Sec. 204. Multibenefit projects to improve watershed health
372 words·~2 min read·
/bill/116/s/4189/is/section-204A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
In this section, the term eligible applicant means— any Reclamation State, Indian Tribe, irrigation district, water district, or organization with water or power delivery authority; any Reclamation State, regional authority, or local agency or authority; and any nonprofit conservation organization. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the heads of relevant agencies, shall establish a competitive grant program under which the Secretary shall award grants to eligible applicants for the design, implementation, and monitoring of conservation outcomes of habitat restoration projects that improve watershed health in a Reclamation State by accomplishing 1 or more of the following:
Ecosystem benefits. Restoration of native species beyond existing or planned measures necessary to comply with Federal or State laws relating to species recovery. Mitigation against the impacts of climate change to fish and wildlife habitats. Protection against invasive species. Restoration of aspects of the natural ecosystem. Enhancement of commercial or recreational fishing. Enhancement of river-based recreation, such as kayaking, rafting, and canoeing. In awarding a grant to an eligible applicant under subsection (b), the Secretary— shall give priority to an eligible applicant that would carry out a habitat restoration project that achieves more than 1 of the benefits described in that subsection; and may not provide a grant to carry out a habitat restoration project, the purpose of which is to meet existing environmental mitigation or compliance obligations under Federal or State law.
A habitat restoration project awarded a grant under subsection
(a)shall comply with all applicable Federal and State laws. The Federal share of the cost of any habitat restoration project that is awarded a grant under subsection (b)— shall not exceed 50 percent of the cost of the habitat restoration project; or in the case of a habitat restoration project that provides benefits to ecological or recreational values in which the nonconsumptive water conservation benefit or habitat restoration benefit accounts for at least 75 percent of the cost of the habitat restoration project, as determined by the Secretary, shall not exceed 75 percent of the cost of the habitat restoration project. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $150,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2024.