[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4967 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4967
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a program to
restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 31, 2019
Mr. Scott of Virginia (for himself, Mr. Wittman, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr.
Connolly, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Cartwright, Mr. Hastings, Ms. Norton,
Mrs. Luria, Mr. Riggleman, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Raskin, Mr. Trone, Ms.
Wexton, and Mr. Beyer) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 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
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a program to
restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Chesapeake Watershed Investments for
Landscape Defense Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Chesapeake bay agreements.--The term ``Chesapeake Bay
agreements'' means the formal, voluntary agreements--
(A) executed to achieve the goal of restoring and
protecting the Chesapeake Bay watershed ecosystem and
the living resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed
ecosystem; and
(B) signed by the Chesapeake Executive Council.
(2) Chesapeake bay program.--The term ``Chesapeake Bay
program'' means the program directed by the Chesapeake
Executive Council in accordance with the Chesapeake Bay
agreements.
(3) Chesapeake bay watershed.--The term ``Chesapeake Bay
watershed'' means the region that covers--
(A) the Chesapeake Bay;
(B) the portions of the States of Delaware,
Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West
Virginia that drain into the Chesapeake Bay; and
(C) the District of Columbia.
(4) Chesapeake executive council.--The term ``Chesapeake
Executive Council'' means the council comprised of--
(A) the Governors of each of the States of
Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia,
and West Virginia;
(B) the Mayor of the District of Columbia;
(C) the Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission; and
(D) the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency.
(5) Chesapeake wild program.--The term ``Chesapeake WILD
program'' means the nonregulatory program established by the
Secretary under section 3(a).
(6) Grant program.--The term ``grant program'' means the
Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense grant
program established by the Secretary under section 4(a).
(7) Restoration and protection activity.--The term
``restoration and protection activity'' means an activity
carried out for the conservation, stewardship, and enhancement
of habitat for fish and wildlife--
(A) to preserve and improve ecosystems and
ecological processes on which the fish and wildlife
depend; and
(B) for use and enjoyment by the public.
(8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United
States Fish and Wildlife Service.
SEC. 3. PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a nonregulatory
program, to be known as the ``Chesapeake Watershed Investments for
Landscape Defense program''.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of the Chesapeake WILD program
include--
(1) coordinating restoration and protection activities
among Federal, State, local, and regional entities and
conservation partners throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed;
(2) engaging other agencies and organizations to build a
broader range of partner support, capacity, and potential
funding for projects in the Chesapeake Bay watershed;
(3) carrying out coordinated restoration and protection
activities, and providing for technical assistance, throughout
the Chesapeake Bay watershed--
(A) to sustain and enhance restoration and
protection activities;
(B) to improve and maintain water quality to
support fish and wildlife, habitats of fish and
wildlife, and drinking water for people;
(C) to sustain and enhance water management for
volume and flood damage mitigation improvements to
benefit fish and wildlife habitat;
(D) to improve opportunities for public access and
recreation in the Chesapeake Bay watershed consistent
with the ecological needs of fish and wildlife habitat;
(E) to facilitate strategic planning to maximize
the resilience of natural ecosystems and habitats under
changing watershed conditions;
(F) to utilize green infrastructure or natural
infrastructure best management practices to enhance
fish and wildlife habitat;
(G) to engage the public through outreach,
education, and citizen involvement to increase capacity
and support for coordinated restoration and protection
activities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed;
(H) to sustain and enhance vulnerable communities
and fish and wildlife habitat;
(I) to conserve and restore fish, wildlife, and
plant corridors; and
(J) to increase scientific capacity to support the
planning, monitoring, and research activities necessary
to carry out coordinated restoration and protection
activities.
(c) Duties.--In carrying out the Chesapeake WILD program, the
Secretary shall--
(1) draw on existing plans for the Chesapeake Bay
watershed, or portions of the Chesapeake Bay watershed,
including the Chesapeake Bay agreements, and work in
consultation with applicable management entities, including
Chesapeake Bay program partners, such as the Federal
Government, State and local governments, the Chesapeake Bay
Commission, and other regional organizations, as appropriate,
to identify, prioritize, and implement restoration and
protection activities within the Chesapeake Bay watershed;
(2) adopt a Chesapeake Bay watershed-wide strategy that--
(A) supports the implementation of a shared set of
science-based restoration and protection activities
developed in accordance with paragraph (1); and
(B) targets cost-effective projects with measurable
results; and
(3) establish the grant program in accordance with section
4.
(d) Coordination.--In establishing the Chesapeake WILD program, the
Secretary shall consult, as appropriate, with--
(1) the heads of Federal agencies, including--
(A) the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency;
(B) the Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration;
(C) the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation
Service;
(D) the Chief of Engineers;
(E) the Director of the United States Geological
Survey;
(F) the Secretary of Transportation;
(G) the Chief of the Forest Service; and
(H) the head of any other applicable agency;
(2) the Governors of each of the States of Delaware,
Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia
and the Mayor of the District of Columbia;
(3) fish and wildlife joint venture partnerships; and
(4) other public agencies and organizations with authority
for the planning and implementation of conservation strategies
in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
SEC. 4. GRANTS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
(a) Chesapeake Wild Grant Program.--To the extent that funds are
made available to carry out this section, the Secretary shall establish
and carry out, as part of the Chesapeake WILD program, a voluntary
grant and technical assistance program, to be known as the ``Chesapeake
Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense grant program'', to provide
competitive matching grants of varying amounts and technical assistance
to eligible entities described in subsection (b) to carry out
activities described in section 3(b).
(b) Eligible Entities.--The following entities are eligible to
receive a grant and technical assistance under the grant program:
(1) A State.
(2) The District of Columbia.
(3) A unit of local government.
(4) A nonprofit organization.
(5) An institution of higher education.
(6) Any other entity that the Secretary determines to be
appropriate in accordance with the criteria established under
subsection (c).
(c) Criteria.--The Secretary, in consultation with officials and
entities described in section 3(d), shall establish criteria for the
grant program to help ensure that activities funded under this
section--
(1) accomplish 1 or more of the purposes described in
section 3(b); and
(2) advance the implementation of priority actions or needs
identified in the Chesapeake Bay watershed-wide strategy
adopted under section 3(c)(2).
(d) Cost Sharing.--
(1) Department of the interior share.--The Department of
the Interior share of the cost of a project funded under the
grant program shall not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of
the project, as determined by the Secretary.
(2) Non-department of the interior share.--
(A) In general.--The non-Department of the Interior
share of the cost of a project funded under the grant
program may be provided in cash or in the form of an
in-kind contribution of services or materials.
(B) Other federal funding.--Non-Department of the
Interior Federal funds may be used for not more than 25
percent of the total cost of a project funded under the
grant program.
(e) Administration.--The Secretary may enter into an agreement to
manage the grant program with an organization that offers grant
management services.
SEC. 5. REPORTING.
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act,
and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a
report describing the implementation of this Act, including a
description of each project that has received funding under this Act.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated such sums
as are necessary to carry out this Act.
(b) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Funds made available under
subsection (a) shall supplement, and not supplant, funding for other
activities conducted by the Secretary in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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