[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 82 (Monday, May 19, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H4070-H4071]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[[Page H4070]]
{time} 1230
GREAT CATS AND RARE CANIDS ACT OF 2008
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1464) to assist in the conservation of rare felids and rare
canids by supporting and providing financial resources for the
conservation programs of nations within the range of rare felid and
rare canid populations and projects of persons with demonstrated
expertise in the conservation of rare felid and rare canid populations,
as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1464
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 ``Great Cats and Rare Canids
Act of 2008''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are to provide financial resources
and to foster international cooperation--
(1) to restore and perpetuate healthy populations of rare
felids and rare canids in the wild; and
(2) to assist in the conservation of rare felid and rare
canid populations worldwide.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) CITES.--The term ``CITES'' means the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora, done at Washington March 3, 1973 (27 UST 1087; TIAS
8249), including its appendices.
(2) Conservation.--The term ``conservation''--
(A) means the methods and procedures necessary to bring a
species of rare felid or rare canid to the point at which
there are sufficient populations in the wild to ensure the
long-term viability of the species; and
(B) includes all activities associated with protection and
management of a rare felid or rare canid population,
including--
(i) maintenance, management, protection, and restoration of
rare felid or rare canid 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,
governmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations and
other institutions to implement conservation programs.
(3) Fund.--The term ``Fund'' means the Great Cats and Rare
Canids Conservation Fund established by section 5.
(4) IUCN red list.--The term ``IUCN Red List'' means the
Red List of Threatened Species Maintained by the World
Conservation Union.
(5) Rare canid.--The term ``rare canid''--
(A) except as provided in subparagraph (B), means any of
the canid species dhole (Cuon alpinus), gray wolf (Canis
lupus), Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), bush dog (Speothos
venaticus), African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), maned wolf
(Chrysocyon brachyurus), and Darwin's fox, (Pseudalopex
fulvipes), including any subspecies or population of such a
species; and
(B) does not include any subspecies or population that is
native to the area comprised of the United States and Canada
or the European Union.
(6) Rare felid.--The term ``rare felid''--
(A) except as provided in subparagraph (B), means any of
the felid species lion (Panthera leo), leopard (Panthera
pardus), jaguar (Panthera onca), snow leopard (Uncia uncia),
clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), cheetah (Acinonyx
jubatus), Iberian lynx (Lynx pardina), and Borneo bay cat
(Catopuma badia), including any subspecies or population of
such a species; and
(B) does not include--
(i) any species, subspecies, or population that is native
to the United States; and
(ii) any tiger (Panthera tigris).
(7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
SEC. 4. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
(a) In General.--Subject to the availability of funds and
in consultation with other appropriate Federal officials, the
Secretary shall use amounts in the Fund to provide financial
assistance for projects for the conservation of rare felid
and rare canids for which project proposals are approved by
the Secretary in accordance with this section.
(b) Project Proposals.--
(1) Eligible applicants.--A proposal for a project for the
conservation of rare felid and canids may be submitted to the
Secretary by--
(A) any wildlife management authority of a country that has
within its boundaries any part of the range of a rare felid
or rare canid species, respectively; and
(B) any person or group with the demonstrated expertise
required for the conservation in the wild of rare felids or
rare canids, respectively.
(2) Project proposals.--To be considered for financial
assistance for a project under this Act, an applicant shall
submit a project proposal that includes--
(A) a concise statement of the purposes of the project;
(B) the name of the individual responsible for conducting
the project;
(C) a description of the qualifications of the individuals
who will conduct the project;
(D) a concise description of--
(i) methods for project implementation and outcome
assessment;
(ii) staffing for the project;
(iii) the logistics of the project; and
(iv) community involvement in the project;
(E) an estimate of funds and time required to complete the
project;
(F) evidence of support for the project by appropriate
governmental entities of the countries in which the project
will be conducted, if the Secretary determines that such
support is required for the success of the project;
(G) information regarding the source and amount of matching
funding available for the project; and
(H) any other information that the Secretary considers to
be necessary for evaluating the eligibility of the project
for funding under this Act.
(c) Project Review and Approval.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall--
(A) not later than 30 days after receiving a project
proposal, provide a copy of the proposal to the appropriate
Federal officials; and
(B) review each project proposal in a timely manner to
determine if the proposal meets the criteria specified in
subsection (d).
(2) Consultation; approval or disapproval.--Not later than
180 days after receiving a project proposal, and subject to
the availability of funds, the Secretary, after consulting
with other appropriate Federal officials, shall--
(A) ensure the proposal contains assurances that the
project will be implemented in consultation with relevant
wildlife management authorities and other appropriate
government officials with jurisdiction over the resources
addressed by the project;
(B) approve or disapprove the proposal; and
(C) provide written notification of the approval or
disapproval to the person who submitted the proposal, other
appropriate Federal officials, and each country within whose
borders the project will take place.
(d) Criteria for Approval.--The Secretary may approve a
project proposal under this section if the project will
contribute to conservation of rare felids or rare canids in
the wild by assisting efforts to--
(1) implement conservation programs;
(2) address the conflicts between humans and rare felids or
rare canids, respectively, that arise from competition for
the same habitat or resources;
(3) enhance compliance with CITES, the Endangered Species
Act of 1973, and other applicable laws that prohibit or
regulate the taking or trade of rare felids and rare canids
or regulate the use and management of rare felid and rare
canid habitat;
(4) develop sound scientific information on, or methods for
monitoring--
(A) the condition and health of rare felid or rare canid
habitat;
(B) rare felid or rare canid population numbers and trends;
and
(C) the ecological characteristics and requirements of
populations of rare felids or rare canids for which there are
little or no data;
(5) promote cooperative projects among government entities,
affected local communities, nongovernmental organizations,
and other persons in the private sector; or
(6) funds will not be appropriated for the purchase or
lease of lands to be used as suitable habitat for felids or
canids.
