Local Communities & Bird Habitat Stewardship Act of 2025

H.R. 3276, the Local Communities & Bird Habitat Stewardship Act of 2025, would direct the Secretary of the Interior to create the Urban Bird Treaty Program within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The program is voluntary and focused on improving bird habitats in urban areas, reducing hazards to birds, and engaging communities in science, monitoring, and conservation education. It would provide technical and financial support to eligible entities (including government agencies, NGOs, community groups, and academic institutions) and would fund a competitive grant program to support research, planning, habitat restoration, monitoring, capacity building, and related activities. The grant program would be administered through a formal arrangement with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The bill authorizes $1 million annually for fiscal years 2026–2032 to carry out these activities. The bill grounds itself in findings about declining bird populations, the economic and recreational importance of birding, and the role healthy urban green spaces can play in wildlife health and disease resilience. It defines key terms (e.g., “covered entity,” “eligible entity,” and “urban”) and sets up a framework for collaboration among federal, state, tribal, NGO, community, and academic partners.