,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fdd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,february #ac1 #bjac 
,mr4 ,carney 7for himself1 ,mr4         
,andrews1 ,mr4 ,cartwright1 ,mr4 ,dent1 
,mr4 ,fitzpatrick1 ,mr4 ,gibson1 ,mr4   
,holt1 ,mr4 ,lo,biondo1 ,mr4 ,meehan1   
,mr4 ,runyan1 and ,ms4 ,schwartz7       
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,natural 
,resources1 and in addition to the      
,committee on ,transportation and       
,infrastructure1 for a period to be     
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of 
the ,interior to establish a program to 
build on and help coordinate funding for
 restoration and protection efforts of  
the #d-,state ,delaware ,river ,basin   
region1 and for other purposes4  #a4    
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,delaware ,river ,basin             

,conservation ,act of #bjac4  #b4       
,findings ,congress finds that--  7#a7  
the ,delaware ,river ,basin is a        
national treasure of great cultural1    
environmental1 and ecological           
importance2  7#b7 the ,basin contains   
over #ab1ejj square miles of land in the
 ,states of ,delaware1 ,new ,jersey1    
,new ,york1 and ,pennsylvania1 including
 nearly #hjj square miles of bay and    
more than #b1jjj tributary rivers and   
streams2  7#c7 the ,basin is home to    
more than #h1jjj1jjj people who depend  
on the ,delaware ,river and the         
,delaware ,bay as an economic engine1 a 
place of recreation1 and a vital habitat
 for fish and wildlife2  7#d7 the ,basin
 provides clean drinking water to more  
than #ae1jjj1jjj people1 including ,new 
,york ,city1 which relies on the ,basin 
for approximately half of the drinking  
water supply of the city1 and           
,philadelphia1 whose most significant   
threat to the drinking water supply of  
the city is forest clearing in the      

,upper ,basin1 according to a study     
conducted by the ,philadelphia ,water   
,department2  7#e7 almost #ahj species  
of fish and wildlife are considered     
special status species in the ,basin due
 to habitat loss and degradation1       
particularly sturgeon1 eastern oyster1  
and red knots1 which have been          
identified as unique species in need of 
habitat improvement2  7#f7 the ,basin   
provides habitat for over #bjj resident 
and migrant fish species1 includes      
significant recreational fisheries1 and 
is a prolific source of eastern oyster1 
blue crab1 and the largest population of
 the ,american horseshoe crab2  7#g7 the
 annual value of commercial ,eastern    
oyster landings for the ,delaware       
,estuary is #c1gjj1jjj per year in #bjaj
 dollars1 making it the fourth-most     
lucrative fishery in the ,delaware      
,river ,basin watershed1 and oyster     
populations are rebounding despite many 
years of below-average biological       
recruitment due1 in part1 to pollution  

and disease2  7#h7 the ,delaware ,bay   
has the second largest concentration of 
shorebirds in ,north ,america and is    
designated as #a of the #d most         
important shorebird migration sites in  
the world2  7#i7 the ,basin1 #ej percent
 of which is forested1 also has         
#a1jjj1jjj acres of wetland1 more than  
#abf1jjj acres of which are recognized  
as internationally important1 resulting 
in a landscape that provides essential  
ecosystem services1 including           
recreation1 commercial1 and water       
quality benefits2  7#aj7 much of the    
remaining exemplary natural landscape in
 the ,basin is vulnerable to further    
degradation1 as the ,basin gains        
approximately #ad square miles of       
developed land annually1 and with new   
development1 urban watersheds are       
increasingly covered by impervious      
surfaces1 amplifying the quantity of    
polluted runoff into rivers and streams2
  7#aa7 the ,delaware ,river is the     
longest undammed river east of the      

,mississippi1 and a critical component  
of the ,national ,wild and ,scenic      
,rivers ,system in the ,northeast2      
7#ab7 management of water volume in the 
,basin is critical to flood mitigation  
and habitat for fish and wildlife1 and  
following #c major floods along the     
,delaware ,river since #bjjd1 the       
,governors of the ,states of ,delaware1 
,new ,jersey1 ,new ,york1 and           
,pennsylvania have called for natural   
flood damage reduction measures to      
combat the problem1 including restoring 
the function of riparian corridors2     
7#ac7 the ,delaware ,river ,port        
,complex 7including docking facilities  
in the ,states of ,delaware1 ,new       
,jersey1 and ,pennsylvania7 is one of   
the largest freshwater port in the      
world1 the ,port of ,philadelphia       
handles the largest volume of           
international tonnage and #gj percent of
 the oil shipped to the ,east ,coast1   
and the ,port of ,wilmington1 a         
full-service deepwater port and marine  

