Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Animals
Date: 2009-04-30 00:00:00

Joint Ventures for Bird Habitat Conservation Act of 2009 - (Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct, through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a Joint Ventures Program to develop a framework for the approval and establishment of Joint Ventures that: (1) provide financial and technical assistance to support regional migratory bird conservation partnerships; (2) develop and implement plans for the protection and enhancement of migratory bird populations; (3) complement and support activities by the Secretary and the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to fulfill obligations under specified migratory bird and conservation Acts; and (4) support the goals and objectives of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan and other specified Conservation Plans, treaties, conventions, and agreements or strategies that promote the conservation of migratory bird populations and their habitats. Defines a "Joint Venture" as a self-directed, voluntary partnership. Requires the Secretary to publish guidelines for the implementation of this Act in the Federal Register. (Sec. 5) Authorizes the Director to enter into agreements with eligible partners to establish Joint Ventures to: (1) promote, primarily, sustainable migratory bird populations, and secondarily, the fish and wildlife species associated with their habitats; (2) encourage stakeholder and government partnerships; and (3) establish, implement, and improve science-based migratory bird conservation plans and promote broader landscape-level conservation of fish and wildlife habitat. Specifies that eligible partners include: (1) federal and state agencies; (2) affected regional, local, and tribal governments, private landowners, land managers, and other private stakeholders; (3) certain nongovernmental organizations; and (4) other relevant stakeholders. Requires the establishment of Management Boards under such agreements. Requires each Management Board to submit a proposed implementation plan to the Director for approval which includes: (1) a strategic framework for migratory bird conservation; (2) a long-term strategy for conducting public outreach and education regarding purposes and activities of the Joint Venture; (3) procedures for coordinating the implementation, oversight, and reporting of conservation actions approved by the Board and an evaluation process for determining the effectiveness of activities undertaken by the Joint Venture; and (4) a strategy to encourage the contribution of non-federal financial resources, donations, gifts, and in-kind contributions in support of the objectives of the Joint Venture and fulfillment of the implementation plan. (Sec. 6) Authorizes the Director to award grants of financial assistance for the implementation of Joint Ventures through the: (1) support of activities of the Management Board of the Joint Venture and for the payment of necessary administrative costs and services and business activities; and (2) support for specific conservation actions and other activities necessary to carry out the implementation plan. Prohibits a Joint Venture from being eligible for assistance or support authorized by this section unless it is in operation under an approved implementation plan. Requires, when there are two or more proposed conservation actions of equal value toward fulfillment of the implementation plan, priority to be given to the action or actions for which there exist non-federal matching contributions that equal or exceed the federal funds available for such action or actions. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) provide technical and administrative, as well as financial, assistance for implementation of Joint Ventures; and (2) accept and use donations of funds, gifts, and in-kind contributions to provide assistance under this section. (Sec. 7) Requires: (1) Management Boards to submit annual reports on all approved Joint Ventures; and (2) five-year reviews of the Joint Venture Program. Instructs the Secretary to provide for adequate opportunities for the public to review and comment on the Program. (Sec. 8) Sets forth requirements for the treatment of existing joint ventures of the Fish and Wildlife Service. (Sec. 9) Prohibits anything in this Act from: (1) affecting authorities, responsibilities, obligations, or powers of the Secretary under any other Act; and (2) preempting any provisions or enforcement of state statutes or regulations related to the management of fish and wildlife resources. (Sec. 10) Prohibits applying the Federal Advisory Committee Act to any boards, committees, or other groups established under this Act.