Carol Shea-Porter has introduced a new bill to fund federal efforts to study and prevent the spread of diseases that impact key wildlife:
Today, Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) introduced a bill to allow the federal government to declare official wildlife disease emergencies and coordinate its response. Her bill, the Wildlife Disease Emergency Act of 2014, is co-led by House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Peter DeFazio.
“Recent wildlife diseases have devastated animal populations and left gaps that damage local ecosystems and economies,” said Shea-Porter. “In 2010, I tried to secure resources to address this. Since then, the problem has only gotten worse. We need to contain these diseases and protect our pollinators before it’s too late.”
The bill addresses the need for improved responses to diseases like White Nose Syndrome (WNS), a fungal infection that has decimated New Hampshire’s bat population. WNS killed most of the state’s hibernating bats between 2006 and 2011, and has now spread to 25 U.S. states. Shea-Porter led a 2010 attempt to secure funding to combat the disease.
“Infectious wildlife diseases like white-nose syndrome have not been found in Oregon’s caves and we want to keep it that way,” said Ranking Member DeFazio. “This bill will improve the response times and improve interagency cooperation to quickly and adequately address these problems before they spread.”
Bats’ survival is key to regional economies and American food security. Approximately 75% of American crops depend on pollinators like bats and bees, and the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that bats provide at least $3.7 billion in pest control value to farmers each year.
As a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, Shea-Porter is a leading advocate for the environment. On the Committee, she has focused on protecting fragile ecosystems and confronting the effects of climate change.