Highlands Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2021
Bill: S.753 | Sponsor: Sen. Murphy, Christopher (D-CT)
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Highlands Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2021
This bill extends through FY2028 the Highlands Conservation Act, which provides for land conservation in Highlands states (i.e., Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania).
The bill authorizes the Fish and Wildlife Service to add a municipality to the Highlands region upon the request of a Highlands state.
The bill revises the way in which land is identified for conservation to require using the best available science and geographic information systems.
The bill allows political subdivisions of states to enter into agreements with the Department of the Interior for land conservation projects.
A Highland state that receives funds for a land conservation partnership project may not use more than 5% of the funds to administer that project.
The bill extends through FY2028 Forest Service and other Department of Agriculture programs to conserve land and natural resources in the Highlands region.

To reauthorize the Highlands Conservation Act, to authorize States to 
  use funds from that Act for administrative purposes, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Highlands Conservation 
Reauthorization Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF THE HIGHLANDS CONSERVATION ACT.

    The Highlands Conservation Act (Public Law 108-421; 118 Stat. 2375) 
is amended--
            (1) in section 3--
                    (A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
            ``(1) Highlands region.--The term `Highlands region' 
        means--
                    ``(A) the area depicted on the map entitled `The 
                Highlands Region', dated June 2004, updated after the 
                date of enactment of the Highlands Conservation 
                Reauthorization Act of 2021 to comprise each 
                municipality included on the list of municipalities 
                included in the Highlands region as of that date of 
                enactment, and maintained in the headquarters of the 
                Forest Service in Washington, District of Columbia; and
                    ``(B) a municipality approved by the Director of 
                the United States Fish and Wildlife Service under 
                section 4(e).'';
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by amending subparagraph (B) 
                to read as follows:
                    ``(B) identified by a Highlands State as having 
                high conservation value using the best available 
                science and geographic information systems; and'';
                    (C) in paragraph (4)(A), by striking ``; or'' and 
                inserting ``, including a political subdivision 
                thereof; or''; and
                    (D) by striking paragraphs (5) through (7);
            (2) in section 4--
                    (A) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``in the 
                Study'' and all that follows through the end of the 
                paragraph and inserting ``using the best available 
                science and geographic information systems; and'';
                    (B) in subsection (c), by amending paragraph (5) to 
                read as follows:
            ``(5) provides that land conservation partnership projects 
        will be consistent with areas identified as having high 
        conservation value in accordance with the purposes described in 
        section 2 in the Highlands region.'';
                    (C) in subsection (e), by striking ``$10,000,000 
                for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2021'' and 
                inserting ``$20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 
                through 2028'';
                    (D) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection 
                (g); and
                    (E) by inserting after subsection (d) the 
                following:
    ``(e) Request for Inclusion of Additional Municipality.--The 
Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service may, at the 
request of a Highlands State, Highlands State, with the concurrence of 
the municipality, approve the inclusion of a municipality within the 
State as part of the Highlands region.
    ``(f) Limitation on Administrative Expenses.--
            ``(1) Federal administration.--The Secretary of the 
        Interior may not expend more than $300,000 for the 
        administration of this Act in each fiscal year.
            ``(2) State administration.--A State that receives funds 
        under this section for a land conservation partnership project 
        may not use more than 5 percent of the funds to administer the 
        land conservation partnership project.'';
            (3) in section 5--
                    (A) in subsection (a), by striking ``the Study, 
                Update, and any future study that the Forest Service 
                may undertake in'';
                    (B) in subsection (b)--
                            (i) in paragraph (1), by striking ``, 
                        including a Pennsylvania and Connecticut 
                        Update''; and
                            (ii) in paragraph (2), by striking ``the 
                        findings'' and all that follows through the end 
                        of the paragraph and inserting ``with 
                        stakeholders regarding implementation of the 
                        program; and''; and
                    (C) in subsection (c), by striking ``2005 through 
                2014'' and inserting ``2022 through 2028''; and
            (4) in section 6, by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) Appraisal Methodology.--
            ``(1) In general.--With respect to an appraisal related to 
        a land acquisition carried out under this Act, a Highlands 
        State may use an appraisal methodology approved by the 
        Secretary of the Interior.
            ``(2) Alternative appraisal methodology.--A Highlands State 
        may petition the Secretary of the Interior to consider an 
        alternative appraisal methodology when there is a conflict, in 
        any Highlands State, between--
                    ``(A) an appraisal methodology approved by the 
                Secretary of the Interior under paragraph (1); and
                    ``(B) applicable State law.''.
                                                       Calendar No. 296

117th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                 S. 753

                          [Report No. 117-89]

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