Sec. 40014. Program establishment
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/bill/116/hr/2/rds/section-40014A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a nonregulatory program, to be known as the Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense program . The purposes of the Chesapeake WILD program include— coordinating restoration and protection activities among Federal, State, local, and regional entities and conservation partners throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed; engaging other agencies and organizations to build a broader range of partner support, capacity, and potential funding for projects in the Chesapeake Bay watershed; carrying out coordinated restoration and protection activities, and providing for technical assistance, throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed— to sustain and enhance restoration and protection activities; to improve and maintain water quality to support fish and wildlife, habitats of fish and wildlife, and drinking water for people; to sustain and enhance water management for volume and flood damage mitigation improvements to benefit fish and wildlife habitat; to improve opportunities for public access and recreation in the Chesapeake Bay watershed consistent with the ecological needs of fish and wildlife habitat; to facilitate strategic planning to maximize the resilience of natural ecosystems and habitats under changing watershed conditions; to utilize green infrastructure or natural infrastructure best management practices to enhance fish and wildlife habitat; to engage the public through outreach, education, and citizen involvement to increase capacity and support for coordinated restoration and protection activities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed; to sustain and enhance vulnerable communities and fish and wildlife habitat; to conserve and restore fish, wildlife, and plant corridors; and to increase scientific capacity to support the planning, monitoring, and research activities necessary to carry out coordinated restoration and protection activities.
In carrying out the Chesapeake WILD program, the Secretary shall— draw on existing plans for the Chesapeake Bay watershed, or portions of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, including the Chesapeake Bay agreements, and work in consultation with applicable management entities, including Chesapeake Bay program partners, such as the Federal Government, State and local governments, the Chesapeake Bay Commission, and other regional organizations, as appropriate, to identify, prioritize, and implement restoration and protection activities within the Chesapeake Bay watershed; adopt a Chesapeake Bay watershed-wide strategy that— supports the implementation of a shared set of science-based restoration and protection activities developed in accordance with paragraph (1); and targets cost-effective projects with measurable results; and establish the grant program in accordance with section 40015.
In establishing the Chesapeake WILD program, the Secretary shall consult, as appropriate, with— the heads of Federal agencies, including— the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service; the Chief of Engineers; the Director of the United States Geological Survey; the Secretary of Transportation; the Chief of the Forest Service; and the head of any other applicable agency; the Governors of each of the States of Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia and the Mayor of the District of Columbia; fish and wildlife joint venture partnerships; and other public agencies and organizations with authority for the planning and implementation of conservation strategies in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.