I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4967 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a program to restore 

and protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 31, 2019 

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia (for himself, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. HASTINGS, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. LURIA, Mr. RIGGLEMAN, Mr. HOYER, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. 

TRONE, Ms. WEXTON, and Mr. BEYER) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period 

to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 

concerned 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a 

program to restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Chesapeake Watershed 

5 Investments for Landscape Defense Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) CHESAPEAKE BAY AGREEMENTS.—The 

4 term ‘‘Chesapeake Bay agreements’’ means the for5 mal, voluntary agreements— 

6 (A) executed to achieve the goal of restor7 ing and protecting the Chesapeake Bay water8 shed ecosystem and the living resources of the 

9 Chesapeake Bay watershed ecosystem; and 

10 (B) signed by the Chesapeake Executive 

11 Council. 

12 (2) CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM.—The term 

13 ‘‘Chesapeake Bay program’’ means the program di14 rected by the Chesapeake Executive Council in ac15 cordance with the Chesapeake Bay agreements. 

16 (3) CHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED.—The term 

17 ‘‘Chesapeake Bay watershed’’ means the region that 

18 covers— 

19 (A) the Chesapeake Bay; 

20 (B) the portions of the States of Delaware, 

21 Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, 

22 and West Virginia that drain into the Chesa23 peake Bay; and 

24 (C) the District of Columbia. 


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1 (4) CHESAPEAKE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.—The 

2 term ‘‘Chesapeake Executive Council’’ means the 

3 council comprised of— 

4 (A) the Governors of each of the States of 

5 Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, 

6 Virginia, and West Virginia; 

7 (B) the Mayor of the District of Columbia; 

8 (C) the Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Com9 mission; and 

10 (D) the Administrator of the Environ11 mental Protection Agency. 

12 (5) CHESAPEAKE WILD PROGRAM.—The term 

13 ‘‘Chesapeake WILD program’’ means the nonregula14 tory program established by the Secretary under sec15 tion 3(a). 

16 (6) GRANT PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘grant pro17 gram’’ means the Chesapeake Watershed Invest18 ments for Landscape Defense grant program estab19 lished by the Secretary under section 4(a). 

20 (7) RESTORATION AND PROTECTION ACTIV21 ITY.—The term ‘‘restoration and protection activity’’ 

22 means an activity carried out for the conservation, 

23 stewardship, and enhancement of habitat for fish 

24 and wildlife— 


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1 (A) to preserve and improve ecosystems 

2 and ecological processes on which the fish and 

3 wildlife depend; and 

4 (B) for use and enjoyment by the public. 

5 (8) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

6 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di7 rector of the United States Fish and Wildlife Serv8 ice. 

9 SEC. 3. PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT. 

10 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days after 

11 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall es12 tablish a nonregulatory program, to be known as the 

13 ‘‘Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape De14 fense program’’. 

15 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Chesapeake 

16 WILD program include— 

17 (1) coordinating restoration and protection ac18 tivities among Federal, State, local, and regional en19 tities and conservation partners throughout the 

20 Chesapeake Bay watershed; 

21 (2) engaging other agencies and organizations 

22 to build a broader range of partner support, capac23 ity, and potential funding for projects in the Chesa24 peake Bay watershed; 


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1 (3) carrying out coordinated restoration and 

2 protection activities, and providing for technical as3 sistance, throughout the Chesapeake Bay water4 shed— 

5 (A) to sustain and enhance restoration and 

6 protection activities; 

7 (B) to improve and maintain water quality 

8 to support fish and wildlife, habitats of fish and 

9 wildlife, and drinking water for people; 

10 (C) to sustain and enhance water manage11 ment for volume and flood damage mitigation 

12 improvements to benefit fish and wildlife habi13 tat; 

14 (D) to improve opportunities for public ac15 cess and recreation in the Chesapeake Bay wa16 tershed consistent with the ecological needs of 

17 fish and wildlife habitat; 

18 (E) to facilitate strategic planning to maxi19 mize the resilience of natural ecosystems and 

20 habitats under changing watershed conditions; 

21 (F) to utilize green infrastructure or nat22 ural infrastructure best management practices 

23 to enhance fish and wildlife habitat; 

24 (G) to engage the public through outreach, 

25 education, and citizen involvement to increase 


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1 capacity and support for coordinated restora2 tion and protection activities in the Chesapeake 

3 Bay watershed; 

4 (H) to sustain and enhance vulnerable 

5 communities and fish and wildlife habitat; 

6 (I) to conserve and restore fish, wildlife, 

7 and plant corridors; and 

8 (J) to increase scientific capacity to sup9 port the planning, monitoring, and research ac10 tivities necessary to carry out coordinated res11 toration and protection activities. 

