I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5179 
To require the Secretary of the Interior to establish Tribal Wildlife Corridors, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 19, 2019 
Mr. GALLEGO (for himself, Ms. HAALAND, and Mr. LUJA´N) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, 
and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be sub-
sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of the Interior to establish Tribal 
Wildlife Corridors, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Tribal Wildlife Cor-
ridors Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:18 Nov 28, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5179.IH
H5179
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
(1) CONNECTIVITY.—The term ‘‘connectivity’’ 
means the degree to which the landscape or seascape 
facilitates native species movement. 
(2) CORRIDOR.—The term ‘‘corridor’’ means a 
distinct component of a landscape or seascape 
that— 
(A) provides habitat or ecological connec-
tivity; and 
(B) allows for fish, wildlife, or plant move-
ment. 
(3) INDIAN
LAND.—The term ‘‘Indian land’’ 
means land of an Indian tribe, or an Indian indi-
vidual, that is— 
(A) held in trust by the United States; or 
(B) subject to a restriction against alien-
ation imposed by the United States. 
(4) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di-
rector of the United States Fish and Wildlife Serv-
ice, in consultation with the Bureau of Indian Af-
fairs. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:18 Nov 28, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5179.IH
H5179
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
(6) TRIBAL
WILDLIFE
CORRIDOR.—The term 
‘‘Tribal Wildlife Corridor’’ means a corridor estab-
lished by the Secretary under section 3(a). 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF TRIBAL WILDLIFE CORRIDORS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) NOMINATIONS.—An Indian tribe may nomi-
nate 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 Sec-
retary may require. 
(2) DETERMINATION.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date on which the Secretary receives an ap-
plication under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 
determine whether the nominated Tribal Wildlife 
Corridor described in the application meets the cri-
teria established under subsection (b). 
(3) PUBLICATION.—On approval of an applica-
tion under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall pub-
lish in the Federal Register a notice of the establish-
ment of the Tribal Wildlife Corridor, which shall in-
clude a map and legal description of the land des-
ignated as a Tribal Wildlife Corridor. 
(b) CRITERIA.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:18 Nov 28, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5179.IH
H5179
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 540 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall establish criteria for determining wheth-
er a corridor nominated by an Indian tribe under 
subsection (a)(1) qualifies as a Tribal Wildlife Cor-
ridor. 
(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 pur-
poses of facilitating connectivity. 
(C) The management of land to prevent 
the imposition of barriers that may hinder cur-
rent 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. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:18 Nov 28, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5179.IH
H5179
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
SEC. 4. COORDINATION OF LAND USE PLANS. 
Section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and Manage-
ment Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘Indian tribes by’’ and in-
serting the following: ‘‘Indian tribes— 
‘‘(1) by’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1) (as so designated), by 
striking the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 
and’’; 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 ben-
efit the purposes of a Tribal Wildlife Corridor estab-
lished under section 3(a) of the Tribal Wildlife Cor-
ridors Act of 2019.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(g) TRIBAL WILDLIFE CORRIDORS.—On the estab-
lishment of a Tribal Wildlife Corridor under section 3(a) 
of the Tribal Wildlife Corridors Act of 2019, the Secretary 
shall conduct a meaningful consultation with the Indian 
tribe that administers the Tribal Wildlife Corridor to de-
termine whether, through the revision of one or more ex-
isting land use plans, the Tribal Wildlife Corridor can— 
‘‘(1) be expanded into public lands; or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:18 Nov 28, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5179.IH
H5179
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
‘‘(2) otherwise benefit connectivity (as defined 
in section 2 of that Act) between public lands and 
the Tribal Wildlife Corridor.’’. 
SEC. 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 assist-
ance with accessing wildlife data and working with private 
landowners to access Federal and State programs to im-
prove wildlife habitat and connectivity on non-Federal 
land. 
SEC. 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 Wild-
life 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 es-
tablished under subchapter B of chapter 1 of 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:18 Nov 28, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5179.IH
H5179
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act 
of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831 et seq.). 
(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 et 
seq.). 
(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 et seq.). 
(D) The agricultural conservation ease-
ment program established under subtitle H of 
title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 
U.S.C. 3865 et seq.). 
(b) WILDLIFE MOVEMENTS GRANT PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 
a Tribal Wildlife Corridor grant program to encour-
age wildlife movement in accordance with this Act. 
(2) GRANTS.—Beginning not later than 3 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall make grants under the program estab-
lished under paragraph (1) to one or more Indian 
tribes to increase connectivity through Tribal Wild-
life Corridors. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:18 Nov 28, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5179.IH
H5179
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
SEC. 7. SAVINGS CLAUSE. 
Nothing in this Act authorizes or affects the use of 
private property or Indian land. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:18 Nov 28, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H5179.IH
H5179
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS