I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1771 

To assist in the conservation of cranes by supporting and providing, through 

projects of persons and organizations with expertise in crane conservation, financial resources for the conservation programs of countries the 

activities of which directly or indirectly affect cranes and the ecosystems 

of cranes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 29, 2007 

Ms. BALDWIN (for herself, Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota, Mr. KIND, Mr. 

OBERSTAR, Mr. SNYDER, and Mr. COHEN) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To assist in the conservation of cranes by supporting and 

providing, through projects of persons and organizations 

with expertise in crane conservation, financial resources 

for the conservation programs of countries the activities 

of which directly or indirectly affect cranes and the ecosystems of cranes. 

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 ‘‘Crane Conservation 

5 Act of 2007’’. 

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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds that— 

3 (1) crane populations in many countries have 

4 experienced serious decline in recent decades, a 

5 trend that, if continued at the current rate, threat6 ens the long-term survival of the species in the wild 

7 in Africa, Asia, and Europe; 

8 (2) 5 species of Asian crane are listed as endan9 gered species under section 4 of the Endangered 

10 Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533) and appendix 

11 I of the Convention, which species are— 

12 (A) the Siberian crane (Grus 

13 leucogeranus); 

14 (B) the red-crowned crane (Grus 

15 japonensis); 

16 (C) the white-naped crane (Grus vipio); 

17 (D) the black-necked crane (Grus 

18 nigricollis); and 

19 (E) the hooded crane (Grus monacha); 

20 (3) the Crane Action Plan of the International 

21 Union for the Conservation of Nature considers 4 

22 species of cranes from Africa and 1 additional spe23 cies of crane from Asia to be seriously threatened, 

24 which species are— 

25 (A) the wattled crane (Bugeranus 

26 carunculatus); 

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1 (B) the blue crane (Anthropoides 

2 paradisea); 

3 (C) the grey crowned crane (Balearica 

4 regulorum); 

5 (D) the black crowned crane (Balearica 

6 pavonina); and 

7 (E) the sarus crane (Grus antigone); 

8 (4)(A) the whooping crane (Grus americana) 

9 and the Mississippi sandhill crane (Grus canadensis 

10 pulla) are listed as endangered species under section 

11 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 

12 1533); and 

13 (B) with approximately 225 whooping cranes in 

14 the only self-sustaining flock that migrates between 

15 Canada and the United States, and approximately 

16 100 Mississippi sandhill cranes in the wild, both spe17 cies remain vulnerable to extinction; 

18 (5) conservation resources have not been suffi19 cient to cope with the continued diminution of crane 

20 populations from causes that include hunting and 

21 the continued loss of habitat; 

22 (6)(A) cranes are flagship species for the con23 servation of wetland, grassland, and agricultural 

24 landscapes that border wetland and grassland; and 

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1 (B) the establishment of crane conservation 

2 programs would result in the provision of conserva3 tion benefits to numerous other species of plants and 

4 animals, including many endangered species; 

5 (7) other threats to cranes include— 

6 (A) the collection of eggs and juveniles; 

7 (B) poisoning from pesticides applied to 

8 crops; 

9 (C) collisions with power lines; 

10 (D) disturbance from warfare and human 

11 settlement; and 

12 (E) the trapping of live birds for sale; 

13 (8) to reduce, remove, and otherwise effectively 

14 address those threats to cranes in the wild, the joint 

15 commitment and effort of countries in Africa, Asia, 

16 and North America, other countries, and the private 

17 sector, are required; 

18 (9) cranes are excellent ambassadors to pro19 mote goodwill among countries because they are well 

20 known and migrate across continents; 

21 (10) because the threats facing cranes and the 

22 ecosystems on which cranes depend are similar on 

23 all 5 continents on which cranes occur, conservation 

24 successes and methods developed in 1 region have 

25 wide applicability in other regions; and 

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1 (11) conservationists in the United States have 

2 much to teach and much to learn from colleagues 

3 working in other countries in which, as in the 

4 United States, government and private agencies co5 operate to conserve threatened cranes. 

6 SEC. 3. PURPOSES. 

7 The purposes of this Act are— 

8 (1) to perpetuate healthy populations of cranes; 

9 (2) to assist in the conservation and protection 

10 of cranes by supporting— 

11 (A) conservation programs in countries in 

12 which endangered and threatened cranes occur; 

13 and 

14 (B) the efforts of private organizations 

15 committed to helping cranes; and 

16 (3) to provide financial resources for those pro17 grams and efforts. 

