By expanding the TWW coalition,
Missouri’s Comprehensive Wildlife Strategy can be implemented and we can
send a strong message to Congress and other policy makers that
Missourians value wildlife.
Why Should My Organization Join Teaming With Wildlife?
- Missouri has many organizations and businesses that support or
directly benefit from sustainable wildlife populations. A large and
diverse coalition will show decision-makers that sustainable wildlife is
important to all our citizens. According to a 2006 survey by the US
Fish and Wildlife Service, 2.5 million persons 16 years and older
fished, hunted or watched wildlife in Missouri spending over $3 billion
dollars! By joining the coalition you will be helping to support healthy
populations of wildlife for aesthetic, recreational, economic and
cultural purposes. There is no cost to join the coalition and becoming a
member is as simple as signing the endorsement form.
Who’s Part of the Missouri Teaming With Wildlife Coalition?
- TWW started in the late 1990s and included 100 Missouri
organizations and 3,000 nationally. In the past few years, Missouri’s
coalition has grown to over 300 organizations and businesses. See the
Missouri list of TWW Supporters for a complete list.
Who’s on Missouri's Teaming With Wildlife Steering Committee?