To amend the Estuary Restoration Act of 2000 to modify requirements that apply to projects carried out under the estuary habitat restoration program established by the Secretary of the Army, and for other purposes.

Bill: 114-hr-4607
Sponsor: Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2]
Introduced: 2016-02-24 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Lakes and rivers
Land transfers
Land use and conservation
Wetlands
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2016-02-24
text: 
This bill amends the Estuary Restoration Act of 2000 to authorize a nongovernmental organization, that is allowed to serve as a non-federal interest for an estuary habitat restoration project, to provide lands owned and managed by a legally constituted public body (including a federally recognized Indian tribe) for habitat or fish and wildlife conservation. Such body must agree to: (1) operate and maintain, or allow the nongovernmental organization to operate and maintain, the project; and (2) retain the land in public ownership for uses compatible with the project.
 
The Secretary of the Army may not carry out such a project unless a non-federal interest has agreed to provide for operation, maintenance, and monitoring of the project (current law requires that such interest has agreed to provide for long-term maintenance and monitoring of the project). 
 
The bill authorizes a nongovernmental organization serving as the non-federal interest for a project to pay the operation, maintenance, and replacement and rehabilitation costs of the project and the non-federal share of the costs of construction of the project.
 
The Secretary shall: (1) issue guidelines for implementing such projects, making every effort to streamline implementation requirements and reduce overhead costs, including by maximizing consistency with the requirements of restoration programs administered by other federal agencies; and (2) develop and revise the guidelines through a public process.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-02-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans.
action_date: 2016-02-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.
action_date: 2016-02-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
action_date: 2016-02-24
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2016-02-24
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2016-02-24
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2016-02-24
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2016-02-24
text: Introduced in House