Nice work as always by Rep. Donald McEachin:
Congressman McEachin Introduced the Clean Water Partnership Act
WASHINGTON – Congressman A. Donald McEachin (VA-04) introduced the Clean Water Partnership Act(H.R. 5264) to create a grant program that will help states protect waters and lands to ensure that every American has access to the clean air, water, and land that they deserve.
The bill seeks to create a new federal matching grant program that would help states either acquire lands and waters outright or else acquire specific interests in those lands and waters (e.g., conservation easements) if such acquisitions would maintain or improve water quality.
“All Americans need and deserve clean water, and all levels of government have to work together in order to fully protect that right” said Congressman McEachin. “My bill will provide states with new funding for efforts to protect or restore wetlands and other areas that directly affect water quality; it will also help states to acquire and protect waters directly. The bill also creates an incentive for other states to set up the kind of tax incentives for conservation easements that have been so successful in Virginia. Better water quality will boost local economies and improve community health, while protecting our invaluable natural resources. This bill creates a win-win-win situation for states, for local communities, and for our precious resources.”
If passed into law, the Clean Water Partnership Act will lead to lasting state-federal partnerships to help improve water quality around the country. Clean water is vital to the well-being of both our communities and our environment. Human activities significantly affect the health of our waterways — and in turn, the health of the people who use those waters.
Representatives Barragán, Cartwright, Hastings, Huffman, Jackson Lee, Jayapal, Johnson (GA), McNerney, Norton, Watson Coleman, and Wilson (FL) have cosponsored the Clean Water Partnership Act. This bill has been endorsed by: Chesapeake Climate Action Network, James River Association, League of Conservation Voters, Virginia League of Conservation Voters, and Southern Environmental Law Center.
To view complete bill text, click here.
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