I 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1707 

To assist in the conservation of rare felids and rare canids by supporting 

and providing financial resources for the conservation programs of nations within the range of rare felid and rare canid populations and 

projects of persons with demonstrated expertise in the conservation of 

rare felid and rare canid populations. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 19, 2005 

Mr. SHAW (for himself, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. ROYCE, and Mr. TANNER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Resources 

A BILL 

To assist in the conservation of rare felids and rare canids 

by supporting and providing financial resources for the 

conservation programs of nations within the range of 

rare felid and rare canid populations and projects of 

persons with demonstrated expertise in the conservation 

of rare felid and rare canid populations. 

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 and Rare 

5 Canids Act of 2005.’’ 
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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) Many wild populations of felids and canids, 

4 once considered common, are in decline, and many 

5 have declined to the point that their long-term sur6 vival in the wild is in serious jeopardy. 

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

8 are currently recognized as species in need of protec9 tion under the IUCN Red List, the lists of species 

10 in CITES appendices I, II, and III, or the Endan11 gered Species Act of 1973. Of the 35 wild canid spe12 cies worldwide, nearly 50 percent are recognized as 

13 in need of such protection. 

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

15 and canids are important aesthetic, economic, and 

16 ecological global resources that need to be conserved. 

17 (4) Large felids and canids are considered both 

18 umbrella and indicator species. Healthy populations 

19 of these species act as an important indicator of the 

20 integrity of entire ecosystems and, because they re21 quire large wild spaces to persist, benefit entire eco22 systems and a large number of other species. Meas23 ures taken to benefit these keystone species will ulti24 mately benefit a great number of other species. 

25 (5) Rare felids and rare canids face an array of 

26 threats, including loss of habitat and natural prey, 
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1 intentional and unintentional takings by humans, 

2 disease transmission, and a vast number of other 

3 threats. These threats need to be addressed in a co4 ordinated fashion. 

5 (6) Conservation of rare felid and rare canid 

6 populations requires global commitment. Adequate 

7 funding for conservation is sorely lacking, and many 

8 range countries for those species do not have ade9 quate infrastructure to protect species of concern. 

10 Those countries that do provide assistance to threat11 ened populations need further assistance in imple12 menting effective conservation strategies. 

13 (7) In particular, in developing nations with 

14 limited resources, poverty, population growth, and 

15 habitat loss all present significant challenges to con16 servation of rare felids and rare canids. 

17 (8) Although some protections and initiatives 

18 exist to conserve rare felid and rare canid popu19 lations and their habitat, those efforts can be signifi20 cantly strengthened and enhanced by increased co21 ordination and the infusion of targeted funding to 

22 benefit species of concern. 

23 SEC. 3. PURPOSES. 

24 The purposes of this Act are to provide financial re25 sources and to foster international cooperation— 
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1 (1) to restore and perpetuate healthy popu2 lations of rare felids and rare canids in the wild; and 

3 (2) to assist in the conservation of rare felid 

4 and rare canid populations worldwide. 

5 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

6 In this Act: 

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

8 Convention on International Trade in Endangered 

9 Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, done at Wash10 ington March 3, 1973 (27 UST 1087; TIAS 8249), 

11 including its appendices. 

12 (2) CONSERVATION.—The term ‘‘conserva13 tion’’— 

14 (A) means the methods and procedures 

15 necessary to bring a species of rare felid or rare 

16 canid to the point at which there are sufficient 

17 populations in the wild to ensure the long-term 

18 viability of the species; 

19 (B) includes all activities associated with 

20 protection and management of a rare felid or 

21 rare canid population, including— 

22 (i) maintenance, management, protec23 tion, and restoration of rare felid or rare 

24 canid habitat; 

25 (ii) research and monitoring; 
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1 (iii) law enforcement; 

2 (iv) community outreach and edu3 cation; 

4 (v) conflict resolution initiatives; and 

5 (vi) strengthening the capacity of local 

6 communities, governmental agencies, non7 governmental organizations and other in8 stitutions to implement conservation pro9 grams. 

