I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1913 

To assist in the conservation of great cats by supporting and providing 

financial resources for the conservation programs of nations within the 

range of great cats and projects of persons with demonstrated expertise 

in the conservation of great cats. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 18, 2007 

Mr. BROWN of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, and Mr. 

ROGERS of Kentucky) introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To assist in the conservation of great cats by supporting 

and providing financial resources for the conservation 

programs of nations within the range of great cats and 

projects of persons with demonstrated expertise in the 

conservation of great cats. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Great Cats Conserva5 tion Act of 2007’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) Many wild populations of felids, once con2 sidered common are in decline, and many have de3 clined to the point that their long-term survival in 

4 the wild is in serious jeopardy. 

5 (2) Of the 37 wild felid species worldwide, all 

6 are currently recognized as species in need of protec7 tion under the IUCN Red List, the lists of species 

8 in CITES appendices, or the Endangered Species 

9 Act of 1973. 

10 (3) In addition to their intrinsic value, felids 

11 are important aesthetic, economic, and ecological 

12 global resources that need to be conserved. 

13 (4) Large felids are considered indicator spe14 cies. Healthy populations of these species act as an 

15 important indicator of the integrity of entire eco16 systems. Measures taken to benefit these keystone 

17 species will ultimately benefit a great number of 

18 other species. 

19 (5) Endangered felids face an array of threats, 

20 including loss of habitat, intentional and uninten21 tional takings by humans, disease transmission, and 

22 a vast number of other threats. These threats need 

23 to be addressed in a coordinated fashion. 

24 (6) Conservation of endangered felid popu25 lations requires global commitment. Adequate fundVerDate Aug 31 2005 03:35 Apr 20, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1913.IH H1913

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1 ing for conservation is sorely lacking, and many 

2 range countries do not have adequate infrastructure 

3 to protect these species. 

4 (7) Although some protections exist to conserve 

5 endangered felid populations and their habitat, those 

6 efforts can be significantly enhanced by the infusion 

7 of targeted funding. 

8 SEC. 3. PURPOSES. 

9 The purposes of this Act are to provide financial re10 sources and to foster international cooperation— 

11 (1) to restore and perpetuate healthy popu12 lations of great cats in the wild; and 

13 (2) to assist in the conservation of great cat 

14 populations worldwide. 

15 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

16 In this Act: 

17 (1) CITES.—The term ‘‘CITES’’ means the 

18 Convention on International Trade in Endangered 

19 Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, done at Wash20 ington March 3, 1973 (27 UST 1087; TIAS 8249), 

21 including its appendices. 

22 (2) CONSERVATION.—The term ‘‘conserva23 tion’’— 

24 (A) means the methods and procedures 

25 necessary to bring a species of great cats to the 


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1 point at which there are sufficient populations 

2 in the wild to ensure the long-term viability of 

3 the species; and 

4 (B) includes all activities associated with 

5 protection and management of a great cat pop6 ulation, including— 

7 (i) maintenance, management, protec8 tion, and restoration of great cat habitat; 

9 (ii) research and monitoring; 

10 (iii) law enforcement; 

11 (iv) community outreach and edu12 cation; 

13 (v) conflict resolution initiatives; and 

14 (vi) strengthening the capacity of local 

15 communities, governmental agencies, non16 governmental organizations and other in17 stitutions to implement conservation pro18 grams. 

19 (3) FUND.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means the Great 

20 Cats Conservation Fund established by section 6. 

21 (4) GREAT CAT.—The term ‘‘great cat’’ means 

22 any lion, leopard, jaguar, snow leopard, clouded 

23 leopard, cheetah, or Spanish lynx. 

24 (5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

25 the Secretary of the Interior. 


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1 SEC. 5. GREAT CATS CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of 

3 funds and in consultation with other appropriate Federal 

4 officials, the Secretary shall use amounts in the Fund to 

5 provide financial assistance for projects for the conserva6 tion of great cats for which project proposals are approved 

7 by the Secretary in accordance with this section. 

