(2) Many of those species are listed under sec-
tion 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
U.S.C. 1533) or in Appendix I or II of the Conven-
tion on International Trade in Endangered Species 
of Wild Fauna and Flora. 
(3) There are insufficient resources available 
for addressing the threats facing those species, 
which will require the joint commitment and effort 
of countries within the range of those species, the 
United States and other countries, and the private 
sector. 
(4) The grant programs established by the Con-
gress for tigers, rhinoceroses, Asian elephants, Afri-
can elephants, great apes, neotropical migratory 
birds, and marine turtles have proven to be ex-
tremely successful, provide Federal funds for con-
servation projects in an efficient and expeditious 
manner, and encourage additional support for con-
servation in countries where those species exist in 
the wild. 
(5) A new grant program modeled on the exist-
ing programs for tigers, rhinoceroses, elephants, 
great apes, neotropical migratory birds, and marine 
turtles would provide an effective means to assist in
the conservation of flagship species for which there 
are no existing grant programs. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to conserve 
flagship species of fauna throughout the world, and the 
ecosystems on which those species depend, by supporting 
the conservation programs for those species and the 
CITES Secretariat, promoting partnerships between the 
public and private sectors, and providing financial re-
sources for those programs and partnerships. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ACCOUNT.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means the 
Flagship Species Conservation Fund established by 
section 5. 
(2) CITES.—The term ‘‘CITES’’ means the 
Convention on International Trade in Endangered 
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, done at Wash-
ington March 3, 1973 (27 UST 1087; TIAS 8249), 
including its appendices and amendments. 
(3) CONSERVATION.—The term ‘‘conservation’’ 
means the use of methods and procedures necessary 
to bring a flagship species to the point at which 
there are sufficient populations in the wild to ensure 
that the species does not become extinct, including—
(A) protection and management of popu-
lations of a flagship species; 
(B) maintenance, management, protection, 
and restoration of habitat of a flagship species; 
(C) research and monitoring; 
(D) law enforcement; and 
(E) community outreach and education. 
(4) FISH
OR
WILDLIFE.—The term ‘‘fish or 
wildlife’’ means any mammal, fish, bird, or reptile. 
(5) FLAGSHIP
SPECIES.—The term ‘‘flagship 
species’’—
(A) subject to subparagraph (B), means a 
species of fish or wildlife—
(i) that is listed as an endangered 
species or threatened species under section 
4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 
(16 U.S.C. 1533) or that is listed in Ap-
pendix I or II of CITES; 
(ii) whose range is wholly outside of 
the United States; and 
(iii) that appeals to the public and has 
other features that make it suitable for 
communicating conservation concerns; and
(B) does not include African elephants, 
Asian elephants, rhinoceros, tigers, great apes, 
neotropical migratory birds, and marine turtles. 
(6) MULTINATIONAL
SPECIES
CONSERVATION 
FUND.—The term ‘‘Multinational Species Conserva-
tion Fund’’ means the fund established under the 
heading ‘‘multinational species conservation fund’’ in 
title I of the Department of the Interior and Related 
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 (16 U.S.C. 
4246). 
(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
SEC. 4. FLAGSHIP SPECIES CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of 
funds, the Secretary shall use amounts in the Fund to pro-
vide financial assistance for projects for the conservation 
of that flagship species throughout the world, for which 
project proposals are approved by the Secretary in accord-
ance with this section. 
(b) PROJECT PROPOSALS.—
(1) ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS.—A proposal for a 
project for the conservation of a flagship species 
may be submitted to the Secretary by—
(A) any relevant wildlife management au-
thority of a country that has within its bound-
aries any part of the range of a flagship spe-
cies, if the agency has authority over fish or 
wildlife and the activities of the agency directly 
or indirectly affect the species; 
(B) the CITES Secretariat; or 
(C) any person with demonstrated exper-
tise in the conservation of that flagship species. 
(2) REQUIRED INFORMATION.—A project pro-
posal shall include—
(A) the name of the individual with pri-
mary responsibility for conducting the project; 
(B) a succinct statement of—
(i) the purposes of the project and the 
methodology for implementing the project, 
including an assessment of the status of 
the flagship species that is the subject of 
the project; and 
(ii) how the project will benefit that 
species and other species that reside within 
the same habitat; 
(C) a description of the qualifications of 
the individuals who will conduct the project; 
(D) an estimate of the funds and time re-
quired to complete the project;
(E) evidence of support for the project by 
appropriate governmental entities of countries 
in which the project will be conducted, if the 
Secretary determines that such support is re-
quired for the success of the project; 
(F) information regarding the source and 
amount of matching funds available for the 
project; and 
(G) any other information that the Sec-
retary considers to be necessary for evaluating 
the eligibility of the project for funding under 
this Act. 
(c) PROJECT REVIEW AND APPROVAL.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall—
(A) not later than 30 days after receiving 
a project proposal, provide a copy of the pro-
posal to other Federal officials, as appropriate; 
and 
(B) review each project proposal in a time-
ly manner to determine whether the proposal 
meets the criteria specified in subsection (d). 
(2) 
CONSULTATION; 
APPROVAL
OR
DIS-
APPROVAL.—Not later than 180 days after receiving 
a project proposal, and subject to the availability of