18 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

19 In this Act: 

20 (1) CONSERVATION.— 

21 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘conserva22 tion’’ means the use of any method or proce23 dure to improve the viability of crane popu24 lations and the quality of the ecosystems and 

25 habitats on which the crane populations depend 

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1 to help the species achieve sufficient popu2 lations in the wild to ensure the long-term via3 bility of the species. 

4 (B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘conserva5 tion’’ includes the carrying out of any activity 

6 associated with scientific resource management, 

7 such as— 

8 (i) protection, restoration, acquisition, 

9 and management of habitat; 

10 (ii) research and monitoring of known 

11 populations; 

12 (iii) the provision of assistance in the 

13 development of management plans for 

14 managed crane ranges; 

15 (iv) enforcement of the Convention; 

16 (v) law enforcement and habitat pro17 tection through community participation; 

18 (vi) reintroduction of cranes to the 

19 wild; 

20 (vii) conflict resolution initiatives; and 

21 (viii) community outreach and edu22 cation. 

23 (2) CONVENTION.—The term ‘‘Convention’’ has 

24 the meaning given the term in section 3 of the En25 dangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1532). 

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

2 Crane Conservation Fund established by section 

3 6(a). 

4 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

5 the Secretary of the Interior. 

6 SEC. 5. CRANE CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of ap8 propriations and in consultation with other appropriate 

9 Federal officials, the Secretary shall use amounts in the 

10 Fund to provide financial assistance for projects relating 

11 to the conservation of cranes for which project proposals 

12 are approved by the Secretary in accordance with this sec13 tion. 

14 (b) PROJECT PROPOSALS.— 

15 (1) APPLICANTS.— 

16 (A) IN GENERAL.—An applicant described 

17 in subparagraph (B) that seeks to receive as18 sistance under this section to carry out a 

19 project relating to the conservation of cranes 

20 shall submit to the Secretary a project proposal 

21 that meets the requirements of this section. 

22 (B) ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS.—An applicant 

23 described in this subparagraph is— 

24 (i) any relevant wildlife management 

25 authority of a country that— 

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1 (I) is located within the African, 

2 Asian, European, or North American 

3 range of a species of crane; and 

4 (II) carries out 1 or more activi5 ties that directly or indirectly affect 

6 crane populations; 

7 (ii) the Secretariat of the Convention; 

8 and 

9 (iii) any person or organization with 

10 demonstrated expertise in the conservation 

11 of cranes. 

12 (2) REQUIRED ELEMENTS.—A project proposal 

13 submitted under paragraph (1)(A) shall include— 

14 (A) a concise statement of the purpose of 

15 the project; 

16 (B)(i) the name of each individual respon17 sible for conducting the project; and 

18 (ii) a description of the qualifications of 

19 each of those individuals; 

20 (C) a concise description of— 

21 (i) methods to be used to implement 

22 and assess the outcome of the project; 

23 (ii) staff and community management 

24 for the project; and 

25 (iii) the logistics of the project; 

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1 (D) an estimate of the funds and the pe2 riod of time required to complete the project; 

3 (E) evidence of support for the project by 

4 appropriate government entities of countries in 

5 which the project will be conducted, if the Sec6 retary determines that such support is required 

7 to ensure the success of the project; 

8 (F) information regarding the source and 

9 amount of matching funding available for the 

10 project; and 

11 (G) any other information that the Sec12 retary considers to be necessary for evaluating 

13 the eligibility of the project to receive assistance 

14 under this Act. 

