HR 8438
Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Connectivity Conservation Act of 2026
Take action
Record your position on this measure.
Sign in to record your position, submit testimony, or contact your legislator.
Sign in to take action- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill, the Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Connectivity Conservation Act of 2026, aims to protect and enhance wildlife corridors and habitat connectivity across the United States. It establishes a National Wildlife Corridor System on Federal land, promotes collaboration among various stakeholders, and provides grant funding for projects that improve habitat connections for native species. The bill also directs research into the impacts of climate change and development on wildlife movement and seeks to coordinate conservation efforts at the State, Tribal, and local levels.
Key provisions
- Establishes a National Wildlife Corridor System on Federal land and water.
- Creates a Wildlife Corridor Grant Program to fund projects that improve habitat connectivity on non-Federal lands.
- Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct research on climate change impacts and habitat fragmentation.
- Requires the establishment of a Coordinating Committee to oversee the implementation of the Act.
- Authorizes appropriations for science, mapping, collaboration, and grant programs.
- Defines key terms such as ‘connectivity,’ ‘corridor,’ and ‘National Wildlife Corridor.’
- Prioritizes projects that benefit big game migration corridors.
- Establishes a process for nominating and designating National Wildlife Corridors.
Who is affected
- Federal Agencies
- State and Tribal Governments
- Private Landowners
- Non-governmental Organizations
- Wildlife and Native Species
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Donald S. Beyer
Cosponsors
Arguments in favor
Reasons to support this legislation.
No arguments in favor have been submitted.
Submit yoursArguments opposed
Reasons to oppose this legislation.
No arguments opposed have been submitted.
Submit yoursRead the latest version inline or switch to a previous version.
119th CONGRESS — 2d Session
H. R. 8438
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To provide for the conservation of wildlife corridors and habitat connectivity, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Connectivity Conservation Act of 2026
.
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Congress finds that—
the native fish, wildlife, and plant species in the United States are part of a rich natural heritage and an important legacy to pass on to future generations;
the populations of many native fish, wildlife, and plant species in the United States are in decline;
scientists estimate that, in the United States, 34 percent of plants and 40 percent of animals are at risk of extinction and 41 percent of ecosystems are at risk of range-wide collapse;
threats to the survival and diversity of many native fish, wildlife, and plant species in the United States include the loss, degradation, fragmentation, and obstruction of natural habitats;
habitat fragmentation reduces native biodiversity and impairs key ecosystem functions;
climate change threatens native fish, wildlife, and plant species;
the document published by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services titled Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services
(2019) found that—
1,000,000 wildlife and plant species worldwide are now threatened with extinction; and
75 percent of the land-based environment, and approximately 66 percent of the marine environment, have been significantly altered by human actions;
the conservation of new and existing landscape and seascape corridors, through which native species can transition from one habitat to another, plays an important role in helping—
to conserve native biodiversity; and
to ensure resiliency against impacts from a range of biotic and abiotic stressors;
the conservation, restoration, and establishment of new ecological connections to facilitate the movement of species into more suitable habitats is a key climate change adaptation strategy;
the protection of new and existing corridors is often one of the first steps in restoration and recovery planning;
States have recognized the importance of habitat connectivity, including through—
at least 83 pieces of State legislation passed in 20 States since 2019, which have supported actions including identification of wildlife corridors and coordination of State agencies, Tribes, non-governmental organizations, and other partners to address habitat connectivity issues; and
a New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers’ Conference on the importance of connectivity for ecosystem adaptability and resilience, biodiversity, and human communities; and
Federal policies consistently recognize the importance of voluntary improvement projects by private landowners to habitat conservation and restoration for native species.
The purposes of this Act are—
to support a natural diversity of native species, including species protected under Federal, State, and Tribal law, that have experienced or may experience diminished habitat connectivity due to habitat loss, degradation, fragmentation, or obstruction;
to provide long-term habitat connectivity for native species migration, dispersal, adaptation to climate and other environmental change, and genetic exchange;
to restore wildlife movements that have been disrupted by habitat loss, degradation, fragmentation, or obstruction;
to facilitate coordinated landscape and seascape-scale connectivity planning and management across jurisdictions; and
to support State, Tribal, local, voluntary private landowner, and Federal agency decisionmakers in the planning and development of National Wildlife Corridors.
