39–010 

Calendar No. 417 

113TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 113–187 

NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION 

EXTENSION ACT OF 2013 

JUNE 5, 2014.—Ordered to be printed 

Mrs. BOXER, from the Committee on Environment and Public 

Works, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 741] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was 

referred the bill (S. 741) to extend the authorization of appropriations to carry out approved wetlands conservation projects under 

the North American Wetlands Conservation Act through fiscal year 

2017, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with 

an amendment and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass. 

GENERAL STATEMENT AND BACKGROUND

The North American Wetlands Conservation Extension Act of 

2013 extends the authorization of appropriations for the North 

American Wetlands Conservation Act of 1989 (NAWCA). NAWCA 

provides matching grants to organizations and individuals who 

have developed partnerships to carry out wetlands conservation 

projects in the United States, Canada, and Mexico for the benefit 

of wetlands-associated migratory birds and other wildlife. 

Since its inception the program has demonstrated remarkable 

success. From September 1990 through March 2011, some 4,500 

partners in 2,067 projects have received more than $1.1 billion in 

grants. They have contributed another $2.32 billion in required 

matching funds to affect 26.5 million acres of habitat and $1.21 billion in additional funds to affect 234,820 acres of habitat. 


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OBJECTIVES OF THE LEGISLATION

The North American Wetlands Conservation Extension Act of 

2014 (S. 741), as amended, extends the authorization of appropriations to carry out approved wetlands conservation projects under 

the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

Section 1, as amended, provides that this Act may be cited as the 

‘North American Wetlands Conservation Extension Act of 2014’. 

Section 2. Authorization of appropriations 

Section 2, as amended, extends the authorization of appropriations until FY 2019. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

S. 741 was introduced by Senators Vitter, Boxer, Inhofe, Baucus, 

Cochran, Coons, Blunt, Cardin, Crapo, Boozman, Wicker, and 

Whitehouse. The bill was received, read twice, and referred to the 

Committee on Environment and Public Works. On February 6, 

2014, the full Committee on Environment and Public Works met to 

consider the bill. Sen. Vitter offered an amendment to reduce the 

authorization of appropriations by $20 million each year and to extend the program’s authorization through fiscal year 2019. The 

amendment was approved and the bill was ordered reported favorably, as amended, by voice vote. 

HEARINGS

On April 24th, 2012, the Water and Wildlife Subcommittee of the 

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a legislative hearing on multiple bills, including S. 2282, which was a similar version of this legislation introduced in the 112th Congress. 

ROLLCALL VOTES

The Committee on Environment and Public Works met to consider S. 741 on February 6, 2014. The bill was ordered reported favorably, as amended, by voice vote. 

REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT

In compliance with section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the committee finds that S. 741 does not create any additional regulatory burdens, nor will it cause any adverse impact on the personal privacy of individuals. 

MANDATES ASSESSMENT

In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 

(Public Law 104–4), the committee noted that the Congressional 

Budget Office has found, ‘‘S. 741 contains no intergovernmental or 

private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA).’’ 


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CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

FEBRUARY 28, 2014. 

Hon. BARBARA BOXER, 

Chairman, Committee on Environment and Public Works, 

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MADAM CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has 

prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 741, the North American 

Wetlands Conservation Extension Act of 2014. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jeff LaFave. 

Sincerely, 

DOUGLAS W. ELMENDORF. 

Enclosure. 

S. 741—North American Wetlands Conservation Extension Act of 

2014 

Summary: S. 741 would authorize the appropriation of $55 million a year through 2019 for programs carried out under the North 

American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). The U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (USFWS) uses amounts appropriated under 

NAWCA primarily for grants to state, local, and tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, and other entities that carry out 

wetlands conservation projects. 

Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would cost $214 million 

over the 2014–2019 period and $82 million after 2019. Enacting S. 

741 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-asyou-go procedures do not apply. 

S. 741 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates 

as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA). 

Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated budgetary impact of S. 741 is shown in the following table. The costs 

of this legislation fall within budget function 300 (natural resources 

and environment). For this estimate, CBO assumes that the bill 

will be enacted in 2014 and that the authorized amounts will be 

appropriated for each fiscal year including supplemental amounts 

in 2014. Estimated outlays are based on historical spending patterns for this program. 

By fiscal year, in millions of dollars— 

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2014– 

2019 

CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION 

Estimated Authorization Level a .................................. 21 55 55 55 55 55 296 

Estimated Outlays ....................................................... 5 19 33 47 55 55 214 

a The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received appropriations totaling $34 million in fiscal year 2014 to carry out activities under the North 

American Wetlands Conservation Act. The authorization level shown here for 2014 is the difference between that appropriation and the amount 

that would be authorized by S. 741. 

Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: S. 741 contains no 

intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in UMRA. 

Enacting this legislation would benefit state, local, and tribal governments because, assuming such amounts are appropriated, they 

would receive a portion of the funds authorized. 


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Estimate prepared by: Federal costs: Jeff LaFave; Impact on 

state, local, and tribal governments: Melissa Merrell; Impact on the 

private sector: Amy Petz. 

Estimate approved by: Peter H. Fontaine, Assistant Director for 

Budget Analysis. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules 

of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the bill as reported 

are shown as follows: Existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in øblack brackets¿, new matter is printed in italic, existing 

law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman: 

NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION ACT 

* * * * * * * 

SECTION 1. ø16 U.S.C. 4401 note¿ SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘North American Wetlands Conservation Act’’. 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 7. ø16 U.S.C. 4406¿ AMOUNTS AVAILABLE TO CARRY OUT THIS 

ACT. 

(a) AID IN WILDLIFE RESTORATION.—(1) øAmends section 3 of the 

Act of September 2, 1937¿ 

(2) øAmends section 4(a) of the Act of September 2, 1937¿ 

(3) The amendments made by this subsection of this Act take effect October 1, 1989. 

(b) MIGRATORY BIRD FINES, PENALTIES, FORFEITURES.—The sums 

received under section 6 of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 

U.S.C. 707) as penalties or fines, or from forfeitures of property are 

authorized to be appropriated to the Department of the Interior for 

purposes of allocation under section 8 of this Act. This subsection 

shall not be construed to require the sale of instrumentalities. 

(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—In addition to the 

amounts made available under subsections (a) and (b) of this section, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Department of 

the Interior for purposes of allocation under section 8 of this Act 

not to exceed— 

(1) $55,000,000 for fiscal year 2003; 

(2) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; 

(3) $65,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; 

(4) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; øand¿ 

(5) $75,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012ø.¿ 

; and 

(6) $55,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2019. 

* * * * * * * 

Æ 


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