Sec. 2. Findings; purpose

560 words·~3 min read·/bill/117/hr/4202/ih/section-2

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

Congress finds the following: The Mississippi River flows more than 2,300 miles from its source at Lake Itasca through the center of the continental United States to the Gulf of Mexico. The main stem of the Mississippi River flows through 10 States that collectively are home to 55.4 million people as of 2019. The Mississippi River provides drinking water to more than 20 million people in 50 cities. The Mississippi River drives a vibrant natural resource and recreation-based economy that generates nearly $500 billion in annual revenue and directly employs more than 1.5 million people.

The Mississippi River and its 30 million acre floodplain provide an ecological lifeline for all of North America, supporting more than 780 species of fish and wildlife and providing a vital migration corridor for 60 percent of all North American birds and 40 percent of the migratory waterfowl in the United States. The Mississippi River serves as a major transportation corridor for grain and cargo. Congress has designated the Mississippi River System as a nationally significant ecosystem and a nationally significant navigation system and is the only inland river system to receive both designations.

Despite its critical value to the United States, the Mississippi River is in a severe state of ecological decline, as documented by the United States Geological Survey, the Army Corps of Engineers, and other Federal and State agencies. Modifications to the Mississippi River have resulted in the extensive loss of wetlands and complex river habitats causing profound harm to the treasured fish and wildlife resources in the United States and increasing flood risks to communities.

Polluted runoff has drastically reduced water quality and created a massive dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. Invasive aquatic species threaten the ecological integrity of the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico, and the fisheries and recreation that rely on a healthy ecosystem. Ecological degradation of the Mississippi River has resulted in— more flooding; less wildlife; fewer jobs; reduced recreational opportunities; and higher costs for keeping communities safe and ensuring that communities have clean drinking water.

The consequences of ecological degradation have disproportionately harmed rural communities, economically disadvantaged communities, and communities of color. Existing Federal programs lack sufficient coordination, funding, and participation with States, Tribes, local governments, and nongovernmental organizations to address these ongoing challenges and reverse the decline of the Mississippi River. It is the purpose of this Act to establish the Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative to protect and restore the ecological health and resilience of the Mississippi River for current and succeeding generations of Americans and for the fish and wildlife that rely on the Mississippi River and its floodplain.

The MRRRI is a nonregulatory initiative that will build upon existing efforts and provide funding for projects and activities to protect and restore the nationally significant resources of the Mississippi River by— establishing the Mississippi River National Program Office; establishing the focus areas and identifying qualifying activities for MRRRI programs and projects; directing the development of actionable goals, an action plan, and a science plan, and regular updates to such plans, to guide the MRRRI; establishing criteria for measuring the success of the MRRRI in restoring the ecological health and resilience of the Mississippi River; requiring the Environmental Protection Agency to coordinate and consult with Federal and non-Federal stakeholders to implement the MRRRI; and establishing the Mississippi River Corridor Research Centers.