Everything You Need To Know About The Fish And Wildlife Act Of 1980

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1980 was established to help preserve nongame birds.

Everything You Need To Know About The Fish And Wildlife Act Of 1980

Due to this act, the Secretary of the Interior needs to partake in research and conservation efforts in coordination with other organizations on a Federal level as well as a private level.

In this article, we’ll be going into depth about what the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1980 covers, and the results it hopes to gain from the utilization of this Act.

What Is The Fish And Wildlife Conservation Act Of 1980?

We previously mentioned in our introduction that the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act was established to help preserve (see also: Conservation VS Preservation: What’s The Difference?)nongame birds and fish.

As part of this act, the Secretary of the Interior is encouraged to work with a number of different organizations to research nongame species, and monitor and assess population trends.

Other organizations are encouraged to work with the Secretary of the Interior and assist them with their own statutory and administrative authorities to ensure the conservation plans will work. 

As part of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior is in charge of identifying any environmental changes and human activities that are impacting any of these species.

As part of this, they need to work with other agencies to identify what actions are needed to help conserve the species covered under the Act.

Due to this, these plans must both financially and technically assist the fish and wildlife who are impacted by this plan, which is why the Secretary of the Interior must work with other State, Federal, international, and private organizations for cooperation.

What Should These Plans Do?

The State is in charge of researching and developing conservation activities to protect fish and wildlife. They will develop a plan, and provide an inventory of the varieties of fish and wildlife that are of value to the public to these State agencies.

These fish and wildlife include both nongame and other wildlife and fish that are of value to the public.

As part of the inventory, the State and cooperating organizations are tasked with researching and specifying factors that relate to the species.

The research will identify any geographical factors, and any problems which might affect the species and their habitats. They then need to determine plans that may conserve these different species.

To establish these plans, both the State and Federal authorities need to work together to prioritize how these plans can work. Monitoring strategies are then engaged to see how well these plans work, and review and revise how they can improve them.

The public is encouraged to take part in these plans to ensure they have their say on how these plans are working. When the plan is developed, the public can speak their thoughts on the revision process.

Once enough information has been reviewed, the State agency can consult with the appropriate agencies, such as Federal, State, local and regional governments to ensure the plans can take effect.

The required governments can then ensure that they have everything in order, and that none of them have done the same thing more than once. 

What Is The Secretary Of The Interior’s Role In The Act Of 1980?

Everything You Need To Know About The Fish And Wildlife Act Of 1980

As mentioned, it is the State which is responsible for the development of these plans, but it is the Secretary of the Interior who needs to accept them.

The Secretary of the Interior will check to see if the implementation of these plans would threaten any habitats or other species concerned.

They will approve the plan under certain conditions, and reimburse other States for any costs incurred regarding the conservation plans and actions.

Of course, only relevant states will be reimbursed, and then the Secretary of the Interior will also need to set forth terms for those who can be reimbursed for costs.

Once they’ve done that, they just need to allocate funds by devising a formula to allow the eligible States to be adequately reimbursed.

Once they do that, they can authorize Federal agencies to help any State involved to help those who are developing and revising the plans that have been approved. 

What Doesn’t The Act Affect?

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1980 has no effect on other elements, such as the regulation of fish and wildlife.

The Secretary of the Interior won’t take away the authority that the Secretary of Agriculture has in order to control wild or predatory animals.

They also won’t necessarily involve themselves with State requirements such as any acquisitions from willing sellers.

Who Is Involved With The Act?

The Secretary of the Interior is the one who authorizes the rights and purposes of reimbursing States, and administering the act all together. Along with the Secretary of the Interior, they are in charge of the Director of the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, who studies the most effective and fair way to fund projects that have been administered under this Act. They can then submit the results and recommendations to the congressional committees involved. 

The act also impacts the general public, who can involve themselves in the research stages of any conservation activities. Federal and State level agencies are also involved with the projects, and can be reimbursed for any costs that come with it.

Private and international organizations may also be involved, and may help with raising funds and awareness of conservation activities.

An Abridged Summary Of The Act

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act was approved on the 29th of September, 1980.

With this Act, congress can authorize both the financial and technical assistance to the States to assist with the development, revision, and ways to implement conservation plans. These plans are designed to help nongame fish and wildlife. 

As part of the Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had to study potential ways to fund these activities, and the original Act allowed $5 million to be spent on funding.

As part of the Act, congress found that the fish and wildlife are of value to the U.S. for their ecological, educational, economic, and scientific value. 

By improving conservation, they can conserve and manage fish and wildlife, and allow citizens the chance to interact with other wildlife. Historically, conservation focused on game species, while this Act allowed nongame species to be the focus. 

Overall, the Act focuses on providing assistance to the States and encouraging other departments and agencies to get involved.

Each State was encouraged to develop their own States, and help plan for the conservation of fish and wildlife, especially any species that aren’t indigenous to their respective State. 

Final Thoughts

Through the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, States were able to apply for funding and technical assistance to conserve nongame species.

They could work with Federal departments and agencies to utilize fundings, and promote conservation for numerous ecological reasons.

Thanks to this Act, more people in cities could be able to get involved with conservation efforts and foster a better relationship with nature and wildlife. 

If you’d like to find out more about wildlife conservation and law, then feel free to check out some of our other articles on the subject. 

Olivia Kepner