(8) stakeholders from impacted environmental 
justice communities. 
(d) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the program are— 
(1) to coordinate and collaborate on restoration 
and protection activities among Federal, Tribal, 
State, local, and regional entities and conservation 
partners throughout the Watershed; and 
(2) to carry out coordinated restoration and 
protection activities in, and provide technical assist-
ance throughout, the Watershed— 
(A) to restore, recover, and manage for 
sustainable fish, wildlife, and plant populations; 
(B) to sustain and enhance fish and wild-
life habitat restoration, stewardship, and pro-
tection activities; 
(C) to improve and maintain water quality 
to support fish, wildlife, and fish and wildlife 
habitat, including to improve opportunities for 
public access and recreation in the Watershed 
consistent with the ecological needs of fish and 
wildlife habitat; 
(D) to advance the use of nature-based so-
lutions to maximize the resilience of commu-
nities, natural systems, and habitats under 
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changing sea levels, storm risks, and watershed 
conditions; 
(E) to support farmland conservation and 
food equity, including habitat protection, cli-
mate resilience, and carbon sequestration on 
working farms and forests; 
(F) to engage the public, particularly envi-
ronmental justice communities, through out-
reach, education, and community involvement to 
increase capacity and support for coordinated 
restoration and protection activities in the Wa-
tershed; 
(G) to identify, affirm, and promote the 
practice and awareness of traditional Tribal 
river and Watershed-related cultural practices 
and traditional ecological knowledge; 
(H) to improve access to open space and 
trails by enhancing trails in the Watershed and 
on-street active transportation, such as bike 
lanes, sidewalks, public transportation, and bike 
share; 
(I) to sustain and enhance water manage-
ment for volume and flood damage mitigation 
improvements to benefit fish and wildlife habi-
tat; 
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(J) to support land and water conservation 
and management activities necessary to fulfill 
the Watershed-wide strategy adopted under 
subsection (b); 
(K) to monitor environmental quality to 
assess progress towards the purposes of the 
program; 
(L) to facilitate strategic planning to maxi-
mize the resilience of natural systems and habi-
tats under changing watershed conditions; 
(M) to improve fish and wildlife habitats, 
including opportunities for personal recreation, 
hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing along riv-
ers, particularly in environmental justice com-
munities; 
(N) to increase scientific capacity to sup-
port the planning, monitoring, and research ac-
tivities necessary to carry out coordinated res-
toration and protection activities; and 
(O) to provide technical assistance to carry 
out restoration and protection activities in the 
Watershed. 
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SEC. 4. CONNECTICUT RIVER WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP 
GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means— 
(1) a State, Tribal, or local government; 
(2) a nonprofit organization; and 
(3) an institution of higher education (as de-
fined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))). 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall es-
tablish a voluntary grant and technical assistance pro-
gram, to be known as the ‘‘Connecticut River Watershed 
Partnership grant program’’, to provide competitive 
matching grants to eligible entities to carry out restoration 
and protection activities for the Watershed. 
(c) CRITERIA.—The Secretary, in consultation with 
the agencies, organizations, and other individuals and en-
tities referred to in section 3(c), shall develop criteria for 
the grant program to ensure— 
(1) the equitable distribution of funds; and 
(2) that projects funded under the grant pro-
gram accomplish 1 or more of the purposes de-
scribed in section 3(d). 
(d) COST SHARING.— 
(1) FEDERAL SHARE.— 
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(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), the Federal share of the cost 
of a project funded under the grant program 
shall not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of 
the project, as determined by the Secretary. 
(B) ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE
COMMU-
NITIES.— 
(i) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to clause 
(ii), the Federal share of the cost of a 
project funded under the grant program 
that serves an environmental justice com-
munity shall be 90 percent of the total cost 
of the project, as determined by the Sec-
retary. 
(ii) WAIVER.—The Secretary may in-
crease the Federal share under clause (i) 
to 100 percent of the total cost of the 
project if the Secretary determines that the 
grant recipient is unable to pay, or would 
experience significant financial hardship if 
required to pay, the non-Federal share. 
(2) NON-FEDERAL
SHARE.—The non-Federal 
share of the cost of a project funded under the grant 
program may be provided in cash or in the form of 
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an in-kind contribution of services, materials, or 
land value. 
(e) ADMINISTRATION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may enter 
into an agreement to manage the grant program 
with the Foundation or a similar organization that 
offers grant management services. 
(2) FUNDING.—If the Secretary enters into an 
agreement under paragraph (1), the Foundation or 
similar organization selected shall— 
(A) for each fiscal year in which the grant 
program is carried out, receive amounts made 
available to carry out this section for that fiscal 
year in an advance payment of the entire 
amounts on October 1 of that fiscal year, or as 
soon as practicable thereafter; 
(B) invest and reinvest those amounts for 
the benefit of the grant program; and 
(C) otherwise administer the grant pro-
gram to support partnerships between the pub-
lic and private sectors in accordance with this 
Act. 
(3) REQUIREMENTS.—If the Secretary enters 
into an agreement with the Foundation under para-
graph (1), any amounts received by the Foundation 
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under this section shall be subject to the National 
Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act (16 
U.S.C. 3701 et seq.), excluding section 10(a) of that 
Act (16 U.S.C. 3709(a)). 
SEC. 5. ANNUAL REPORTS. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall 
submit to Congress a report on the implementation of this 
Act, including a description of each project that has re-
ceived funding under the grant program in the preceding 
fiscal year. 
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to the Secretary to carry out this Act such sums 
as are necessary for each of fiscal years 2023 through 
2027. 
(b) USE FOR GRANT PROGRAM.—Of the amounts 
made available to carry out this Act for each fiscal year, 
the Secretary shall use not less than 75 percent to carry 
out the grant program and to provide, or provide for, tech-
nical assistance under that grant program. 
(c) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—Amounts made 
available to carry out this Act shall supplement, and not 
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supplant, funding for other activities carried out by the 
Secretary in the Watershed. 
Æ 
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