Sec. 4. New York-New Jersey Watershed Restoration Program
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/bill/117/s/3484/is/section-4A 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 New York-New Jersey Watershed Restoration Program . The purposes of the program shall include— coordinating restoration and protection activities among Federal, State, Tribal, local, and regional entities and conservation partners throughout the Watershed; carrying out coordinated restoration and protection activities, and providing for technical assistance for those activities, throughout the Watershed— to sustain and enhance fish and wildlife habitat; to improve and maintain water quality to support fish, wildlife, and their habitats, as well as to improve opportunities for public access and recreation in the Watershed consistent with the ecological needs of fish and wildlife habitats; to advance the use of natural climate solutions and natural infrastructure, including living shorelines and other green infrastructure techniques, to maximize the resilience of communities, natural systems, and habitats experiencing the impacts of climate change; to engage the public, particularly communities experiencing environmental injustice, through outreach, education, and community involvement to increase capacity, support, and workforce development for coordinated restoration and protection activities in the Watershed; to increase scientific capacity to support the planning, monitoring, and research activities necessary to carry out coordinated restoration and protection activities in the Watershed; to provide for feasibility and planning studies for green infrastructure projects that achieve habitat restoration and stormwater management goals; to support land conservation and management activities necessary to fulfill the Watershed-wide strategy adopted under subsection (c)(3); to monitor environmental quality to assess progress toward the purposes of this Act; and to improve fish and wildlife habitats, as well as opportunities for personal recreation, along rivers and shore fronts within communities experiencing environmental injustice; and carrying out restoration and protection activities necessary, as determined by the Secretary, for the implementation of approved plans.
In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall— draw on existing and new approved plans for the Watershed, or portions of the Watershed; work in consultation with applicable management entities, including representatives of the New York-New Jersey Harbor and Estuary Program (HEP), the Hudson River Estuary Program, the Mohawk River Basin Program, the Sustainable Raritan River Initiative, the Federal Government, other State and local governments, and regional and nonprofit organizations, including environmental justice organizations, as appropriate, to identify, prioritize, and implement restoration and protection activities within the Watershed; and adopt a Watershed-wide strategy that— supports the implementation of a shared set of science-based restoration and protection activities developed in accordance with paragraph (2); targets cost-effective projects with measurable results; maximizes conservation outcomes; prioritizes the needs of communities experiencing environmental injustice; and implements the grant program.
In establishing the program, the Secretary shall consult with, as appropriate— the heads of Federal agencies, including— the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; the Secretary of Agriculture; the Director of the National Park Service; and the heads of such other Federal agencies as the Secretary determines to be appropriate; the Governor of New York; the Governor of New Jersey; the Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; the Director of the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife; the New York-New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program; and other public agencies, Indian Tribes, and organizations with authority for the planning and implementation of conservation strategies in the Watershed, as determined appropriate by the Secretary.