H.R. 717 — Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act of 2025

This section declares the purpose of the Act to provide financial and technical assistance to promote wildlife connectivity by improving habitat quality in movement areas for migratory big game and other wildlife, including (1) identifying and conserving such areas using science and management expertise from State and Tribal wildlife agencies and other professionals; and (2) coordinating with Secretarial Order 3362 (issued February 9, 2018, to improve Western big-game winter range and migration corridors), the wildlife crossings pilot program (23 U.S.C. §171(b)), and the Department of Agriculture's Migratory Big Game Initiative.

This section defines key terms used in the Act, including (1) big game (i.e., native species of large mammals such as deer, elk, pronghorn, wild sheep, and moose for which State and Tribal wildlife agencies have established regulated means and methods of take); (2) connectivity (i.e., the degree to which a species of wildlife moves within and among areas of its habitat); (3) eligible recipient (i.e., State fish and wildlife agencies or other State natural resources agencies, State departments of transportation, Indian Tribes, certain nonprofits, institutions of higher education, associations representing State or Tribal fish and wildlife agencies, Federal agencies supporting the Act's purposes, and county governments); (4) Federal land (i.e., land or water managed by relevant agencies); (5) Foundation (i.e., the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation); (6) movement area (i.e., areas frequently used by wildlife for movement, including seasonal habitats documented by State or Tribal wildlife agencies or peer-reviewed scientific publications); (7) relevant agencies (i.e., specified components of the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Transportation); (8) Secretary (i.e., the Secretary of the Interior); and (9) wildlife (i.e., native terrestrial vertebrate species).

This section establishes the Wildlife Movement and Movement Area Grant Program, a nonregulatory competitive grant program to fund projects improving or conserving habitat in wildlife movement areas (e.g., securing habitat leases or conservation easements, modifying fences, improving hydrology, acquiring nonfederal land, and reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions through road modifications), including through voluntary landowner collaboration and coordination among state and tribal governments. Not later than one year after enactment, the Secretary (of the Interior) must enter a cooperative agreement with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to administer grants to eligible recipients, with annual requests for proposals requiring state or tribal fish and wildlife agency support for identified movement areas; federal cost share up to 90 percent (nonfederal minimum 10 percent, provided in cash or in-kind, both waivable for Indian Tribes, historically disadvantaged communities, or persistent poverty areas); and funding priority for certain recipients or joint proposals. Amounts provided to NFWF are subject to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act excluding its standard authorization provision (16 U.S.C. 3709(a), i.e., no 1:1 matching requirement or prohibition on administrative use); NFWF must receive annual advance payments to remain available until expended, invest the funds, and submit biennial reports to the Secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture, and Transportation and to Congress. It authorizes appropriations of such sums as necessary for FY2026 through 2031, with at least 50 percent for projects conserving, restoring, or enhancing big game movement areas.

This section establishes the State and Tribal Migration Research Program, to be administered by the Science Applications program of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and providing funds directly to state fish and wildlife agencies and Indian Tribes—through an agreed-upon process—for collecting and analyzing data on the identification, characteristics, or management of movement areas (i.e., wildlife migration corridors). The Secretary of the Interior must establish the program not later than 180 days after enactment, with such sums as are necessary authorized for FY2026 through FY2031.

This section reauthorizes the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program through 2031 (from 2023). The section further authorizes the use of program funds, where prudent and necessary, to provide technical assistance to other federal agencies implementing voluntary programs focused on migration corridor or seasonal habitat conservation efforts on private and Tribal lands. (As background, the program provides technical and financial assistance to private landowners for voluntary projects benefiting federal trust species through habitat improvement, restoration, enhancement, and establishment, and technical assistance to other public and private entities for fish and wildlife habitat restoration on private lands.)

This section directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), to support the continuation of a Corridor Mapping Team. The team provides technical assistance—as prioritized and required by states and Indian Tribes—to federal agencies, states, and Indian Tribes working (1) to map wildlife movement areas using existing Global Positioning System data or other credible scientific sources, and (2) to assess or research such areas.

This section directs the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, in coordination with federal and state agencies and Indian Tribes, to build on existing efforts to map wildlife movement areas while protecting sensitive information related to private property rights, individual locations, and prevention of poaching; requires annual USGS reports on mapped migration corridors, seasonal habitats, and connectivity areas (incorporating existing state programs to the extent practicable); and requires biennial reports to Congress describing funded projects and their conservation value. This section also amends the authorization of appropriations under the Act of September 2, 1960 (16 U.S.C. 753b)—which supports acquisition of lands for big game winter ranges and related purposes—to specify such sums as necessary for FY2026 through FY2031 (previously, such sums as necessary without fiscal year limitation) and to require at least 50% of funds for projects promoting connectivity by improving habitat quality in big game and other wildlife movement areas.

This section requires the Secretary to appoint a Senior Executive Service employee experienced in big game movement to serve in the Office of the Secretary as coordinator, with necessary staff, for activities under this Act. The coordinator must (1) advise and assist state and Tribal agencies, other eligible recipients, relevant federal agencies and programs, and the Foundation; and (2) maintain an informative summary of such activities and their results. This section further directs the Secretaries (or their representatives) of relevant agencies to convene regularly to coordinate federal actions and funding under the Act and to streamline coordination with states, Indian Tribes, and nongovernmental partners, and authorizes appropriations of such sums as necessary for FY2026 through 2031.

This section prohibits the use of funds obligated under this Act or its amendments from requiring non-voluntary changes in agricultural or domestic livestock production, permitted forestry practices, or access to valid existing rights (such as for energy development, mining, or water rights), consistent with applicable federal organic acts and regulations. The section further provides that nothing in the Act or its amendments (1) enlarges or diminishes state authority to manage fish and wildlife on state land and waters (including federal land); (2) modifies or abrogates tribal treaties or tribal authority over wildlife on tribal land; (3) impacts private property or privacy rights of landowners; (4) restricts public access for hunting, angling, recreational shooting, or other compatible outdoor recreation; (5) affects military readiness on Interior Department land reserved by the Defense Department; (6) constitutes or alters a federal land designation or migration route or impacts preexisting management authority; or (7) amends or affects other federal laws (including regulations) on native species conservation.