PRESS RELEASE

DEFENDERS ACTION FUND RELEASES CONSERVATION REPORT CARD
One-of-a-Kind Scorecard Tallies Wildlife & Habitat Conservation Votes in 108th Congress

Washington, D.C. -- Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund today released its Conservation Report Card for the 108th Congress. The report evaluates how well members of Congress are protecting wildlife and wild lands for future generations.

The Action Fund's report card is the only resource with complete information on the wildlife conservation voting records of Members of Congress, Action Fund President Rodger Schlickeisen stated. Voters throughout the country can easily access the report card and quickly learn how their elected officials voted on the most important issues before Congress affecting wildlife and their habitat. Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund is doing its part to hold our leaders accountable for the positions they take on conservation issues.

The percentages in this year's Conservation Report Card are based on 20 recorded votes in the House and 13 recorded votes in the Senate during the 108th Congress. Votes scored include the protection of Alaska's Tongass National Forest, the preservation of forest wildlife for future generations, and the banning of snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park.

While 103 House members earned 100%, as did 13 Senators, the U.S. House of Representatives average score was 46%, and the Senate's average was 41%.

These averages clearly demonstrate just how important it is for Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund to continue its work in Congress. We must remain ever vigilant and aggressive in protecting our nation's wildlife and its habitat. Schlickeisen added, We'll keep working to educate our elected officials on the importance of conservation policy, and to hold them accountable for the positions they take.

Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund will publish the Conservation Report Card each Congressional session.

Now that voters can use the Conservation Report Card to accurately assess how well their members of Congress are protecting wildlife and wild lands for future generations, hopefully these Members will be more responsive to the vast majority of voters who favor conservation, stated Schlickeisen.

Affiliated with Defenders of Wildlife, the Defenders Action Fund is 501(c)(4) organization created to provide the wildlife conservation community with a stronger voice in the political process. For more information, see www.defendersactionfund.org.