Sponsors (8)
Official title: Direct restoration and protection efforts of the 5-State Connecticut River Watershed region, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 14, 2025 by Jeanne Shaheen · Last progress May 14, 2025
The bill directs substantial, targeted federal support to restore and protect the Connecticut River Watershed—boosting access, resilience, and participation by Tribes and disadvantaged communities—while increasing federal spending, administrative complexity, and some oversight and implementation risks.
Local, tribal, state governments and nonprofits will gain substantial grant funding (up to 75% normally and 90–100% for environmental justice communities) and multi‑year predictable support for watershed restoration and resilience projects through FY2026–2030.
Residents, recreationists, and property owners in the Connecticut River Watershed will see improved water quality, expanded public access to rivers, trails and recreational areas, and greater flood resilience from coordinated, nature‑based restoration projects.
Tribal and Indigenous governments and organizations are explicitly recognized, consulted, and supported—affirming traditional ecological knowledge and increasing eligibility for projects and funding.
The bill authorizes open‑ended spending ('such sums as are necessary') and creates new federal grant programs, potentially increasing taxpayer costs without a specific appropriation cap.
Implementing new definitions, program rules, and required annual reporting will create administrative burdens and personnel costs for federal agencies and for grant recipients.
Coordination and consultation across federal, state, tribal, and local jurisdictions could delay project approvals and on‑the‑ground actions while agencies negotiate priorities and plans.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Creates a coordinated, nonregulatory watershed partnership and competitive grant program to fund restoration, conservation, resilience, and environmental‑justice projects across the Connecticut River watershed.
Creates a federally supported, nonregulatory watershed partnership and a competitive grant and technical assistance program to coordinate restoration, conservation, and resilience projects across the five‑State Connecticut River watershed. The Department of the Interior must stand up the partnership and grant program within 180 days, prioritize work that benefits fish, wildlife, water quality, public access, nature‑based resilience, farmland conservation, and environmental justice communities, and report annually to Congress. Funding is authorized through FY2026–2030 with at least 75% of annual resources required to go to grants and technical assistance.