[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2949 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2949

To amend and reauthorize the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration 
                              Act of 1990.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 18, 2016

 Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Mr. Portman, Ms. Stabenow, and Mr. Kirk) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
               Committee on Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend and reauthorize the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration 
                              Act of 1990.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; REFERENCES.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Great Lakes Fish 
and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2016''.
    (b) References.--Except as otherwise expressly provided, wherever 
in this Act an amendment is expressed in terms of an amendment to a 
section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to be 
made to a section or other provision of the Great Lakes Fish and 
Wildlife Restoration Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 941 et seq.).

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE GREAT LAKES FISH AND WILDLIFE RESTORATION ACT 
              OF 1990.

    (a) Findings.--The Act is amended by striking section 1002 and 
inserting the following:

``SEC. 1002. FINDINGS.

    ``Congress finds that--
            ``(1) the Great Lakes have fish and wildlife communities 
        that are structurally and functionally changing;
            ``(2) successful fish and wildlife management focuses on 
        the lakes as ecosystems, and effective management requires the 
        coordination and integration of efforts of many partners;
            ``(3) it is in the national interest to undertake 
        activities in the Great Lakes Basin that support sustainable 
        fish and wildlife resources of common concern provided under 
        the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan based on the 
        recommendations of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration 
        authorized under Executive Order 13340 (69 Fed. Reg. 29043; 
        relating to the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force);
            ``(4) additional actions and better coordination are needed 
        to protect and effectively manage the fish and wildlife 
        resources, and the habitats on which the resources depend, in 
        the Great Lakes Basin;
            ``(5) as of the date of enactment of this Act, actions are 
        not funded that are considered essential to meet the goals and 
        objectives in managing the fish and wildlife resources, and the 
        habitats on which the resources depend, in the Great Lakes 
        Basin; and
            ``(6) this Act allows Federal agencies, States, and Indian 
        tribes to work in an effective partnership by providing the 
        funding for restoration work.''.
    (b) Identification, Review, and Implementation of Proposals and 
Regional Projects.--
            (1) Requirements for proposals and regional projects.--
        Section 1005(b)(2)(B) (16 U.S.C. 941c(b)(2)(B)) is amended--
                    (A) in clause (v), by striking ``and'' at the end;
                    (B) in clause (vi), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting a semicolon; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(vii) the strategic action plan of the 
                        Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; and
                            ``(viii) each applicable State wildlife 
                        action plan.''.
            (2) Review of proposals.--Section 1005(c)(2)(C) (16 U.S.C. 
        941c(c)(2)(C)) is amended by striking ``Great Lakes Coordinator 
        of the''.
            (3) Cost sharing.--Section 1005(e) (16 U.S.C. 941c(e)) is 
        amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by striking ``Except as provided in 
                        paragraphs (2) and (4), not less than 25 
                        percent of the cost of implementing a 
                        proposal'' and inserting the following:
                    ``(A) Non-federal share.--Except as provided in 
                paragraphs (3) and (5) and subject to paragraph (2), 
                not less than 25 percent of the cost of implementing a 
                proposal or regional project''; and
                            (ii) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) Time period for providing match.--The non-
                Federal share of the cost of implementing a proposal or 
                regional project required under subparagraph (A) may be 
                provided at any time during the 2-year period preceding 
                January 1 of the year in which the Director receives 
                the application for the proposal or regional 
                project.'';
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (4) as 
                paragraphs (3) through (5), respectively; and
                    (C) by inserting before paragraph (3) (as so 
                redesignated) the following:
            ``(2) Authorized sources of non-federal share.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Director may determine the 
                non-Federal share under paragraph (1) by taking into 
                account--
                            ``(i) the appraised value of land or a 
                        conservation easement as described in 
                        subparagraph (B); or
                            ``(ii) as described in subparagraph (C), 
                        the costs associated with--
                                    ``(I) land acquisition or securing 
                                a conservation easement; and
                                    ``(II) restoration or enhancement 
                                of that land or conservation easement.
                    ``(B) Appraisal of land or conservation easement.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The value of land or a 
                        conservation easement may be used to satisfy 
                        the non-Federal share of the cost of 
                        implementing a proposal or regional project 
                        required under paragraph (1)(A) if the Director 
                        determines that the land or conservation 
                        easement--
                                    ``(I) meets the requirements of 
