H.R. 10916: Aquatic Restoration and Conservation Act

This bill would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior to work together to create a plan for using aquatic restoration and conservation as part of wildfire prevention and recovery on certain federal lands.

What “aquatic restoration and conservation” means

Under the bill, this means activities that protect or improve:

• wet meadows
• streams and river corridors
• floodplains
• riparian areas
• wetlands

The goal is to use these kinds of projects to help reduce wildfire risk, help land recover after fires, and improve watershed health.

What the agencies would have to do

Within 1 year after the bill becomes law, the two departments would have to jointly develop a strategy. In doing so, they would need to:

• review the best available science on whether aquatic restoration can help with wildfire prevention and post-fire recovery;
• identify gaps in that science and, if needed, include a plan to address those gaps;
• look at their workforce training and staffing capacity and how it could support this work;
• find ways to use aquatic restoration more often in wildfire-related projects, including hazardous fuel reduction projects, grant-funded projects, contracts, and stewardship agreements;
• work the strategy into existing land management and resource management plans where practical;
• consider relevant planning documents from state, local, and Tribal governments;
• identify other programs, resources, or activities that could support the strategy; and
• explain how aquatic restoration would be used in wildfire risk reduction, wildfire response planning, post-fire recovery, and long-term land management.

Who could be involved

The agencies would be allowed to use cooperative or mutual benefit agreements with groups such as:

• the National Park Foundation
• the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
• the National Forest Foundation
• the Foundation for America’s Public Lands
• one or more Indian Tribes

Reporting requirement

After the strategy is completed, the two departments would have to send a report describing it to the House and Senate committees that oversee agriculture and natural resources.

Practical effect

The bill does not itself order specific restoration projects. Instead, it directs federal land agencies to plan for and encourage the use of water- and habitat-related restoration measures as part of wildfire management and recovery efforts on federal lands.

Relevant Companies

None found