12 (c) DUTIES.—In carrying out the Chesapeake WILD 

13 program, the Secretary shall— 

14 (1) draw on existing plans for the Chesapeake 

15 Bay watershed, or portions of the Chesapeake Bay 

16 watershed, including the Chesapeake Bay agree17 ments, and work in consultation with applicable 

18 management entities, including Chesapeake Bay pro19 gram partners, such as the Federal Government, 

20 State and local governments, the Chesapeake Bay 

21 Commission, and other regional organizations, as 

22 appropriate, to identify, prioritize, and implement 

23 restoration and protection activities within the 

24 Chesapeake Bay watershed; 


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1 (2) adopt a Chesapeake Bay watershed-wide 

2 strategy that— 

3 (A) supports the implementation of a 

4 shared set of science-based restoration and pro5 tection activities developed in accordance with 

6 paragraph (1); and 

7 (B) targets cost-effective projects with 

8 measurable results; and 

9 (3) establish the grant program in accordance 

10 with section 4. 

11 (d) COORDINATION.—In establishing the Chesapeake 

12 WILD program, the Secretary shall consult, as appro13 priate, with— 

14 (1) the heads of Federal agencies, including— 

15 (A) the Administrator of the Environ16 mental Protection Agency; 

17 (B) the Administrator of the National Oce18 anic and Atmospheric Administration; 

19 (C) the Chief of the Natural Resources 

20 Conservation Service; 

21 (D) the Chief of Engineers; 

22 (E) the Director of the United States Geo23 logical Survey; 

24 (F) the Secretary of Transportation; 

25 (G) the Chief of the Forest Service; and 


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1 (H) the head of any other applicable agen2 cy; 

3 (2) the Governors of each of the States of Dela4 ware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, 

5 and West Virginia and the Mayor of the District of 

6 Columbia; 

7 (3) fish and wildlife joint venture partnerships; 

8 and 

9 (4) other public agencies and organizations with 

10 authority for the planning and implementation of 

11 conservation strategies in the Chesapeake Bay wa12 tershed. 

13 SEC. 4. GRANTS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 

14 (a) CHESAPEAKE WILD GRANT PROGRAM.—To the 

15 extent that funds are made available to carry out this sec16 tion, the Secretary shall establish and carry out, as part 

17 of the Chesapeake WILD program, a voluntary grant and 

18 technical assistance program, to be known as the ‘‘Chesa19 peake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense 

20 grant program’’, to provide competitive matching grants 

21 of varying amounts and technical assistance to eligible en22 tities described in subsection (b) to carry out activities de23 scribed in section 3(b). 


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1 (b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The following entities are 

2 eligible to receive a grant and technical assistance under 

3 the grant program: 

4 (1) A State. 

5 (2) The District of Columbia. 

6 (3) A unit of local government. 

7 (4) A nonprofit organization. 

8 (5) An institution of higher education. 

9 (6) Any other entity that the Secretary deter10 mines to be appropriate in accordance with the cri11 teria established under subsection (c). 

12 (c) CRITERIA.—The Secretary, in consultation with 

13 officials and entities described in section 3(d), shall estab14 lish criteria for the grant program to help ensure that ac15 tivities funded under this section— 

16 (1) accomplish 1 or more of the purposes de17 scribed in section 3(b); and 

18 (2) advance the implementation of priority ac19 tions or needs identified in the Chesapeake Bay wa20 tershed-wide strategy adopted under section 3(c)(2). 

21 (d) COST SHARING.— 

22 (1) DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SHARE.— 

23 The Department of the Interior share of the cost of 

24 a project funded under the grant program shall not 


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1 exceed 50 percent of the total cost of the project, as 

2 determined by the Secretary. 

3 (2) NON-DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

4 SHARE.— 

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—The non-Department of 

6 the Interior share of the cost of a project fund7 ed under the grant program may be provided in 

8 cash or in the form of an in-kind contribution 

9 of services or materials. 

10 (B) OTHER FEDERAL FUNDING.—Non-De11 partment of the Interior Federal funds may be 

12 used for not more than 25 percent of the total 

13 cost of a project funded under the grant pro14 gram. 

15 (e) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary may enter into 

16 an agreement to manage the grant program with an orga17 nization that offers grant management services. 

18 SEC. 5. REPORTING. 

19 Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 

20 of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall 

21 submit to Congress a report describing the implementation 

22 of this Act, including a description of each project that 

23 has received funding under this Act. 


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1 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro3 priated such sums as are necessary to carry out this Act. 

4 (b) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—Funds made 

5 available under subsection (a) shall supplement, and not 

6 supplant, funding for other activities conducted by the 

7 Secretary in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. 

Æ 


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