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

11 Cats and Rare Canids Conservation Fund estab12 lished by section 6. 

13 (4) IUCN RED LIST.—The term ‘‘IUCN Red 

14 List’’ means the Red List of Threatened Species 

15 Maintained by the World Conservation Union. 

16 (5) RARE CANID.—The term ‘‘rare canid’’— 

17 (A) means any canid species, subspecies, or 

18 population that— 

19 (i) is not native to the area comprised 

20 of the United States and Canada; and 

21 (ii) is included in the IUCN Red List, 

22 Appendix I, II, or III of CITES, or any 

23 list published under section 4(c) of the En24 dangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 

25 1532(c)); and 
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1 (B) includes such a subspecies or popu2 lation of dhole (Cuon alpinus), gray wolf (Canis 

3 lupus), ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), african 

4 wild dog (Lycaon pictus), or maned wolf 

5 (Chrysocyon brachyurus). 

6 (6) RARE FELID.—The term ‘‘rare felid’’— 

7 (A) subject to subparagraph (C), means 

8 any felid species, subspecies, or population 

9 that— 

10 (i) is not native to the area comprised 

11 of the United States and Canada; and 

12 (ii) is included in the IUCN Red List, 

13 Appendix I, II, or III of CITES, or any 

14 list published under section 4(c) of the En15 dangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 

16 1532(c)); 

17 (B) includes such a subspecies or popu18 lation of lion (Panthera leo), leopard (Panthera 

19 pardus), jaguar (Panthera onca), snow leopard 

20 (Uncia uncia), clouded leopard (Neofelis 

21 nebulosa), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), or ibe22 rian lynx (Lynx pardina); and 

23 (C) does not include any tiger (Panthera 

24 tigris). 
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1 (7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ refers 

2 to the Secretary of the Interior. 

3 SEC. 5. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. 

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

5 funds and in consultation with other appropriate Federal 

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

7 provide financial assistance for projects for the conserva8 tion of rare felid and rare canids for which project pro9 posals are approved by the Secretary in accordance with 

10 this section. 

11 (b) PROJECT PROPOSALS.— 

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

13 project for the conservation of rare felid and canids 

14 may be submitted to the Secretary by— 

15 (A) any wildlife management authority of 

16 a country that has within its boundaries any 

17 part of the range of a rare felid or rare canid 

18 species, respectively; and 

19 (B) any person or group with the dem20 onstrated expertise required for the conserva21 tion in the wild of rare felids or rare canids, re22 spectively. 

23 (2) PROJECT PROPOSALS.—To be considered 

24 for financial assistance for a project under this Act, 
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1 an applicant shall submit a project proposal that in2 cludes— 

3 (A) a concise statement of the purposes of 

4 the project; 

5 (B) the name of the individual responsible 

6 for conducting the project; 

7 (C) a description of the qualifications of 

8 the individuals who will conduct the project; 

9 (D) a concise description of— 

10 (i) methods for project implementa11 tion and outcome assessment; 

12 (ii) staffing for the project; 

13 (iii) the logistics of the project; and 

14 (iv) community involvement in the 

15 project; 

16 (E) an estimate of funds and time required 

17 to complete the project; 

18 (F) evidence of support for the project by 

19 appropriate governmental entities of the coun20 tries in which the project will be conducted, if 

21 the Secretary determines that such support is 

22 required for the success of the project; 

23 (G) information regarding the source and 

24 amount of matching funding available for the 

25 project; and 
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1 (H) any other information that the Sec2 retary considers to be necessary for evaluating 

3 the eligibility of the project for funding under 

4 this Act. 

5 (c) PROJECT REVIEW AND APPROVAL.— 

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

7 (A) not later than 30 days after receiving 

8 a project proposal, provide a copy of the pro9 posal to the appropriate Federal officials; and 

10 (B) review each project proposal in a time11 ly manner to determine if the proposal meets 

12 the criteria specified in subsection (d). 

