I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8104 

To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to improve wildlife habitat 

connectivity and wildlife migration corridors, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 20, 2024 

Mr. VASQUEZ (for himself, Mr. ZINKE, and Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to improve wildlife 

habitat connectivity and wildlife migration 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 ‘‘Habitat Connectivity 

5 on Working Lands Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. CONSERVATION PROGRAMS. 

7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 1240A of the Food Secu8 rity Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–1) is amended by 

9 adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘(11) HABITAT CONNECTIVITY.—The term 

2 ‘habitat connectivity’ means the degree to which 

3 landscape or habitat elements facilitate native spe4 cies movement among seasonal habitats. 

5 ‘‘(12) BIG GAME SPECIES.—The term ‘big game 

6 species’ means native species of large mammals in7 cluding, wild deer, elk, pronghorn, wild sheep, and 

8 moose.’’. 

9 (b) REGIONAL CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP PRO10 GRAM CRITICAL CONSERVATION AREAS.—Section 

11 1271F(a)(2)(C) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 

12 U.S.C. 3871f(a)(2)(C)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, includ13 ing restoration and enhancement of wildlife habitat 

14 connectivity and wildlife migration corridors, with a focus 

15 on big game species’’ before ‘‘; and’’. 

16 (c) ENROLLMENT IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

17 INCENTIVES PROGRAM AND THE CONSERVATION STEW18 ARDSHIP PROGRAM OF GRASSLAND ENROLLED IN THE

19 CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM.— 

20 (1) ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES

21 PROGRAM.—Section 1240B(d) of the Food Security 

22 Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(d)) is amended— 

23 (A) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘A pro24 ducer’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as provided in 

25 paragraph (8), a producer’’; and 


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1 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

2 ‘‘(8) COST-SHARE PAYMENTS FOR GRASSLAND

3 ENROLLED IN THE CONSERVATION RESERVE PRO4 GRAM.— 

5 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may 

6 provide payments under the program for costs 

7 associated with planning, design, materials, 

8 equipment, installation, labor, management, 

9 maintenance, or training with respect to eligible 

10 land that is— 

11 ‘‘(i) enrolled in the conservation re12 serve program under section 

13 1231(d)(2)(A); and 

14 ‘‘(ii) of ecological significance, as de15 scribed in section 1231(d)(2)(B)(iii). 

16 ‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—A producer shall not 

17 be eligible for payments under subparagraph 

18 (A) for practices if the producer receives pay19 ments or other benefits for the same practice on 

20 the same land under another Federal program 

21 (other than the conservation reserve program 

22 under subchapter B of chapter 1).’’. 

23 (2) CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM.— 

24 Section 1240J(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985 

25 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–22(b)) is amended— 


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1 (A) in paragraph (1), in the matter pre2 ceding subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘and ex3 cept as provided in paragraph (3),’’ after 

4 ‘‘paragraph (2),’’; and 

5 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(3) COST-SHARE PAYMENTS FOR GRASSLAND

7 ENROLLED IN THE CONSERVATION RESERVE PRO8 GRAM.— 

9 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may 

10 provide payments under the program for costs 

11 associated with planning, design, materials, 

12 equipment, installation, labor, management, 

13 maintenance, or training with respect to eligible 

14 land that is— 

15 ‘‘(i) enrolled in the conservation re16 serve program under section 

17 1231(d)(2)(A); and 

18 ‘‘(ii) of ecological significance, as de19 scribed in section 1231(d)(2)(B)(iii). 

20 ‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—A producer shall not 

21 be eligible for payments under subparagraph 

22 (A) for conservation activities if the producer 

23 receives payments or other benefits for the 

24 same conservation activities on the same land 

25 under another Federal program (other than the 


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1 conservation reserve program under subchapter 

2 B of chapter 1). 

3 ‘‘(C) EMERGENCY GRAZING AND HAYING

4 ACCESS PRESERVED.—No priority resource con5 cern, practice, or incentive pertaining to res6 toration and enhancement of wildlife habitat 

7 connectivity and wildlife migration corridors on 

8 the acres described above will prevent or alter 

9 emergency grazing and haying access for grass10 land acres enrolled in the conservation research 

11 program.’’. 

