Keystone Species Conservation Act of 1999

Summary: Directs the Secretary of the Interior, subject to the availability of funds, to use amounts in the Keystone Species Conservation Account established by this Act to provide financial assistance for projects for the conservation of keystone species throughout the world for which project proposals are approved by the Secretary. Permits proposals for projects for the conservation of a keystone species to be submitted to the Secretary by: (1) a country's wildlife management authority that has within its boundaries any part of the range of a keystone species, if the agency has authority over fish or wildlife and the agency's activities affect the species; (2) the CITES Secretariat; or (3) any person with demonstrated expertise in the conservation of such species.
Gives priority in funding to projects that: (1) will enhance programs for the conservation of keystone species that are most imperiled and are supported by a country's wildlife management authority in each country in which the program will be conducted; (2) receive the greatest level of non-Federal matching assistance; and (3) will enhance local capacity for the conservation of such species.
Establishes the Keystone Species Conservation Account in the Multinational Species Conservation Fund of the Treasury.
Authorizes appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Keystone Species Conservation Act of 
1999''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Numerous species of fauna have continued to decline to 
        the point that the long-term survival of those species in the 
        wild is in serious jeopardy.
            (2) Many of those species are listed under section 4 of the 
        Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533) or in Appendix 
        I, II, or III of the Convention on International Trade in 
        Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
            (3) There are insufficient resources available for 
        addressing the threats facing those species, which will require 
        the joint commitment and effort of countries within the range 
        of those species, the United States and other countries, and 
        the private sector.
            (4) The grant programs established by the Congress for 
        tigers, rhinoceroses, Asian elephants, and African elephants 
        have proven to be extremely successful, provide Federal funds 
        for conservation projects in an efficient and expeditious 
        manner, and encourage additional support for conservation in 
        countries where those species exist in the wild.
            (5) A new grant program modeled on the existing programs 
        for tigers, rhinoceroses, and elephants would provide an 
        effective means to assist in the conservation of keystone 
        species for which there are no existing grant programs.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to conserve keystone 
species of fauna throughout the world, and the ecosystems on which 
those species depend, by supporting the conservation programs for those 
species and the CITES Secretariat, promoting partnerships between the 
public and private sectors, and providing financial resources for those 
programs and partnerships.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Account.--The term ``Account'' means the Keystone 
        Species Conservation Account established by section 5.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (3) 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 and amendments.
            (4) Conservation.--The term ``conservation'' means the use 
        of methods and procedures necessary to bring a keystone species 
        to the point at which there are sufficient populations in the 
        wild to ensure that the species does not become extinct, 
        including--
                    (A) protection and management of populations of a 
                keystone species;
                    (B) maintenance, management, protection, and 
                restoration of habitat of a keystone species;
                    (C) research and monitoring;
                    (D) law enforcement; and
                    (E) community outreach and education.
            (5) Fish or wildlife.--The term ``fish or wildlife'' means 
        any member of the animal kingdom, including any mammal, fish, 
        bird, amphibian, reptile, mollusk, crustacean, arthropod, or 
        other invertebrate.
            (6) Keystone species.--The term ``keystone species''--
                    (A) subject to subparagraph (B), means a species of 
                fish or wildlife--
                            (i) that is listed as an endangered species 
                        or threatened species under section 4 of the 
                        Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533) 
                        or that is listed in Appendix I, II, or III of 
                        CITES; and
                            (ii) whose range is partially or wholly 
                        outside of the United States; and
                    (B) does not include African elephants, Asian 
                elephants, rhinoceros, and tigers.

SEC. 4. KEYSTONE SPECIES CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE.

