[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 753 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 296
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 753
[Report No. 117-89]
To reauthorize the Highlands Conservation Act, to authorize States to
use funds from that Act for administrative purposes, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 16, 2021
Mr. Murphy (for himself, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Casey,
and Mr. Booker) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
March 2, 2022
Reported by Mr. Manchin, with an amendment
[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To reauthorize the Highlands Conservation Act, to authorize States to
use funds from that Act for administrative purposes, 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 ``Highlands Conservation
Reauthorization Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF THE HIGHLANDS CONSERVATION ACT.
The Highlands Conservation Act (Public Law 108-421; 118 Stat. 2375)
is amended--
(1) in section 3--
(A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
``(1) Highlands region.--The term `Highlands region'
means--
``(A) the area depicted on the map entitled `The
Highlands Region', dated June 2004, updated after the
date of enactment of the Highlands Conservation
Reauthorization Act of 2021 to comprise each
municipality included on the list of municipalities
included in the Highlands region as of that date of
enactment, and maintained in the headquarters of the
Forest Service in Washington, District of Columbia; and
``(B) a municipality approved by the Director of
the United States Fish and Wildlife Service under
section 4(e).'';
(B) in paragraph (3), by amending subparagraph (B)
to read as follows:
``(B) identified by a Highlands State as having
high conservation value using the best available
science and geographic information systems; and'';
(C) in paragraph (4)(A), by striking ``; or'' and
inserting ``, including a political subdivision
thereof; or''; and
(D) by striking paragraphs (5) through (7);
(2) in section 4--
(A) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``in the
Study'' and all that follows through the end of the
paragraph and inserting ``using the best available
science and geographic information systems; and'';
(B) in subsection (c), by amending paragraph (5) to
read as follows:
``(5) provides that land conservation partnership projects
will be consistent with areas identified as having high
conservation value in accordance with the purposes described in
section 2 in the Highlands region.'';
(C) in subsection (e), by striking ``$10,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2021'' and
inserting ``$20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022
through 2028'';
(D) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection
(g); and
(E) by inserting after subsection (d) the
following:
``(e) Request for Inclusion of Additional Municipality.--The
Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service may, at the
request of a Highlands State, Highlands State, with the concurrence of
the municipality, approve the inclusion of a municipality within the
State as part of the Highlands region.
``(f) Limitation on Administrative Expenses.--
``(1) Federal administration.--The Secretary of the
Interior may not expend more than $300,000 for the
administration of this Act in each fiscal year.
``(2) State administration.--A State that receives funds
under this section for a land conservation partnership project
may not use more than 5 percent of the funds to administer the
land conservation partnership project.'';
(3) in section 5--
(A) in subsection (a), by striking ``the Study,
Update, and any future study that the Forest Service
may undertake in'';
(B) in subsection (b)--
(i) in paragraph (1), by striking ``,
including a Pennsylvania and Connecticut
Update''; and
(ii) in paragraph (2), by striking ``the
findings'' and all that follows through the end
of the paragraph and inserting ``with
stakeholders regarding implementation of the
program; and''; and
(C) in subsection (c), by striking ``2005 through
2014'' and inserting ``2022 through 2028''; and
(4) in section 6, by adding at the end the following:
``(f) Appraisal Methodology.--
``(1) In general.--With respect to an appraisal related to
a land acquisition carried out under this Act, a Highlands
State may use an appraisal methodology approved by the
Secretary of the Interior.
``(2) Alternative appraisal methodology.--A Highlands State
may petition the Secretary of the Interior to consider an
alternative appraisal methodology when there is a conflict, in
any Highlands State, between--
``(A) an appraisal methodology approved by the
Secretary of the Interior under paragraph (1); and
``(B) applicable State law.''.
Calendar No. 296
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 753
[Report No. 117-89]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To reauthorize the Highlands Conservation Act, to authorize States to
use funds from that Act for administrative purposes, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
March 2, 2022
Reported with an amendment