Pacific Flyway Habitat Enhancement Act
Sponsored By: Representative LaMalfa
In Committee
Summary
Creates a new "seasonally flooded working lands" conservation agreement inside the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program. It would let USDA and state technical committees enroll additional agricultural acres, allow seasonal flooding on working cropland when at least one best management practice is used, and permit waiving the usual matching requirement while aligning rental payments with regional habitat costs.
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- Farmers and landowners: Would be able to enroll otherwise ineligible acres and still use those fields for seasonal flooding when they adopt at least one best management practice. It also directs rental payments to match regional costs for maintaining seasonally flooded habitat.
- State technical committees and USDA: Gives the Secretary, in consultation with State technical committees, authority to enroll extra land when doing so is critical to meeting agreement goals and to waive the standard matching requirement for these agreements.
- Wetland-dependent wildlife and habitats: Targets restoration and maintenance of seasonal wetland habitat on working cropland to improve quantity and quality of habitat for wetland-dependent species in the Pacific Flyway region.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
More options and payments for seasonally flooded farms
If passed, the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program would add a new type of habitat agreement for seasonally flooded working lands. USDA, with your State technical committee, could enroll other farm land not now eligible when it is critical to fix declining wetland habitat. If your cropland supports wetland-dependent species and you adopt at least one best practice, you could use seasonally flooded farming under the agreement. Annual rental payments would be set to match regional costs and keep rates consistent. For these agreements, USDA could waive the usual matching requirement.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
LaMalfa
CA • R
Cosponsors
Thompson (CA)
CA • D
Sponsored 2/18/2025
Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22]
CA • R
Sponsored 2/18/2025
Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19]
CA • D
Sponsored 2/18/2025
Costa
CA • D
Sponsored 2/18/2025
Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7]
CA • D
Sponsored 2/18/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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