15 (c) PROJECT REVIEW AND APPROVAL.— 

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

17 (A) not later than 30 days after receiving 

18 a final project proposal, provide a copy of the 

19 proposal to other appropriate Federal officials; 

20 and 

21 (B) review each project proposal in a time22 ly manner to determine whether the proposal 

23 meets the criteria described in subsection (d). 

24 (2) CONSULTATION; APPROVAL OR DIS25 APPROVAL.—Not later than 180 days after receiving 

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1 a project proposal, and subject to the availability of 

2 appropriations, the Secretary, after consulting with 

3 other appropriate Federal officials, shall— 

4 (A) consult on the proposal with the gov5 ernment of each country in which the project is 

6 to be carried out; 

7 (B) after taking into consideration any 

8 comments resulting from the consultation, ap9 prove or disapprove the proposal; and 

10 (C) provide written notification of the ap11 proval or disapproval to— 

12 (i) the applicant that submitted the 

13 proposal; 

14 (ii) other appropriate Federal offi15 cials; and 

16 (iii) each country described in sub17 paragraph (A). 

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

19 approve a project proposal under this section if the Sec20 retary determines that the proposed project will enhance 

21 programs for conservation of cranes by assisting efforts 

22 to— 

23 (1) implement conservation programs; 

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1 (2) address the conflicts between humans and 

2 cranes that arise from competition for the same 

3 habitat or resources; 

4 (3) enhance compliance with the Convention 

5 and other applicable laws that— 

6 (A) prohibit or regulate the taking or trade 

7 of cranes; or 

8 (B) regulate the use and management of 

9 crane habitat; 

10 (4) develop sound scientific information on, or 

11 methods for monitoring— 

12 (A) the condition of crane habitat; 

13 (B) crane population numbers and trends; 

14 or 

15 (C) the current and projected threats to 

16 crane habitat and population numbers and 

17 trends; 

18 (5) promote cooperative projects on the issues 

19 described in paragraph (4) among— 

20 (A) governmental entities; 

21 (B) affected local communities; 

22 (C) nongovernmental organizations; or 

23 (D) other persons in the private sector; 

24 (6) carry out necessary scientific research on 

25 cranes; 

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1 (7) provide relevant training to, or support 

2 technical exchanges involving, staff responsible for 

3 managing cranes or habitats of cranes, to enhance 

4 capacity for effective conservation; or 

5 (8) reintroduce cranes successfully back into 

6 the wild, including propagation of a sufficient num7 ber of cranes required for this purpose. 

8 (e) PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY; MATCHING FUNDS.— 

9 To the maximum extent practicable, in determining 

10 whether to approve a project proposal under this section, 

11 the Secretary shall give preference to a proposed project— 

12 (1) that is designed to ensure effective, long13 term conservation of cranes and habitats of cranes; 

14 or 

15 (2) for which matching funds are available. 

16 (f) PROJECT REPORTING.— 

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

18 assistance under this section for a project shall sub19 mit to the Secretary, at such periodic intervals as 

20 are determined by the Secretary, reports that in21 clude all information that the Secretary, after con22 sulting with other appropriate government officials, 

23 determines to be necessary to evaluate the progress 

24 and success of the project for the purposes of— 

25 (A) ensuring positive results; 

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1 (B) assessing problems; and 

2 (C) fostering improvements. 

3 (2) AVAILABILITY TO THE PUBLIC.—Each re4 port submitted under paragraph (1), and any other 

5 documents relating to a project for which financial 

6 assistance is provided under this Act, shall be made 

7 available to the public. 