terminal1 is the busiest terminal on the
 ,delaware ,river1 handling more than   
#djj vessels per year with an annual    
import_/export cargo tonnage of more    
than #d1jjj1jjj tons2  7#ad7 the        
,delaware ,estuary1 where freshwater    
from the ,delaware ,river mixes with    
saltwater from the ,atlantic ,ocean1 is 
#a of the largest and most complex of   
the #bh estuaries in the ,national      
,estuary ,program1 and the ,partnership 
for the ,delaware ,estuary works to     
improve the environmental health of the 
,delaware ,estuary2  7#ae7 the ,delaware
 ,river ,basin ,commission is a         
,federal-interstate compact government  
agency charged with overseeing a unified
 approach to managing the river system  
and implementing important water        
resources management projects and       
activities throughout the ,basin that   
are in the national interest2  7#af7    
restoration activities in the ,basin are
 supported through several ,federal and 
,state agency programs1 and funding for 

those important programs should continue
 and complement the establishment of the
 ,delaware ,river ,basin ,restoration   
,program1 which is intended to build on 
and help coordinate restoration and     
protection funding mechanisms at the    
,federal1 ,state1 regional1 and local   
levels2 and  7#ag7 the existing and     
ongoing voluntary conservation efforts  
in the ,delaware ,river ,basin          
necessitate improved efficiency and     
cost-effectiveness1 as well as increased
 private-sector investments and         
coordination of ,federal and            
non-,federal resources4  #c4            
,definitions ,in this ,act3  7#a7 ,basin
 ,the term ,basin means the #d-,state   
,delaware ,basin region1 including all  
of ,delaware ,bay and portions of the   
,states of ,delaware1 ,new ,jersey1 ,new
 ,york1 and ,pennsylvania located in the
 ,delaware ,river watershed4  7#b7      
,basin ,state ,the term ,basin ,state   
means each of the ,states of ,delaware1 
,new ,jersey1 ,new ,york1 and           

,pennsylvania4  7#c7 ,director ,the term
 ,director means the ,director of the   
,united ,states ,fish and ,wildlife     
,service4  7#d7 ,foundation ,the term   
,foundation means the ,national ,fish   
and ,wildlife ,foundation1 a            
congressionally chartered foundation    
established by section #b of the        
,national ,fish and ,wildlife           
,foundation ,establishment ,act 7#af    
,u4,s4,c4 #cgja74  7#e7 ,grant program  
,the term grant program means the       
,delaware ,river ,basin restoration     
grant program established under section 
#e4  7#f7 ,program ,the term program    
means the ,delaware ,river ,basin       
restoration program established under   
section #d4  7#g7 ,restoration and      
protection ,the term restoration and    
protection means the conservation1      
protection1 and enhancement of fish and 
wildlife1 as well as the habitats of    
fish and wildlife4  7#h7 ,secretary ,the
 term ,secretary means the ,secretary of
 the ,interior1 acting through the      

,director4  7#i7 ,service ,the term     
,service means the ,united ,states ,fish
 and ,wildlife ,service4  #d4 ,program  
establishment  7a7 ,establishment ,not  
later than #ahj days after the date of  
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
shall establish a program to be known as
 the ,delaware ,river ,basin restoration
 program4  7b7 ,duties ,in carrying out 
the program1 the ,secretary shall--     
7#a7 draw on existing and new management
 plans for the ,basin1 or portions of   
the ,basin1 and work in consultation    
with applicable management entities1    
including representatives of the        
,partnership for the ,delaware ,estuary1
 the ,delaware ,river ,basin            
,commission1 the ,federal ,government1  
and other ,state and local governments1 
and regional and nonprofit              
organizations1 as appropriate1 to       
identify1 prioritize1 and implement     
restoration and protection activities   
within the ,basin2  7#b7 adopt a        
basin-wide strategy that--  7,a7        

supports the implementation of a shared 
set of science-based restoration and    
protection activities developed in      
accordance with paragraph 7#a72  7,b7   
targets cost-effective conservation     
projects2  7,c7 supports measurable     
conservation efforts2 and  7,d7         
maximizes conservation outcomes with no 
net gain of ,federal full-time          
equivalent employees2  7#c7 establish   
the grant program in accordance with    
section #e2 and  7#d7 provide for       
technical assistance in accordance with 
this ,act4  7c7 ,coordination ,in       
establishing the program1 the ,secretary
 shall consult1 as appropriate1 with--  
7#a7 the heads of ,federal agencies1    
including--  7,a7 the ,administrator of 
the ,environmental ,protection ,agency2 
7,b7 the ,administrator of the ,national
 ,oceanic and ,atmospheric              
,administration2  7,c7 the ,chief of the
 ,natural ,resource ,conservation       
,service2  7,d7 the ,chief of ,engineers
 of the ,corps of ,engineers2 and  7,e7 

the head of any other applicable agency2
  7#b7 the ,governors of the ,basin     
,states2  7#c7 the ,partnership for the 
,delaware ,estuary2  7#d7 the ,delaware 
,river ,basin ,commission2  7#e7 fish   
and wildlife joint venture partnerships2
 and  7#f7 other public agencies and    
organizations with authority for the    
planning and implementation of          
conservation strategies in the ,basin4  
7d7 ,purposes ,the purposes of the      
program include--  7#a7 coordinating    
restoration and protection activities   
among ,federal1 ,state1 local1 and      
regional entities and conservation      
partners throughout the ,basin2  7#b7   
carrying out coordinated restoration and
 protection activities throughout the   
,basin and ,basin ,states--  7,a7 to    
sustain and enhance fish and wildlife   
habitat restoration and protection      
activities2  7,b7 to improve and        
maintain water quality to support fish  
and wildlife1 as well as the habitats of
 fish and wildlife2  7,c7 to sustain and

