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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7221 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

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.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Wildlife Corridors and USDA 
Conservation Programs Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. HABITAT CONNECTIVITY AREA DESIGNATION.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) American wildlife corridor.--The term ``American 
        wildlife corridor'' means land identified, under subsection 
        (b)(1), as a habitat connectivity area within a covered land, 
        including any land adjacent to such identified habitat 
        connectivity area, designated under subsection (c).
            (2) Covered land.--The term ``covered land'' means land 
        that is enrolled under, or otherwise related to, a conservation 
        program that is administered by the Secretary.
            (3) Covered producer.--The term ``covered producer'' means 
        an owner, operator, or producer of a covered land that has an 
        American wildlife corridor on such covered land.
            (4) Directors.--The term ``Directors'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior acting through--
                    (A) the Director of the United States Geological 
                Survey; and
                    (B) the Director of the United Fish and Wildlife 
                Service.
            (5) Habitat connectivity.--The term ``habitat 
        connectivity'' means the degree to which landscapes, 
        waterscapes, and seascapes allow species to move freely, 
        including during seasonal migration and in response to changing 
        environmental conditions, and ecological processes to function 
        unimpeded.
            (6) Habitat connectivity area.--The term ``habitat 
        connectivity area'' means an area of intact habitat or a 
        distinct component of the landscape, waterscape, or seascape 
        the designation of which, under subsection (c)(2), may provide 
        habitat connectivity.
            (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
    (b) Identification of Habitat Connectivity Areas.--
            (1) Identification.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
        of enactment of this Act, and periodically thereafter, the 
        Secretary, in collaboration with the Directors, shall identify 
        habitat connectivity areas within covered lands, including any 
        lands adjacent to such identified habitat connectivity areas 
        that may provide additional habitat connectivity.
            (2) Maps.--Subject to section 1244(b) of the Food Security 
        Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(b)), as amended by section 3 of 
        this Act, upon identifying habitat connectivity areas under 
        paragraph (1), the Secretary, in collaboration with the 
        Directors, shall--
                    (A) develop maps of--
                            (i) the identified habitat connectivity 
                        areas, including any adjacent lands described 
                        in paragraph (1); and
                            (ii) the covered land containing any 
                        identified habitat connectivity areas; and
                    (B) expand and build upon any existing efforts by 
                the Department of Agriculture in developing such maps.
            (3) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which 
        the Secretary identifies habitat connectivity areas under 
        paragraph (1), and periodically thereafter upon any new such 
        identifications, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
        report that--
                    (A) includes a description of habitat connectivity 
                areas identified under paragraph (1);
                    (B) includes a review of any associated data or 
                surveys related to activities carried out under 
                paragraph (1);
                    (C) includes the maps developed under paragraph (2) 
                in aggregate form; and
                    (D) identifies gaps in information with respect to 
                carrying out paragraphs (1) and (2), including--
                            (i) information relating to whether the 
                        identified habitat connectivity areas are being 
                        used as a wildlife corridor;
                            (ii) additional information required to 
                        identify additional habitat connectivity areas; 
                        and
                            (iii) any other information the Secretary, 
                        in collaboration with the Directors, determines 
                        necessary.
    (c) Designation of American Wildlife Corridors.--
            (1) Criteria.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue regulations to 
        establish criteria, for the purpose of designating habitat 
        connectivity areas under paragraph (2), that--
                    (A) considers whether a designation is in concert 
                with existing land and resource management plans of the 
                applicable covered land; and
                    (B) determines, using the best-available science, 
                whether a habitat connectivity area identified under 
                subsection (b)(1), including any adjacent lands as 
                described in that subsection--
                            (i) supports the persistence, resilience, 
                        adaptability, and movement of fish and 
                        wildlife;
                            (ii) has the potential to benefit more than 
                        1 species of fish and wildlife; or
                            (iii) has the potential to benefit fish or 
                        wildlife species that is listed as threatened 
                        or endangered under the Endangered Species Act 
                        of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
            (2) Designation.--Not later than 3 years after the date on 
        which the Secretary establishes criteria pursuant to paragraph 
        (1), the Secretary shall designate habitat connectivity areas 
        identified under subsection (b)(1), including any adjacent 
        lands that may provide additional habitat connectivity, using 
        the criteria established pursuant to paragraph (1), as an 
        American wildlife corridor for the purposes of encouraging the 
        long-term maintenance and conservation of the American wildlife 
        corridor.
    (d) Conservation of American Wildlife Corridors.--
            (1) Technical assistance.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary, in collaboration 
                with the Directors, shall develop and establish 
                technical standards and requirements, including best 
                practices for the long-term conservation of an American 
                wildlife corridor, to provide technical assistance, 
                outreach, and education to covered producers with 
                respect to the conservation of the applicable American 
                wildlife corridor.
                    (B) Authorized actions of secretary.--In providing 
                technical assistance under paragraph (1)(B), the 
                Secretary may encourage a covered producer to--
                            (i) implement strategies and activities 
                        that will provide sustainable production and 
                        conservation of wildlife habitats concurrently 
                        on covered land;
                            (ii) maintain or improve habitats and 
                        habitat connectivity in American wildlife 
                        corridors on covered land;
                            (iii) establish wildlife monitoring plans; 
                        and
                            (iv) implement strategies and activities 
                        that enhance the ability of fish and wildlife 
                        to respond to changing environmental 
                        conditions.
            (2) Contract modification.--In furthering the purposes of 
        an American wildlife corridor designation under subsection 
        (c)(2), the Secretary may, with respect to a contract entered 
        into with a covered producer relating to an American wildlife 
        corridor on a covered land of such covered producer--
                    (A) give priority for reenrollment in the 
                conservation program administered by the Secretary of 
                such covered land; and
                    (B) terminate or modify such contract if--
                            (i) the covered producer agrees to the 
                        termination or modification of such contract; 
                        and
                            (ii) such covered land is enrolled in--
                                    (I) the agricultural conservation 
                                easement program established under 
                                section 1265 of the Food Security Act 
                                of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865); or
                                    (II) the healthy forests reserve 
                                program established under section 501 
                                of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act 
                                of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6571).
    (e) Cooperative Agreements.--To carry out this section, the 
Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with--
            (1) Federal agencies;
            (2) State, Tribal, and local governments;
            (3) nongovernmental organizations; or
            (4) academic institutions.

SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) Privacy of Personal Information Relating to Natural Resources 
Conservation Programs.--Section 1244(b)(1)(B)(i) of the Food Security 
Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(b)(1)(B)(i)) is amended by inserting ``, 
including the Wildlife Corridors and USDA Conservation Programs Act of 
2024'' after ``Farm Service Agency''.
    (b) Regulatory Certainty.--Section 1244(p) of the Food Security Act 
of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(p)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting ``, or an American 
        wildlife corridor (as such term is defined by section 2(a) of 
        the Wildlife Corridors and USDA Conservation Programs Act of 
        2024),'' after ``wildlife resource concern''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting ``, or an American 
        wildlife corridor,'' after ``wildlife resource concern''.
                                 <all>
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