(e) Project Sustainability.--In approving project proposals
under this section, the Secretary shall give preference to
conservation projects that are designed to ensure effective,
long-term conservation of rare felids and rare canids and
their habitats.
(f) Matching Funds.--In determining whether to approve
project proposals under this section, the Secretary shall
give preference to projects for which there exists some
measure of matching funds.
(g) Project Reporting.--
(1) In general.--Each person that receives assistance under
this section for a project shall submit to the Secretary
periodic reports (at such intervals as the Secretary
considers necessary) that include all information that the
Secretary, after consultation with other appropriate
government officials, determines is necessary to evaluate the
progress and success of the project for the purposes of
ensuring positive results, assessing problems, and fostering
improvements.
(2) Availability to the public.--Reports under paragraph
(1), and any other documents relating to projects for which
financial assistance is provided under this Act, shall be
made available to the public.
(h) Limitations on Use for Captive Breeding or Display.--
Amounts provided as a grant under this Act--
(1) may not be used for captive breeding or display of rare
felids and rare canids other than captive breeding for
release into the wild; and
(2) may be used for captive breeding of a species for
release into the wild only if no other conservation method
for the species is biologically feasible.
(i) Advisory Group.--
(1) In general.--To assist in carrying out this Act, the
Secretary may convene an advisory group consisting of
individuals representing public and private organizations
actively involved in the conservation of felids and canids.
[[Page H4071]]
(2) Public participation.--
(A) Meetings.--The advisory group shall--
(i) ensure that each meeting of the advisory group is open
to the public; and
(ii) provide, at each meeting, an opportunity for
interested persons to present oral or written statements
concerning items on the agenda.
(B) Notice.--The Secretary shall provide to the public
timely notice of each meeting of the advisory group,
including the meeting agenda.
(C) Minutes.--Minutes of each meeting of the advisory group
shall be kept by the Secretary and shall be made available to
the public.
(3) Exemption from federal advisory committee act.--The
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not
apply to the advisory group.
SEC. 5. GREAT CATS AND RARE CANIDS CONSERVATION FUND.
(a) Establishment.--There is established, in the
Multinational Species Conservation Fund established in title
I of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1999 under the heading ``MULTINATIONAL
SPECIES CONSERVATION FUND'', a separate account to be known
as the ``Great Cats and Rare Canids Conservation Fund'',
consisting of--
(1) amounts transferred to the Secretary of the Treasury
for deposit into such account under subsection (c); and
(2) amounts appropriated to such account under section 7.
(b) Expenditures From Fund.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), upon request by
the Secretary, the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer
from the Fund to the Secretary, without further
appropriation, such amounts as the Secretary determines are
necessary to provide assistance under section 4.
(2) Administrative expenses.--Of the amounts in the Fund
available for each fiscal year, the Secretary may expend not
more than three percent, or up to $100,000, whichever is
greater, to pay the administrative expenses necessary to
carry out this Act.
(c) Acceptance and Use of Donations.--The Secretary may
accept and use donations to provide assistance under section
4, and may make public on the Internet website and in
publications of the Department of the Interior that the
Secretary is authorized to accept and use such donations.
Amounts received by the Secretary in the form of such
donations shall be transferred to the Secretary of the
Treasury for deposit into the Fund.
SEC. 6. STUDY OF CONSERVATION STATUS OF FELID AND CANID
SPECIES.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall initiate within three
months after the date of the enactment of this Act a study of
felid and canid species listed under the IUCN Red List that
are not rare canids and rare felids (as those terms are
defined in section 3), respectively, to determine--
(1) the conservation status of such species in the wild,
including identification of any such species that are
critically endangered or endangered; and
(2) any such species that should be made eligible for
assistance under this Act.
(b) Report.--Not later than two years after date of the
enactment of this Act the Secretary shall report to the
Congress the determinations made in the study, including
recommendations of additional felid species and canid species
that should be made eligible for assistance under this Act.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OR APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated--
(1) to the Fund, $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009
through 2013 to carry out this Act, other than section 6; and
(2) such sums as are necessary to carry out section 6.
SEC. 8. INELIGIBLE COUNTRIES.
Amounts provided as a grant under this Act may not be spent
on projects in Iran, Syria, Cuba, Sudan, and North Korea.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam.
General Leave
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Guam?
There was no objection.
Ms. BORDALLO. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
H.R. 1464, the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act, was introduced by our
colleague from New Mexico, Congressman Tom Udall. The overall purpose
of H.R. 1464 is to assist in the conservation of 15 imperiled cat and
canid species, such as the lion, the cheetah, the jaguar, and the
African wild dog.
The bill would establish a new Great Cat and Rare Canid Conservation
Fund to finance Federal matching grants for critical conservation
projects to conserve these endangered wildlife species and their scarce
and shrinking habitats. This legislation mirrors other highly popular
and effective laws authorizing funding to help conserve and recover
rhinoceroses, tigers, African and Asian elephants, great apes, and
marine turtles.
Great cats and rare canids are no less deserving of greater
conservation assistance than these other keystone wildlife species, and
I ask Members on both sides to support passage of this noncontroversial
bill.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1464, the Great Cats
and Rare Canids Act. Mr. Speaker, I want to give tribute and credit and
compliment to former Congressman Clay Shaw of Florida, who has long
sponsored this legislation and in the previous Congress worked
tirelessly to pass it. So today, as we pass this bill, I would like to
remember our colleague, Clay Shaw, who in fact has recognized for a
long time the need to make permanent the preservation of these large,
and small, but beautiful animals.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I would urge the passage of this bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members to support the bill,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 1464, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not
present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
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