Sec. 4. Great Lakes Aquatic Connectivity and Infrastructure Program
704 words·~3 min read·
/bill/115/s/1332/is/section-4A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
There is established within the United States Fish and Wildlife Service a program for the removal or selective bypass of barriers to aquatic connectivity in tributaries of the Great Lakes, to be known as the Great Lakes Aquatic Connectivity and Infrastructure Program . The goal of the Program is to identify and implement voluntary measures that restore aquatic species to self-sustaining levels by reconnecting aquatic habitats in the Great Lakes basin while maintaining and modernizing needed infrastructure, particularly in locations where roads, tributaries, or dams intersect. The goal under paragraph
(1)shall be achieved by using a proactive science-based approach that— balances infrastructure modernization while enhancing aquatic connectivity though the removal or bypass of barriers to the movement of aquatic organisms; minimizes the expansion of habitat for aquatic invasive species; supports the development and implementation of selective fish passage technologies; measures the effectiveness of projects under the Program and informs strategic planning for the Program; and avoids the construction of unintended barriers by focusing on ecosystem resiliency through collaboration and best practices. The Director and the Secretary shall collaborate with Federal, State, local, and tribal governments, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, signatories to the Joint Strategic Plan for Management of Great Lakes Fisheries, and any other stakeholder the Director and the Secretary determine to be appropriate to support— sound approaches to addressing infrastructure and aquatic populations in the Great Lakes; and ecosystem resiliency. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, subject to the availability of appropriations, the Director, in consultation with the Committee shall finalize a strategic plan for the Program to address aquatic connectivity in the Great Lakes basin. The strategic plan shall include an analysis of Federal, State, and local efforts to enhance aquatic connectivity in the Great Lakes basin. Not less frequently than once every 5 years, the Director, in consultation with the Committee, shall review and revise the strategic plan as appropriate. The Director shall make the strategic plan available on a publicly accessible Internet website. The Director shall encourage the development and, subject to the availability of appropriations, the implementation of aquatic connectivity proposals to achieve the goal described in subsection (b). Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the Director shall request that any interested entity submit a proposal to restore aquatic connectivity in the Great Lakes basin in support of the strategic plan. A proposal referred to in paragraph
(2)shall be submitted to the Director— at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Director may require; and consistent with other laws relating to the restoration of the aquatic resources and habitat of the Great Lakes basin. In selecting and funding proposals, the Director shall take into account the effectiveness and appropriateness of the proposed activities with respect to— the strategic plan; the restoration of aquatic resources and habitat; transportation and infrastructure in the Great Lakes basin; and minimizing the expansion of habitat for aquatic invasive species. After considering the recommendations of the Committee and the goal described in subsection (b), the Director shall— select proposals to be implemented; and subject to the availability of funds and subsection (f), award funding to implement the selected proposals. Not less than 25 percent of the cost of implementing a proposal shall be derived from non-Federal sources, including in-kind contributions. The non-Federal share of the cost of implementing a proposal may be provided at any time during the 2-year period preceding January 1 of the year in which the Director receives the proposal. Not later than December 31, 2019, and annually thereafter, the Director shall submit to Congress a report that includes— a summary of the outcomes of actions taken under the Program, including recommendations of activities, where appropriate, that would contribute to achievement of the goal described in subsection (b); a description of activities carried out under the Program and an explanation of how those activities help achieve the goal described in subsection (b); and an analysis of Federal, State, and local efforts to enhance multidisciplinary approaches to enhance aquatic connectivity and infrastructure improvements in the Great Lakes basin, and recommendations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Program.