Sponsors (10)
The bill directs predictable federal funding and clearer partnership paths to protect watersheds and water supplies—benefiting local water managers, downstream communities, and ecosystems—while increasing federal spending and imposing participation, land‑management, and authority limits that may burden cash‑strapped partners, constrain some projects, and perpetuate disparities.
Local governments, rural communities, and water managers will receive predictable federal funding (about $30M/year) to support watershed restoration and water-supply projects.
Downstream communities, farmers, and municipal water systems will see stronger watershed protections and support for nature-based projects that can improve water supply/quality and reduce post‑wildfire flood and drinking‑water risks.
Local and regional water managers (acequia associations, irrigation districts, stormwater/wastewater entities) will have clearer eligibility to partner on federal projects protecting water supply and quality.
All taxpayers will face higher federal outlays (multi‑year authorizations) that increase budgetary pressure and could crowd out other priorities.
Small businesses, ranchers, and rural communities could face new limits on some land management activities (timber harvest, grazing, approvals) and on federal options (including land acquisition) needed for certain projects.
Cash‑strapped municipalities, disadvantaged communities, and small partners will find it harder to participate because non‑Federal partners must provide at least a 20% cost‑share.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Expands the Forest Service Water Source Protection Program to include adjacent non‑Federal lands, more eligible partners, prioritized project criteria, and authorizes $30M/year for 2025–2029.
Introduced January 22, 2025 by Jim Costa · Last progress January 22, 2025
Expands the Forest Service’s Water Source Protection Program to allow projects on non‑Federal lands that lie in the same watershed as treated National Forest land and to include new eligible partners such as acequia associations, stormwater/wastewater public entities, certain land‑grant entities, and private water delivery entities. It clarifies project goals (watershed health, water supply/quality, municipal/agricultural water systems, forest health and wildfire risk reduction), sets new project selection priorities, and authorizes $30 million per year for fiscal years 2025–2029 to carry out the program. The bill also adds a requirement that watershed management actions not cause long‑term degradation of watershed health or lower watershed condition classifications, and it explicitly preserves State and Federal water law, interstate compacts, treaty obligations, and prohibits federal acquisition or control of non‑Federal land under the Act.