    (a) In General.--Subject to the availability of funds, the 
Secretary shall use amounts in the Account to provide financial 
assistance for projects for the conservation of that keystone species 
throughout the world, 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 a keystone species may be submitted to the 
        Secretary by--
                    (A) any relevant wildlife management authority of a 
                country that has within its boundaries any part of the 
                range of a keystone species, if the agency has 
                authority over fish or wildlife and the activities of 
                the agency directly or indirectly affect the species;
                    (B) the CITES Secretariat; or
                    (C) any person with demonstrated expertise in the 
                conservation of that keystone species.
            (2) Required information.--A project proposal shall 
        include--
                    (A) the name of the individual with primary 
                responsibility for conducting the project;
                    (B) a succinct statement of--
                            (i) the purposes of the project and the 
                        methodology for implementing the project, 
                        including an assessment of the status of the 
                        keystone species that is the subject of the 
                        project; and
                            (ii) how the project will benefit that 
                        species;
                    (C) a description of the qualifications of the 
                individuals who will conduct the project;
                    (D) an estimate of the funds and time required to 
                complete the project;
                    (E) evidence of support for the project by 
                appropriate governmental entities of countries in which 
                the project will be conducted, if the Secretary 
                determines that such support is required for the 
                success of the project;
                    (F) information regarding the source and amount of 
                matching funds available for the project; and
                    (G) any other information that the Secretary 
                considers to be necessary for evaluating the 
                eligibility of the project for funding under this Act.
    (c) Proposal Review and Approval.--
            (1) Request for additional information.--If, after 
        receiving a project proposal, the Secretary determines that the 
        project proposal is not complete, the Secretary may request 
        further information from the person that submitted the proposal 
        before complying with the other provisions of this subsection.
            (2) Request for comments.--The Secretary shall request 
        written comments, and provide an opportunity of not less than 
        30 days for comments, on a project proposal from the 
        appropriate governmental authorities of each country in which 
        the project will be conducted.
            (3) Decision by the secretary.--After taking into 
        consideration any comments received in a timely manner from 
        governmental authorities under paragraph (2), the Secretary may 
        approve a project proposal if the Secretary determines that the 
        project will promote the conservation of a keystone species.
            (4) Notification.--Not later than 180 days after receiving 
        a completed project proposal, the Secretary shall provide 
        written notification of the Secretary's approval or disapproval 
        of a project proposal under paragraph (3) to the person that 
        submitted the proposal.
    (d) Priority Guidance.--In funding approved project proposals, the 
Secretary shall give priority to the following types of projects:
            (1) Projects that will enhance programs for the 
        conservation of keystone species that are most imperiled, and 
        that are supported by the relevant wildlife management 
        authority in each country in which the program will be 
        conducted.
            (2) Projects that receive the greatest level of matching 
        assistance, in cash or in-kind, from non-Federal sources.
            (3) Projects that will enhance local capacity for the 
        conservation of keystone species.
    (e) Project Reporting.--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 required by the Secretary for evaluating the 
progress and success of the project.
    (f) Guidelines.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, after providing public notice and 
        opportunity for comment, the Secretary shall develop guidelines 
        to carry out this section.
            (2) Priorities and criteria.--The guidelines shall 
        specify--
                    (A) how the priorities for funding approved 
                projects are to be determined; and
                    (B) criteria for determining which keystone species 
                are most imperiled and which projects provide the 
                greatest conservation benefit.

SEC. 5. KEYSTONE SPECIES CONSERVATION ACCOUNT.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Multinational 
Species Conservation Fund of the Treasury a separate account to be 
known as the ``Keystone Species Conservation Account'', consisting of--
            (1) amounts of donations accepted under subsection (d);
            (2) amounts appropriated to the Account under section 6; 
        and
            (3) any interest earned on investment of amounts in the 
        Account under subsection (c).
    (b) Expenditures From Account.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary 
        may expend from the Account, without further Act of 
        appropriation, such amounts as are necessary to carry out 
        section 4.
            (2) Administrative expenses.--An amount not to exceed 3 
        percent of the amounts in the Account shall be available for 
        each fiscal year to pay the administrative expenses necessary 
        to carry out this Act.
    (c) Investment of Amounts.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall 
invest such portion of the Account as is not required to meet current 
withdrawals. Such investments may be made only in interest-bearing 
obligations of the United States.
    (d) Acceptance and Use of Donations.--The Secretary may accept and 
use donations to carry out this Act. Amounts received by the Secretary 
in the form of donations shall be available until expended, without 
further Act of appropriation.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Account $10,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 to carry out 
this Act, which may remain available until expended.