[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9945 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9945
To establish a North American Grasslands Conservation Council, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 8, 2024
Ms. Mace (for herself, Ms. Davids of Kansas, Mr. Fitzpatrick, and Mr.
Thompson of California) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the
Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a North American Grasslands Conservation Council, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``North American
Grasslands Conservation Act of 2024''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Purpose.
Sec. 4. Definitions.
Sec. 5. North American Grasslands Conservation Council.
Sec. 6. Regional Grasslands Conservation Councils.
Sec. 7. North American Grasslands Conservation Strategy.
Sec. 8. Grasslands conservation grant program.
Sec. 9. Approval of grasslands conservation projects.
Sec. 10. Native seed crop systems research.
Sec. 11. Regenerative grazing data collection.
Sec. 12. Report to Congress.
Sec. 13. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 14. Rules of construction.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) grasslands provide vital habitat for a multitude of
species which represent the lifeblood of local and regional
economies that depend on income generated by sportsmen and
women and other forms of outdoor recreation;
(2) grasslands have been managed for millennia by Indian
Tribes through the use of practices referred to as ``Indigenous
Traditional Ecological Knowledge'' to conserve and restore
habitat for native flora and fauna, including practices such as
restoration and conservation of grassland ecosystems to support
continued cultural traditions, including subsistence
agriculture, cultural burning, and management of culturally
significant wildlife and their ecosystems;
(3) the maintenance of healthy populations of grassland
species and working lands that are critical for rural economies
and carbon sequestration is dependent on the conservation,
restoration, and management of grassland ecosystems, which are
composed of tallgrass, mixed grass, and shortgrass prairies,
sagebrush shrub-steppe, and savannah grasslands (referred to in
this Act as ``grassland ecosystems'');
(4) grassland and rangeland ecosystems provide--
(A) essential and significant habitat for mammals,
pollinators, reptiles, and other wildlife of
commercial, recreational, scientific, aesthetic, and
cultural value; and
(B) an abundance of critical ecological services,
including forage and hay for grazing livestock, carbon
sequestration, carbon storage, drought and flood
resilience, water filtration, and water storage;
(5) grasslands cover 358,000,000 acres of the United
States, 85 percent of which are privately owned and serve as an
important habitat for 29 breeding obligate grassland bird
species;
(6) sagebrush occupies 161,000,000 acres of 14 Western
States;
(7) over the last decade alone, millions of acres of
grassland ecosystems in North America have been converted to
cropland and residential and commercial development;
(8) grassland ecosystems are threatened by fragmentation,
invasive species, wildfire, degradation, and land conversion;
(9) on average, about 1,200,000 acres of sagebrush burn
each year in the United States due to invasive annual grasses
that fuel catastrophic wildfires;
(10) in addition to wildfires, there has been a decrease in
the number of working farms and ranches due to--
(A) pressures to convert or sell land; and
(B) challenges in keeping ranching profitable;
(11) effective restoration strategies for land managers of
grassland ecosystems require--
(A) access to adequate quantities of high-quality,
regionally appropriate, and diverse native plant seeds;
(B) science-based guidance on cultivating native
plant species; and
(C) as stated in the National Seed Strategy for
Rehabilitation and Restoration developed by the Plant
Conservation Alliance and chaired by the Director of
the Bureau of Land Management, more research on
seedling establishment and species interaction in order
to increase the use of native plant species;
(12) many plant species most often associated with
grassland and rangeland ecosystems are drought tolerant,
characteristics that will help ensure the viability of critical
wildlife habitat and other ecosystem services in the face of
increased drought prevalence brought on by the effects of
climate change;
(13) grassland and rangeland ecosystems are often comprised
of disturbance-dependent communities that rely on disturbances
such as fire to maintain the desired plant community
composition, reduce fuel loading, and arrest ecological
succession;
(14) beneficial fire, when scientifically applied and in
accordance with local fire prescriptions, is a critical tool in
the maintenance of grassland and rangeland ecosystems,
particularly in the face of climate change which has been
linked to an increase in the frequency and intensity of
wildfires in areas in which beneficial fire has been excluded
and fuel loading is high;
(15) the migratory bird treaty obligations of the United
States with Canada, Mexico, and other countries require
conservation of grasslands and rangelands that are used by
migratory birds for breeding, wintering, or migration and are
needed to achieve and to maintain optimum population levels,
distributions, and patterns of migration;
(16) the 1988 amendments to the Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Act of 1980 require the Secretary of the Interior
to identify conservation measures to assure that nongame
migratory bird species do not reach the point at which measures
of the Endangered Species Act are necessary; and
(17) conservation of migratory birds and their habitats
requires long-term planning and the close cooperation and
coordination of management activities by Canada, Mexico, and
the United States within the framework of the North American
Wetlands Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 4401 et seq.), the 1916,
1969, and 1986 Migratory Bird Conventions, and the Convention
on Nature Protection and Wildlife Preservation in the Western
Hemisphere.
SEC. 3. PURPOSE.
