Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Connectivity Conservation Act of 2024
A BILL
To provide for the conservation of wildlife corridors and habitat connectivity, and for other purposes.
Sec. 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, in the United States, 34 percent of plants and 40 percent of animals are at risk of extinction and 41 percent of ecosystems are at risk of range-wide collapse;
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;
habitat fragmentation reduces native biodiversity by up to 75 percent and impairs key ecosystem functions;
climate change threatens native fish, wildlife, and plant species;
the document published by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services titled “Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services” (2019) 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 1 of the first steps in restoration and recovery planning;
States have recognized the importance of habitat connectivity, including through—
at least 83 pieces of State legislation passed in 20 States since 2019, which have supported actions including identification of wildlife corridors and coordination of State agencies, Tribes, non-governmental organizations, and other partners to address habitat connectivity issues;
a New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers’ Conference on the importance of connectivity for ecosystem adaptability and resilience, biodiversity, and human communities; and
a Western Governors’ Association policy resolution;
the document published by the Council on Environmental Quality titled “Guidance for Federal Departments and Agencies on Ecological Connectivity and Wildlife Corridors” (March 21, 2023) acknowledges that “connectivity is vital to ecosystem health and functions” and “it is significant to humans as well and supports the strong cultural and spiritual connections that communities have to nature”;
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 fish and wildlife, including species conserved under Federal, State, and Tribal law, that have experienced or may experience habitat loss, degradation, fragmentation, or obstruction to habitat connectivity;
to provide long-term habitat connectivity for fish and wildlife migration, dispersal, genetic exchange, and adaptation to climate and other environmental change;
to restore fish and 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 in prioritizing, establishing, and managing wildlife corridors and habitat connectivity areas.
Sec. 3 Definitions
In this Act:
Collaborative partnership— The term collaborative partnership means a collaborative partnership established under section 203(a).
Coordinating Committee— The term Coordinating Committee means Coordinating Committee established under section 204(a).
American wildlife corridor— The term American wildlife corridor means a corridor designated by the Secretary concerned under section 201(b).
Habitat— The term habitat means land, water, and substrate necessary at any time during the life cycle of fish and wildlife for spawning, breeding, feeding, growth to maturity, or migration.
Habitat connectivity— The term habitat connectivity means the degree to which the landscape (including terrestrial, riparian, and aquatic habitats) or seascape facilitates fish and wildlife movement.
Habitat connectivity area— The term habitat connectivity area means an identified, distinct component of the natural world in the United States that provides habitat connectivity, a migration route, seasonal habitat, or a dispersal area to a native species.
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).
Military installation— The term military installation has the meaning given the term in section 100 of the Sikes Act (16 U.S.C. 670), and includes military off-shore range complexes and off-shore operating areas.
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.
Secretary concerned—
Secretary concerned— The term Secretary concerned means the Secretary with applicable jurisdiction from among the following:
The Secretary of the Interior.
The Secretary of Transportation.
The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service.
The Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The Secretary of Defense.
Secretaries— The term Secretaries means each of the Secretaries described in subparagraph (A).
Tribal wildlife corridor— The term Tribal wildlife corridor means a corridor established by the Secretary under section 301.
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
all marine waters within the jurisdiction of the United States.
Wildlife movement— The term wildlife movement means the passage of individual members or populations of a native fish, wildlife, or plant species across a landscape or seascape.