SEC. 6. REGIONAL GRASSLANDS CONSERVATION COUN-
CILS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established a Regional 
Grasslands Conservation Council for each region of the 
United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—Each Regional Grasslands Con-
servation Council shall be composed of not more than 10 
members, which shall include— 
(1) representatives of nongovernmental and 
Tribal organizations representing the conservation 
community; 
(2) representatives from Tribal Governments; 
(3) representatives of rancher and farming in-
terests; 
(4) representatives from State fish and wildlife 
agencies; and 
(5) any other representatives, as determined 
necessary by the Secretary in coordination with the 
Council. 
(c) RECOMMENDATIONS.—Each Regional Grasslands 
Conservation Council shall provide recommendations to 
the Council regarding— 
(1) the selection of grasslands conservation 
projects; and 
(2) key grasslands conservation strategies with 
respect to the region served by such Regional Grass-
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lands Conservation Council that draw from estab-
lished regional grasslands conservation plans. 
(d) FACA APPLICABILITY.—Chapter 10 of part I of 
title 5, United States Code, does not apply to a Regional 
Grasslands Conservation Council. 
SEC. 7. NORTH AMERICAN GRASSLANDS CONSERVATION 
STRATEGY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—After the appointment of the first 
7 of the initial members of the Council under section 5(b), 
the Director shall, in consultation with the Council— 
(1) develop a coordinated strategy, to be known 
as the ‘‘North American Grasslands Conservation 
Strategy’’, for the conservation, restoration, and 
management of grasslands ecosystems across North 
America; and 
(2) support implementation, monitoring, and 
communication efforts relating to the Conservation 
Strategy. 
(b) EXISTING CONSERVATION PLANS AND FRAME-
WORKS.—The Conservation Strategy shall draw from ex-
isting local, State, regional, and international conservation 
plans and frameworks, conservation plans of Indian 
Tribes, and State wildlife action plans, with an emphasis 
on supporting existing science- and ITEK-based frame-
works. 
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(c) INCLUSION.—The Conservation Strategy shall— 
(1) identify key areas with— 
(A) grasslands at high risk of— 
(i) conversion to cropland or residen-
tial or commercial development; 
(ii) shrub or woody encroachment; or 
(iii) invasion of annual grasses or 
other undesired vegetation; 
(B) the highest potential of conserving na-
tive grasslands, restoring grasslands, and re-
ducing fragmentation; 
(C) ecologically and culturally significant 
grasslands remnants; 
(D) populations of grasslands-dependent 
species of greatest conservation need, as identi-
fied in— 
(i) State wildlife action plans; 
(ii) Tribal conservation plans; 
(iii) the report of the United States 
Fish and Wildlife Service titled ‘‘Birds of 
Conservation Concern 2021 Migratory 
Bird Program’’ (published April 2021), or 
a successor document; or 
(iv) other appropriate science-based 
grasslands conservation plans; and 
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(E) grasslands habitats important to the 
recovery of species listed as a threatened spe-
cies or an endangered species under section 4 of 
the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
1533) or identified by a State or Tribal fish 
and wildlife agency as a species of greatest con-
servation need; 
(2) identify specific goals for North American 
grasslands conservation, including goals for— 
(A) conserving grasslands identified under 
paragraph (1)(A); 
(B) increasing grasslands acreage through 
the restoration of marginal cropland and 
pastureland to native grasslands in areas that 
were historically grasslands; and 
(C) enhancing existing grasslands, pri-
marily through incentivizing the voluntary res-
toration of degraded grasslands and the man-
agement 
of 
native 
prairie 
or 
sagebrush 
shrublands through conservation practices in-
cluding— 
(i) advanced grazing management or 
other prescribed grazing management that 
meets the objectives of the Conservation 
Strategy; 
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(ii) beneficial fire, including pre-
scribed fires and cultural burning prac-
tices; 
(iii) invasive species management; and 
(iv) removal of encroaching woody 
vegetation; 
(3) identify key grasslands conservation, res-
toration, and management strategies for each of the 
grasslands regions identified by the Director; 
(4) examine existing funding sources and iden-
tify gaps from current Federal, State, Tribal, or 
local conservation programs as such programs relate 
to grasslands conservation, restoration, and manage-
ment needs, including— 
(A) conservation programs under the Agri-
culture Improvement Act of 2018 (Public Law 
115–334) and amendments made by that Act; 
(B) conservation programs under the Pitt-
man-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 
U.S.C. 669 et seq.); and 
(C) any Federal, State, Tribal, or local 
plans, programs, or initiatives that support 
grasslands conservation, restoration, and man-
agement; and 
(5) develop— 
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(A) baseline inventories and population es-
timates of key indicator birds, pollinators, and 
other wildlife species at risk; 
(B) goals to increase the population size 
and resiliency of such species, including through 
ensuring grasslands habitat connectivity; and 
(C) a tool to track county-level aggregated 
conversion of native grasslands to cropland, res-
idential and commercial development, and other 
uses that shall— 
(i) protect the personally identifiable 
information of producers and landowners; 
(ii) be made publicly available; and 
(iii) be updated on an annual basis. 