13 (2) CONSULTATION; APPROVAL OR DIS14 APPROVAL.—Not later than 180 days after receiving 

15 a project proposal, and subject to the availability of 

16 funds, the Secretary, after consulting with other ap17 propriate Federal officials, shall— 

18 (A) ensure the proposal contains assur19 ances that the project will be implemented in 

20 consultation with relevant wildlife management 

21 authorities and other appropriate government 

22 officials with jurisdiction over the resources ad23 dressed by the project; 

24 (B) approve or disapprove the proposal; 

25 and 
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1 (C) provide written notification of the ap2 proval or disapproval to the person who sub3 mitted the proposal, other appropriate Federal 

4 officials, and each country within whose borders 

5 the project will take place. 

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

7 approve a project proposal under this section if the project 

8 will contribute to conservation of rare felids or rare canids 

9 in the wild by assisting efforts to— 

10 (1) implement conservation programs; 

11 (2) address the conflicts between humans and 

12 rare felids or rare canids, respectively, that arise 

13 from competition for the same habitat or resources; 

14 (3) enhance compliance with CITES, the En15 dangered Species Act of 1973, and other applicable 

16 laws that prohibit or regulate the taking or trade of 

17 rare felids and rare canids or regulate the use and 

18 management of rare felid and rare canid habitat; 

19 (4) develop sound scientific information on, or 

20 methods for monitoring— 

21 (A) the condition and health of rare felid 

22 or rare canid habitat; 

23 (B) rare felid or rare canid population 

24 numbers and trends; and 
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1 (C) the ecological characteristics and re2 quirements of populations of rare felids or rare 

3 canids for which there are little or no data; 

4 (5) promote cooperative projects among govern5 ment entities, affected local communities, nongovern6 mental organizations, and other persons in the pri7 vate sector; or 

8 (6) funds will not be appropriated for the pur9 chase or lease of lands to be used as suitable habitat 

10 for felids or canids. 

11 (e) PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY.—In approving project 

12 proposals under this section, the Secretary shall give pref13 erence to conservation projects that are designed to ensure 

14 effective, long-term conservation of rare felids and rare 

15 canids and their habitats. 

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

17 approve project proposals under this section, the Secretary 

18 shall give preference to projects for which there exists 

19 some measure of matching funds. 

20 (g) PROJECT REPORTING.— 

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

22 assistance under this section for a project shall sub23 mit to the Secretary periodic reports (at such inter24 vals as the Secretary considers necessary) that in25 clude all information that the Secretary, after con-
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1 sultation with other appropriate government offi2 cials, determines is necessary to evaluate the 

3 progress and success of the project for the purposes 

4 of ensuring positive results, assessing problems, and 

5 fostering improvements. 

6 (2) AVAILABILITY TO THE PUBLIC.—Reports 

7 under paragraph (1), and any other documents re8 lating to projects for which financial assistance is 

9 provided under this Act, shall be made available to 

10 the public. 

11 (h) LIMITATIONS ON USE FOR CAPTIVE BREEDING

12 OR DISPLAY.—Amounts provided as a grant under this 

13 Act— 

14 (1) may not be used for captive breeding or dis15 play of rare felids and rare canids other than captive 

16 breeding for release into the wild; and 

17 (2) may be used for captive breeding of a spe18 cies for release into the wild only if no other con19 servation method for the species is biologically fea20 sible. 

21 (i) LIMITATION ON ASSISTANCE FOR CERTAIN SPE22 CIES.—Of amounts available for a fiscal year for providing 

23 financial assistance under this section, the Secretary may 

24 not use more than 25 percent to provide assistance for 

25 projects that target rare canid and rare felid species that 
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1 are not listed in paragraph (5)(B) or (6)(B), respectively, 

2 of section 4. 

