[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 13, 2000]
A BILL
To assist in the conservation of great apes by supporting
and providing financial resources for the conservation
programs of countries within the range of great apes
and projects of persons with demonstrated expertise in
the conservation of great apes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Great Ape Conservation
Act of 2000’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—
(1) great ape populations have declined to the
point that the long-term survival of the species in the
wild is in serious jeopardy;
(2) the chimpanzee, gorilla, bonobo, orangutan,
and gibbon are listed as endangered species under sec-
tion 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16
U.S.C. 1533) and under Appendix I of the Conven-
tion on International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora (27 UST 1087; TIAS 8249);
(3) because the challenges facing the conservation
of great apes are so immense, the resources available
to date have not been sufficient to cope with the con-
tinued loss of habitat due to human encroachment
and logging and the consequent diminution of great
ape populations;
(4) because great apes are flagship species for the
conservation of the tropical forest habitats in which
they are found, conservation of great apes provides
benefits to numerous other species of wildlife, includ-
ing many other endangered species;
(5) among the threats to great apes, in addition
to habitat loss, are population fragmentation, hunting
for the bushmeat trade, live capture, and exposure to
emerging or introduced diseases;
(6) great apes are important components of the
ecosystems they inhabit, and studies of their wild
populations have provided important biological in-
sights;
(7) although subsistence hunting of tropical for-
est animals has occurred for hundreds of years at a
sustainable level, the tremendous increase in the com-
mercial trade of tropical forest species is detrimental
to the future of these species; and
(8) the reduction, removal, or other effective ad-
dressing of the threats to the long-term viability of
populations of great apes in the wild will require the
joint commitment and effort of countries that have
within their boundaries any part of the range of great
apes, the United States and other countries, and the
private sector.
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—
(1) to sustain viable populations of great apes in
the wild; and
(2) to assist in the conservation and protection
of great apes by supporting conservation programs of
countries in which populations of great apes are lo-
cated and by supporting the CITES Secretariat.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) 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.
(2) CONSERVATION.—The term ‘‘conservation’’—
(A) means the use of methods and proce-
dures necessary to prevent the diminution of,
and to sustain viable populations of, a species;
and
(B) includes all activities associated with
wildlife management, such as—
(i) conservation, protection, restora-
tion, acquisition, and management of habi-
tat;
(ii) in-situ research and monitoring of
populations and habitats;
(iii) assistance in the development, im-
plementation, and improvement of manage-
ment plans for managed habitat ranges;
(iv) enforcement and implementation
of CITES;
(v) enforcement and implementation of
domestic laws relating to resource manage-
ment;
(vi) development and operation of
sanctuaries for members of a species rescued
from the illegal trade in live animals;
(vii) training of local law enforcement
officials in the interdiction and prevention
of the illegal killing of great apes;
(viii) programs for the rehabilitation
of members of a species in the wild and re-
lease of the members into the wild in ways
which do not threaten existing wildlife pop-
ulations by causing displacement or the in-
troduction of disease;
(ix) conflict resolution initiatives;
(x) community outreach and edu-
cation; and
(xi) strengthening the capacity of local
communities to implement conservation
programs.
(3) FUND.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means the Great
Ape Conservation Fund established by section 5.
(4) GREAT APE.—The term ‘‘great ape’’ means a
chimpanzee, gorilla, bonobo, orangutan, or gibbon.
(5) MULTINATIONAL
SPECIES
CONSERVATION
FUND.—The term ‘‘Multinational Species Conserva-
tion Fund’’ means such fund as established in title I
of the Department of the Interior and Related Agen-
cies Appropriations Act, 1999, under the heading
‘‘MULTINATIONAL SPECIES CONSERVATION FUND’’.
(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of the Interior.
SEC. 4. GREAT APE CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of funds
and in consultation with other appropriate Federal offi-
cials, the Secretary shall use amounts in the Fund to pro-
vide financial assistance for projects for the conservation
of great apes for which project proposals are approved by
the Secretary in accordance with this section.
(b) PROJECT PROPOSALS.—
(1) ELIGIBLE
APPLICANTS.—A proposal for a
project for the conservation of great apes may be sub-
mitted to the Secretary by—
(A) any wildlife management authority of a
country that has within its boundaries any part
of the range of a great ape if the activities of the
authority directly or indirectly affect a great ape
population;
(B) the CITES Secretariat; or
(C) any person or group with the dem-
onstrated expertise required for the conservation
of great apes.