8 (b) PROJECT PROPOSALS.— 

9 (1) ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS.—A proposal for a 

10 project for the conservation of great cats may be 

11 submitted to the Secretary by— 

12 (A) any wildlife management authority of 

13 a country that has within its boundaries any 

14 part of the range of a great cat species; and 

15 (B) any person or group with the dem16 onstrated expertise required for the conserva17 tion in the wild of great cats. 

18 (2) PROJECT PROPOSALS.—To be considered 

19 for financial assistance for a project under this Act, 

20 an applicant shall submit a project proposal that in21 cludes— 

22 (A) a concise statement of the purposes of 

23 the project; 

24 (B) the name of the individual responsible 

25 for conducting the project; 


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1 (C) a description of the qualifications of 

2 the individuals who will conduct the project; 

3 (D) a concise description of— 

4 (i) methods for project implementa5 tion and outcome assessment; 

6 (ii) staffing for the project; 

7 (iii) the logistics of the project; and 

8 (iv) community involvement in the 

9 project; 

10 (E) an estimate of funds and time required 

11 to complete the project; 

12 (F) evidence of support for the project by 

13 appropriate governmental entities of the coun14 tries in which the project will be conducted, if 

15 the Secretary determines that such support is 

16 required for the success of the project; 

17 (G) information regarding the source and 

18 amount of matching funding available for the 

19 project; and 

20 (H) any other information that the Sec21 retary considers to be necessary for evaluating 

22 the eligibility of the project for funding under 

23 this Act. 

24 (c) PROJECT REVIEW AND APPROVAL.— 

25 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall— 


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1 (A) not later than 30 days after receiving 

2 a project proposal, provide a copy of the pro3 posal to the appropriate Federal officials; and 

4 (B) review each project proposal in a time5 ly manner to determine if the proposal meets 

6 the criteria specified in subsection (d). 

7 (2) CONSULTATION; APPROVAL OR DIS8 APPROVAL.—Not later than 180 days after receiving 

9 a project proposal, and subject to the availability of 

10 funds, the Secretary, after consulting with other ap11 propriate Federal officials, shall— 

12 (A) ensure the proposal contains assur13 ances that the project will be implemented in 

14 consultation with relevant wildlife management 

15 authorities and other appropriate government 

16 officials with jurisdiction over the resources ad17 dressed by the project; 

18 (B) approve or disapprove the proposal; 

19 and 

20 (C) provide written notification of the ap21 proval or disapproval to the person who sub22 mitted the proposal, other appropriate Federal 

23 officials, and each country within whose borders 

24 the project will take place. 


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1 (d) CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL.—The Secretary may 

2 approve a project proposal under this section if the project 

3 will contribute to conservation of great cats in the wild 

4 by assisting efforts to— 

5 (1) implement conservation programs; 

6 (2) address the conflicts between humans and 

7 great cats that arise from competition for the same 

8 habitat; 

9 (3) enhance compliance with CITES and other 

10 applicable laws that prohibit or regulate the taking 

11 or trade of great cats or regulate the use and man12 agement of great cat habitat; 

13 (4) develop sound scientific information on, or 

14 methods for monitoring— 

15 (A) the condition and health of great cat 

16 habitat; and 

17 (B) great cat population numbers and 

18 trends; or 

19 (5) promote cooperative projects among govern20 ment entities, affected local communities, nongovern21 mental organizations, and other persons in the pri22 vate sector. 

23 (e) PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY.—In approving project 

24 proposals under this section, the Secretary shall give pref25 erence to conservation projects that are designed to ensure 


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1 effective, long-term conservation of great cats and their 

2 habitats. 

3 (f) MATCHING FUNDS.—In determining whether to 

4 approve project proposals under this section, the Secretary 

5 shall give preference to projects for which matching funds 

6 are available. 

7 (g) PROJECT REPORTING.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—Each person that receives 

9 assistance under this section for a project shall sub10 mit to the Secretary periodic reports (at such inter11 vals as the Secretary considers necessary) that in12 clude all information that the Secretary, after con13 sultation with other appropriate government offi14 cials, determines is necessary to evaluate the 

15 progress and success of the project for the purposes 

16 of ensuring positive results, assessing problems, and 

17 fostering improvements. 