(d) AVAILABILITY.—Not later than 120 days before 
the date on which the Program is established, the Con-
servation Strategy shall be finalized and made publicly 
available on the website of the United States Fish and 
Wildlife Service to help target investments in grasslands 
conservation projects. 
SEC. 8. GRASSLANDS CONSERVATION GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 2 years after 
the date of the enactment of this section, the Director, 
in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture and other 
heads of relevant Federal agencies, shall establish a com-
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petitive grant program through which the Commission 
shall award amounts to eligible entities to carry out eligi-
ble projects to support voluntary grasslands conservation 
projects, including projects— 
(1) to conserve intact grasslands at risk of con-
version to cropland or residential or commercial de-
velopment; 
(2) to restore degraded grasslands and improve 
grasslands health; 
(3) to restore marginal cropland or idle land 
back to grasslands; 
(4) to increase carbon sequestration and eco-
logical function in soils and improve the resilience of 
grasslands; 
(5) to support habitat and habitat connectivity 
for native grasslands and sagebrush birds, polli-
nators, plants, and other wildlife, including big game 
species; 
(6) to restore and enhance watersheds through 
grasslands restoration, management, and conserva-
tion; 
(7) to increase adoption of grasslands conserva-
tion, restoration, and management practices; and 
(8) carried out by Indian Tribes to protect cul-
turally significant flora and fauna through the use 
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of Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge re-
lated to grasslands ecosystems. 
(b) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible for a grant under 
the Program, an eligible entity shall submit to the Council 
an application at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Director determines ap-
propriate, which shall include a description of the project 
the eligible entity intends to carry out with such a grant. 
(c) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under the Pro-
gram, the Commission shall prioritize grants to eligible en-
tities the intended projects of which advance the goals of 
the Conservation Strategy. 
(d) CONSIDERATIONS.—In awarding grants under 
the Program, the Commission shall consider the rec-
ommendations made to the Commission by the Council 
under section 9. 
(e) USE OF FUNDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity may use a 
grant awarded under the Program to carry out 
grasslands conservation projects, including— 
(A) voluntary conservation easements; 
(B) grasslands restoration; 
(C) management activities, including— 
(i) voluntary incentives to producers 
for prescribed burns; 
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(ii) removal of pinyon juniper, eastern 
red cedar, salt cedar, or any other en-
croaching woody species; 
(iii) management of invasive species; 
(iv) maintenance and monitoring of 
new or ongoing grasslands conservation 
projects; 
(v) advanced grazing management ac-
tivities; 
(vi) drought monitoring and prepared-
ness activities; 
(vii) management activities informed 
by 
Indigenous 
Traditional 
Ecological 
Knowledge, including through cultural 
burns to manage ecosystems to manage, 
conserve, or restore native flora and fauna; 
and 
(viii) such other restoration and man-
agement activities identified in the Con-
servation Strategy or otherwise determined 
appropriate by the Director; 
(D) grasslands ecosystem education, out-
reach, and conservation stewardship assistance, 
which may include— 
(i) field days; 
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(ii) grazing management training pro-
grams; 
(iii) conservation planning; and 
(iv) education and outreach relating 
to— 
(I) grazing management; 
(II) control of invasive species; 
(III) beneficial fire; 
(IV) native seed crop systems re-
search, in accordance with the re-
search carried out by the Secretary of 
Agriculture under section 10; 
(V) land access, generational 
land transfers, and ensuring ranch-
land viability; 
(VI) best management practices 
relating to grasslands ecosystems; 
(VII) participation in carbon and 
ecosystem markets; 
(VIII) payment for ecosystem or 
conservation services; and 
(IX) safeguarding and ensuring 
the perpetuation of Indigenous Tradi-
tional Ecological Knowledge related to 
grasslands ecosystems; and 
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(E) such other activities that— 
(i) benefit grasslands and associated 
wildlife and enable increased adoption of 
grasslands conservation, restoration, and 
management practices; and 
(ii) are consistent with the Conserva-
tion Strategy. 
