“A bill to direct restoration and protection efforts of the 5-State Connecticut River Watershed region, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section defines nine terms used in the Act, including (1) environmental justice community (i.e., a community with significant representation of communities of color, low-income communities, or Tribal and Indigenous communities that experiences or is at risk of higher or more adverse human health or environmental effects); (2) Foundation (i.e., the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation); (3) grant program (i.e., the voluntary Connecticut River Watershed Partnership grant program established under section 4(b)); (4) program (i.e., the nonregulatory Connecticut River Watershed Partnership program established under section 3(a)); (5) restoration and protection (i.e., conservation, stewardship, and enhancement of land and water for fish, wildlife, and people to preserve ecosystems and enable public use and enjoyment); (6) Secretary (i.e., the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service); (7) Tribes (i.e., Native American groups descending from peoples indigenous to the Watershed, regardless of federal or state recognition); (8) Watershed (i.e., the five-state Connecticut River watershed region and its tributaries); and (9) Watershed State (i.e., Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont).
This section directs the Secretary to establish, not later than 180 days after enactment, a nonregulatory Connecticut River Watershed Partnership program to coordinate restoration and protection activities in the Connecticut River Watershed (spanning Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont). In consultation with federal agencies (e.g., EPA, NOAA, Army Corps of Engineers), state governors, Tribal governments, the Connecticut River Watershed Partnership, and other stakeholders including environmental justice communities, the Secretary must develop a watershed-wide strategy to prioritize and implement activities such as restoring fish and wildlife habitats and populations; improving water quality and public access; advancing nature-based resilience solutions; conserving farmland and forests; enhancing public engagement and Tribal traditional knowledge; expanding trails and active transportation; mitigating floods; monitoring environmental quality; and providing technical assistance.
This section establishes a competitive grant and technical assistance program, known as the Connecticut River Watershed Partnership grant program, to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior not later than 180 days after enactment of this Act. The program provides matching grants to eligible entities (i.e., State, Tribal, or local governments; nonprofit organizations; and institutions of higher education) for restoration and protection activities in the Connecticut River Watershed, with criteria developed in consultation with specified stakeholders to ensure equitable fund distribution and accomplishment of purposes described in section 3(d). The federal share of project costs is up to 75 percent generally and 90 percent (waivable to 100 percent for financial hardship) for projects serving environmental justice communities, with the non-federal share allowable in cash or in-kind contributions. The Secretary may enter an agreement for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) or a similar organization to manage the program using annual advance payments received on October 1 (or soon thereafter), which such entity must invest and reinvest to support public-private partnerships; amounts provided to NFWF are subject to the NFWF Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.) excluding section 10(a) (16 U.S.C. 3709(a)) (i.e., excluding 1-to-1 matching and federal fund administrative use restrictions).
This section requires the Secretary to submit to Congress, not later than 180 days after enactment and annually thereafter, a report on the implementation of the Act that includes a description of each project funded under the grant program in the preceding fiscal year.
This section authorizes appropriations to the Secretary to carry out this Act such sums as are necessary for FY2026 through 2030. Of those amounts, at least 75% must be used for the grant program and related technical assistance. Such amounts shall supplement, not supplant, other funding for the Secretary's activities in the Watershed.