II 110th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1641 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 18, 2007 Mr. Coleman (for himself and Mr. Baucus) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works A BILL To amend Public Law 87–383 to reauthorize appropriations to promote the conservation of migratory waterfowl and to offset or prevent the serious loss of important wetland and other waterfowl habitat essential to the preservation of migratory waterfowl, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Wetlands Loan Act of 2007.

2.

Authorization of funds for conservation of migratory waterfowl and habitat

The first section of Public Law 87–383 (16 U.S.C. 715k–3) is amended— (1)by striking That in and inserting the following:

1.

Authorization of funds for conservation of migratory waterfowl habitat

(a)

In general

In

; (2)by striking for the period and all that follows through the end of the sentence and inserting $40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2018.; and (3)by adding at the end the following: (b)

Advance to Migratory Bird Conservation Fund

Funds appropriated pursuant to this Act shall be treated as an advance, without interest, to the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. (c)

Repayment to Treasury

(1)

In general

Effective beginning July 1, 2010, funds appropriated pursuant to this Act shall be repaid to the Treasury out of the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. (2)

Amounts

Repayment under this subsection shall be made in annual amounts that are equal to the funds accruing annually to the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund that are attributable to the portion of the price of migratory bird hunting stamps sold that year that is in excess of $15 per stamp. (3)

Use of amounts

In any year for which funds are not appropriated pursuant to this Act, and no amount remains to be repaid to the Treasury out of the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund under paragraph (1), the total amount attributable to the portion of the price of migratory bird hunting stamps sold for that year that is in excess of $15 per stamp shall be deposited in the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. .

3.

Price of stamps

Section 2 of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act (16 U.S.C. 718b) is amended by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following: (b)

Price of stamps

(1)

In general

For each stamp sold by an authorized entity under subsection (a)(1), the authorized entity shall collect— (A)$22 during each of hunting years 2009 through 2015; (B)$29 during each of hunting years 2016 through 2022; and (C)$35 during hunting year 2023 and each hunting year thereafter. (2)

Reports

(A)

Initial report

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Wetlands Loan Act of 2007, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, shall submit to Congress a report that includes a comparison by the Secretary of the Interior of— (i)the price of each stamp sold under subsection (a)(1) during the hunting year following the hunting year in which the Wetlands Loan Act of 2007 was enacted; and (ii)for each hunting year during the period beginning with hunting year 1991 and ending with the hunting year in which the Wetlands Loan Act of 2007 was enacted, the purchasing power of the amount of revenue generated by the total quantity of stamps sold during the hunting year under subsection (a)(1). (B)

Final report

Not later than 1 year after the date on which the funds advanced under section 1 of Public Law 87–383 (16 U.S.C. 715k–3) are repaid, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, shall submit to Congress a report that includes a comparison by the Secretary of the Interior of— (i)the price of each stamp sold under subsection (a)(1) during the hunting year in which the funds advanced under section 1 of Public Law 87–383 (16 U.S.C. 715k–3) are repaid; and (ii)for each hunting year during the period beginning with hunting year 1991 and ending with the hunting year in which the funds advanced under section 1 of Public Law 87–383 (16 U.S.C. 715k–3) are repaid, the purchasing power of the amount of revenue generated by the total quantity of stamps sold during the hunting year under subsection (a)(1). .

4.

Sense of Congress regarding the use of certain funds

It is the sense of Congress that— (1)the funds generated pursuant to the amendments made by this Act— (A)should be used for preserving and increasing waterfowl populations in accordance with the goals and objectives of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan; and (B)to that end, should be used to supplement and not replace current conservation funding, including funding for other Federal and State habitat conservation programs; (2)where practicable, fee title acquisitions under this Act should be managed for public access in accordance with the requirements of any waterfowl production area designated as a component of the National Wildlife Refuge System under section 4 of the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd(a)(1)); and (3)this Act and the amendments made by this Act should be implemented in a manner that helps private landowners achieve long-term land use objectives in a manner that enhances the conservation of wetland and wildlife habitat.