(2) RESTORATION
ACTIVITIES.—For purposes 
of paragraph (1)(B), any restoration activity shall 
prioritize a diverse mix of appropriately sourced na-
tive grasses and forbs, with such exceptions as the 
Director determines to be appropriate for eco-
logically appropriate noninvasive and nonnative spe-
cies. 
(3) SAFE HARBOR.—An eligible entity that car-
ries out a project pursuant to a grant awarded 
under the Program shall be eligible with respect to 
such project for a safe harbor agreement with the 
United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 
(f) GRASSLANDS CONSERVATION PROJECTS IN MEX-
ICO AND CANADA.—The Director shall grant or otherwise 
provide up to 10 percent of the amounts appropriated pur-
suant to the authorization under section 13(a)(1) to Fed-
eral agencies, eligible entities, and other individuals and 
entities, including foreign land management agencies, for 
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the purpose of assisting such agencies, entities, and indi-
viduals in carrying out grasslands conservation projects in 
Mexico and Canada that— 
(1) have been recommended by the Council; and 
(2) meet the goals of the Conservation Strat-
egy. 
(g) TRIBAL SET-ASIDE.—For each fiscal year, of the 
amounts made available to carry out the Program, the Di-
rector shall set aside not less than 10 percent of such 
amounts to provide grants to Indian Tribes and Tribal 
organizations working with 1 or more Indian Tribes. 
(h) COST-SHARING REQUIREMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
the non-Federal share of the cost of carrying out an 
eligible project using amounts from a grant awarded 
under the Program— 
(A) shall be not less than 25 percent, in-
cluding in-kind contributions; and 
(B) may not be derived from a Federal 
grant program. 
(2) WAIVERS.— 
(A) INDIAN TRIBES.—The Director shall 
waive the cost-share requirement under para-
graph (1) for grants awarded under the Pro-
gram to Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations. 
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(B) OTHER
ELIGIBLE
ENTITIES.—The 
Council shall establish waiver criteria under 
which the Commission may waive the cost-share 
requirement under paragraph (1), in whole or 
in part, for grants awarded under the Program 
to eligible entities other than Indian Tribes. 
(i) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—An eligible entity that 
is awarded a grant under this section may use such grant 
award for reasonable administrative costs relating to that 
grant. 
SEC. 
9. 
APPROVAL 
OF 
GRASSLANDS 
CONSERVATION 
PROJECTS. 
(a) RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COMMISSION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Each calendar year, the 
Council shall submit to the Commission a report 
that includes a list of the grasslands conservation 
projects (including the costs of those projects), in 
order of priority, that the Council, in consultation 
with each Regional Grasslands Conservation Council, 
recommends to the Commission for funding under 
the Program. 
(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In making the list of 
recommended grasslands conservation projects under 
paragraph (1), the Council shall consider— 
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(A) the extent to which the grasslands con-
servation project fulfills the purpose of this Act 
and the strategies and objectives of the Con-
servation Strategy; 
(B) the availability of sufficient non-Fed-
eral funds to carry out the grasslands conserva-
tion project and to match Federal contributions 
in accordance with section 8(h)(1), notwith-
standing the waivers described in paragraph (2) 
of that section; 
(C) the extent to which the grasslands con-
servation project represents a partnership be-
tween public entities, including Indian Tribes, 
and private entities, including landowners; and 
(D) the substantiality of the character and 
design of the grasslands conservation project. 
