Great Ape Conservation Act of 1999

Summary: Great Ape Conservation Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to use amounts in the Great Ape Conservation Fund (to be established under this Act) to provide financial assistance for projects for the conservation of great apes (chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, and orangutans). 
Allows a project proposal to be submitted by: (1) any wildlife management authority of a country that has within its boundaries any part of the range of a great ape if such authority's activities affect a great ape population; (2) the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Secretariat; or (3) any person or group with the demonstrated expertise required for the conservation of great apes. 
Sets forth provisions governing: (1) the required elements of project proposals; (2) project review and approval; and (3) assistance recipient reporting requirements. 
Prohibits the use of grant amounts for captive breeding of great apes other than for captive breeding for release into the wild. 
Authorizes appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Great Ape Conservation Act of 
1999''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) great ape populations have declined to the point that 
        the long-term survival of the species in the wild is in serious 
        jeopardy;
            (2) the chimpanzee, gorilla, bonobo, and orangutan are 
        listed as endangered species under section 4 of the Endangered 
        Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533) and under Appendix I of 
        the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of 
        Wild Fauna and Flora (27 UST 1087; TIAS 8249);
            (3) because the challenges facing the conservation of great 
        apes are so immense, the resources available to date have not 
        been sufficient to cope with the continued loss of habitat due 
        to human encroachment and logging and the consequent diminution 
        of great ape populations;
            (4) because great apes are flagship species for the 
        conservation of the tropical forest habitats in which they are 
        found, conservation of great apes provides benefits to numerous 
        other species of wildlife, including many other endangered 
        species;
            (5) among the threats to great apes, in addition to habitat 
        loss, are population fragmentation, hunting for the bushmeat 
        trade, and live capture;
            (6) great apes are important components of the ecosystems 
        they inhabit, and studies of their wild populations have 
        provided important biological insights; and
            (7) the reduction, removal, or other effective addressing 
        of the threats to the long-term viability of populations of 
        great apes in the wild will require the joint commitment and 
        effort of countries that have within their boundaries any part 
        of the range of great apes, the United States and other 
        countries, and the private sector.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to perpetuate viable populations of great apes in the 
        wild; and
            (2) to assist in the conservation and protection of great 
        apes by supporting conservation programs of countries in which 
        populations of great apes are located and by supporting the 
        CITES Secretariat.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Agency for International Development.
            (2) 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.
            (3) Conservation.--The term ``conservation''--
                    (A) means the use of methods and procedures 
                necessary to prevent the diminution of wild populations 
                of a species; and
                    (B) includes all activities associated with 
                wildlife management, such as--
                            (i) conservation, protection, restoration, 
                        acquisition, and management of habitat;
                            (ii) in-situ research and monitoring of 
                        populations and habitats;
                            (iii) assistance in the development, 
                        implementation, and improvement of management 
                        plans for managed habitat ranges;
                            (iv) enforcement and implementation of 
                        CITES;
                            (v) enforcement and implementation of 
                        domestic laws relating to resource management;
                            (vi) development and operation of 
                        sanctuaries for members of a species rescued 
                        from the illegal trade in live animals;
                            (vii) programs for the rehabilitation of 
                        members of a species and release of the members 
                        into the wild;
                            (viii) conflict resolution initiatives; and
                            (ix) community outreach and education.
            (4) Fund.--The term ``Fund'' means the Great Ape 
        Conservation Fund established by section 5.
            (5) Great ape.--The term ``great ape'' means a chimpanzee, 
        gorilla, bonobo, or orangutan.
            (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.

SEC. 4. GREAT APE CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE.

