The Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act of 2024 amends existing farm conservation programs to help wildlife move freely across private agricultural lands by creating habitat corridors and migration routes, particularly for large native mammals like deer, elk, and moose. The bill allows landowners to receive federal cost-share payments through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation Stewardship Program to restore and enhance wildlife corridors on their grasslands, while also increasing rental payment limits under the Conservation Reserve Program from $50,000 to $125,000. The legislation promotes the use of "virtual fencing" technology and other nonstructural methods to manage livestock distribution in ways that support wildlife movement, and requires the Department of Agriculture to provide technical assistance to farmers implementing these practices. The bill also establishes funding for research and extension programs to study virtual fencing technology and its effects on wildlife habitats, sensitive riparian areas, and winter ranges for large game species. These changes affect farmers and landowners who participate in USDA conservation programs and aim to address wildlife fragmentation by encouraging habitat connectivity across working agricultural lands.
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