(b) COUNCIL BEST PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Council shall establish 
best practices and procedures for carrying out the 
requirements of subsection (a). 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The best practices and 
procedures established under paragraph (1) shall re-
quire that— 
(A) a quorum of the Council be present be-
fore any business may be conducted; and 
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(B) the Council may not refer a grasslands 
conservation project to the Commission under 
subsection (a)(1) unless the grasslands con-
servation project is approved by a vote of 
2⁄3 of the members of the Council present 
and voting. 
(c) COUNCIL REPRESENTATION ON COMMISSION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, the Secretary and the Secretary of 
Agriculture shall each select 1 member of the Coun-
cil to serve as an ex officio member of the Commis-
sion for the purposes of considering and voting on 
grasslands conservation projects recommended to the 
Commission by the Council under subsection (a)(1). 
(2) REQUIREMENT.—A member of the Council 
selected under paragraph (1) shall be a citizen of the 
United States. 
(d) APPROVAL OF COUNCIL RECOMMENDATIONS BY 
THE COMMISSION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission, including 
the 2 members of the Council selected to serve as ex 
officio members on the Commission under subsection 
(c)(1), shall approve, reject, or reorder the priority 
of 
any 
grasslands 
conservation 
projects 
rec-
ommended by the Council under subsection (a)(1) 
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based on, to the greatest extent practicable, the con-
siderations described in paragraph (2) of that sub-
section. 
(2) APPROVAL OF PROJECTS.—If the Commis-
sion approves a grasslands conservation project 
under paragraph (1), the Commission shall award a 
grant under the Program to the eligible entity that 
applied to carry out the grasslands conservation 
project. 
(3) REJECTION OF PROJECTS.—If the Commis-
sion rejects or reorders the priority of any grass-
lands conservation project under paragraph (1), the 
Commission shall provide the Council and the Com-
mittee on Natural Resources of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works of the Senate a written statement ex-
plaining the rationale of the Commission in rejecting 
or reordering the priority of, as applicable, the 
grasslands conservation project. 
(e) NOTIFICATION OF APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES.— 
Not less frequently than annually, the Commission shall 
submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Environ-
ment and Public Works of the Senate, and make publicly 
available, a report that includes— 
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(1) a list and description of the grasslands con-
servation projects approved by the Commission 
under subsection (d)(2), in order of priority; 
(2) the amounts and sources of Federal and 
non-Federal funding for those grasslands conserva-
tion projects; 
(3) a justification for the approval of those 
grasslands conservation projects and the order of 
priority for funding those grasslands conservation 
projects; 
(4) a list and description of the grasslands con-
servation projects that the Council recommended, in 
order of priority, that the Commission approved for 
funding under the Program; and 
(5) a justification for any rejection or reor-
dering of the priority of grasslands conservation 
projects recommended by the Council that was based 
on factors other than the considerations described in 
subsection (a)(2). 
SEC. 10. NATIVE SEED CROP SYSTEMS RESEARCH. 
The Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
jointly coordinate and implement the National Seed Strat-
egy for Rehabilitation and Restoration developed by the 
Plant Conservation Alliance and chaired by the Director 
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of the Bureau of Land Management, with an emphasis 
on— 
(1) research relating to native seed crop sys-
tems, including— 
(A) agronomic research to improve the un-
derstanding of native plants as seed crops for 
native rangeland revegetation, with an emphasis 
on enhancing natural plant establishment in the 
environment; 
(B) research on plant seed physiology to 
improve seed quality, storage, and seeding suc-
cess in the landscape; 
(C) the development and technology trans-
fer of best management practices and tech-
nologies for seed production, seed collection, 
seed storage, and reseeding success in the envi-
ronment; 
(D) research on soil chemistry and biome 
composition and how soil chemistry and biome 
composition affect native seed establishment; 
and 
(E) identification of scenarios and pre-
ferred species for the incorporation of nonnative 
seed, with the goal of the overall successful res-
toration of functional groups of species; 
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