    (a) In General.--Subject to the availability of funds and in 
consultation with the Administrator, the Secretary shall use amounts in 
the Fund to provide financial assistance for projects for the 
conservation of great apes 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 great apes 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 great ape if the activities of the authority directly 
                or indirectly affect a great ape population;
                    (B) the CITES Secretariat; or
                    (C) any person or group with the demonstrated 
                expertise required for the conservation of great apes.
            (2) Required elements.--A project proposal shall include--
                    (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) staff and community management for the 
                        project; and
                            (iii) the logistics of the project;
                    (E) an estimate of the 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 
                Administrator; and
                    (B) review each project proposal 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 the 
        Administrator, shall--
                    (A) request written comments on the proposal from 
                the government of each country in which the project is 
                to be conducted;
                    (B) after taking into consideration any comments 
                submitted in response to the request, approve or 
                disapprove the proposal; and
                    (C) provide written notification of the approval or 
                disapproval to the person who submitted the proposal, 
                the Administrator, and each country described in 
                subparagraph (A).
    (d) Criteria for Approval.--The Secretary may approve a project 
proposal under this section if the project will enhance programs for 
conservation of great apes by assisting efforts to--
            (1) implement conservation programs;
            (2) address the conflicts between humans and great apes 
        that arise from competition for the same habitat;
            (3) enhance compliance with CITES and laws of the United 
        States or a foreign country that prohibit or regulate the 
        taking or trade of great apes or regulate the use and 
        management of great ape habitat;
            (4) develop sound scientific information on, or methods for 
        monitoring--
                    (A) the condition and health of great ape habitat;
                    (B) great ape population numbers and trends; or
                    (C) the current and projected threats to the 
                habitat, current and projected numbers, or current and 
                projected trends; or
            (5) promote cooperative projects on the issues described in 
        paragraph (4) among foreign governments, affected local 
        communities, nongovernmental organizations, or other persons in 
        the private sector.
    (e) Project Sustainability.--To the maximum extent practicable, in 
determining whether to approve project proposals under this section, 
the Secretary shall give preference to conservation projects that are 
designed to ensure effective, long-term conservation of great apes 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 matching funds are available.
    (g) Project Reporting.--
            (1) In general.--Each person that receives assistance under 
        this section for a project shall submit to the Secretary and 
        the Administrator periodic reports (at such intervals as the 
        Secretary considers necessary) that include all information 
        that the Secretary, after consultation with the Administrator, 
        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.--Amounts provided as a 
grant under this Act may not be used for captive breeding of great apes 
other than for captive breeding for release into the wild.

SEC. 5. GREAT APE CONSERVATION FUND.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the general fund of the 
Treasury a trust fund to be known as the ``Great Ape Conservation 
Fund'', consisting of--
            (1) amounts transferred to the Secretary of the Treasury 
        for deposit into the Fund under subsection (e);
            (2) amounts appropriated to the Fund under section 6; and
            (3) any interest earned on investment of amounts in the 
        Fund under subsection (c).
    (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.--An amount not to exceed 6 
        percent of the amounts in the Fund shall be available for each 
        fiscal year to pay the administrative expenses necessary to 
        carry out this Act.
    (c) Investment of Amounts.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall invest 
        such portion of the Fund as is not, in the judgment of the 
        Secretary of the Treasury, required to meet current 
        withdrawals. Investments may be made only in interest-bearing 
        obligations of the United States.
            (2) Acquisition of obligations.--For the purpose of 
        investments under paragraph (1), obligations may be acquired--
                    (A) on original issue at the issue price; or
                    (B) by purchase of outstanding obligations at the 
                market price.
            (3) Sale of obligations.--Any obligation acquired by the 
        Fund may be sold by the Secretary of the Treasury at the market 
        price.
            (4) Credits to fund.--The interest on, and the proceeds 
        from the sale or redemption of, any obligations held in the 
        Fund shall be credited to and form a part of the Fund.
    (d) Transfers of Amounts.--
            (1) In general.--The amounts required to be transferred to 
        the Fund under this section shall be transferred at least 
        monthly from the general fund of the Treasury to the Fund on 
        the basis of estimates made by the Secretary of the Treasury.
            (2) Adjustments.--Proper adjustment shall be made in 
        amounts subsequently transferred to the extent prior estimates 
        were in excess of or less than the amounts required to be 
        transferred.
    (e) Acceptance and Use of Donations.--The Secretary may accept and 
use donations to provide assistance under section 4. Amounts received 
by the Secretary in the form of donations shall be transferred to the 
Secretary of the Treasury for deposit into the Fund.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Fund $5,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2000 through 2004.