                                subsection (b)(2);
                                    ``(II) is acquired before the end 
                                of the grant period of the proposal or 
                                regional project;
                                    ``(III) is held in perpetuity for 
                                the conservation purposes of the 
                                programs of the United States Fish and 
                                Wildlife Service related to the Great 
                                Lakes Basin, as described in section 
                                1006, by an accredited land trust or 
                                conservancy or a Federal, State, or 
                                tribal agency;
                                    ``(IV) is connected either 
                                physically or through a conservation 
                                planning process to the proposal or 
                                regional project; and
                                    ``(V) is appraised in accordance 
                                with clause (ii).
                            ``(ii) Appraisal.--With respect to the 
                        appraisal of land or a conservation easement 
                        described in clause (i)--
                                    ``(I) the appraisal valuation date 
                                shall be not later than 1 year after 
                                the price of the land or conservation 
                                easement was set under a contract; and
                                    ``(II) the appraisal shall--
                                            ``(aa) conform to the 
                                        Uniform Standards of 
                                        Professional Appraisal Practice 
                                        (USPAP); and
                                            ``(bb) be completed by a 
                                        Federal- or State-certified 
                                        appraiser.
                    ``(C) Costs of land acquisition or securing 
                conservation easement.--
                            ``(i) In general.--All costs associated 
                        with land acquisition or securing a 
                        conservation easement and restoration or 
                        enhancement of that land or conservation 
                        easement may be used to satisfy the non-Federal 
                        share of the cost of implementing a proposal or 
                        regional project required under paragraph 
                        (1)(A) if the activities and expenses 
                        associated with the land acquisition or 
                        securing the conservation easement and 
                        restoration or enhancement of that land or 
                        conservation easement meet the requirements of 
                        subparagraph (B)(i).
                            ``(ii) Inclusion.--The costs referred to in 
                        clause (i) may include cash, in-kind 
                        contributions, and indirect costs.
                            ``(iii) Exclusion.--The costs referred to 
                        in clause (i) may not be costs associated with 
                        mitigation or litigation (other than costs 
                        associated with the Natural Resource Damage 
                        Assessment program).''.
    (c) Establishment of Offices.--Section 1007 (16 U.S.C. 941e) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
                ``Fishery Resources'' and inserting ``Fish and Wildlife 
                Conservation''; and
                    (B) by striking ``Fishery Resources'' each place it 
                appears and inserting ``Fish and Wildlife 
                Conservation'';
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
                ``Fishery Resources'' and inserting ``Fish and Wildlife 
                Conservation''; and
                    (B) by striking ``Fishery Resources'' each place it 
                appears and inserting ``Fish and Wildlife 
                Conservation'';
            (3) by striking subsection (a); and
            (4) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsections 
        (a) and (b), respectively.
    (d) Reports.--Section 1008 (16 U.S.C. 941f) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding paragraph 
        (1), by striking ``2011'' and inserting ``2021'';
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                striking ``2007 through 2012'' and inserting ``2016 
                through 2020''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (5), by inserting ``the Great 
                Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan based on'' 
                after ``in support of''; and
            (3) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
    ``(c) Continued Monitoring and Assessment of Study Findings and 
Recommendations.--The Director--
            ``(1) shall continue to monitor the status, and the 
        assessment, management, and restoration needs, of the fish and 
        wildlife resources of the Great Lakes Basin; and
            ``(2) may reassess and update, as necessary, the findings 
        and recommendations of the Report.''.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 1009 (16 U.S.C. 941g) 
is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
        ``2007 through 2012'' and inserting ``2016 through 2021'';
            (2) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by 
                striking ``$14,000,000'' and inserting ``$6,000,000'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``$4,600,000'' 
                and inserting ``$2,000,000''; and
                    (C) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``$700,000'' 
                and inserting ``$300,000''; and
            (3) in paragraph (2), by striking ``the activities of'' and 
        all that follows through ``section 1007'' and inserting ``the 
        activities of the Upper Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife 
        Conservation Offices and the Lower Great Lakes Fish and 
        Wildlife Conservation Office under section 1007''.
    (f) Conforming Amendment.--Section 8 of the Great Lakes Fish and 
Wildlife Restoration Act of 2006 (16 U.S.C. 941 note; Public Law 109-
326) is repealed.
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