Northwest Wetlands Voluntary Incentives Program Act

The bill would direct the Secretary of the Interior, through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and in coordination with Migratory Bird Joint Ventures, to create a voluntary five-year pilot program offering competitive grants and technical assistance. Grants would fund water infrastructure, management, and vegetative habitat projects that support shorebirds, waterfowl, and other wetlands-dependent birds in the Oregon and Washington coastal zone and the Columbia River Basin. Grantees would generally need a non-federal match of at least 25 percent and could not use funds for routine operation and maintenance or for meeting existing mitigation obligations. The bill authorizes $10 million per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 and states that it does not preempt state water law or interfere with private property rights.

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