Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act of 2019
A BILL
To establish National Wildlife Corridors to provide for the protection and restoration of certain native fish, wildlife, and plant species, and for other purposes.
2. Findings and purposes
Findings— Congress finds that—
the native fish, wildlife, and plant species in the United States are part of a rich natural heritage and an important legacy to pass on to future generations;
the populations of many native fish, wildlife, and plant species in the United States are in decline;
scientists estimate that 1 in 5 animal and plant species in the United States is at risk of extinction, and many species are declining in numbers;
threats to the survival and diversity of many native fish, wildlife, and plant species in the United States include the loss, degradation, fragmentation, and obstruction of natural habitats;
climate change threatens native fish, wildlife, and plant species;
the 2019 global assessment report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services found that—
1,000,000 wildlife and plant species worldwide are now threatened with extinction; and
75 percent of the land-based environment, and approximately 66 percent of the marine environment, have been significantly altered by human actions;
the conservation of new and existing landscape and seascape corridors, through which native species can transition from 1 habitat to another, plays an important role in helping—
to conserve native biodiversity; and
to ensure resiliency against impacts from a range of biotic and abiotic stressors;
the conservation, restoration, and establishment of new ecological connections to facilitate the movement of species into more suitable habitats is a key climate change adaptation strategy;
the protection of new and existing corridors is often one of the first steps in restoration and recovery planning;
States have recognized the importance of habitat connectivity, including—
a New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers' Conference on the importance of connectivity for ecosystem adaptability and resilience, biodiversity, and human communities; and
past Western Governors’ Association policy resolution;
the strategic plan of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to respond to accelerating climate change entitled “Rising to the Urgent Challenge” acknowledges that “processes such as pollination, seed dispersal, nutrient cycling, natural disturbance cycles, predator-prey relations, and others must be part of the natural landscapes we seek to maintain or restore … and are likely to function more optimally in landscapes composed of large habitat blocks connected by well-placed corridors”;
Federal and State agencies continue to develop policies to address—
the importance of conserving fish, wildlife, and plant corridors;
the gap between science and management for at-risk species; and
ecological connectivity; and
Federal policies consistently recognize the importance of voluntary improvement projects by private landowners to habitat conservation and restoration for native species.
Purposes— The purposes of this Act are—
to support a diverse array of native species, including species protected under Federal, State, and Tribal law, that have experienced or may experience habitat loss, degradation, fragmentation, or obstruction to connectivity;
to provide long-term habitat connectivity for native species migration, dispersal, adaptation to climate and other environmental change, and genetic exchange;
to help restore wildlife movements that have been disrupted by habitat loss, degradation, fragmentation, or obstruction;
to facilitate coordinated landscape- and seascape-scale connectivity planning and management across jurisdictions; and
to support State, Tribal, local, voluntary private landowner, and Federal agency decisionmakers in the planning and development of National Wildlife Corridors.
3. Definitions
In this Act:
Appropriate committees of Congress— The term appropriate committees of Congress means—
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate;
the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate;
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives;
the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; and
the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
Connectivity— The term “connectivity” means the degree to which the landscape or seascape facilitates native species movement.
Corridor— The term “corridor” means a feature of the landscape or seascape that—
provides habitat or ecological connectivity; and
allows for native species movement or dispersal.
Database— The term Database means the National Wildlife Corridors Database established under section 401(a).
Federal land or water— The term Federal land or water means any land or water, or interest in land or water, owned by the United States.
Fund— The term “Fund” means the Wildlife Corridors Stewardship Fund established by section 501(a).
Habitat— The term habitat means land, water, and substrate occupied at any time during the life cycle of a native species that is necessary, with respect to the native species, for spawning, breeding, feeding, growth to maturity, or migration.
Indian land— The term Indian land means land of an Indian tribe, or an Indian individual, that is—
held in trust by the United States; or
subject to a restriction against alienation imposed by the United States.
Indian tribe— The term “Indian tribe” has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
National Coordination Committee— The term “National Coordination Committee” means the National Coordination Committee established under section 302(a).
National Wildlife Corridor— The term “National Wildlife Corridor” means any Federal land or water designated as a National Wildlife Corridor under section 101(a).
National Wildlife Corridor System— The term National Wildlife Corridor System means the system of National Wildlife Corridors established by section 101(a).
Native species— The term “native species” means—
a fish, wildlife, or plant species that is or was historically present in a particular ecosystem as a result of natural migratory or evolutionary processes, including subspecies and plant varieties; and
a migratory bird species that is native to the United States or its territories (as defined in section 2(b) of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703(b))).
Regional ocean partnership— The term “regional ocean partnership” means a regional organization of coastal or Great Lakes States, territories, or possessions voluntarily convened by Governors to address cross-jurisdictional ocean matters, or the functional equivalent of such a regional ocean organization designated by the Governor or Governors of a State or States.
Regional wildlife movement council— The term “regional wildlife movement council” means a regional wildlife movement council established under section 303(a).
Secretaries— The term Secretaries means—
the Secretary of Agriculture;
the Secretary of Commerce;
the Secretary of Defense;
the Secretary of the Interior; and
the Secretary of Transportation.
Secretary— The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Tribal Wildlife Corridor— The term Tribal Wildlife Corridor means a corridor established by the Secretary under section 201(a)(1)(C).
United States— The term United States, when used in a geographical sense, means—
a State;
the District of Columbia;
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
Guam;
American Samoa;
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;
the Federated States of Micronesia;
the Republic of the Marshall Islands;
the Republic of Palau;
the United States Virgin Islands; and
the territorial sea (within the meaning of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.)) and the exclusive economic zone (as defined in section 3 of that Act (16 U.S.C. 1802)) within the jurisdiction or sovereignty of the Federal Government.
Wildlife movement— The term “wildlife movement” means the passage of individual members or populations of native species across a landscape or seascape.