Sponsors (5)
The bill substantially expands federal support, mapping, and grant-backed efforts to improve wildlife connectivity—benefiting species, communities, and conservation planning—but it requires significant new taxpayer funding and imposes administrative and regulatory costs that may constrain some local economies and burden agencies and smaller applicants.
State, Tribal, local communities, nonprofits, and rural residents will see improved habitat connectivity and species protection as the bill establishes coordinated landscape- and seascape-scale wildlife corridors that support migration, genetic exchange, and climate adaptation.
Private landowners, tribes, local governments, and rural communities can receive grants and technical support to restore and connect habitats, creating stewardship jobs and supporting local economies while advancing on-the-ground corridor projects.
State, federal, and local agencies, plus tribes, get clearer statutory definitions and alignment with existing laws, reducing legal ambiguity and streamlining implementation and eligibility for corridor and habitat programs.
Taxpayers nationwide will fund new recurring federal spending (authorized at roughly $135M+ per year beginning FY2026), increasing federal expenditures and budgetary commitments.
Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies will face added administrative burdens and costs to plan, coordinate, update plans, consult, and implement data-sharing and reporting, potentially diverting staff and funds from other priorities.
Rural communities, small businesses, and workers in resource sectors may lose or see restricted economic opportunities because corridor designations and withdrawals on federal land can limit mining, leasing, development, and complicate infrastructure projects.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Establishes a National Wildlife Corridor System, funds USGS mapping and research, and creates a grant program to restore and protect habitat connectivity on non‑Federal lands.
Introduced April 22, 2026 by Donald Sternoff Beyer · Last progress April 22, 2026
Creates a coordinated federal program to map, protect, and restore wildlife movement routes across U.S. lands and waters, establishes a National Wildlife Corridor System on federal lands and waters, and funds science, mapping, and grants to support connectivity projects on non‑Federal lands. It directs the USGS to build and share connectivity maps and research; requires federal land managers to identify, prioritize, and manage corridors; and sets up a grant program to pay for voluntary restoration and conservation actions on private, tribal, state, and local lands.