S. 1615 — Northwest Wetlands Voluntary Incentives Program Act

This section defines terms used in the Act, including (1) Columbia River Basin, encompassing the Columbia River and all tributaries and their watersheds; (2) eligible entity, meaning a federal or state agency, unit of local government, Tribal government or organization, nonprofit organization, conservation district, private landowner, or other entity or individual deemed appropriate by the Secretary; (3) habitat restoration project, meaning a project described in section 3(d); (4) Oregon and Washington Coastal Zone, covering coastal waters and adjacent lands in Washington and Oregon, including Puget Sound, the Lower Columbia River, and coastal rivers and watersheds; (5) pilot program, meaning the Pacific Northwest Migratory Bird Conservation pilot program established under section 3(a); and (6) Secretary, meaning the Secretary of the Interior acting through the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

This section establishes a voluntary grant and technical assistance pilot program, known as the Pacific Northwest Migratory Bird Conservation pilot program, to be carried out by the Secretary in coordination with Migratory Bird Joint Ventures. The program provides competitive grants to eligible entities (i.e., those submitting required applications) for habitat restoration projects that enhance, maintain, and restore habitats for shorebirds, waterfowl, waterbirds, passerines, and other wetlands-dependent birds in the Oregon and Washington Coastal Zone and Columbia River Basin. Eligible projects include (1) water infrastructure and management to enhance and restore wetland habitats and (2) vegetative habitat management or enhancement to maximize resources for such birds; projects may occur on public, private, Tribal, or agricultural lands deemed appropriate by the Secretary. In awarding grants, the Secretary may prioritize projects in areas of rapid habitat loss or human population growth, or with limited public recreational access; those with long-term operation and maintenance plans and performance monitoring; and those providing at least a 25% non-Federal match (secured up to two years prior to application, in cash, in-kind services, or other specified contributions). Grant recipients may use up to 10% of funds to assess ecosystem service benefits and up to 10% for voluntary conservation easements; funds must be expended within four years (with unspent amounts returned to the program) and may cover planning, permitting, installation, or replacement but not regular operation and maintenance. The Secretary must establish project criteria (in consultation with specified officials and entities), may use a grant management organization, and may not fund projects solely to meet existing Federal or State mitigation obligations; all projects must comply with applicable laws and do not affect State water laws, interstate compacts, or private property rights.

This section requires the Secretary to submit to Congress, not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, a report describing the implementation of this Act, including a description of each habitat restoration project that receives funding under the pilot program.

This section authorizes appropriations of $10 million for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to carry out the pilot program, (1) limits administrative costs to not more than 3% of those amounts, and (2) requires such amounts to supplement, not supplant, other funding for activities conducted by the Secretary in areas where habitat restoration projects are carried out.