 enhance water management and flood     
damage mitigation improvements to       
benefit fish and wildlife habitat2  7,d7
 to improve opportunities for public    
access and recreation in the ,basin2    
7,e7 to encourage environmentally       
sensitive land use planning and         
development2  7,f7 to increase the      
capacity to implement coordinated       
restoration and protection activities in
 the ,basin by conducting public        
outreach and education and promoting    
citizen involvement2 and  7,g7 to       
increase scientific capacity to support 
the planning1 monitoring1 and research  
activities necessary to carry out       
coordinated restoration and protection  
activities2 and  7#c7 providing         
competitive grants for technical        
assistance to carry out restoration and 
protection activities in the ,basin1    
with priority given to activities with  
multiple benefits1 as described in      
paragraph 7#b74  #e4 ,grants and        
assistance  7a7 ,delaware river basin   

restoration program ,to the extent that 
funds are available to carry out this   
section1 the ,secretary shall establish 
a grant program to be known as the      
,delaware ,river ,basin restoration     
grant program to provide competitive    
matching grants of varying amounts to   
,state and local governments1 nonprofit 
organizations1 community organizations1 
institutions of higher education1 and   
other eligible entities to carry out    
activities described in section #d7;d74 
7b7 ,criteria ,the ,secretary1 in       
consultation with the organizations     
described in section #d7;c71 shall      
develop criteria for the grant program  
to help ensure that activities funded   
under this section accomplish #a or more
 of the following3  7#a7 ,restoration or
 protection of fish and wildlife and the
 habitats of fish and wildlife4  7#b7   
,improvement or protection of water     
quality by reducing pollutants and      
restoring headwater areas and drinking  
water basins4  7#c7 ,improvement of the 

management of water volume and          
mitigation of flood damage to support   
the ecological needs of fish and        
wildlife and the habitats of fish and   
wildlife4  7#d7 ,inclusion of priority  
needs or actions identified in the      
basin-wide strategy adopted under       
section #d7;b77#b74  7#e7 ,inclusion of 
restoration and protection activities   
with multiple benefits in the ,basin1   
including habitat1 water quality1 and   
flood damage mitigation4  7c7 ,cost     
sharing  7#a7 ,federal share ,the       
,federal share of the cost of a project 
funded under the grant program shall not
 exceed #ej percent of the total cost of
 the activity1 as determined by the     
,secretary4  7#b7 ,non-,federal share   
,the non-,federal share of the cost of a
 project funded under the grant program 
may be provided in cash or in the form  
of an in-kind contribution of services  
or materials4  7d7 ,administration  7#a7
 ,in general ,the ,secretary may enter  
into an agreement to manage the grant   

program with the ,national ,fish and    
,wildlife ,foundation or a similar      
organization that offers grant          
management services4  7#b7 ,funding ,if 
the ,secretary enters into an agreement 
under paragraph 7#a71 the organization  
selected shall--  7,a7 for each fiscal  
year1 receive amounts to carry out this 
section in an advance payment of the    
entire amount on ,october #a1 or as soon
 as practicable thereafter1 of that     
fiscal year2  7,b7 invest and reinvest  
those amounts for the benefit of the    
grant program2 and  7,c7 otherwise      
administer the grant program to support 
partnerships between the public and     
private sectors in accordance with this 
,act4  7#c7 ,requirements ,if the       
,secretary enters into an agreement with
 the ,foundation under paragraph 7#a71  
any amounts received by the ,foundation 
under this section shall be subject to  
the ,national ,fish and ,wildlife       
,foundation ,establishment ,act 7#af    
,u4,s4,c4 #cgja et seq471 excluding     

section #aj7;a7 of that ,act 7#af       
,u4,s4,c4 #cgji7;a774  7e7 ,technical   
assistance ,the ,secretary may provide1 
or provide for1 technical assistance to 
carry out this section1 on a            
nonreimbursable basis1 to--  7#a7 other 
,federal agencies2  7#b7 ,state and     
local governments2  7#c7 nonprofit      
organizations2  7#d7 community          
organizations2  7#e7 institutions of    
higher education2 or  7#f7 other        
entities1 as the ,secretary determines  
to be appropriate4  #f4 ,annual reports 
,not later than #ahj days after the date
 of enactment of this ,act and annually 
thereafter1 the ,secretary shall submit 
to ,congress a report on the            
implementation of this ,act1 including a
 description of each project that has   
received funding under this ,act4  #g4  
,authorization of ,appropriations  7a7  
,in general ,the ,united ,states ,fish  
and ,wildlife ,service shall use funds  
within its existing budgetary authority 
to carry out this ,act4  7b7 ,use ,of   

any amount made available each fiscal   
year to carry out this ,act1 the        
,secretary shall use at least #ge       
percent to carry out the grant program  
under section #e including to provide1  
or provide for1 technical assistance    
under section #e7;e74