Tribal Wildlife Corridors Act of 2019

To require the Secretary of the Interior to establish Tribal Wildlife Corridors, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Tribal Wildlife Corridors Act of 2019 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Connectivity The term connectivity (2) Corridor The term corridor (A) provides habitat or ecological con­nec­tiv­i­ty; and (B) allows for fish, wildlife, or plant movement. (3) Indian land The term Indian land (A) held in trust by the United States; or (B) subject to a restriction against alienation imposed by the United States. (4) Indian tribe The term Indian tribe 25 U.S.C. 5304 (5) Secretary The term Secretary (6) Tribal Wildlife Corridor The term Tribal Wildlife Corridor 3. Establishment of Tribal Wildlife Corridors (a) In general (1) Nominations An Indian tribe may nominate a corridor within Indian land of the Indian tribe as a Tribal Wildlife Corridor by submitting to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. (2) Determination Not later than 90 days after the date on which the Secretary receives an application under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall determine whether the nominated Tribal Wildlife Corridor described in the application meets the criteria established under subsection (b). (3) Publication On approval of an application under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register a notice of the establishment of the Tribal Wildlife Corridor, which shall include a map and legal description of the land designated as a Tribal Wildlife Corridor. (b) Criteria (1) In general Not later than 540 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish criteria for determining whether a corridor nominated by an Indian tribe under subsection (a)(1) qualifies as a Tribal Wildlife Corridor. (2) Inclusions The criteria established under paragraph (1) shall include, at a minimum, the following: (A) The restoration of historical habitat for the purposes of facilitating connectivity. (B) The management of land for the purposes of facilitating connectivity. (C) The management of land to prevent the imposition of barriers that may hinder current or future connectivity. (c) Removal (1) In general An Indian tribe may elect to remove the designation of a Tribal Wildlife Corridor on the Indian land of the Indian tribe by notifying the Secretary. (2) Effect of removal An Indian tribe that elects to remove a designation under paragraph (1) may not receive assistance under section 5 or 6. 4. Coordination of land use plans Section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ( 43 U.S.C. 1712 (1) in subsection (b)— (A) by striking Indian tribes by (1) by ; (B) in paragraph (1) (as so designated), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (2) for the purposes of determining whether the land use plans for land in the National Forest System would provide additional connectivity to benefit the purposes of a Tribal Wildlife Corridor established under section 3(a) of the Tribal Wildlife Corridors Act of 2019 ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (g) Tribal Wildlife Corridors On the establishment of a Tribal Wildlife Corridor under section 3(a) of the Tribal Wildlife Corridors Act of 2019 (1) be expanded into public lands; or (2) otherwise benefit connectivity (as defined in section 2 of that Act) between public lands and the Tribal Wildlife Corridor. . 5. Technical assistance The Secretary shall provide to Indian tribes technical assistance relating to the establishment, management, and expansion of a Tribal Wildlife Corridor, including assistance with accessing wildlife data and working with private landowners to access Federal and State programs to improve wildlife habitat and connectivity on non-Federal land. 6. Availability of assistance (a) Conservation programs priority (1) In general In evaluating applications under conservation programs described in paragraph (2), the Secretary of Agriculture may give priority to an application for a project that would enhance connectivity through the expansion of a Tribal Wildlife Corridor. (2) Programs described The conservation programs referred to in paragraph (1) are any of the following conservation programs administered by the Secretary of Agriculture: (A) The conservation reserve program established under subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3831 (B) The environmental quality incentives program established under subchapter A of chapter 4 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3839aa (C) The conservation stewardship program established under subchapter B of chapter 4 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3839aa–21 (D) The agricultural conservation easement program established under subtitle H of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3865 (b) Wildlife movements grant program (1) In general The Secretary shall establish a Tribal Wildlife Corridor grant program to encourage wildlife movement in accordance with this Act. (2) Grants Beginning not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall make grants under the program established under paragraph (1) to one or more Indian tribes to increase connectivity through Tribal Wildlife Corridors. 7. Savings clause Nothing in this Act authorizes or affects the use of private property or Indian land.

Summary: Tribal Wildlife Corridors Act of 2019 This bill authorizes the use of wildlife corridors on Indian land to provide habitat or ecological connectivity and allow for fish, wildlife, or plant movement on such land. Specifically, the bill permits an Indian tribe to nominate a corridor within the land of such tribe as a tribal wildlife corridor. The Department of the Interior must establish criteria for determining whether such a corridor qualifies as a tribal wildlife corridor, including criteria for restoring historical habitat. Interior must provide tribes with technical assistance to establish, manage, or expand a tribal wildlife corridor. Such assistance must include support with accessing wildlife data and working with private landowners to access programs for facilitating connectivity on nonfederal land. Additionally, Interior must (1) establish a program to award grants to tribes to increase connectivity through tribal wildlife corridors, and (2) consult with tribes to determine whether a tribal wildlife corridor may be expanded into public lands or otherwise benefit connectivity between public lands and such corridor. The bill also permits the Department of Agriculture to give priority under certain conservation programs to those projects that enhance connectivity by expanding a tribal wildlife corridor.