This bill creates two competitive grant programs run by the Secretary of the Interior. One program will fund placement, construction, and maintenance of "hen houses" in the prairie pothole region to improve nesting success of migratory waterfowl. The other will fund breeding-habitat projects in California, such as establishing nesting cover, creating brood ponds, and offering incentives to willing landowners. The Secretary must set up both programs within 180 days of enactment. Eligible applicants include States, local and Tribal governments, nonprofits, and individuals. Applications will follow forms and rules set by the Secretary.
If you are an eligible entity, you can apply for competitive grants to carry out the listed activities. If you are a private landowner in California, you may be offered incentives by grant recipients to host nesting cover or brood ponds on your land. If you are in the prairie pothole region, grants will support placing hen houses there. If you are not an eligible entity or landowner, there is no direct program benefit described.
For each fiscal year 2026 through 2030, $3,500,000 is to be made available to the hen house program and $3,500,000 to the California breeding habitat program from amounts made available to the Department of the Interior Office of the Secretary. That totals $17,500,000 for each program over five years and $35,000,000 combined over five years. No other cost or budget details are provided.
The bill's findings state that healthy migratory bird populations depend on wetlands and habitat. It says low nest success drives duck declines and that tools like hen houses and landowner incentives can increase nest success and supplement habitat conservation. It also says modest investments can meaningfully boost waterfowl production.
No publicly available information.