Title: DELTA Act
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Defending Economic Livelihoods and Threatened Animals Act or the DELTA Act
This bill directs the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development to work with Angola, Botswana, and Namibia, and in partnership with donors, the private sector, and local, regional, and nongovernmental entities, to develop a strategy to: (1) promote sustainable natural resource and wildlife management practices in the greater Okavango River Basin, (2) protect migration routes of elephants and other threatened wildlife species, (3) combat wildlife poaching and trafficking, (4) address local health needs, and (5) catalyze economic growth.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4819 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4819

     To promote inclusive economic growth through conservation and 
   biodiversity programs that facilitate transboundary cooperation, 
   improve natural resource management, and build local capacity to 
    protect and preserve threatened wildlife species in the greater 
                Okavango River Basin of southern Africa.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 18, 2018

 Mr. Fortenberry (for himself, Mr. Royce of California, Ms. McCollum, 
 Mr. Cuellar, Mr. Engel, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mrs. 
   Lawrence, and Ms. Bass) introduced the following bill; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To promote inclusive economic growth through conservation and 
   biodiversity programs that facilitate transboundary cooperation, 
   improve natural resource management, and build local capacity to 
    protect and preserve threatened wildlife species in the greater 
                Okavango River Basin of southern Africa.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Defending Economic Livelihoods and 
Threatened Animals Act'' or the ``DELTA Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The greater Okavango River Basin, which ranges from the 
        highland plateau of northern Angola to northeastern Namibia and 
        northern Botswana, is the largest freshwater wetland in 
        southern Africa.
            (2) The greater Okavango River Basin is the main source of 
        water and livelihoods for over a million people, and the 
        effective management and protection of this critical watershed 
        will help advance important conservation and economic growth 
        objectives for such countries, local communities, and the 
        broader region.
            (3) The greater Okavango River Basin is home to the largest 
        remaining elephant population in the world, as well as other 
        threatened wildlife species.
            (4) Poaching and trafficking of threatened wildlife species 
        in the greater Okavango River Basin has increased in recent 
        years, and has the potential to undermine regional stability by 
        disrupting local governance and management of resources, and 
        supplanting key economic opportunities for community members.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that it is in the strategic interest of 
the United States to engage with the Governments of Angola, Botswana, 
and Namibia, along with donors, regional organizations, nongovernmental 
organizations, local communities, and the private sector, to advance 
conservation efforts and promote economic growth and stability in the 
greater Okavango River Basin.

SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It is the policy of the United States to promote inclusive economic 
growth through conservation and biodiversity programs that facilitate 
transboundary cooperation, improve natural resource management, and 
build local capacity to protect and preserve threatened wildlife 
species in the greater Okavango River Basin.

SEC. 5. STRATEGY.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State and the Administrator of 
the United States Agency for International Development, in coordination 
with other relevant Federal agencies, shall seek to work with the 
Governments of Angola, Botswana, and Namibia, and in partnership with 
donors, regional organizations, nongovernmental organizations, local 
communities, and the private sector, to develop a strategy to--
            (1) create and advance a cooperative framework to promote 
        sustainable natural resource and wildlife management practices 
        in the greater Okavango River Basin;
            (2) protect traditional migration routes of elephants and 
        other threatened wildlife species;
            (3) combat wildlife poaching and trafficking;
            (4) address human health and development needs of local 
        communities; and
            (5) catalyze economic growth in such countries and across 
        the broader region.
    (b) Elements.--The strategy established pursuant to subsection (a) 
shall include a description of efforts to--
            (1) promote cooperative and sustainable natural resource 
        and wildlife management policies and practices within and among 
        the countries of Angola, Botswana, and Namibia, with a 
        particular focus on the greater Okavango River Basin;
            (2) protect and restore wildlife habitats and traditional 
        migratory patterns of elephants and other threatened species;
            (3) combat wildlife poaching and trafficking in Angola, 
        Botswana, and Namibia, including within regional and national 
        parks and reserves, by building the capacity of the governments 
        of such countries, local law enforcement, community leaders, 
        and park rangers to detect, disrupt, and prosecute poachers and 
        traffickers;
            (4) promote conservation as a foundation for inclusive 
        economic growth and development within a comprehensive 
        assistance strategy that places Angola, Botswana, and Namibia 
        on a trajectory toward graduation from the need for foreign 
        assistance;
            (5) identify opportunities and mechanisms to leverage 
        public-private partnerships to contribute to support the 
        implementation of this strategy; and
            (6) establish monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, to 
        include measurable goals, objectives, and benchmarks of 
        success, that are included in grants, contracts, cooperative 
        agreements to ensure the effective use of United States foreign 
        assistance.

SEC. 6. UNITED STATES SUPPORT FOR RESPONSIBLE NATURAL RESOURCE 
              MANAGEMENT AND ELEPHANT CONSERVATION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State and the Administrator of 
the United States Agency for International Development, in coordination 
with other relevant Federal agencies, are authorized to prioritize and 
advance ongoing efforts to--
            (1) promote inclusive economic growth through responsible 
        natural resource management and wildlife protection activities 
        in the greater Okavango River Basin;
            (2) provide technical assistance to governments and local 
        communities in Angola, Botswana, and Namibia to create a 
        policy-enabling environment for such natural resource 
        management and wildlife protection activities; and
            (3) build the capacity of local law enforcement, park 
        rangers, and community leaders to combat wildlife poaching and 
        trafficking.
    (b) Coordination With Private Sector.--The Secretary, the 
Administrator, and other relevant Federal agencies are authorized to 
work with the private sector and nongovernmental organizations to 
leverage public and private capital to promote sustainable resource 
management, combat wildlife poaching and trafficking, and support 
inclusive economic growth and local livelihoods in the greater Okavango 
River Basin.
    (c) Monitoring and Evaluation.--The Secretary and the Administrator 
shall establish monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, to include 
measurable goals, objectives, and benchmarks, to ensure the effective 
use of United States foreign assistance to achieve the objectives of 
this Act.

SEC. 7. REPORT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State and the Administrator of 
the United States Agency for International Development, in coordination 
with other relevant Federal agencies, shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report on the implementation of this Act.
    (b) Matters To Be Included.--The report required under subsection 
(a) shall include a description of the strategy required by section 5, 
including--
            (1) the monitoring and evaluation plans and indicators used 
        to measure performance under the strategy;
            (2) any legislative impediments to meeting the objectives 
        of such strategy;
            (3) the extent to which Angola, Botswana, and Namibia have 
        demonstrated a commitment and willingness to cooperate to 
        advance efforts described in section 5(b); and
            (4) progress made to date in meeting the objectives of such 
        strategy.
    (c) Definition.--In this section, the term ``appropriate 
congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the Senate.
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