Delaware River Basin Conservation Act of 2015

Summary: .  Delaware River Basin Conservation Act of 2015 (Sec. 4) This bill requires the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to establish a nonregulatory Delaware River Basin restoration program, under which it shall: (1) draw on management plans for the basin or portions of the basin and work in consultation with applicable management entities, including representatives of the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, the Delaware River Basin Commission, the federal government, other state and local governments, and regional and nonprofit organizations, to identify, prioritize, and implement restoration and protection activities within the basin; (2) adopt a basin-wide strategy that supports the implementation of a shared set of science-based restoration and protection activities, targets cost-effective projects with measurable results, and maximizes conservation outcomes with no net gain of federal full-time equivalent employees; and (3) establish the voluntary grant and technical assistance programs in accordance with this bill. "Basin" is defined as the four-state Delaware Basin region, including all of Delaware Bay and portions of Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania located in the Delaware River watershed.  (Sec. 5) The&nbsp;USFWS shall: (1) establish the Delaware River Basin restoration grant program to provide competitive matching grants to carry out restoration and protection activities within the basin, and (2) develop criteria to ensure that funded activities accomplish specified purposes and advance the implementation of priority actions or needs identified in the strategy adopted under this bill.  The&nbsp;USFWS may contract with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation or another organization that offers grant management services. (Sec. 6) The USFWS shall submit to Congress annually a report on the implementation of this bill, including a description of each project that has received funding. (Sec. 7) Appropriations are authorized to carry out this bill for FY2016-FY2021. The USFWS shall use at least 75% of any amount made available for each fiscal year to carry out the grant program and to provide or provide for technical assistance under such program.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Delaware River Basin Conservation 
Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the Delaware River Basin is a national treasure of 
        great cultural, environmental, ecological, and economic 
        importance;
            (2) the Basin contains over 12,500 square miles of land in 
        the States of Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, 
        including nearly 800 square miles of bay and more than 2,000 
        tributary rivers and streams;
            (3) the Basin is home to more than 8,000,000 people who 
        depend on the Delaware River and the Delaware Bay as an 
        economic engine, a place of recreation, and a vital habitat for 
        fish and wildlife;
            (4) the Basin provides clean drinking water to more than 
        15,000,000 people, including New York City, which relies on the 
        Basin for approximately half of the drinking water supply of 
        the city, and Philadelphia, whose most significant threat to 
        the drinking water supply of the city is loss of forests and 
        other natural cover in the Upper Basin, according to a study 
        conducted by the Philadelphia Water Department;
            (5) the Basin contributes $25,000,000,000 annually in 
        economic activity, provides $21,000,000,000 in ecosystem goods 
        and services per year, and is directly or indirectly 
        responsible for 600,000 jobs with $10,000,000,000 in annual 
        wages;
            (6) almost 180 species of fish and wildlife are considered 
        special status species in the Basin due to habitat loss and 
        degradation, particularly sturgeon, eastern oyster, horseshoe 
        crabs, and red knots, which have been identified as unique 
        species in need of habitat improvement;
            (7) the Basin provides habitat for over 200 resident and 
        migrant fish species, includes significant recreational 
        fisheries, and is an important source of eastern oyster, blue 
        crab, and the largest population of the American horseshoe 
        crab;
            (8) the annual dockside value of commercial eastern oyster 
        fishery landings for the Delaware Estuary is nearly $4,000,000, 
        making it the fourth most lucrative fishery in the Delaware 
        River Basin watershed, and proven management strategies are 
        available to increase oyster habitat, abundance, and harvest;
            (9) the Delaware Bay has the second largest concentration 
        of shorebirds in North America and is designated as one of the 
        4 most important shorebird migration sites in the world;
            (10) the Basin, 50 percent of which is forested, also has 
        over 700,000 acres of wetland, more than 126,000 acres of which 
        are recognized as internationally important, resulting in a 
        landscape that provides essential ecosystem services, including 
        recreation, commercial, and water quality benefits;
            (11) much of the remaining exemplary natural landscape in 
        the Basin is vulnerable to further degradation, as the Basin 
        gains approximately 10 square miles of developed land annually, 
        and with new development, urban watersheds are increasingly 
        covered by impervious surfaces, amplifying the quantity of 
        polluted runoff into rivers and streams;
            (12) the Delaware River is the longest undammed river east 
        of the Mississippi; a critical component of the National Wild 
        and Scenic Rivers System in the Northeast, with more than 400 
        miles designated; home to one of the most heavily visited 
        National Park units in the United States, the Delaware Water 
        Gap National Recreation Area; and the location of 6 National 
        Wildlife Refuges;
            (13) the Delaware River supports an internationally 
        renowned cold water fishery in more than 80 miles of its 
        northern headwaters that attracts tens of thousands of visitors 
        each year and generates over $21,000,000 in annual revenue 
        through tourism and recreational activities;
            (14) management of water volume in the Basin is critical to 
        flood mitigation and habitat for fish and wildlife, and 
        following 3 major floods along the Delaware River since 2004, 
        the Governors of the States of Delaware, New Jersey, New York, 
        and Pennsylvania have called for natural flood damage reduction 
        measures to combat the problem, including restoring the 
        function of riparian corridors;
            (15) the Delaware River Port Complex (including docking 
        facilities in the States of Delaware, New Jersey, and 
        Pennsylvania) is one of the largest freshwater ports in the 
        world, the Port of Philadelphia handles the largest volume of 
        international tonnage and 70 percent of the oil shipped to the 
        East Coast, and the Port of Wilmington, a full-service 
        deepwater port and marine terminal supporting more than 12,000 
        jobs, is the busiest terminal on the Delaware River, handling 
        more than 400 vessels per year with an annual import/export 
        cargo tonnage of more than 4,000,000 tons;
            (16) the Delaware Estuary, where freshwater from the 
        Delaware River mixes with saltwater from the Atlantic Ocean, is 
        one of the largest and most complex of the 28 estuaries in the 
        National Estuary Program, and the Partnership for the Delaware 
        Estuary works to improve the environmental health of the 
        Delaware Estuary;
            (17) the Delaware River Basin Commission is a Federal-
        interstate compact government agency charged with overseeing a 
        unified approach to managing the river system and implementing 
        important water resources management projects and activities 
        throughout the Basin that are in the national interest;
            (18) restoration activities in the Basin are supported 
        through several Federal and State agency programs, and funding 
        for those important programs should continue and complement the 
        establishment of the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program, 
        which is intended to build on and help coordinate restoration 
        and protection funding mechanisms at the Federal, State, 
        regional, and local levels; and
            (19) the existing and ongoing voluntary conservation 
        efforts in the Delaware River Basin necessitate improved 
        efficiency and cost effectiveness, as well as increased 
        private-sector investments and coordination of Federal and non-
        Federal resources.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Basin.--The term ``Basin'' means the 4-State Delaware 
        Basin region, including all of Delaware Bay and portions of the 
        States of Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania 
        located in the Delaware River watershed.
            (2) Basin state.--The term ``Basin State'' means each of 
        the States of Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
            (3) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
            (4) Foundation.--The term ``Foundation'' means the National 
        Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a congressionally chartered 
        foundation established by section 2 of the National Fish and 
        Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 3701).
            (5) Grant program.--The term ``grant program'' means the 
        voluntary Delaware River Basin Restoration Grant Program 
        established under section 5.
            (6) Program.--The term ``program'' means the nonregulatory 
        Delaware River Basin restoration program established under 
        section 4.
            (7) Restoration and protection.--The term ``restoration and 
        protection'' means the conservation, stewardship, and 
        enhancement of habitat for fish and wildlife to preserve and 
        improve ecosystems and ecological processes on which they 
        depend, and for use and enjoyment by the public.
            (8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Director.
            (9) Service.--The term ``Service'' means the United States 
        Fish and Wildlife Service.

