It’s hard to imagine a part of the country where the people are more connected to the land than the Upper Peninsula.

Yoopers, as we are often called, take their natural resources seriously. And that has meant over the years investing significant amounts of time and treasure in protecting wildlife.

That’s why we believe U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow is on the right track in supporting the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act making its way through Congress that, if ultimately signed into law, would dedicate $1.4 billion annually to locally-led efforts to help vulnerable wildlife species nationwide.

This legislation would add to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ already-strained funding, said Amy Trotter, Michigan United Conservation Clubs executive director.

“RAWA has the chance to change the way we envision and implement wildlife management in this country,” Trotter said. “This bill will provide essential conservation funding for non-game species — species currently managed solely with hunter and angler license dollars.”

For Michigan, it’s a significant amount of money with up to $26.8 million earmarked for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources

The agency will use the funds to implement its wildlife action plan. The plan identifies 301 priority species, including the Northern flying squirrel, lake sturgeon and musk turtle.

A similar bill passed the House last session, with support from nine Michigan representatives. Senators Stabenow and Gary Peters also cosponsored a Senate version last session. It passed out of committee but never received a floor vote, despite having 47 bipartisan cosponsors.

We hope this measure finds its way to President Biden’s desk and is signed into law. It’s an appropriate use of federal funds locally.