Bill > HR2091

This bill seeks to enhance conservation efforts in the Chesapeake Bay watershed through several key initiatives. The bill establishes the Chesapeake Bay States Partnership Initiative, which will provide funding to agricultural producers in the watershed to improve water quality, restore soil and air resources, and increase agricultural resilience to climate change. It will specifically support activities like controlling erosion, reducing nutrient levels, and implementing habitat conservation measures. The bill also creates a federal task force to improve how nutrient reductions from conservation activities are analyzed and reported. Additionally, the legislation extends and expands the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), introduces a new Chesapeake Bay Watershed Turnkey Pilot Program to help landowners establish riparian buffers, and includes provisions for workforce development in agricultural sciences through grants, fellowships, and work-based learning opportunities. The bill also provides the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) with direct hire authority to more quickly recruit technical assistance personnel and includes a provision to transfer regulatory oversight of certain invasive catfish species from the USDA to the FDA. These comprehensive measures aim to support environmental conservation, agricultural sustainability, and economic development in the Chesapeake Bay region.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2091/all-info