Tribal Wildlife Corridors Act of 2019

Bill: 116-hr-5179
Sponsor: Rep. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ-7]
Introduced: 2019-11-19 in the House
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Federal-Indian relations
Government information and archives
Indian lands and resources rights
Land use and conservation
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2019-11-19
text: 

Tribal Wildlife Corridors Act of 2019

 
This bill authorizes the use of wildlife corridors on Indian land to provide habitat or ecological connectivity and allow for fish, wildlife, or plant movement on such land.
 
Specifically, the bill permits an Indian tribe to nominate a corridor within the land of such tribe as a tribal wildlife corridor. The Department of the Interior must establish criteria for determining whether such a corridor qualifies as a tribal wildlife corridor, including criteria for restoring historical habitat. 
 
Interior must provide tribes with technical assistance to establish, manage, or expand a tribal wildlife corridor. Such assistance must include support with accessing wildlife data and working with private landowners to access programs for facilitating connectivity on nonfederal land.
 
Additionally, Interior must (1) establish a program to award grants to tribes to increase connectivity through tribal wildlife corridors, and (2) consult with tribes to determine whether a tribal wildlife corridor may be expanded into public lands or otherwise benefit connectivity between public lands and such corridor.
 
The bill also permits the Department of Agriculture to give priority under certain conservation programs to those projects that enhance connectivity by expanding a tribal wildlife corridor.

action_date: 2020-10-09
text: 

Tribal Wildlife Corridors Act of 2019

 
This bill authorizes the use of wildlife corridors on Indian land to provide habitat or ecological connectivity and allow for fish, wildlife, or plant movement on such land.
 
Specifically, the bill permits an Indian tribe to nominate a corridor within the land of such tribe as a tribal wildlife corridor. The Department of the Interior must establish criteria for determining whether such a corridor qualifies as a tribal wildlife corridor, including criteria for restoring historical habitat. 
 
Interior must provide tribes with technical assistance to establish, manage, or expand a tribal wildlife corridor. Such assistance must include support with accessing wildlife data and working with private landowners to access programs for facilitating connectivity on nonfederal land.
 
Additionally, Interior must (1) establish a program to award grants to tribes to increase connectivity through tribal wildlife corridors, and (2) consult with tribes to determine whether a tribal wildlife corridor may be expanded into public lands or otherwise benefit connectivity between public lands and such corridor.
 
The bill also permits the Department of Agriculture to give priority under certain conservation programs to those projects that enhance connectivity by expanding a tribal wildlife corridor.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-10-09
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 457.
action_date: 2020-10-09
text: Committee on Agriculture discharged.
action_date: 2020-10-09
text: Committee on Agriculture discharged.
action_date: 2020-10-09
text: Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 116-559, Part I.
action_date: 2020-10-09
text: Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 116-559, Part I.
action_date: 2020-01-29
text: Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States Discharged.
action_date: 2020-01-29
text: Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Discharged.
action_date: 2020-01-29
text: Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 22 - 15.
action_date: 2020-01-29
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2019-12-11
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry.
action_date: 2019-12-06
text: Referred to the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States.
action_date: 2019-12-06
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.
action_date: 2019-11-19
text: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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: 2019-11-19
text: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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: 2019-11-19
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2019-11-19
text: Introduced in House