I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2804 
To establish an integrated national approach to respond to ongoing and 
expected effects of extreme weather and climate change by protecting, 
managing, and conserving the fish, wildlife, and plants of the United 
States, and to maximize Government efficiency and reduce costs, in 
cooperation with State, local, and tribal governments and other entities, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 17, 2015 
Mr. CARTWRIGHT (for himself, Ms. TSONGAS, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. ELLISON, 
Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Ms. NORTON, Mr. POCAN, Mr. POLIS, 
Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. WALZ, Mr. HONDA, and Mr. HUFFMAN) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Re-
sources 
A BILL 
To establish an integrated national approach to respond to 
ongoing and expected effects of extreme weather and 
climate change by protecting, managing, and conserving 
the fish, wildlife, and plants of the United States, and 
to maximize Government efficiency and reduce costs, in 
cooperation with State, local, and tribal governments and 
other entities, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Safeguarding Amer-
ica’s Future and Environment Act’’ or the ‘‘SAFE Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS, PURPOSES, AND POLICY. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 
(1) healthy, diverse, and productive commu-
nities of fish, wildlife, and plants provide significant 
benefits to the people and economy of the United 
States, including— 
(A) abundant clean water supplies; 
(B) flood and coastal storm protection; 
(C) clean air; 
(D) a source of food, fiber, medicines, and 
pollination of the crops and other plants of the 
United States; 
(E) outdoor recreation, which is a source 
of jobs and economic stimulus; 
(F) hunting and fishing opportunities and 
support for subsistence communities; 
(G) opportunities for scientific research 
and education; 
(H) world-class tourism destinations that 
support local economies; and 
(I) sequestration and storage of carbon to 
help mitigate changes to the global climate sys-
tem; 
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(2) the United States Geological Survey, Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Na-
tional Aeronautics and Space Administration, and 
other agencies within the United States Global 
Change Research Program have observed that the 
fish, wildlife, and plants of the United States are 
facing increasing risks from changing patterns of ex-
treme weather and climate, including— 
(A) severe droughts and heatwaves; 
(B) severe storms and floods; 
(C) frequent and severe wildfires; 
(D) more frequent and severe outbreaks of 
forest pests and invasive species; 
(E) flooding and erosion of coastal areas 
due to rising sea levels; 
(F) melting glaciers and sea ice; 
(G) thawing permafrost; 
(H) shifting distributions of fish, wildlife, 
and plant populations; 
(I) disruptive shifts in the timing of fish, 
wildlife, and plant natural history cycles, such 
as blooming, breeding, and seasonal migrations; 
(J) increasing ocean temperatures and 
acidification; 
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