Habitat Enhancement Now Act

HR 4591, the Habitat Enhancement Now Act, creates two federal grant programs to boost waterfowl populations. It provides $3.5 million annually (2026-2030) for grants to states, tribes, nonprofits, or individuals to install nesting structures (like hen houses) in the Prairie Pothole Region to improve duck nest success, and to establish nesting cover, brood ponds, and incentivize private landowners in California to enhance breeding habitat for mallards and gadwalls. The bill directly affects landowners who participate in the California program and conservation entities implementing both programs. Key mechanisms include competitive grants for specific habitat actions proven to increase nest success, based on scientific findings about declining duck populations. The funding is explicitly allocated for these targeted habitat management activities.