109TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 1288

AN ACT

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into

cooperative agreements to protect natural resources of

units of the National Park System through collaborative

efforts on land inside and outside of units of the National Park System.

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 ‘‘Natural Resource Pro5 tection Cooperative Agreement Act’’.
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1 SEC. 2. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS FOR NATIONAL PARK

2 NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION.

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior (re4 ferred to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’) may enter into

5 cooperative agreements with State, local, or tribal govern6 ments, other Federal agencies, other public entities, edu7 cational institutions, private nonprofit organizations, or

8 willing private landowners to protect natural resources of

9 units of the National Park System through collaborative

10 efforts on land inside and outside of National Park System

11 units.

12 (b) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—A cooperative agree13 ment entered into under subsection (a) shall—

14 (1) provide for—

15 (A) clear and direct benefits to natural re16 sources of a unit of the National Park System;

17 (B) the preservation, conservation, and

18 restoration of coastal and riparian systems, wa19 tersheds, and wetlands;

20 (C) preventing, controlling or eradicating

21 invasive exotic species that occupy land within

22 a unit of the National Park System or adjacent

23 to a unit of the National Park System; or

24 (D) restoration of natural resources, in25 cluding native wildlife habitat;
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1 (2) include a statement of purpose dem2 onstrating how the agreement will—

3 (A) enhance science-based natural resource

4 stewardship at the unit of the National Park

5 System; and

6 (B) benefit the parties to the agreement;

7 (3) specify any staff required and technical as8 sistance to be provided by the Secretary or other

9 parties to the agreement in support of activities in10 side and outside the unit of the National Park Sys11 tem that will—

12 (A) protect natural resources of the unit;

13 and

14 (B) benefit the parties to the agreement;

15 (4) identify any materials, supplies, or equip16 ment that will be contributed by the parties to the

17 agreement or by other Federal agencies;

18 (5) describe any financial assistance to be pro19 vided by the Secretary or the partners to implement

20 the agreement;

21 (6) ensure that any expenditure by the Sec22 retary pursuant to the agreement is determined by

23 the Secretary to support the purposes of natural re24 source stewardship at a unit of the National Park

25 System; and
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1 (7) shall include such terms and conditions that

2 are agreed to by the Secretary and the other parties

3 to the agreement.

4 (c) LIMITATIONS.—The Secretary shall not use any

5 amounts associated with an agreement entered into under

6 subsection (a) for the purposes of land acquisition, regu7 latory activity, or the development, maintenance, or oper8 ation of infrastructure, except for ancillary support facili9 ties that the Secretary determines to be necessary for the

10 completion of projects or activities identified in the agree11 ment.

12 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

13 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are nec14 essary to carry out this Act.

Passed the Senate September 29, 2006.

Attest:

Secretary.
109TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 1288

AN ACT

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter

outside of units of the National Park System.through collaborative efforts on land inside andresources of units of the National Park Systeminto cooperative agreements to protect natural