(d) ELIGIBLE ENTITY DEFINED.—In this section, 
the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means an Indian Tribe, non-
governmental organization, State or local agency, or insti-
tution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) that 
has approval to carry out a project with respect to a salm-
on conservation area under this section from the relevant 
Federal agency that has jurisdiction over such salmon con-
servation area. 
(e) USE OF FUNDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity that re-
ceives a grant under this section shall use the grant 
funds to carry out activities consistent with the pur-
poses described in subsection (b), which include— 
(A) subject to subsection (f), land acquisi-
tion, conservation easements, and land ex-
changes; 
(B) purchasing mining rights; 
(C) the improvement of fish passages and 
removal of fish passage barriers and dams; 
(D) habitat restoration and rehabilitation; 
(E) outreach and local engagement; 
(F) purchasing water rights related to 
leasing, consumption, and use; 
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(G) groundwater recharge projects (includ-
ing ponds and forbearance); 
(H) water efficiency projects; 
(I) regional planning or development of a 
focused, prioritized protection and restoration 
action plan for the watershed; or 
(J) monitoring and research, including 
monitoring the status of salmon populations in 
watersheds within conservation areas before and 
after the removal of a dam. 
(2) PROHIBITION.—None of the funds made 
available under this section may be used to carry out 
litigation. 
(f) ACQUISITION AND TRANSFER OF REAL PROP-
ERTY INTERESTS.— 
(1) USE OF REAL PROPERTY.—No project that 
will result in the acquisition by a relevant Federal 
agency or eligible entity of interest in land, in whole 
or in part, may receive funds under this section un-
less the project is consistent with the purposes of 
this section. 
(2) PRIVATE
PROPERTY
PROTECTION.—No 
Federal funds made available to carry out this sec-
tion may be used to acquire any real property or any 
interest in any real property without the written 
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consent of each owner of the property or interest in 
property. 
(3) TRANSFER OF REAL PROPERTY.—No land 
or interest in land, acquired in whole or in part by 
a relevant Federal agency or eligible entity with 
funds made available under this section to carry out 
a salmon conservation area conservation project may 
be transferred to a State, other public agency, or 
other entity unless— 
(A) the Administrator of the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration, the Na-
tional Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the 
relevant Federal agency with jurisdiction over 
such land determines that the State, agency, or 
entity is committed to manage, in accordance 
with this section and the purposes of this sec-
tion, the property being transferred; and 
(B) the deed or other instrument of trans-
fer contains provisions for the reversion of the 
title to the property to the United States if the 
State, agency, or entity fails to manage the 
property as a salmon conservation area in ac-
cordance with this section and the purposes of 
this section. 
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(4) REQUIREMENT.—Any real property interest 
conveyed under paragraph (3) shall be subject to 
such terms and conditions as will ensure, to the 
maximum extent practicable, that the interest will be 
administered in accordance with this section and the 
purposes of this section. 
(g) REPORTS.—Not later than 5 years after the on 
which the first grant is made under this section, the Na-
tional Fish and Wildlife Foundation shall submit a report 
to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Re-
sources of the House of Representatives that includes— 
(1) an evaluation of the results of each projects 
with recommendation on strategies and approaches 
focusing on salmon conservation actions projected to 
have the greatest positive impacts on abundance, 
productivity, or diversity in salmon conservation 
areas; 
(2) conclusions and recommendations on appro-
priate metrics to measure and evaluate the efficacy 
of salmon conservation efforts, including key indica-
tors for habitat and aquatic health and recommenda-
tions on quantifying such benefits; 
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(3) status and trends for wild salmon abun-
dance, diversity, and productivity in each salmon 
conservation area; and 
(4) social and economic effects resulting from 
salmon conservation area conservation; assessment 
of threats imposed by changing ocean conditions on 
marine survival. 
(h) APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be ap-
propriated to carry out this section $30,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2020 and each of the 4 fiscal years thereafter. 
SEC. 8. LIMITATIONS. 
Nothing in this Act, and no action to implement this 
Act, may be construed— 
(1) to create a reserved water right, express or 
implied, in the United States for any purpose, or af-
fect the management or priority of water rights 
under State law; 
(2) to affect existing water rights under Federal 
or State law; 
(3) to affect any Federal or State law in exist-
ence on the date of enactment of this Act regarding 
water quality or water quantity; 
(4) to abrogate, abridge, affect, modify, super-
sede, or otherwise alter any right of a federally rec-
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ognized Indian Tribe under any applicable treaty, or 
Federal or tribal law or regulation; or 
(5) to diminish or affect the ability of the head 
of a relevant Federal agency to join the adjudication 
of rights to the use of water pursuant to subsection 
(a), (b), or (c) of section 208 of the Department of 
Justice Appropriation Act, 1953 (43 U.S.C. 666). 
Æ 
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