Hudson-Mohawk River Basin Act

Hudson-Mohawk River Basin Act

This bill requires the Department of the Interior to establish a nonregulatory Hudson-Mohawk River Basin Restoration Program, under which it shall:

• draw on management plans for the Hudson-Mohawk River Basin and work with applicable management entities, including the federal government, state and local governments, and regional and nonprofit organizations, to identify, prioritize, and implement water resources activities within the basin;
• adopt a basin-wide strategy that coordinates activities being undertaken by the basin states (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont), advisory committees, local governments, institutions of higher education, and nongovernmental organizations to address environmental, economic, and cultural issues associated with the management and use of water resources in the basin and that supports implementation of science-based restoration and protection activities; and
• establish the Hudson-Mohawk River Basin grant program to provide competitive matching grants and technical assistance to state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and other eligible entities to carry out specified restoration and protection activities.

Program purposes are listed, including:

• addressing the management, development, conservation, and use of water resources throughout the basin;
• coordinating restoration and protection activities;
• carrying out coordinated restoration and protection activities and providing technical assistance throughout the basin states;
• maintaining an inventory of historic and cultural resources of the basin and identifying projects to provide for cultural enrichment, preservation of cultural resources, public education about local heritage and historical significance of properties, canals, and historic sites within the basin; and
• providing a mechanism to promote communication, coordination, and collaborative working relationships among entities working in the basin.

Interior shall develop criteria to ensure that activities funded through the grant program accomplish identified purposes and advance the implementation of priority actions or needs identified in the basin-wide strategy.