In this Act:
The term appropriate committees of Congress means—
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate;
the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate;
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives;
the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; and
the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
The term connectivity means the degree to which the landscape or seascape facilitates wildlife movement to achieve—
dispersal and genetic exchange between populations;
range shifting, range expansion, or range restoration, such as in response to climate change;
seasonal movement or migration; or
succession, movement, or recolonization following—
a disturbance, such as fire, flood, drought, or infestation; or
population decline or previous extirpation.
The term Coordinating Committee means the Coordinating Committee established under section 205(a).
The term corridor means a feature of the landscape or seascape that provides habitat connectivity.
The term Federal land or water means any land or water, or interest in land or water, owned by the United States.
The term grant program means the wildlife movement grant program established by section 301(a).
The term habitat means land, water, and substrate that supports or may support in the future the life cycle of a native species that facilitates, with respect to the native species, spawning, breeding, feeding, growth to maturity, or migration.
The term Indian land means land of an Indian Tribe, or an Indian individual, that is—
held in trust by the United States; or
subject to a restriction against alienation imposed by the United States.
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).
section 100502 of title 54, United States Code;
section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712);
section 4(e) of the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd(e));
section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604); or
The term National Wildlife Corridor means any Federal land or water designated as a National Wildlife Corridor pursuant to section 201(a).
The term National Wildlife Corridor System means the system of National Wildlife Corridors established by section 201(a).
The term native species means—
a fish, wildlife, aquatic organism, or plant species that is or was historically present in a particular ecosystem as a result of behavioral or evolutionary processes, including subspecies and plant varieties; and
a migratory bird species that is native to the United States or its territories (as that term is defined in section 2(b)(2)(A) of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703(b)(2)(A))).
The term regional ocean partnership means a regional organization of coastal or Great Lakes States, territories, or possessions voluntarily convened by Governors to address cross-jurisdictional ocean matters, or the functional equivalent of such a regional ocean organization designated by the Governor or Governors of a State or States.
The term Secretaries means—
the Secretary of Agriculture;
the Secretary of Commerce;
the Secretary of Defense;
the Secretary of the Interior; and
the Secretary of Transportation.
The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
The term Secretary concerned
means each of the Secretaries with administrative jurisdiction over the Federal land or water at issue.
The term United States, when used in a geographical sense, means—
a State;
the District of Columbia;
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
Guam;
American Samoa;
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;
the Federated States of Micronesia;
the Republic of the Marshall Islands;
the Republic of Palau;
the United States Virgin Islands; and
the territorial sea (within the meaning of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.)) and the exclusive economic zone (as that term is defined in section 3 of that Act (16 U.S.C. 1802)) within the jurisdiction or sovereignty of the Federal Government.
The term wildlife movement means the passage of individual members or populations of native species across a landscape or seascape.
The Director shall establish and maintain a habitat connectivity mapping and science program to carry out this section.
The purpose of the program is to develop mapping and science to support Federal, State, local, and Tribal governments and the public in efforts to protect habitat connectivity.
The Director shall expand and build upon existing agency efforts to map habitat connectivity for native species. Such efforts shall include working with, incorporating data from, and sharing data between—
Federal agencies;
State, Tribal, and local governments;
nongovernmental organizations; and
academic institutions.
The Director shall—
use new data management, visualization, and analysis capabilities to analyze wildlife movements and delineate habitat connectivity; and
share these capabilities with Federal, State, local, and Tribal wildlife managers.
The Director shall develop and make available to the public—
a database of corridors and habitat connectivity; and
maps of habitat connectivity and National Wildlife Corridors to guide land-use planning and on-the-ground management of native species.
Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this section, the Director shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate a report that—
provides an assessment of existing maps, data, models, surveys, and descriptions of habitat connectivity that have been developed by—
Federal, State, Tribal, and local fish and wildlife agencies and natural heritage programs;
nongovernmental organizations; and
industry; and
identifies gaps in information about corridors and habitat connectivity.
In carrying out this section, the Director shall—
protect proprietary interests with respect to confidential information and licensed data; and
protect such information relating to the habitats and ranges of specific native fish and wildlife as the Director determines appropriate to protect such fish and wildlife.
The Director shall conduct research to help guide management of National Wildlife Corridors, including—
a study to evaluate the impacts of climate change on habitat connectivity and forecast how National Wildlife Corridors may need to shift to allow native species to adapt;
a study to develop new mapping methods to prioritize critical corridors and habitat connectivity areas; and
a study to evaluate the effectiveness of efforts to address habitat fragmentation and mitigation barriers to habitat connectivity.
