[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4455 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4455

  To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide international 
  wildlife management and conservation programs through the Wildlife 
Without Borders Program in the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 11, 2007

    Mr. Young of Alaska (for himself and Mr. Saxton) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
                               Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide international 
  wildlife management and conservation programs through the Wildlife 
Without Borders Program in the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Wildlife Without Borders 
Authorization Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) our Nation has a long-standing commitment to assisting 
        other countries with the conservation of wildlife species and 
        limited wildlife conservation resources, including trained 
        wildlife professionals, are often unavailable in many foreign 
        countries containing globally important biological resources;
            (2) conservation activities, both overseas and in 
        neighboring countries, are required to meet the Federal 
        Government's obligations under numerous international treaties, 
        laws, agreements, and cooperative programs;
            (3) since 1989, the Wildlife Without Borders Program, an 
        administratively-created program within the United States Fish 
        and Wildlife Service, has provided wildlife conservation 
        assistance throughout the world by developing locally-adapted 
        wildlife management and conservation programs, in coordination 
        with non-governmental organizations, governments, private 
        businesses, and community leaders, in an effort to maintain 
        global species diversity;
            (4) activities under the Wildlife Without Borders Program 
        is responsible for implementation of over 800 conservation 
        projects around the world that address grass-roots threats to 
        numerous endangered species, habitats, and ecosystems and that 
        complement the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's 
        existing programs for African elephants, rhinoceros and tigers, 
        Asian elephants, great apes, migratory birds, and marine 
        turtles;
            (5) activities under the Wildlife Without Borders Program 
        provide education, training, and outreach to strengthen 
        capacity for habitat and wildlife conservation throughout the 
        world and serve a key role in facilitating international 
        dialogue; and
            (6) although the Secretary of the Interior is generally 
        authorized to undertake partnering and capacity building 
        activities, a specific authorization will reinforce our 
        Nation's long-term commitment to the Wildlife Without Borders 
        Program.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to provide capacity 
building, outreach, education, and training assistance in endangered 
species and strategic habitat conservation to other nations by 
providing international wildlife management and conservation programs 
through the Wildlife Without Borders Program.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Conservation.--The term ``conservation'' includes--
                    (A) the methods and procedures necessary to bring a 
                species to the point at which there are sufficient 
                populations in the wild to ensure that the species does 
                not become extinct; and
                    (B) all activities associated with protection and 
                management of a species, including--
                            (i) maintenance, management, protection, 
                        and restoration of species habitat;
                            (ii) research and monitoring;
                            (iii) law enforcement;
                            (iv) community outreach and education;
                            (v) conflict resolution initiatives; and
                            (vi) strengthening the capacity of local 
                        communities, government agencies, non-
                        governmental organizations, and other 
                        institutions to implement conservation 
                        programs.
            (2) Fish or wildlife.--The term ``fish or wildlife'' means 
        any member of the animal kingdom, including any mammal, fish, 
        bird, amphibian, reptile, mollusk, crustacean, or arthropod.
            (3) Plant.--The term ``plant'' mean any member of the plant 
        kingdom, including seeds, roots, and other parts thereof.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (5) Species.--The term ``species'' includes any subspecies 
        of fish or wildlife or plants, and any distinct population 
        segment of any species of vertebrate fish or wildlife.

SEC. 4. WILDLIFE WITHOUT BORDERS PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall carry out the Wildlife Without 
Borders Program within the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to 
provide international wildlife conservation assistance through the 
initiation, facilitation, and promotion of locally adapted wildlife 
management and conservation programs in coordination with non-
governmental organizations, governments, private businesses, and 
community leaders. Such program shall include, but shall not be limited 
to, partnership programs for grass roots capacity building, applied 
scientific conservation research, and wildlife management training.
    (b) Program Components.--The program authorized under this section 
shall include the following:
            (1) Species program.--A species program, which shall 
        comprise administration of the programs and funds authorized 
        by--
                    (A) the African Elephant Conservation Act of 1988 
                (16 U.S.C. 4201 et seq.);
                    (B) the Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997 (16 
                U.S.C. 4261 et seq.);
                    (C) the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 
                1994 (16 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.);
                    (D) the Great Ape Conservation Act of 2000 (16 
                U.S.C. 6301);
                    (E) the Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2004 (16 
                U.S.C. 6601); and
                    (F) any similar, future authority provided to the 
                Secretary and implemented by the Fish and Wildlife 
                Service.
            (2) Regional program.--A regional program, which shall--
                    (A) address grass-roots conservation problems 
                through a regional grants program focused on building 
                in-country human and institutional capacity to achieve 
                comprehensive conservation in a manner adapted to the 
                particular needs of a partner country;
                    (B) facilitate and guide delivery of other 
                international United States Fish and Wildlife Service 
                programs; and
                    (C) coordinate, develop, and implement regional 
                treaties, conventions, and accords, including regional 
                coordination mechanisms, on behalf of the United States 
                Fish and Wildlife Service.
            (3) Global program.--A global program, which shall, through 
        programs under the jurisdiction of the secretary and that are 
        implemented through the United States Fish and Wildlife 
        Service--
                    (A) implement global habitat and conservation 
                initiatives; and
                    (B) address the international aspects of global 
                conservation threats, such as invasive species and 
                wildlife disease.
    (c) Coordination.--The Secretary shall operate the program 
components authorized under this section in a coordinated fashion to 
ensure efficient and cost-effective implementation.
    (d) Additional Components.--The Secretary may include such 
additional components in the program authorized under this section as 
the Secretary considers appropriate.

SEC. 5. ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF DONATIONS.

    In administering the Wildlife Without Borders Program, the 
Secretary may accept donations of funds and to use such funds for 
capacity building, grants, and other on-the-ground uses carried out by 
the program components authorized under paragraphs (2) and (3) of 
section 4.

SEC. 6. FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT.

    The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply 
to any advisory committees established under this Act.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    To carry out this Act there is authorized to be appropriated to the 
Secretary $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2013.
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