I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7221 

To provide for the conservation and designation of habitat connectivity areas, 

with support from the voluntary conservation programs administered 

by the Secretary of Agriculture, as American wildlife corridors, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 5, 2024 

Mr. BEYER (for himself and Mr. BUCHANAN) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to 

the Committee on Natural Resources, 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 provide for the conservation and designation of habitat 

connectivity areas, with support from the voluntary conservation programs administered by the Secretary of Agriculture, as American wildlife corridors, 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 ‘‘Wildlife Corridors and 

5 USDA Conservation Programs Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. HABITAT CONNECTIVITY AREA DESIGNATION. 

2 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

3 (1) AMERICAN WILDLIFE CORRIDOR.—The term 

4 ‘‘American wildlife corridor’’ means land identified, 

5 under subsection (b)(1), as a habitat connectivity 

6 area within a covered land, including any land adja7 cent to such identified habitat connectivity area, des8 ignated under subsection (c). 

9 (2) COVERED LAND.—The term ‘‘covered land’’ 

10 means land that is enrolled under, or otherwise re11 lated to, a conservation program that is adminis12 tered by the Secretary. 

13 (3) COVERED PRODUCER.—The term ‘‘covered 

14 producer’’ means an owner, operator, or producer of 

15 a covered land that has an American wildlife cor16 ridor on such covered land. 

17 (4) DIRECTORS.—The term ‘‘Directors’’ means 

18 the Secretary of the Interior acting through— 

19 (A) the Director of the United States Geo20 logical Survey; and 

21 (B) the Director of the United Fish and 

22 Wildlife Service. 

23 (5) HABITAT CONNECTIVITY.—The term ‘‘habi24 tat connectivity’’ means the degree to which land25 scapes, waterscapes, and seascapes allow species to 

26 move freely, including during seasonal migration and 


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1 in response to changing environmental conditions, 

2 and ecological processes to function unimpeded. 

3 (6) HABITAT CONNECTIVITY AREA.—The term 

4 ‘‘habitat connectivity area’’ means an area of intact 

5 habitat or a distinct component of the landscape, 

6 waterscape, or seascape the designation of which, 

7 under subsection (c)(2), may provide habitat 

8 connectivity. 

9 (7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

10 the Secretary of Agriculture. 

11 (b) IDENTIFICATION OF HABITAT CONNECTIVITY

12 AREAS.— 

13 (1) IDENTIFICATION.—Not later than 1 year 

14 after the date of enactment of this Act, and periodi15 cally thereafter, the Secretary, in collaboration with 

16 the Directors, shall identify habitat connectivity 

17 areas within covered lands, including any lands adja18 cent to such identified habitat connectivity areas 

19 that may provide additional habitat connectivity. 

20 (2) MAPS.—Subject to section 1244(b) of the 

21 Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(b)), as 

22 amended by section 3 of this Act, upon identifying 

23 habitat connectivity areas under paragraph (1), the 

24 Secretary, in collaboration with the Directors, 

25 shall— 


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1 (A) develop maps of— 

2 (i) the identified habitat connectivity 

3 areas, including any adjacent lands de4 scribed in paragraph (1); and 

5 (ii) the covered land containing any 

6 identified habitat connectivity areas; and 

7 (B) expand and build upon any existing ef8 forts by the Department of Agriculture in devel9 oping such maps. 

10 (3) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 

11 date on which the Secretary identifies habitat 

12 connectivity areas under paragraph (1), and periodi13 cally thereafter upon any new such identifications, 

14 the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 

15 that— 

16 (A) includes a description of habitat 

17 connectivity areas identified under paragraph 

18 (1); 

19 (B) includes a review of any associated 

20 data or surveys related to activities carried out 

21 under paragraph (1); 

22 (C) includes the maps developed under 

23 paragraph (2) in aggregate form; and 


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1 (D) identifies gaps in information with re2 spect to carrying out paragraphs (1) and (2), 

3 including— 

4 (i) information relating to whether the 

5 identified habitat connectivity areas are 

6 being used as a wildlife corridor; 

7 (ii) additional information required to 

8 identify additional habitat connectivity 

9 areas; and 

10 (iii) any other information the Sec11 retary, in collaboration with the Directors, 

12 determines necessary. 

