(3) FUND.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means the 
Crane Conservation Fund established by section 
6(a). 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
SEC. 5. CRANE CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of ap-
propriations and in consultation with other appropriate 
Federal officials, the Secretary shall use amounts in the 
Fund to provide financial assistance for projects relating 
to the conservation of cranes for which project proposals 
are approved by the Secretary in accordance with this sec-
tion. 
(b) PROJECT PROPOSALS.— 
(1) APPLICANTS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—An applicant described 
in subparagraph (B) that seeks to receive as-
sistance under this section to carry out a 
project relating to the conservation of cranes 
shall submit to the Secretary a project proposal 
that meets the requirements of this section. 
(B) ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS.—An applicant 
described in this subparagraph is— 
(i) any relevant wildlife management 
authority of a country that—
(I) is located within the African, 
Asian, European, or North American 
range of a species of crane; and 
(II) carries out 1 or more activi-
ties that directly or indirectly affect 
crane populations; 
(ii) the Secretariat of the Convention; 
and 
(iii) any person or organization with 
demonstrated expertise in the conservation 
of cranes. 
(2) REQUIRED ELEMENTS.—A project proposal 
submitted under paragraph (1)(A) shall include— 
(A) a concise statement of the purpose of 
the project; 
(B)(i) the name of each individual respon-
sible for conducting the project; and 
(ii) a description of the qualifications of 
each of those individuals; 
(C) a concise description of— 
(i) methods to be used to implement 
and assess the outcome of the project; 
(ii) staff and community management 
for the project; and 
(iii) the logistics of the project;
(D) an estimate of the funds and the pe-
riod of time required to complete the project; 
(E) evidence of support for the project by 
appropriate government entities of countries in 
which the project will be conducted, if the Sec-
retary determines that such support is required 
to ensure the success of the project; 
(F) information regarding the source and 
amount of matching funding available for the 
project; and 
(G) any other information that the Sec-
retary considers to be necessary for evaluating 
the eligibility of the project to receive assistance 
under this Act. 
(c) PROJECT REVIEW AND APPROVAL.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall— 
(A) not later than 30 days after receiving 
a final project proposal, provide a copy of the 
proposal to other appropriate Federal officials; 
and 
(B) review each project proposal in a time-
ly manner to determine whether the proposal 
meets the criteria described 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 
appropriations, the Secretary, after consulting with 
other appropriate Federal officials, shall— 
(A) consult on the proposal with the gov-
ernment of each country in which the project is 
to be carried out; 
(B) after taking into consideration any 
comments resulting from the consultation, ap-
prove or disapprove the proposal; and 
(C) provide written notification of the ap-
proval or disapproval to— 
(i) the applicant that submitted the 
proposal; 
(ii) other appropriate Federal offi-
cials; and 
(iii) each country described in sub-
paragraph (A). 
(d) CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL.—The Secretary may 
approve a project proposal under this section if the Sec-
retary determines that the proposed project will enhance 
programs for conservation of cranes by assisting efforts 
to— 
(1) implement conservation programs;
(2) address the conflicts between humans and 
cranes that arise from competition for the same 
habitat or resources; 
(3) enhance compliance with the Convention 
and other applicable laws that— 
(A) prohibit or regulate the taking or trade 
of cranes; or 
(B) regulate the use and management of 
crane habitat; 
(4) develop sound scientific information on, or 
methods for monitoring— 
(A) the condition of crane habitat; 
(B) crane population numbers and trends; 
or 
(C) the current and projected threats to 
crane habitat and population numbers and 
trends; 
(5) promote cooperative projects on the issues 
described in paragraph (4) among— 
(A) governmental entities; 
(B) affected local communities; 
(C) nongovernmental organizations; or 
(D) other persons in the private sector; 
(6) carry out necessary scientific research on 
cranes;
(7) reintroduce cranes successfully back into 
the wild, including propagation of a sufficient num-
ber of cranes required for this purpose; or 
(8) provide relevant training to, or support 
technical exchanges involving, staff responsible for 
managing cranes or habitats of cranes, to enhance 
capacity for effective conservation. 