In this section:
The term Director means the Director of the United States Geological Survey.
The term program means the habitat connectivity mapping and science program established by the Director under subsection (a).
There is established a system of corridors on Federal land and water, to be known as the National Wildlife Corridor System
, which shall consist of National Wildlife Corridors designated as part of the National Wildlife Corridor System by—
statute;
rulemaking; or
a land use management plan developed or revised by the Secretaries.
Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall develop a strategy for the effective development of the National Wildlife Corridor System—
to support the fulfillment of the purposes described in section 2(b);
to ensure coordination and consistency across Federal agencies in the development, implementation, and management of National Wildlife Corridors; and
to develop a timeline for the implementation of National Wildlife Corridors.
With respect to any area for which the Secretary concerned receives a nomination under subsection (a) or (b), the Secretary concerned shall make a determination not later than 1 year after the date on which the Secretary concerned receives such nomination.
existing habitat connectivity; and
potential future habitat connectivity;
whether the Federal land or water merits inclusion within the National Wildlife Corridor System because it—
provides habitat connectivity and supports wildlife movement;
has the potential to benefit more than 1 species of fish and wildlife; or
has the potential to benefit a fish or wildlife species that is listed as a threatened species or an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); and
the consideration of recommendations from the Coordinating Committee under section 205(c).
The Secretaries shall manage National Wildlife Corridors in a manner that contributes to the long-term persistence, resilience, adaptability, and movement of native species through—
the maintenance, restoration, or improvement of habitat connectivity, including establishment of goals and monitoring plans;
the prohibition of human infrastructure, development, and activities that impede wildlife movement, except where required to meet the minimum requirements for the purposes of this Act;
the implementation of strategies and activities that enhance the ability of native species to adapt to changing environmental conditions;
the use of existing conservation programs managed by the Secretary concerned to contribute to the persistence, resilience, adaptability, and wildlife movement of native species; and
Not later than 6 months after a designation under section 201, the Secretary concerned shall, in consultation with each of the Secretaries, make such land use management plans (or revisions of existing such plans) to carry out the purposes of this Act.
The Secretaries shall, during each land use management plan review, amend or revise each such plan to—
Corridors established pursuant to land use management plans may only be removed from the National Wildlife Corridor System through an amendment or revision to said plans if the corridor no longer provides effective habitat connectivity or 1 or more additional corridors have been designated that fully replace the habitat connectivity of the original corridor.
Any portion of a component of the National Wildlife Corridor System that is within the national wilderness preservation system, as established by or pursuant to the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), shall be subject to the provisions of both the that Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) and this Act and in case of conflict between the provisions of these Acts the more restrictive provisions shall apply.
Subject to valid existing rights, all Federal lands and interests in lands within a designated National Wildlife Corridor are withdrawn from—
location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and
operation of the mineral leasing, mineral materials, and geothermal leasing laws.
to improve public safety and reduce vehicle-caused fish and wildlife mortality while conserving or restoring habitat connectivity; and
to mitigate damage to wildlife movement through strategies including—
the construction, maintenance, or replacement of native species underpasses, overpasses, culverts, fences, and other mitigation measures; and
the maintenance, replacement, or removal of dams, bridges, culverts, and other hydrological obstructions.
Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this section, and not less frequently than every 5 years thereafter, the Coordinating Committee shall submit to Congress a report regarding the efforts of the Secretaries to carry out this Act and the effect of such efforts on the conservation and management of habitat connectivity, seasonal habitat, wildlife movement, and migration routes on Federal land and water, including the following with respect to Federal land and waters:
A description of existing management practices relating to the purposes of this Act.
An inventory of known wildlife movement structures and fish passage projects.
A description of opportunities to conserve and improve the quality and condition of habitat connectivity and wildlife movement.
A description of opportunities to coordinate State, Tribal, and local governments and collaborative partnership efforts to carry out this Act with other landscape-scale conservation plans.
Strategies for climate adaptation and resilience with respect to habitat connectivity and wildlife movement.
A description of opportunities to expand partnerships with State, Tribal, and local governments, collaborative partnerships, and the public to carry out the purposes of this Act.
A description of current transportation programs, funding mechanisms, and other authorities that could be used to conserve and improve habitat connectivity and wildlife movement.
