U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) reintroduced the Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act, legislation to help the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scale up popular, locally-led, and voluntary big game migration pilot projects with private landowners, conservationists, and agriculture groups.
Support legislation to scale up USDA locally-led and voluntary big game migration pilot projects with private landowners, conservationists, and agriculture groups.
Occurrences
Evidence
On March 26, 2026, Senators Martin Heinrich and Tim Sheehy reintroduced the Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act. This bipartisan legislation aims to help the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scale up locally-led and voluntary big game migration pilot projects with private landowners, conservationists, and agriculture groups. The bill supports local farmers, producers, and landowners who voluntarily want to facilitate big game species migration across their lands. It also prioritizes the creation and maintenance of wildlife habitat connectivity and migration corridors through existing USDA conservation programs and encourages research on virtual fencing to prevent wildlife entanglement.
GovInfo lists S. 4091 as introduced on March 12, 2026; Mr. Heinrich, for himself and Mr. Sheehy, introduced the bill, which was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Assessments
The promise was framed as supporting legislation, not necessarily securing enactment. In Sheehy's current Senate term, he joined Senator Heinrich in introducing/reintroducing S. 4091, the Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act of 2026, which directly matches the promised policy: scaling up USDA locally led, voluntary big game migration work with private landowners, conservationists, and agriculture groups. The bill does not appear to have been enacted, but the promised act of legislative support was fulfilled.
Tim Sheehy pledged to support legislation to scale up USDA locally-led and voluntary big game migration pilot projects with private landowners, conservationists, and agriculture groups. The evidence shows that Sheehy co-sponsored and reintroduced the appropriate legislation, demonstrating a serious legislative attempt to fulfill his promise. However, there is no evidence that the legislation was enacted or that the policy outcome was delivered. Therefore, the outcome is 'never' (promise not fulfilled), but significant effort was made.