(e) PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY; MATCHING FUNDS.— 
To the maximum extent practicable, in determining 
whether to approve a project proposal under this section, 
the Secretary shall give preference to a proposed project— 
(1) that is designed to ensure effective, long- 
term conservation of cranes and habitats of cranes; 
or 
(2) for which matching funds are available. 
(f) PROJECT REPORTING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Each person that receives 
assistance under this section for a project shall sub-
mit to the Secretary, at such periodic intervals as 
are determined by the Secretary, reports that in-
clude all information that the Secretary, after con-
sulting with other appropriate government officials, 
determines to be necessary to evaluate the progress 
and success of the project for the purposes of— 
(A) ensuring positive results;
(B) assessing problems; and 
(C) fostering improvements. 
(2) AVAILABILITY TO THE PUBLIC.—Each re-
port submitted under paragraph (1), and any other 
documents relating to a project for which financial 
assistance is provided under this Act, shall be made 
available to the public. 
(g) PANEL.—As soon as practicable after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and biennially thereafter, the Sec-
retary shall convene a panel of experts, including special-
ists on cranes and wetland, to identify the greatest needs 
with respect to the conservation of cranes. 
SEC. 6. CRANE CONSERVATION FUND. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 
Multinational Species Conservation Fund established by 
the matter under the heading ‘‘MULTINATIONAL SPE-
CIES CONSERVATION FUND’’ in title I of the Depart-
ment of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations 
Act, 1999 (112 Stat. 2681–237; 16 U.S.C. 4246) a sepa-
rate account to be known as the ‘‘Crane Conservation 
Fund’’, consisting 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 7; and 
(3) any interest earned on investment of 
amounts in the Fund under subsection (c). 
(b) EXPENDITURES FROM FUND.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraphs (2) 
and (3), upon request by the Secretary, the Sec-
retary of the Treasury shall transfer from the Fund 
to the Secretary, without further appropriation, such 
amounts as the Secretary determines are necessary 
to provide assistance under section 5. 
(2) 
ADMINISTRATIVE
EXPENSES.—Of 
the 
amounts in the Fund available for each fiscal year, 
the Secretary may expend not more than 3 percent, 
or $80,000, whichever is greater, to pay the admin-
istrative expenses necessary to carry out this Act. 
(3) LIMITATION.—Not more than 50 percent of 
the amounts made available from the Fund for any 
fiscal year may be used for projects relating to the 
conservation of North American crane species. 
(c) INVESTMENTS OF AMOUNTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Treas-
ury 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 
purpose of investments under paragraph (1), obliga-
tions 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 ob-
ligations 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 esti-
mates made by the Secretary of the Treasury. 
(2) ADJUSTMENTS.—Proper adjustment shall 
be made in amounts subsequently transferred to the 
extent prior estimates were in excess of or less than 
the amounts required to be transferred.
(e) ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF DONATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may accept 
and use donations to provide assistance under sec-
tion 5. 
(2) TRANSFER OF DONATIONS.—Amounts re-
ceived by the Secretary in the form of donations 
shall be transferred to the Secretary of the Treasury 
for deposit in the Fund. 
SEC. 7. ADVISORY GROUP. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—To assist in carrying out this Act, 
the Secretary may convene an advisory group consisting 
of individuals representing public and private organiza-
tions actively involved in the conservation of cranes. 
(b) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.— 
(1) MEETINGS.—The advisory group shall— 
(A) ensure that each meeting of the advi-
sory group is open to the public; and 
(B) provide, at each meeting, an oppor-
tunity for interested persons to present oral or 
written statements concerning items on the 
agenda. 
(2) NOTICE.—The Secretary shall provide to 
the public timely notice of each meeting of the advi-
sory group.
(3) MINUTES.—Minutes of each meeting of the 
advisory group shall be kept by the Secretary and 
shall be made available to the public. 
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Fund 
$3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2009, 
to remain available until expended. 
Æ