This bill establishes additional support for wildlife movement areas. It also reauthorizes and modifies (1) the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, and (2) wildlife-related cooperative research and training programs.
Specifically, the bill establishes within the Department of the Interior a grant program for projects that improve or conserve habitat quality in movement areas of terrestrial vertebrate species. At least 50% of the amounts made available to carry out the grant program must be used for projects that directly conserve, restore, or enhance big game movement areas.
Interior must also establish a research program that provides funds to state fish and wildlife agencies and Indian tribes to collect and analyze data on the identification, characteristics, or management of movement areas.
The bill reauthorizes through FY2031 and expands the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program to allow Interior to use program funds to provide technical assistance to other federal agencies to implement voluntary programs with a focus on migration corridor or seasonal habitat conservation efforts on private and tribal land.
The bill also reauthorizes through FY2031 cooperative research and training programs for fish and wildlife resources. At least 50% of the funding must be used for projects that improve habitat quality in movement areas of big game and other wildlife.
Additionally, the bill directs the U.S. Geological Survey to work with, and provide technical assistance to, federal agencies, states, and Indian tribes to build on existing efforts to map movement areas.