(2) REQUIRED ELEMENTS.—A project proposal
shall include—
(A) a concise statement of the purposes of
the project;
(B) the name of the individual responsible
for conducting the project;
(C) a description of the qualifications of the
individuals who will conduct the project;
(2) address the conflicts between humans and
great apes that arise from competition for the same
habitat;
(3) enhance compliance with CITES and other
applicable laws that prohibit or regulate the taking or
trade of great apes or regulate the use and manage-
ment of great ape habitat;
(4) develop sound scientific information on, or
methods for monitoring—
(A) the condition and health of great ape
habitat;
(B) great ape population numbers and
trends; or
(C) the current and projected threats to the
habitat, current and projected numbers, or cur-
rent and projected trends; or
(5) promote cooperative projects on the issues de-
scribed in paragraph (4) among government entities,
affected local communities, nongovernmental organi-
zations, or other persons in the private sector.
(e) PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY.—To the maximum ex-
tent practicable, in determining whether to approve project
proposals under this section, the Secretary shall give pref-
erence to conservation projects that are designed to ensure
effective, long-term conservation of great apes and their
habitats.
(f) MATCHING FUNDS.—In determining whether to ap-
prove project proposals under this section, the Secretary
shall give preference to projects for which matching funds
are available.
(g) PROJECT REPORTING.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Each person that receives as-
sistance under this section for a project shall submit
to the Secretary periodic reports (at such intervals as
the Secretary considers necessary) that include all in-
formation that the Secretary, after consultation with
other appropriate government officials, determines is
necessary to evaluate the progress and success of the
project for the purposes of ensuring positive results,
assessing problems, and fostering improvements.
(2) AVAILABILITY
TO
THE
PUBLIC.—Reports
under paragraph (1), and any other documents relat-
ing to projects for which financial assistance is pro-
vided under this Act, shall be made available to the
public.
(h) LIMITATIONS ON USE FOR CAPTIVE BREEDING.—
Amounts provided as a grant under this Act—
(1) may not be used for captive breeding of great
apes other than for captive breeding for release into
the wild; and
(2) may be used for captive breeding of a species
for release into the wild only if no other conservation
method for the species is biologically feasible.
(i) PANEL.—Every 2 years, the Secretary shall con-
vene a panel of experts to identify the greatest needs for
the conservation of great apes.
SEC. 5. GREAT APE CONSERVATION FUND.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the Mul-
tinational Species Conservation Fund a separate account
to be known as the ‘‘Great Ape Conservation Fund’’, con-
sisting of—
(1) amounts transferred to the Secretary of the
Treasury for deposit into the Fund under subsection
(e);
(2) amounts appropriated to the Fund under
section 6; and
(3) any interest earned on investment of
amounts in the Fund under subsection (c).
(b) EXPENDITURES FROM FUND.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2),
upon request by the Secretary, the Secretary of the
Treasury shall transfer from the Fund to the Sec-
retary, without further appropriation, such amounts
as the Secretary determines are necessary to provide
assistance under section 4.
(2) 
ADMINISTRATIVE
EXPENSES.—Of 
the
amounts in the account available for each fiscal year,
the Secretary may expand not more than 3 percent,
or up to $80,000, whichever is greater, to pay the ad-
ministrative expenses necessary to carry out this Act.
(c) INVESTMENT OF AMOUNTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Treasury
shall invest such portion of the Fund as is not, in the
judgment of the Secretary of the Treasury, required to
meet current withdrawals. Investments may be made
only in interest-bearing obligations of the United
States.
(2) ACQUISITION OF OBLIGATIONS.—For the pur-
pose of investments under paragraph (1), obligations
may be acquired—
(A) on original issue at the issue price; or
(B) by purchase of outstanding obligations
at the market price.
(3) SALE OF OBLIGATIONS.—Any obligation ac-
quired by the Fund may be sold by the Secretary of
the Treasury at the market price.
(4) CREDITS TO FUND.—The interest on, and the
proceeds from the sale or redemption of, any obliga-
tions held in the Fund shall be credited to and form
a part of the Fund.
(d) TRANSFERS OF AMOUNTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The amounts required to be
transferred to the Fund under this section shall be
transferred at least monthly from the general fund of
the Treasury to the Fund on the basis of estimates
made by the Secretary of the Treasury.
(2) ADJUSTMENTS.—Proper adjustment shall be
made in amounts subsequently transferred to the ex-
tent prior estimates were in excess of or less than the
amounts required to be transferred.
(e) ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF DONATIONS.—The Sec-
retary may accept and use donations to provide assistance
under section 4. Amounts received by the Secretary in the
form of donations shall be transferred to the Secretary of
the Treasury for deposit into the Fund.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Fund
$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001 through 2005.
Union Calendar No. 458
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4320
[Report No. 106–792]
A BILL
To assist in the conservation of great apes by sup-
porting and providing financial resources for the
conservation programs of countries within the
range of great apes and projects of persons with
demonstrated expertise in the conservation of
great apes.
JULY 25, 2000
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union,
and ordered to be printed