The Secretaries may establish collaborative partnerships with entities described in paragraph (3) that are balanced, multi-stakeholder groups that are transparent, nonexclusive, and reasonably representative of affected interests to further the purposes of this Act that—
establish agreement on—
the role of Federal, State, Tribal, and local government agencies; and
how the Secretary concerned will coordinate efforts to conserve, restore, and manage habitat connectivity; and
identify regional liaisons to represent the collective Federal agencies in working with State, Tribal, and local governments, collaborative partnerships, and the public to carry out such conservation, restoration, and management.
The Secretaries shall each appoint a national-level coordinator to work with the regional liaisons identified under paragraph (1)(B) and monitor implementation of the efforts of collaborative partnerships.
The entities described in this paragraph are the following:
Voluntary private landowners.
Nonprofit organizations.
Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies.
Elected officials.
Stakeholder groups.
The Secretaries shall partner with, and provide technical assistance and other resources to, State, Tribal, and local governments, collaborative partnerships, and voluntary private landowners to support the purposes of this Act.
The Secretaries shall implement this title in consultation with—
other relevant Federal agencies through the Coordinating Committee;
State, Tribal, and local governments, including fish and wildlife, natural resource management, and transportation agencies;
with respect to any action that directly affects a private landowner, such private landowner;
such other stakeholders as the Secretaries determine appropriate; and
landscape- and seascape-scale partnerships, including—
National Fish Habitat Partnerships;
the Regional Fishery Management Councils established under section 302(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1852(a));
relevant regional ocean partnerships;
the Climate Science Centers of the Department of the Interior; and
Migratory Bird Joint Ventures.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretaries shall establish a coordinating committee.
The Coordinating Committee shall be composed of—
the Secretary (or a designee);
the Secretary of Transportation (or a designee);
the Secretary of Agriculture (or a designee);
the Secretary of Commerce (or a designee);
the Secretary of Defense (or a designee);
the Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (or a designee);
the Director of the National Park Service (or a designee);
the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (or a designee);
the Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (or a designee);
2 representatives of intertribal organizations representing Indian Tribes, to be appointed by the Secretary; and
not more than 3 representatives of nongovernmental, science, or academic organizations with expertise in wildlife conservation and habitat connectivity, to be appointed by the Secretary in a manner that ensures that the membership of the Coordinating Committee is fair and balanced.
Not later than 1 year after the date on which the Coordinating Committee is established, the Coordinating Committee shall develop a strategy—
for nominating national wildlife corridors for designation under section 202;
to support the fulfillment of the purposes of this Act;
to ensure coordination with Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments and collaborative partnerships in conserving National Wildlife Corridors or habitat connectivity;
such other measures as the Coordinating Committee determines necessary for implementation of this Act.
Nothing in this section authorizes—
any seizure of private property through eminent domain; or
the imposition of any restriction on the use of private land without the consent of the landowner.
The Secretary of Defense may waive any requirement of this title with respect to a military installation if such Secretary determines that such waiver is necessary—
to ensure the preparedness of the Armed Forces; or
to support the military mission of the military installation.
The Secretary of Defense shall publish each waiver issued under paragraph (1) unless such Secretary determines that such publication will have a negative effect on national security.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretaries shall issue such regulations as the Secretaries determine necessary to carry out this title.
The Secretary shall establish a wildlife movement grant program to encourage wildlife movement in accordance with this subsection.
Beginning not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, based on recommendations from the Coordinating Committee, shall make annual grants to 1 or more projects that—
satisfy the purposes described in section 2(b); and
increase habitat connectivity.
A person or entity that is eligible to receive a grant under the grant program is—
a voluntary private landowner or group of landowners;
a State fish and wildlife agency or other State agency responsible for managing natural resources and wildlife;
an Indian Tribe;
a unit of local government;
an agricultural cooperative;
a water, irrigation, or rural water district or association, or other organization with water delivery authority (including acequias and land grant communities in the State of New Mexico);
an institution of higher education;
a Federal agency; and
any group of entities described in paragraphs (1) through (8).
In administering the grant program, the Secretary shall use criteria, guidelines, contracts, reporting requirements, and evaluation metrics developed by the Coordinating Committee.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior to carry out title I $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter.
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out title II for fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter—
to the Secretary of the Interior, $20,000,000;
to the Secretary of Transportation, $18,000,000;
to the Secretary of Agriculture, $10,000,000;
to the Secretary of Commerce, $9,000,000; and
to the Secretary of Defense, $3,000,000.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior to carry out title III $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter. Each fiscal year, not less than 10 percent of the total funds shall be reserved for projects that directly conserve, restore, or enhance big game migration corridors or seasonal habitat.