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--
(1) 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;
(2) improving grassland and rangeland health and
management;
(3) restoring marginal lands to native grasslands in areas
that were historically grasslands;
(4) mitigating the impacts of severe drought and wildfire
on grasslands;
(5) supporting farmer and rancher stewards, private
landowners, and Tribal partners;
(6) improving biodiversity and habitat for grassland and
sagebrush birds, pollinators, and other wildlife;
(7) increasing carbon sequestration and carbon storage;
(8) providing increased wildlife-dependent recreational and
hunter and angler access opportunities, at the discretion of
private landowners;
(9) 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;
(10) identifying voluntary opportunities for grassland
conservation, restoration, and management not currently
available through existing programs; and
(11) providing opportunities for Indian Tribes and Tribal
organizations to conserve, restore, and manage grasslands,
including through--
(A) the ethical incorporation of Indigenous
Traditional Ecological Knowledge into grassland
management and restoration activities; and
(B) identifying, encouraging, and providing funding
for partnerships between Indian Tribes and Federal
agencies to co-manage grassland ecosystems, including
ecologically important flora and fauna.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the
Migratory Bird Conservation Commission established by section 2
of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 715a).
(2) Conservation strategy.--The term ``Conservation
Strategy'' means the North American Grasslands Conservation
Strategy established under section 7(a).
(3) Council.--The term ``Council'' means the North American
Grasslands Conservation Council established by section 5(a).
(4) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
(5) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) a grazing land coalition;
(B) an agricultural or livestock producer group;
(C) an Indian Tribe;
(D) a Tribal organization;
(E) a land trust;
(F) a State or local government;
(G) a Federal agency;
(H) a nongovernmental organization;
(I) a community-based organization;
(J) a group of individuals that are private
landowners; and
(K) a regional fish and wildlife agency.
(6) Grasslands.--The term ``grasslands'' means tallgrass,
mixed grass, shortgrass, native prairie, sagebrush shrub-
steppe, savanna grasslands, glades, wet meadows, coastal
grasslands, and other related grassland ecosystems, including
certain rangelands.
(7) Grasslands conservation project.--The term ``grasslands
conservation project'' means any conservation, restoration,
protection, or enhancement activity that is carried out with a
grant awarded under the Program.
(8) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the
meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
(9) Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge; itek.--The
terms ``Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge'' and
``ITEK'' mean observations, oral and written knowledge,
practices, and beliefs of Indian Tribes that promote
environmental sustainability and the responsible stewardship of
natural resources through relationships between humans and
environmental systems and are applied to phenomena across
biological, physical, cultural, and spiritual systems.
(10) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the grant program
established under section 8(a).
(11) Regional grasslands conservation council.--The term
``Regional Grasslands Conservation Council'' means a Regional
Grasslands Conservation Council established by section 6(a).
(12) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(13) Tribal organization.--The term ``Tribal organization''
has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
SEC. 5. NORTH AMERICAN GRASSLANDS CONSERVATION COUNCIL.
(a) Establishment.--There is established the North American
Grasslands Conservation Council.
(b) Membership.--
(1) In general.--The Council shall be composed of the
following 13 members:
(A) The Director, who shall be the responsible
Federal official for ensuring Council compliance with
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
(B) The Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation
Service of the Department of Agriculture, who shall
coordinate interdepartmental efforts with the Director.
(C) 1 representative of the National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation, appointed by the Secretary.
(D) 4 members who shall each--
(i) be appointed by the Secretary;
(ii) be a director of a State fish and
wildlife agency; and
(iii) represent a different regional
association.
(E) 2 members who shall each--
(i) be appointed by the Secretary;
(ii) be a director, or an equivalent role,
of a natural resources agency of an Indian
Tribe; and
(iii) represent a different intertribal
organization dedicated to natural resources and
the environment.
(F) 2 members who shall each--
(i) be appointed by the Secretary of
Agriculture; and
(ii) represent a separate working lands
organization that represents landowners,
farmers, or ranchers actively participating in
carrying out voluntary grasslands conservation
projects.
(G) 2 members, of whom--
(i) both shall be appointed by the
Secretary;
(ii) both shall be a member of a charitable
nonprofit conservation organization; and
(iii) 1 shall be a member of a wildlife
hunting conservation organization.
(2) Period of appointment; vacancies.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph
(B), a member of the Council shall serve for a term of
3 years.
(B) Initial appointments.--
(i) Directors of state fish and wildlife
agencies.--Of the members first appointed under
paragraph (1)(D)--
(I) 1 shall be appointed for a term
of 1 year;
(II) 2 shall be appointed for a
term of 2 years; and
(III) 1 shall be appointed for a
term of 3 years.
(ii) Other members.--Of the members first
appointed under subparagraphs (E), (F), and (G)
of paragraph (1)--
(I) 2 shall be appointed for a term
of 1 year;
(II) 2 shall be appointed for a
term of 2 years; and
(III) 2 shall be appointed for a
term of 3 years.
(C) Vacancies.--
(i) In general.--With respect to a member
appointed to the Council under subparagraphs
(C) through (G) of paragraph (1), a vacancy in
the Council shall be filled in accordance with
that subparagraph for the remainder of the
applicable term of that member.
(ii) Alternate members.--Until a vacancy
referred to in clause (i) is filled, or in the
event of an anticipated absence of a member
described in that clause from any meeting of
the Council, the Secretary shall appoint an
alternate member to the Council who shall--
(I) be knowledgeable and
experienced in matters relating to
grasslands conservation and
restoration; and
(II) perform the duties of a member
appointed to the Council under
subparagraphs (C) through (G) of
paragraph (1).
(3) Ex officio members.--The Secretary may include as ex
officio, nonvoting members of the Council--
(A) the Under Secretary for Farm Production and
Conservation of the Department of Agriculture;
(B) the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and
Environment of the Department of Agriculture; and
(C) representatives of--