This bill essentially conserves thousands of acres of wetlands through grants to wetland conservation projects in the United States, Mexico and Canada. To date, the Act has already helped fund more than 960 wetland conservation projects, protecting 8.7 million acres of habitat. NAWCA not only conserves these areas, but works to enhance and restore wetlands that have been altered, improve water quality and reduce soil erosion.

House and Senate members worked in conjunction with the White House to keep this program from expiring. Leaders worked throughout the night until an agreement was reached, and the final measure approved two minutes before adjournment.

The President signaled strong support to Congress for NAWCA and helped it to gain momentum. The Senate unanimously passed the bill. The bill then expedited and passed in the House without opposition.