Bipartisan House Group Proposes Delaware River Basin Legislation

A bipartisan group of ten U.S. Representatives from Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania introduced legislation Friday to enhance habitat, water quality and flood control improvements for fish, wildlife and people in the Delaware River Basin. 

According to a release, the legislation requires the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to identify, prioritize, and implement restoration and conservation activities in the entire Basin, which is home to eight million people and provides drinking water to 15 million.

Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-8th) was among the congress members that proposed the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act of 2011, which will not add to the current budget deficit. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will use their existing budget to implement the requirements of the legislation.

The legislation is focused on optimizing collaboration and increasing resources and local capacity for on-the-ground and community-based projects. The legislation would enable communities and citizen groups to lead the way in addressing local watershed priorities.

“A regional coordinated effort in the Delaware River Basin will ensure that our natural resources and our communities are protected,” said Fitzpatrick. “Through this legislation we will be able to better manage and mitigate flooding that occurs all too frequently along the Delaware River.”

In addition to current Basin funding and programs, a dedicated source of federal resources would bolster restoration and conservation in the region through strategic grant-making and more coordinated implementation of existing funding mechanisms at the federal, regional, state, and local level. The Delaware River Basin Restoration Grant Program will support locally-driven, on-the-ground projects by non-profits, universities, state and local governments, community organizations and others. 

A similar proposal was introduced in the Senate.