Bill > S4091

This bill, titled the "Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act of 2026," aims to improve wildlife habitat connectivity and migration corridors by amending the Food Security Act of 1985. It introduces a definition for "native big game species," which includes large native mammals like deer, elk, pronghorn, sheep, and moose, and emphasizes their importance in conservation efforts. The bill allows for cost-share payments through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) for grasslands enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) that are ecologically significant, provided these activities don't duplicate benefits from other federal programs and don't interfere with emergency grazing or haying. It also increases the payment limitation for CRP rental payments and expands EQIP to cover wildlife habitat connectivity and restoration. Furthermore, the bill mandates the incorporation of non-structural livestock management methods, such as virtual fencing, into conservation practice standards and ensures technical assistance is available for these methods. Finally, it directs research and extension grants to study virtual fencing's effects on natural resources and range health, particularly for native big game species.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4091/all-info