18 (2) AVAILABILITY TO THE PUBLIC.—Reports 

19 under paragraph (1), and any other documents re20 lating to projects for which financial assistance is 

21 provided under this Act, shall be made available to 

22 the public. 

23 (h) ADVISORY GROUP.— 

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—To assist in carrying out 

25 this Act, the Secretary may convene an advisory 


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1 group consisting of individuals representing public 

2 and private organizations actively involved in the 

3 conservation of great cats. 

4 (2) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.— 

5 (A) MEETINGS.—The advisory group 

6 shall— 

7 (i) ensure that each meeting of the 

8 advisory group is open to the public; and 

9 (ii) provide, at each meeting, an op10 portunity for interested persons to present 

11 oral or written statements concerning 

12 items on the agenda. 

13 (B) NOTICE.—The Secretary shall provide 

14 to the public timely notice of each meeting of 

15 the advisory group, including the meeting agen16 da. 

17 (C) MINUTES.—Minutes of each meeting 

18 of the advisory group shall be kept by the Sec19 retary and shall be made available to the public. 

20 (3) EXEMPTION FROM FEDERAL ADVISORY

21 COMMITTEE ACT.—The Federal Advisory Committee 

22 Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the advisory 

23 group. 


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1 SEC. 6. GREAT CATS CONSERVATION FUND. 

2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established, in the 

3 Multinational Species Conservation Fund established in 

4 title I of the Department of the Interior and Related 

5 Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 under the heading 

6 ‘‘MULTINATIONAL SPECIES CONSERVATION 

7 FUND’’, a separate account to be known as the ‘‘Great 

8 Cats Conservation Fund’’, consisting of— 

9 (1) amounts transferred to the Secretary of the 

10 Treasury for deposit into such account under sub11 section (e); 

12 (2) amounts appropriated to such account 

13 under section 7; and 

14 (3) any interest earned on investment of 

15 amounts in the account under subsection (c). 

16 (b) EXPENDITURES FROM FUND.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 

18 upon request by the Secretary, the Secretary of the 

19 Treasury shall transfer from the Fund to the Sec20 retary, without further appropriation, such amounts 

21 as the Secretary determines are necessary to provide 

22 assistance under section 5. 

23 (2) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Of the 

24 amounts in the Fund available for each fiscal year, 

25 the Secretary may expend not more than three per26 cent, or up to $80,000, whichever is greater, to pay 


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1 the administrative expenses necessary to carry out 

2 this Act. 

3 (c) INVESTMENT OF AMOUNTS.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Treas5 ury shall invest such portion of the Fund as is not, 

6 in the judgment of the Secretary of the Treasury, 

7 required to meet current withdrawals. Investments 

8 may be made only in interest-bearing obligations of 

9 the United States. 

10 (2) ACQUISITION OF OBLIGATIONS.—For the 

11 purpose of investments under paragraph (1), obliga12 tions may be acquired— 

13 (A) on original issue at the issue price; or 

14 (B) by purchase of outstanding obligations 

15 at the market price. 

16 (3) SALE OF OBLIGATIONS.—Any obligation ac17 quired by the Fund may be sold by the Secretary of 

18 the Treasury at the market price. 

19 (4) CREDITS TO FUND.—The interest on, and 

20 the proceeds from the sale or redemption of any obli21 gations held in the Fund shall be credited to and 

22 form a part of the Fund. 

23 (d) TRANSFERS OF AMOUNTS.— 

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—The amounts required to be 

25 transferred to the Fund under this section shall be 


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1 transferred at least monthly from the general fund 

2 of the Treasury to the Fund on the basis of esti3 mates made by the Secretary of the Treasury. 

4 (2) ADJUSTMENTS.—Proper adjustment shall 

5 be made in amounts subsequently transferred to the 

6 extent prior estimates were in excess of or less than 

7 the amounts required to be transferred. 

8 (e) ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF DONATIONS.—The 

9 Secretary may accept and use donations to provide assist10 ance under section 5. Amounts received by the Secretary 

11 in the form of donations shall be transferred to the Sec12 retary of the Treasury for deposit into the Fund. 

13 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

14 There are authorized to be appropriated to the Fund 

15 $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012. 

Æ 


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