Local Communities & Bird Habitat Stewardship Act of 2025
May 8, 2025
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Where This Stands
Currently in_committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →The Frame
The bill authorizes $1 million annually from 2026 through 2032 for grants to local governments, tribal agencies, and community groups to improve urban bird habitats and reduce wildlife-borne disease risks.
Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.
Local governments and tribal agencies
These entities are eligible to apply for competitive grants to fund bird habitat projects.
Nongovernmental organizations and community groups
These groups are eligible to apply for federal funding to support bird conservation and community engagement activities.
Department of the Interior
The agency is tasked with establishing and managing the new Urban Bird Treaty Program.
Current stage: in_committee.
Floor Vote.
Summary
Key Facts
- Authorizes $1,000,000 in annual appropriations for the Urban Bird Treaty Program for fiscal years 2026 through 2032.
- Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Urban Bird Treaty Program for voluntary bird and habitat conservation in urban areas.
- Establishes a competitive grant program for eligible entities including tribal, state, and municipal agencies, NGOs, community groups, and academic institutions.
- Requires the Director to enter into an agreement with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to administer the grant program.
- Defines 'urban' based on the definition provided in section 101(a) of title 23, United States Code.
- Program duties include protecting/restoring urban habitats, reducing urban hazards to birds, and engaging communities in scientific monitoring.
- Exempts the grant program from specific administrative requirements under section 10(a) of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act.
- Cites the 2025 State of Birds Report, noting a 50 percent loss of tipping point bird species in the last 50 years.
- Notes that birdwatching generates $279 billion in annual economic output and supports 1.4 million jobs in the U.S.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to apply for these grants?
What can the grant money be used for?
Is participation in the Urban Bird Treaty Program mandatory?
Why It Matters
The bill authorizes $1 million annually from 2026 through 2032 for grants to local governments, tribal agencies, and community groups to improve urban bird habitats and reduce wildlife-borne disease risks.
News Coverage
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Integration of Public Health and Conservation
The bill explicitly links urban bird habitat conservation to the mitigation of wildlife-borne diseases like Avian Influenza, framing environmental policy as a public health infrastructure issue.
Connected Entities
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance40How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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