8 SEC. 6. CRANE CONSERVATION FUND. 

9 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 

10 Multinational Species Conservation Fund established by 

11 the matter under the heading ‘‘MULTINATIONAL SPE12 CIES CONSERVATION FUND’’ in title I of the Depart13 ment of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations 

14 Act, 1999 (112 Stat. 2681–237; 16 U.S.C. 4246) a sepa15 rate account to be known as the ‘‘Crane Conservation 

16 Fund’’, consisting of— 

17 (1) amounts transferred to the Secretary of the 

18 Treasury for deposit into the Fund under subsection 

19 (e); 

20 (2) amounts appropriated to the Fund under 

21 section 8; and 

22 (3) any interest earned on investment of 

23 amounts in the Fund under subsection (c). 

24 (b) EXPENDITURES FROM FUND.— 

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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraphs (2) 

2 and (3), upon request by the Secretary, the Sec3 retary of the Treasury shall transfer from the Fund 

4 to the Secretary, without further appropriation, such 

5 amounts as the Secretary determines are necessary 

6 to provide assistance under section 5. 

7 (2) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Of the 

8 amounts in the Fund available for each fiscal year, 

9 the Secretary may expend not more than 3 percent, 

10 or $150,000, whichever is greater, to pay the admin11 istrative expenses necessary to carry out this Act. 

12 (3) LIMITATION.—Not more than 20 percent of 

13 the amounts made available from the Fund for any 

14 fiscal year may be used for projects relating to the 

15 conservation of North American crane species. 

16 (c) INVESTMENTS OF AMOUNTS.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Treas18 ury shall invest such portion of the Fund as is not, 

19 in the judgment of the Secretary of the Treasury, 

20 required to meet current withdrawals. Investments 

21 may be made only in interest-bearing obligations of 

22 the United States. 

23 (2) ACQUISITION OF OBLIGATIONS.—For the 

24 purpose of investments under paragraph (1), obliga25 tions may be acquired— 

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

2 (B) by purchase of outstanding obligations 

3 at the market price. 

4 (3) SALE OF OBLIGATIONS.—Any obligation ac5 quired by the Fund may be sold by the Secretary of 

6 the Treasury at the market price. 

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

8 the proceeds from the sale or redemption of, any ob9 ligations held in the Fund shall be credited to and 

10 form a part of the Fund. 

11 (d) TRANSFERS OF AMOUNTS.— 

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

13 transferred to the Fund under this section shall be 

14 transferred at least monthly from the general fund 

15 of the Treasury to the Fund on the basis of esti16 mates made by the Secretary of the Treasury. 

17 (2) ADJUSTMENTS.—Proper adjustment shall 

18 be made in amounts subsequently transferred to the 

19 extent prior estimates were in excess of or less than 

20 the amounts required to be transferred. 

21 (e) ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF DONATIONS.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may accept 

23 and use donations to provide assistance under sec24 tion 5. 

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1 (2) TRANSFER OF DONATIONS.—Amounts re2 ceived by the Secretary in the form of donations 

3 shall be transferred to the Secretary of the Treasury 

4 for deposit in the Fund. 

5 SEC. 7. ADVISORY GROUP. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—To assist in carrying out this Act, 

7 the Secretary may convene an advisory group consisting 

8 of individuals representing public and private organiza9 tions actively involved in the conservation of cranes. 

10 (b) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.— 

11 (1) MEETINGS.—The advisory group shall— 

12 (A) ensure that each meeting of the advi13 sory group is open to the public; and 

14 (B) provide, at each meeting, an oppor15 tunity for interested persons to present oral or 

16 written statements concerning items on the 

17 agenda. 

18 (2) NOTICE.—The Secretary shall provide to 

19 the public timely notice of each meeting of the advi20 sory group. 

21 (3) MINUTES.—Minutes of each meeting of the 

22 advisory group shall be kept by the Secretary and 

23 shall be made available to the public. 

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1 SEC. 8. FUNDING. 

2 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

3 authorized to be appropriated to the Fund $5,000,000 for 

4 each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012, to remain avail5 able until expended. 

6 (b) OFFSET.—Of amounts appropriated to, and avail7 able at the discretion of, the Secretary for programmatic 

8 and administrative expenditures, a total of $25,000,000 

9 shall be used to establish the Fund. 

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