12 (3) PAYMENT LIMITATION FOR RENTAL PAY13 MENTS UNDER THE CONSERVATION RESERVE PRO14 GRAM.—Section 1234(g)(1) of the Food Security 

15 Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3834(g)(1)) is amended by 

16 striking ‘‘$50,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$125,000’’. 

17 (d) INCREASED PAYMENTS UNDER THE ENVIRON18 MENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM.—Section 

19 1240B(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

20 3839aa–2(d)) is amended— 

21 (1) in paragraph (3)(F), by inserting ‘‘and 

22 wildlife habitat connectivity’’ before ‘‘; or’’; and 

23 (2) in paragraph (7)(A)— 

24 (A) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 

25 end; 


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1 (B) in clause (iv), by striking the period at 

2 the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

3 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(v) addresses the conservation and 

5 restoration of wildlife habitat, including 

6 wildlife habitat connectivity and wildlife 

7 migration corridors.’’. 

8 (e) CONSERVATION PRACTICE STANDARDS.—Section 

9 1242 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3842) 

10 is amended by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(j) ADDRESSING BARRIERS TO HABITAT

12 CONNECTIVITY.— 

13 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall— 

14 ‘‘(A) to the maximum extent practicable, 

15 fully incorporate nonstructural methods to con16 trol livestock distribution, such as virtual fenc17 ing, into the conservation practice standards; 

18 and 

19 ‘‘(B) provide for the appropriate range of 

20 conservation practices and resource mitigation 

21 measures available to landowners using non22 structural methods described in subparagraph 

23 (A). 

24 ‘‘(2) AVAILABILITY OF ADEQUATE TECHNICAL

25 ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall ensure that adeVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:10 May 13, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8104.IH H8104

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1 quate technical assistance is available for the imple2 mentation of— 

3 ‘‘(A) nonstructural methods described in 

4 paragraph (1)(A); and 

5 ‘‘(B) other practices that support habitat 

6 connectivity (as that term is defined in section 

7 1240A) through Federal conservation pro8 grams.’’. 

9 (f) ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR CON10 SERVATION PROGRAMS.—Section 1244 of the Food Secu11 rity Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844) is amended by adding 

12 at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘(q) ENCOURAGEMENT OF HABITAT CONNECTIVITY

14 AND BIG GAME CORRIDORS.—In carrying out any con15 servation program administered by the Secretary, the Sec16 retary may, as appropriate, encourage— 

17 ‘‘(1) the conservation of landscape corridors 

18 and hydrologic connectivity, where native big game 

19 species (as that term is defined in section 1240A) 

20 and ecological processes can transition from one 

21 habitat to another, in order to conserve native bio22 diversity and ensure resiliency against impacts from 

23 a range of stressors; and 


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1 ‘‘(2) the use of conservation practices that sup2 port the development, restoration, and maintenance 

3 of landscape corridors and hydrologic connectivity.’’. 

4 SEC. 3. HIGH-PRIORITY RESEARCH AND EXTENSION AREAS. 

5 Section 1672(d) of the Food, Agriculture, Conserva6 tion, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925(d)) is amend7 ed by adding at the end the following: 

8 ‘‘(21) VIRTUAL FENCING.—Research and exten9 sion grants may be made under this section for the 

10 purposes of— 

11 ‘‘(A) understanding and addressing the 

12 barriers to the adoption of virtual fencing tech13 nology; and 

14 ‘‘(B) studying the effects of virtual fencing 

15 technology on natural and cultural resources, 

16 such as— 

17 ‘‘(i) sensitive riparian areas; and 

18 ‘‘(ii) crucial winter range and stopover 

19 habitats for native big game species (as 

20 that term is defined in section 1240A of 

21 the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

22 3839aa–1)).’’. 

Æ 


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