119-hr3329

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3329 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 3329

To provide for the conservation and designation of habitat connectivity 
 areas, with support from the voluntary conservation programs 
 administered by the Secretary of Agriculture, as American wildlife 
 corridors, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 May 13, 2025

Mr. Beyer (for himself and Mr. Buchanan) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to 
 the Committee on Natural Resources, 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 provide for the conservation and designation of habitat connectivity 
 areas, with support from the voluntary conservation programs 
 administered by the Secretary of Agriculture, as American wildlife 
 corridors, 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 ``Wildlife Corridors and USDA 
Conservation Programs Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. HABITAT CONNECTIVITY AREA DESIGNATION.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) American wildlife corridor.--The term ``American 
 wildlife corridor'' means a habitat connectivity area, 
 including any adjacent lands to such habitat connectivity area 
 that is designated under subsection
            (c) (2) .

    (2) Directors.--The term ``Directors'' means the Secretary 
 of the Interior acting through--
        (A) the Director of the United States Geological 
 Survey; and
        (B) the Director of the United States Fish and 
 Wildlife Service.

    (3) Habitat connectivity.--The term ``habitat 
 connectivity'' means the degree to which landscapes, 
 waterscapes, and seascapes allow species to move freely, 
 including during seasonal migration and in response to changing 
 environmental conditions, and ecological processes to function 
 unimpeded.

    (4) Habitat connectivity area.--The term ``habitat 
 connectivity area'' means an area of intact habitat or a 
 distinct component of the landscape, waterscape, or seascape 
 the designation of which, under subsection
            (c) (2) , may provide 
 habitat connectivity.

    (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Agriculture.

    (b) Identification of Habitat Connectivity Areas.--

    (1) Identification.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
 of enactment of this Act, and periodically thereafter, the 
 Secretary, in collaboration with the Directors, shall identify 
 habitat connectivity areas, including any lands adjacent to 
 such identified habitat connectivity areas, that may improve 
 habitat connectivity in such areas.

    (2) Maps.--Subject to 

section 1244

    (b) of the Food Security 
 Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844

    (b) ), as amended by 

section 3 of 
 this Act, and 

section 1619 of the Food, Conservation, and 
 Energy Act of 2008, upon identifying habitat connectivity areas 
 under paragraph

    (1) , the Secretary, in collaboration with the 
 Directors, shall--
        (A) develop maps of the identified habitat 
 connectivity areas, including any adjacent lands 
 described in paragraph

    (1) ; and
        (B) expand and build upon any existing efforts by 
 the Department of Agriculture in developing such maps.

    (3) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which 
 the Secretary identifies habitat connectivity areas, including 
 any adjacent lands, under paragraph

    (1) , and periodically 
 thereafter upon any new identifications under such paragraph, 
 the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that--
        (A) includes a description of habitat connectivity 
 areas identified under paragraph

    (1) ;
        (B) includes a review of any associated data or 
 surveys relating to activities carried out under 
 paragraph

    (1) ;
            (C) includes the maps developed under paragraph

    (2) in aggregate form; and
            (D) identifies gaps in information with respect to 
 carrying out paragraphs

    (1) and

    (2) , including--
            (i) information relating to whether the 
 identified habitat connectivity areas are being 
 used as a wildlife corridor;
            (ii) additional information required to 
 identify additional habitat connectivity areas; 
 and
            (iii) any other information the Secretary, 
 in collaboration with the Directors, determines 
 necessary.
            (c) Designation of American Wildlife Corridors.--

    (1) Criteria.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue regulations to 
 establish criteria, for the purpose of designating habitat 
 connectivity areas under paragraph

    (2) , that--
        (A) considers whether a designation is in concert 
 with existing land and resource management plans; and
        (B) determines, using the best-available science, 
 whether a habitat connectivity area identified under 
 subsection

    (b)

    (1) , including any adjacent lands as 
 described in that subsection--
            (i) supports the persistence, resilience, 
 adaptability, and movement of fish and 
 wildlife;
            (ii) has the potential to benefit more than 
 1 species of fish and wildlife; or
            (iii) has the potential to benefit fish or 
 wildlife species that are listed as threatened 
 or endangered under the Endangered Species Act 
 of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

    (2) Designation.--Not later than 3 years after the date on 
 which the Secretary establishes criteria pursuant to paragraph

    (1) , the Secretary shall designate habitat connectivity areas 
 identified under subsection

    (b)

    (1) , including any adjacent 
 lands that may provide additional habitat connectivity, using 
 the criteria established pursuant to paragraph

    (1) of this 
 subsection, as an American wildlife corridor for the purposes 
 of encouraging the long-term maintenance and conservation of 
 the American wildlife corridor.
            (d) Conservation of American Wildlife Corridors.--

    (1) Technical assistance.--
        (A) In general.--The Secretary, in collaboration 
 with the Directors, shall develop and establish 
 technical standards and requirements, including best 
 practices for the long-term conservation of an American 
 wildlife corridor, to provide technical assistance, 
 outreach, and education with respect to the 
 conservation of the applicable American wildlife 
 corridor.
        (B) Authorized actions of secretary.--In providing 
 technical assistance under paragraph

    (1)
        (B) , the 
 Secretary may encourage producers to--
            (i) implement strategies and activities 
 that will promote sustainable production and 
 conservation of wildlife habitats concurrently;
            (ii) maintain or improve habitats and 
 habitat connectivity in American wildlife 
 corridors;
            (iii) establish wildlife monitoring plans; 
 and
            (iv) implement strategies and activities 
 that enhance the ability of fish and wildlife 
 to respond to changing environmental 
 conditions.

    (2) Contract modification.--In furthering the purposes of 
 an American wildlife corridor designation under subsection
            (c) (2) , the Secretary may--
        (A) give priority for enrollment or reenrollment in 
 a conservation program administered by the Secretary; 
 and
        (B) terminate or modify an existing contract 
 entered into with the Secretary under such a 
 conservation program if--
            (i) the producer agrees to the termination 
 or modification of such contract; and
            (ii) land subject to such contract will be 
 enrolled in--
            (I) the agricultural conservation 
 easement program under subtitle H of 
 title XII of the Food Security Act of 
 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865 et seq.); or
            (II) the healthy forests reserve 
 program under title V of the Healthy 
 Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 
 U.S.C. 6571 et seq.).

    (e) Cooperative Agreements.--To carry out this section, the 
Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with--

    (1) Federal agencies;

    (2) State, Tribal, and local governments;

    (3) nongovernmental organizations; or

    (4) institutions of higher education.

SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) Privacy of Personal Information Relating to Natural Resources 
Conservation Programs.--

Section 1244

    (b)

    (1)
        (B)
            (i) of the Food Security 
Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844

    (b)

    (1)
        (B)
            (i) ) is amended by inserting ``, 
including the Wildlife Corridors and USDA Conservation Programs Act of 
2025'' after ``Farm Service Agency''.

    (b) Regulatory Certainty.--

Section 1244

    (p) of the Food Security Act 
of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844

    (p) ) is amended--

    (1) in paragraph

    (1)
        (B) , by inserting ``, or an American 
 wildlife corridor (as such term is defined by 

section 2

    (a) of 
 the Wildlife Corridors and USDA Conservation Programs Act of 
 2025),'' after ``wildlife resource concern''; and

    (2) in paragraph

    (2)
        (A) , by inserting ``, or an American 
 wildlife corridor,'' after ``wildlife resource concern''.
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