Wyden, Crapo Introduce Bill to Improve Wetland Habitats in the Pacific Northwest
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, today introduced bipartisan legislation that would improve wetland habitats in the Pacific Northwest.
“Restoring our wetlands is about more than just providing habitat for birds and other wildlife living along the Pacific Northwest coast. It is about investing in the watersheds where Tribes, farmers, and other local Pacific Northwest communities have maintained their way of life for generations,” Wyden said. “Our bipartisan bill will make sure Oregonians and people across the Pacific Northwest can continue to benefit from healthy landscapes that provide the clean water and habitat that make our region so special.”
“Preserving critical wetland habitat is vital to protecting open landscapes for the diverse species – including numerous varieties of birds and fish – that call Idaho home,” Crapo said. “Investments in public-private partnerships in Idaho and the Pacific Northwest will help keep wild spaces wild and protect the natural wonders that Idahoans treasure.”
The Northwest Wetlands Voluntary Incentives Program Act would establish a federal grant and assistance program empowering government agencies, tribes, nonprofits, landowners, among other entities to work together in both restoring and enhancing habitats for wetland-dependent birds living in the Columbia River Basin and along Oregon and Washington’s coast. These projects include water infrastructure and management and enhancement of vegetative habitat, which could be implemented on public, private, Tribal, and other land determined by the Interior Secretary.
The text of the bill is here.
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