SEC. 4. PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a nonregulatory 
program to be known as the ``Delaware River Basin restoration 
program''.
    (b) Duties.--In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall--
            (1) draw on existing and new management plans for the 
        Basin, or portions of the Basin, and work in consultation with 
        applicable management entities, including representatives of 
        the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, the Delaware River 
        Basin Commission, the Federal Government, and other State and 
        local governments, and regional and nonprofit organizations, as 
        appropriate, to identify, prioritize, and implement restoration 
        and protection activities within the Basin;
            (2) adopt a Basinwide strategy that--
                    (A) supports the implementation of a shared set of 
                science-based restoration and protection activities 
                developed in accordance with paragraph (1);
                    (B) targets cost-effective projects with measurable 
                results; and
                    (C) maximizes conservation outcomes with no net 
                gain of Federal full-time equivalent employees; and
            (3) establish the voluntary grant and technical assistance 
        programs in accordance with section 5.
    (c) Coordination.--In establishing the program, the Secretary shall 
consult, as appropriate, with--
            (1) the heads of Federal agencies, including--
                    (A) the Administrator of the Environmental 
                Protection Agency;
                    (B) the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
                Atmospheric Administration;
                    (C) the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation 
                Service;
                    (D) the Chief of Engineers of the Corps of 
                Engineers; and
                    (E) the head of any other applicable agency;
            (2) the Governors of the Basin States;
            (3) the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary;
            (4) the Delaware River Basin Commission;
            (5) fish and wildlife joint venture partnerships; and
            (6) other public agencies and organizations with authority 
        for the planning and implementation of conservation strategies 
        in the Basin.
    (d) Purposes.--The purposes of the program include--
            (1) coordinating restoration and protection activities 
        among Federal, State, local, and regional entities and 
        conservation partners throughout the Basin;
            (2) carrying out coordinated restoration and protection 
        activities, and providing for technical assistance throughout 
        the Basin and Basin States--
                    (A) to sustain and enhance fish and wildlife 
                habitat restoration and protection activities;
                    (B) to improve and maintain water quality to 
                support fish and wildlife, as well as the habitats of 
                fish and wildlife, and drinking water for people;
                    (C) to sustain and enhance water management for 
                volume and flood damage mitigation improvements to 
                benefit fish and wildlife habitat;
                    (D) to improve opportunities for public access and 
                recreation in the Basin consistent with the ecological 
                needs of fish and wildlife habitat;
                    (E) to facilitate strategic planning to maximize 
                the resilience of natural systems and habitats under 
                changing watershed conditions;
                    (F) to engage the public through outreach, 
                education, and citizen involvement, to increase 
                capacity and support for coordinated restoration and 
                protection activities in the Basin;
                    (G) to increase scientific capacity to support the 
                planning, monitoring, and research activities necessary 
                to carry out coordinated restoration and protection 
                activities; and
                    (H) to provide technical assistance to carry out 
                restoration and protection activities in the Basin.

