Bill will put people back to work and help America’s trout and salmon in the process
The “Moving Forward Act,” H.R. 2, passed the U.S. House today with a vote of 233 to 188.
“Clean water and healthy waterways are critical elements of the Nation’s infrastructure system,” said Chris Wood, president and CEO of Trout Unlimited. “They are rightly recognized as such by the ‘Moving Forward Act.’ Today, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we can see that more clearly than ever before. As individuals, we need clean water to wash our hands and to drink. As communities, we need healthy waterways to sustain our farms, fisheries, our recreation, and our economies. Improving water infrastructure should be non-partisan work, and we are pleased to see this legislation contains several bills which have bipartisan, bicameral support. There is much to praise here today and as anglers, we give our thanks.”
The bill includes a number of priorities for clean water and trout and salmon fisheries such as:
- Increased funding for conservation priorities like Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes
- Smarter drought policy in the West
- Healthier public lands with the Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act and the U.S. Forest Service Legacy Roads and Trails program
- An extension of funding for work to clean up abandoned mines and provisions to make the process simpler for Good Samaritan groups who take on the work
- Funding for disaster preparedness for events like flood and wildfire