H.R. 9226 — Connecticut River Watershed Partnership Act

This section defines terms used throughout the Act. It defines an environmental justice community as one with significant representation of communities of color, low-income communities, or Tribal and Indigenous communities that experiences or is at risk of higher adverse human health or environmental effects. It defines the Foundation as the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the grant program as the voluntary Connecticut River Watershed Partnership grant program, the program as the nonregulatory Connecticut River Watershed Partnership program, restoration and protection as conservation and enhancement of land and water for fish, wildlife, and people, the Secretary as the Secretary of the Interior acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Tribes as Native American groups indigenous to the Watershed regardless of federal or state recognition, the Watershed as the five-state region draining into the Connecticut River and its tributaries, and Watershed States as Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

This section establishes the Connecticut River Watershed Partnership program within 180 days of enactment. The nonregulatory program directs the Secretary to coordinate with federal agencies, the four watershed states, tribes, and other partners to adopt a watershed-wide strategy that implements restoration and protection activities, including fish and wildlife habitat recovery, water quality improvement, nature-based resilience measures, farmland conservation, open space access, and engagement with environmental justice communities.

This section establishes the Connecticut River Watershed Partnership grant program to provide competitive matching grants and technical assistance to states, tribes, local governments, nonprofits, and institutions of higher education for watershed restoration and protection activities. The federal share of project costs is capped at 75 percent generally, 90 percent for environmental justice communities, and up to 100 percent with a waiver for financial hardship; the Secretary may contract with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for administration with advance annual payments.

This section requires the Secretary to submit to Congress, not later than 180 days after enactment and annually thereafter, a report on implementation of the Act, including a description of each project that received funding under the grant program in the preceding fiscal year.

This section authorizes such sums as necessary for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to carry out the Act. It requires that at least 75 percent of the amounts be used for the grant program and related technical assistance, and that the funds supplement rather than supplant other activities in the Watershed.