13 (c) DESIGNATION OF AMERICAN WILDLIFE COR14 RIDORS.— 

15 (1) CRITERIA.—Not later than 1 year after the 

16 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 

17 issue regulations to establish criteria, for the pur18 pose of designating habitat connectivity areas under 

19 paragraph (2), that— 

20 (A) considers whether a designation is in 

21 concert with existing land and resource man22 agement plans of the applicable covered land; 

23 and 

24 (B) determines, using the best-available 

25 science, whether a habitat connectivity area 


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1 identified under subsection (b)(1), including any 

2 adjacent lands as described in that subsection— 

3 (i) supports the persistence, resilience, 

4 adaptability, and movement of fish and 

5 wildlife; 

6 (ii) has the potential to benefit more 

7 than 1 species of fish and wildlife; or 

8 (iii) has the potential to benefit fish 

9 or wildlife species that is listed as threat10 ened or endangered under the Endangered 

11 Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 

12 seq.). 

13 (2) DESIGNATION.—Not later than 3 years 

14 after the date on which the Secretary establishes cri15 teria pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 

16 designate habitat connectivity areas identified under 

17 subsection (b)(1), including any adjacent lands that 

18 may provide additional habitat connectivity, using 

19 the criteria established pursuant to paragraph (1), 

20 as an American wildlife corridor for the purposes of 

21 encouraging the long-term maintenance and con22 servation of the American wildlife corridor. 

23 (d) CONSERVATION OF AMERICAN WILDLIFE COR24 RIDORS.— 

25 (1) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 


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1 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in col2 laboration with the Directors, shall develop and 

3 establish technical standards and requirements, 

4 including best practices for the long-term con5 servation of an American wildlife corridor, to 

6 provide technical assistance, outreach, and edu7 cation to covered producers with respect to the 

8 conservation of the applicable American wildlife 

9 corridor. 

10 (B) AUTHORIZED ACTIONS OF SEC11 RETARY.—In providing technical assistance 

12 under paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary may en13 courage a covered producer to— 

14 (i) implement strategies and activities 

15 that will provide sustainable production 

16 and conservation of wildlife habitats con17 currently on covered land; 

18 (ii) maintain or improve habitats and 

19 habitat connectivity in American wildlife 

20 corridors on covered land; 

21 (iii) establish wildlife monitoring 

22 plans; and 

23 (iv) implement strategies and activi24 ties that enhance the ability of fish and 


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1 wildlife to respond to changing environ2 mental conditions. 

3 (2) CONTRACT MODIFICATION.—In furthering 

4 the purposes of an American wildlife corridor des5 ignation under subsection (c)(2), the Secretary may, 

6 with respect to a contract entered into with a cov7 ered producer relating to an American wildlife cor8 ridor on a covered land of such covered producer— 

9 (A) give priority for reenrollment in the 

10 conservation program administered by the Sec11 retary of such covered land; and 

12 (B) terminate or modify such contract if— 

13 (i) the covered producer agrees to the 

14 termination or modification of such con15 tract; and 

16 (ii) such covered land is enrolled in— 

17 (I) the agricultural conservation 

18 easement program established under 

19 section 1265 of the Food Security Act 

20 of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865); or 

21 (II) the healthy forests reserve 

22 program established under section 

23 501 of the Healthy Forests Restora24 tion Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6571). 


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1 (e) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—To carry out this 

2 section, the Secretary may enter into cooperative agree3 ments with— 

4 (1) Federal agencies; 

5 (2) State, Tribal, and local governments; 

6 (3) nongovernmental organizations; or 

7 (4) academic institutions. 

8 SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS. 

9 (a) PRIVACY OF PERSONAL INFORMATION RELATING

10 TO NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION PROGRAMS.— 

11 Section 1244(b)(1)(B)(i) of the Food Security Act of 1985 

12 (16 U.S.C. 3844(b)(1)(B)(i)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, 

13 including the Wildlife Corridors and USDA Conservation 

14 Programs Act of 2024’’ after ‘‘Farm Service Agency’’. 

15 (b) REGULATORY CERTAINTY.—Section 1244(p) of 

16 the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(p)) is 

17 amended— 

18 (1) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting ‘‘, or an 

19 American wildlife corridor (as such term is defined 

20 by section 2(a) of the Wildlife Corridors and USDA 

21 Conservation Programs Act of 2024),’’ after ‘‘wild22 life resource concern’’; and 


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1 (2) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting ‘‘, or an 

2 American wildlife corridor,’’ after ‘‘wildlife resource 

3 concern’’. 

Æ 


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