This bill provides funding for the Department of the Interior to establish at least two and not more than five watershed pilot programs in certain states using pay-for-performance contracts. (Under the bill, a pay-for-performance contract is a contract to purchase successfully implemented outcomes at a negotiated per-unit price.)
Interior must designate a management team for each watershed pilot project. Each team must develop and implement a five-year plan for carrying out the applicable pilot.
Interior and the management team for each watershed pilot must use advance watershed analytics throughout the planning, implementation, measuring, and monitoring of projects within the pilot. This technical analysis must be conducted to identify quantifiable outcomes, costs, feasibility, and impacts of the projects before making funding available for a watershed pilot.
Further, Interior and the management team for a watershed pilot must set and publish minimum per-unit outcome prices. Interior must also enter into a pay-for-performance contract to achieve outcome-based goals described in the plan developed for the pilot.
Interior must submit specified annual and five-year reports to Congress.
Interior may approve the establishment of more than five projects if the congressional appropriations committees are notified.
