Sec. 3. Purpose
296 words·~1 min read·
/bill/118/hr/9945/ih/section-3A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The purpose of this Act is to take bold action to conserve and restore grasslands in North America while supporting ranchers, farmers, Indian Tribes, sportsmen and sportswomen, rural communities, and other interests by drawing from existing conservation plans, programs, and models with a proven track record of success through— encouraging voluntary grassland conservation and restoration as an alternative to additional conversion and loss of native grasslands ecosystems and sustaining those ecosystems as working lands by creating a flexible, voluntary, and innovative grant program; improving grassland and rangeland health and management; restoring marginal lands to native grasslands in areas that were historically grasslands; mitigating the impacts of severe drought and wildfire on grasslands; supporting farmer and rancher stewards, private landowners, and Tribal partners; improving biodiversity and habitat for grassland and sagebrush birds, pollinators, and other wildlife; increasing carbon sequestration and carbon storage; providing increased wildlife-dependent recreational and hunter and angler access opportunities, at the discretion of private landowners; encouraging stronger public-private partnerships in support of landscape-level grassland conservation efforts conducted by State fish and wildlife agencies, Indian Tribes, regional and Federal entities, nongovernmental organizations, farmers and ranchers, and other stakeholders both in the United States and in Canada and Mexico, and complementing the public-private partnerships working on grassland conservation as of the date of the enactment of this Act, such as the Partners for Fish and Wildlife; identifying voluntary opportunities for grassland conservation, restoration, and management not currently available through existing programs; and providing opportunities for Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations to conserve, restore, and manage grasslands, including through— the ethical incorporation of Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge into grassland management and restoration activities; and identifying, encouraging, and providing funding for partnerships between Indian Tribes and Federal agencies to co-manage grassland ecosystems, including ecologically important flora and fauna.