Coastal Habitat Conservation Act of 2023

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior, through the Coastal Program of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, to work with willing partners and provide support to efforts to assess, protect, restore, and enhance important coastal landscapes that provide fish and wildlife habitat on which certain Federal trust species depend, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Coastal Habitat Conservation Act of 2023 2. Purpose The purpose of this Act is to legislatively authorize the Coastal Program of the Service in effect as of the date of enactment of this Act to conduct collaborative landscape-level planning and on-the-ground coastal habitat assessment, coastal habitat protection, coastal habitat restoration, and coastal habitat enhancement projects in priority coastal landscapes to conserve and recover Federal trust species. 3. Definitions In this Act: (1) Coastal ecosystem The term coastal ecosystem (2) Coastal habitat assessment The term coastal habitat assessment (3) Coastal habitat enhancement The term coastal habitat enhancement (4) Coastal habitat planning The term coastal habitat planning (A) characterizes a coastal ecosystem; (B) sets protection, restoration, or enhancement goals, and identifies the priorities of those goals; (C) describes conservation strategies and methodologies; (D) establishes a timetable for implementation of the plan; and (E) identifies roles of participants and stakeholders. (5) Coastal habitat protection (A) In general The term coastal habitat protection (B) Inclusion The term coastal habitat protection (6) Coastal habitat restoration The term coastal habitat restoration (7) Coastal landscape The term coastal landscape (A) a fresh or saltwater wetland in a coastal watershed; (B) a coastal river, stream, or waterway; (C) a coastal bay or estuary; (D) a seagrass bed, reef, or other nearshore marine habitat; (E) a beach or dune system; (F) a mangrove forest; and (G) an associated coastal upland. (8) Coastal State The term coastal State (A) a State in, or bordering on, the Atlantic, Pacific, or Arctic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Long Island Sound, or 1 or more of the Great Lakes; (B) the District of Columbia; (C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; (D) Guam; (E) American Samoa; (F) the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; (G) the Federated States of Micronesia; (H) the Republic of the Marshall Islands; (I) the Republic of Palau; and (J) the United States Virgin Islands. (9) Federal trust species The term Federal trust species (A) migratory birds, threatened species or endangered species listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq. (B) any other species of concern, as determined by the Secretary. (10) Financial assistance The term financial assistance (11) Secretary The term Secretary (12) Service The term Service (13) Technical assistance The term technical assistance 4. Coastal program The Secretary shall carry out the Coastal Program within the Service to— (1) identify the leading threats to priority coastal landscapes and conservation actions to address those threats in partnership with Federal, State, local, and Tribal governments, nongovernmental institutions, nonprofit organizations, and private individuals and entities; (2) provide technical assistance and financial assistance through partnerships with Federal, State, local, and Tribal governments, nongovernmental institutions, nonprofit organizations, and private individuals and entities to conduct voluntary coastal habitat planning, coastal habitat assessment, coastal habitat protection, coastal habitat restoration, and coastal habitat enhancement projects on public land or private land; (3) ensure the health and resilience of coastal ecosystems through adaptive management procedures based on the best available science; (4) build the capacity of Federal, State, local, and Tribal governments, nongovernmental institutions, nonprofit organizations, and private individuals and entities to carry out environmental conservation and stewardship measures; (5) assist in the development and implementation of monitoring protocols to ensure the success of coastal ecosystem restoration and coastal ecosystem enhancement measures; and (6) collaborate and share information with partners and the public relating to best management practices for the conservation, restoration, and enhancement of coastal ecosystems. 5. Reports (a) In general Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Service, shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations and Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committees on Appropriations and Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, and make available to the public on the website of the Service, a report on the Coastal Program carried out under this Act. (b) Requirements Each report submitted under subsection (a) shall assess on regional and nationwide bases— (1) Coastal Program work on coastal ecosystems; (2) progress made by the Coastal Program toward identifying the leading threats to priority coastal landscapes and conservation actions to address those threats; and (3) prospects for, and success of, protecting, restoring, and enhancing coastal ecosystems. (c) Inclusions Each report submitted under subsection (a) shall include— (1) quantitative information on coastal landscapes protected, restored, or enhanced; (2) funds appropriated to the Coastal Program that have been expended or leveraged; (3) a description of adaptive management practices implemented; and (4) a description of emerging challenges or data gaps that hinder the ability of the Coastal Program to achieve the purpose of this Act. 6. Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act— (1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; (2) $21,250,000 for fiscal year 2025; (3) $22,500,000 for fiscal year 2026; (4) $23,750,000 for fiscal year 2027; and (5) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2028.

Summary: Coastal Habitat Conservation Act of 2023 This bill provides statutory authority for the Coastal Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Under the voluntary program, the FWS works with partners to provide technical and financial assistance for habitat restoration projects, habitat protection projects, and related activities in priority coastal areas.