MRRRI Act

Key Points

• The bill creates a new Mississippi River National Program Office inside the EPA to run a nonregulatory restoration initiative across the ten states the river flows through, from Minnesota to Louisiana.
• Funded projects must target one of six focus areas: water quality, flood resilience, fish and wildlife habitat, invasive species control, partnership building, or scientific monitoring.
• The government can give grants to states, local governments, tribes, universities, nonprofits, and individuals to carry out projects like removing old dams, restoring wetlands, and reducing farm runoff.
• At least 5 percent of program funds must go to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for tribal projects, and a Tribal Liaison position is created to coordinate directly with tribal governments.
• The bill sets up three new research centers within the U.S. Geological Survey, one national center and two regional centers, to study the river and guide restoration science.
• The Federal government generally covers up to 80 percent of project costs for non-federal partners, but covers 100 percent for tribal governments and community capacity-building projects.