SEC. 5. GRANTS AND ASSISTANCE.

    (a) Delaware River Basin Restoration Grant Program.--To the extent 
that funds are available to carry out this section, the Secretary shall 
establish a voluntary grant and technical assistance program to be 
known as the ``Delaware River Basin Restoration Grant Program'' to 
provide competitive matching grants of varying amounts to State and 
local governments, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher 
education, and other eligible entities to carry out activities 
described in section 4(d).
    (b) Criteria.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
organizations described in section 4(c), shall develop criteria for the 
grant program to help ensure that activities funded under this section 
accomplish one or more of the purposes identified in section 4(d)(2) 
and advance the implementation of priority actions or needs identified 
in the Basinwide strategy adopted under section 4(b)(2).
    (c) Cost Sharing.--
            (1) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of a 
        project funded under the grant program shall not exceed 50 
        percent of the total cost of the activity, as determined by the 
        Secretary.
            (2) Non-federal share.--The non-Federal share of the cost 
        of a project funded under the grant program may be provided in 
        cash or in the form of an in-kind contribution of services or 
        materials.
    (d) Administration.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary may enter into an agreement 
        to manage the grant program with the National Fish and Wildlife 
        Foundation or a similar organization that offers grant 
        management services.
            (2) Funding.--If the Secretary enters into an agreement 
        under paragraph (1), the organization selected shall--
                    (A) for each fiscal year, receive amounts to carry 
                out this section in an advance payment of the entire 
                amount on October 1, or as soon as practicable 
                thereafter, of that fiscal year;
                    (B) invest and reinvest those amounts for the 
                benefit of the grant program; and
                    (C) otherwise administer the grant program to 
                support partnerships between the public and private 
                sectors in accordance with this Act.
            (3) Requirements.--If the Secretary enters into an 
        agreement with the Foundation under paragraph (1), any amounts 
        received by the Foundation under this section shall be subject 
        to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act 
        (16 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.), excluding section 10(a) of that Act 
        (16 U.S.C. 3709(a)).

SEC. 6. ANNUAL REPORTS.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act and 
annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on 
the implementation of this Act, including a description of each project 
that has received funding under this Act.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the 
Secretary to carry out this Act $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2016 through 2021.
    (b) Use.--Of any amount made available under this section for each 
fiscal year, the Secretary shall use at least 75 percent to carry out 
the grant program under section 5 and to provide, or provide for, 
technical assistance under such program.