3 (j) ADVISORY GROUP.— 

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

5 this Act, the Secretary may convene an advisory 

6 group consisting of individuals representing public 

7 and private organizations actively involved in the 

8 conservation of felids and canids. 

9 (2) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.— 

10 (A) MEETINGS.—The advisory group 

11 shall— 

12 (i) ensure that each meeting of the 

13 advisory group is open to the public; and 

14 (ii) provide, at each meeting, an op15 portunity for interested persons to present 

16 oral or written statements concerning 

17 items on the agenda. 

18 (B) NOTICE.—The Secretary shall provide 

19 to the public timely notice of each meeting of 

20 the advisory group, including the meeting agen21 da. 

22 (C) MINUTES.—Minutes of each meeting 

23 of the advisory group shall be kept by the Sec24 retary and shall be made available to the public. 
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1 (3) EXEMPTION FROM FEDERAL ADVISORY

2 COMMITTEE ACT.—The Federal Advisory Committee 

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

4 group. 

5 SEC. 6. GREAT CATS AND RARE CANIDS CONSERVATION 

6 FUND. 

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

8 Multinational Species Conservation Fund established in 

9 title I of the Department of the Interior and Related 

10 Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 under the heading 

11 ‘‘MULTINATIONAL SPECIES CONSERVATION 

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

13 Cats and Rare Canids Conservation Fund’’, consisting 

14 of— 

15 (1) amounts transferred to the Secretary of the 

16 Treasury for deposit into such account under sub17 section (e); 

18 (2) amounts appropriated to such account 

19 under section 7; and 

20 (3) any interest earned on investment of 

21 amounts in the account under subsection (c). 

22 (b) EXPENDITURES FROM FUND.— 

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

24 upon request by the Secretary, the Secretary of the 

25 Treasury shall transfer from the Fund to the Sec-
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1 retary, without further appropriation, such amounts 

2 as the Secretary determines are necessary to provide 

3 assistance under section 4. 

4 (2) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Of the 

5 amounts in the Fund available for each fiscal year, 

6 the Secretary may expend not more than three per7 cent, or up to $80,000, whichever is greater, to pay 

8 the administrative expenses necessary to carry out 

9 this Act. 

10 (c) INVESTMENT OF AMOUNTS.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Treas12 ury shall invest such portion of the Fund as is not, 

13 in the judgment of the Secretary of the Treasury, 

14 required to meet current withdrawals. Investments 

15 may be made only in interest-bearing obligations of 

16 the United States. 

17 (2) ACQUISITION OF OBLIGATIONS.—For the 

18 purpose of investments under paragraph (1), obliga19 tions may be acquired— 

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

21 (B) by purchase of outstanding obligations 

22 at the market price. 

23 (3) SALE OF OBLIGATIONS.—Any obligation ac24 quired by the Fund may be sold by the Secretary of 

25 the Treasury at the market price. 
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1 (4) CREDITS TO FUND.—The interest on, and 

2 the proceeds from the sale or redemption of any obli3 gations held in the Fund shall be credited to and 

4 form a part of the Fund. 

5 (d) TRANSFERS OF AMOUNTS.— 

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

7 transferred to the Fund under this section shall be 

8 transferred at least monthly from the general fund 

9 of the Treasury to the Fund on the basis of esti10 mates made by the Secretary of the Treasury. 

11 (2) ADJUSTMENTS.—Proper adjustment shall 

12 be made in amounts subsequently transferred to the 

13 extent prior estimates were in excess of or less than 

14 the amounts required to be transferred. 

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

16 Secretary may accept and use donations to provide assist17 ance under section 4. Amounts received by the Secretary 

18 in the form of donations shall be transferred to the Sec19 retary of the Treasury for deposit into the Fund. 

20 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OR APPROPRIATIONS. 

21 There are authorized to be appropriated to the Fund 

22 $5,000,000 for each fiscal years 2006 through 2010 to 

23 carry out this Act. 

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