I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4677 
To direct restoration and protection of the New York-New Jersey watersheds 
and estuaries hydrologically connected to New York-New Jersey Harbor, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 22, 2021 
Mr. TONKO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To direct restoration and protection of the New York-New 
Jersey watersheds and estuaries hydrologically connected 
to New York-New Jersey Harbor, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘New York-New Jersey 
Watershed Protection Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The New York-New Jersey Watershed, 
which encompasses all the watersheds that flow into 
New York-New Jersey Harbor and their associated 
estuaries, such as the Hudson, Mohawk, Raritan, 
Passaic, Hackensack, and Bronx River Watersheds 
and the Hudson River Estuary, provide multiple 
benefits to diverse stakeholders including regarding 
fisheries and wildlife, conservation of natural re-
sources and public and private lands, critical urban 
greenspaces and quality of life, and conservation of 
ocean and coastal resources. 
(2) These resources support one of the most 
densely populated and economically important re-
gions in the country. 
(3) Managing this public resource and its many 
services requires leadership from the Department of 
the Interior and coordination among other Federal 
agencies, two States, hundreds of counties, cities 
and towns, and millions of property owners. 
(4) These ongoing challenges are compounded 
by the likely impacts of rising air and water tem-
peratures, increases in incidences of extreme weather 
from large storms to rainfall, and rising sea levels. 
(5) The New York-New Jersey Harbor contrib-
utes $8,500,000,000 annually in Federal, State, and 
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local tax revenue and is directly or indirectly respon-
sible for 629,000 jobs with $90,500,000,000 in an-
nual personal and business wages. 
(6) The New York-New Jersey Watershed sup-
ports 
multiple 
industries 
that 
attract 
over 
$60,700,000,000 in annual revenue through tour-
ism, commercial fishing, and recreational activities. 
(7) The Mohawk River’s water resources play 
an important role in tourism, shipping, and related 
businesses, with tourism alone valued at more than 
$1,340,000,000 annually. 
(8) Management of the shorelines of the New 
York-New Jersey Watershed is critical to flood miti-
gation and habitat for fish and wildlife. Further, fol-
lowing the loss of life and billions of dollars of dam-
ages caused by Hurricanes Sandy, Irene and Lee, 
Federal, State, and local governments recognize that 
natural and nature-based flood hazard mitigation 
measures, including living shorelines and restoring 
the function of riparian corridors, are cost-effective 
solutions. 
(9) Restoration activities in the New York-New 
Jersey Watershed are supported through several 
Federal and State programs, and funding for those 
important programs should continue and com-
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plement the establishment of the New York-New 
Jersey Watershed Restoration Program, which is in-
tended to build on and help coordinate restoration 
and protection funding mechanisms at the Federal, 
State, regional, and local levels. 
(10) Millions of people rely on the Mohawk, 
Raritan, and Hackensack Rivers as sources of drink-
ing water. 
(11) The New York-New Jersey Watershed 
supports Federal threatened species and endangered 
species, including the shortnose sturgeon and Atlan-
tic sturgeon. 
(12) Many residents of the region of the New 
York-New Jersey Watershed live in communities 
lacking in environmental justice, where access to and 
enjoyment of fish, wildlife, clean water, and other 
natural resources have been impaired or com-
promised. 
(13) Drawing on existing management plans 
and existing and ongoing voluntary conservation ef-
forts in the New York-New Jersey Watershed will 
improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness, as well as 
increase private-sector investments and coordination 
of Federal and non-Federal resources. 
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SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) APPROVED
PLANS.—The term ‘‘approved 
plan’’— 
(A) means any plan for management of the 
New York-New Jersey Watershed— 
(i) that has been approved by a Fed-
eral, regional, State, or local governmental 
entity; or 
(ii) that is determined by the Direc-
tor, in consultation with such entities, to 
contribute to the achievement of the pur-
poses of this Act; and 
(B) includes the New York-New Jersey 
Harbor & Estuary Program (HEP) Action 
Agenda, the Hudson Raritan Comprehensive 
Restoration Plan, the Hudson River Com-
prehensive Restoration Plan, the Hudson River 
Estuary Program Action Agenda, the Mohawk 
River Action Agenda, the Sustainable Raritan 
River Initiative Action Plan, the Lower Passaic 
and Bronx & Harlem Federal Urban Waters 
Partnership Workplans, the New Jersey Sports 
and Exhibition Authority Meadowlands Res-
toration Plan, as well as other critical conserva-
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tion projects in the region that achieve the pur-
poses of this Act. 
(2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife 
Service. 
(3) ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.—The term ‘‘en-
vironmental justice’’ means the fair treatment and 
meaningful involvement of all people regardless of 
race, color, national origin, or income, with respect 
to the development, implementation, and enforce-
ment of environmental laws, regulations, and poli-
cies. 
(4) FOUNDATION.—The term ‘‘Foundation’’ 
means the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. 
(5) GRANT PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘grant pro-
gram’’ means the voluntary New York-New Jersey 
Watershed Restoration Grant Program established 
under section 5. 
(6) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘program’’ means 
the New York-New Jersey Watershed Restoration 
Program established under section 4. 
(7) RESTORATION
AND
PROTECTION.—The 
term ‘‘restoration and protection’’ means the con-
servation, stewardship, and enhancement of habitat 
for fish and wildlife and water quality to preserve 
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