II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4193 

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

connectivity and wildlife migration corridors, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 18, 2024 

Mr. HEINRICH introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

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 of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. CONSERVATION PROGRAMS. 

7 (a) DEFINITION OF NATIVE BIG GAME SPECIES.— 

8 Section 1201(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 

9 U.S.C. 3801(a)) is amended— 


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1 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (18) through 

2 (27) as paragraphs (19) through (28), respectively; 

3 and 

4 (2) by inserting after paragraph (17) the fol5 lowing: 

6 ‘‘(18) NATIVE BIG GAME SPECIES.—The term 

7 ‘native big game species’ means a native species of 

8 a large mammal, including a wild deer, an elk, a 

9 pronghorn, a wild sheep, and a moose.’’. 

10 (b) REGIONAL CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP PRO11 GRAM CRITICAL CONSERVATION AREAS.—Section 

12 1271F(a)(2)(C) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 

13 U.S.C. 3871f(a)(2)(C)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, includ14 ing restoration and enhancement of wildlife habitat 

15 connectivity and wildlife migration corridors, with a focus 

16 on native big game species’’ before ‘‘; and’’. 

17 (c) ENROLLMENT IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

18 INCENTIVES PROGRAM AND THE CONSERVATION STEW19 ARDSHIP PROGRAM OF GRASSLAND ENROLLED IN THE

20 CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM.— 

21 (1) ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES

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

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


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1 (A) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘A pro2 ducer’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as provided in 

3 paragraph (8), a producer’’; and 

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

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

6 ENROLLED IN THE CONSERVATION RESERVE PRO7 GRAM.— 

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

9 provide payments under the program for costs 

10 associated with planning, design, materials, 

11 equipment, installation, labor, management, 

12 maintenance, or training with respect to eligible 

13 land that is— 

14 ‘‘(i) enrolled in the conservation re15 serve program under section 

16 1231(d)(2)(A); and 

17 ‘‘(ii) of ecological significance, as de18 scribed in section 1231(d)(2)(B)(iii). 

19 ‘‘(B) LIMITATIONS.— 

20 ‘‘(i) OTHER FEDERAL PROGRAMS.—A 

21 producer shall not be eligible for payments 

22 under subparagraph (A) for practices if 

23 the producer receives payments or other 

24 benefits for the same practice on the same 

25 land under another Federal program 


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1 (other than the conservation reserve pro2 gram under subchapter B of chapter 1). 

3 ‘‘(ii) PROTECTION OF EMERGENCY

4 GRAZING AND HAYING.—An activity to re5 store or enhance wildlife habitat 

6 connectivity or wildlife migration corridors 

7 carried out using a payment under sub8 paragraph (A) shall not prevent or alter 

9 emergency haying or emergency grazing 

10 carried out in accordance with the require11 ments of the conservation reserve program 

12 under subchapter B of chapter 1.’’. 

13 (2) CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM.— 

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

15 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–22(b)) is amended— 

16 (A) in paragraph (1), in the matter pre17 ceding subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘and ex18 cept as provided in paragraph (3),’’ after 

19 ‘‘paragraph (2),’’; and 

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

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

22 ENROLLED IN THE CONSERVATION RESERVE PRO23 GRAM.— 

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

25 provide payments under the program for costs 


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1 associated with planning, design, materials, 

2 equipment, installation, labor, management, 

3 maintenance, or training with respect to eligible 

4 land that is— 

5 ‘‘(i) enrolled in the conservation re6 serve program under section 

7 1231(d)(2)(A); and 

8 ‘‘(ii) of ecological significance, as de9 scribed in section 1231(d)(2)(B)(iii). 

10 ‘‘(B) LIMITATIONS.— 

11 ‘‘(i) OTHER FEDERAL PROGRAMS.—A 

12 producer shall not be eligible for payments 

13 under subparagraph (A) for conservation 

14 activities if the producer receives payments 

15 or other benefits for the same conservation 

16 activities on the same land under another 

17 Federal program (other than the conserva18 tion reserve program under subchapter B 

19 of chapter 1). 

20 ‘‘(ii) PROTECTION OF EMERGENCY

21 GRAZING AND HAYING.—An activity to re22 store or enhance wildlife habitat 

23 connectivity or wildlife migration corridors 

24 carried out using a payment under sub25 paragraph (A) shall not prevent or alter 


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1 emergency haying or emergency grazing 

2 carried out in accordance with the require3 ments of the conservation reserve program 

4 under subchapter B of chapter 1.’’. 

5 (3) PAYMENT LIMITATION FOR RENTAL PAY6 MENTS UNDER THE CONSERVATION RESERVE PRO7 GRAM.—Section 1234(g)(1) of the Food Security 

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

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

10 (d) INCREASED PAYMENTS UNDER THE ENVIRON11 MENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM.—Section 

12 1240B(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

13 3839aa–2(d)) is amended— 

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

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

16 (2) in paragraph (7)(A)— 

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

18 end; 

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

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

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

22 ‘‘(v) addresses the conservation and 

23 restoration of wildlife habitat, including 

24 wildlife habitat connectivity and wildlife 

25 migration corridors.’’. 


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1 (e) CONSERVATION PRACTICE STANDARDS.—Section 

2 1242 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3842) 

3 is amended by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(j) ADDRESSING BARRIERS TO HABITAT

5 CONNECTIVITY.— 

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

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

8 fully incorporate nonstructural methods to man9 age livestock distribution, such as virtual fenc10 ing, into the conservation practice standards; 

11 and 

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

13 conservation practices and resource mitigation 

14 measures available to landowners using non15 structural methods described in subparagraph 

16 (A). 

17 ‘‘(2) AVAILABILITY OF ADEQUATE TECHNICAL

18 ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall ensure that ade19 quate technical assistance is available for the imple20 mentation of— 

21 ‘‘(A) nonstructural methods described in 

22 paragraph (1)(A); and 

23 ‘‘(B) other practices that support habitat 

24 connectivity through Federal conservation pro25 grams.’’. 


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1 (f) ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR CON2 SERVATION PROGRAMS.—Section 1244 of the Food Secu3 rity Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844) is amended by adding 

4 at the end the following: 

5 ‘‘(q) ENCOURAGEMENT OF HABITAT CONNECTIVITY

6 AND NATIVE BIG GAME MIGRATION CORRIDORS.—In car7 rying out any conservation program administered by the 

8 Secretary, the Secretary may, as appropriate, encourage— 

9 ‘‘(1) the conservation of landscape corridors 

10 and hydrologic connectivity, where native big game 

11 species and ecological processes can transition from 

12 one habitat to another, in order to conserve native 

13 biodiversity and ensure resiliency against impacts 

14 from a range of stressors; and 

15 ‘‘(2) the use of conservation practices that sup16 port the development, restoration, and maintenance 

17 of landscape corridors and hydrologic connectivity.’’. 

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

19 Section 1672(d) of the Food, Agriculture, Conserva20 tion, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925(d)) is amend21 ed by adding at the end the following: 

22 ‘‘(21) VIRTUAL FENCING.—Research and exten23 sion grants may be made under this section for the 

24 purposes of— 


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1 ‘‘(A) understanding and addressing the 

2 barriers to the adoption of virtual fencing tech3 nology; or 

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

5 technology on— 

6 ‘‘(i) natural and cultural resources, 

7 such as— 

8 ‘‘(I) sensitive riparian areas; and 

9 ‘‘(II) crucial winter range and 

10 stopover habitats for native big game 

11 species (as defined in section 1201(a) 

12 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 

13 U.S.C. 3801(a))); or 

14 ‘‘(ii) overall range health.’’. 

Æ 


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