zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area and Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area Act - Establishes the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area in Colorado to conserve and protect the unique and nationally important values of certain public land and the water resources of area streams that are necessary to support aquatic, riparian, and terrestrial species and communities. Designates certain lands in Mesa, Montrose, and Delta Counties in Colorado as wilderness and as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System, to be known as the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) develop a comprehensive management plan for the long-term protection and management of the Conservation Area; and (2) establish the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area Advisory Council to advise the Secretary on the preparation and implementation of the management plan.

Date: 2009-01-08
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Amends the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act of 2000 to provide that the purpose of the Baca National Wildlife Refuge shall be to restore, enhance, and maintain wetland, upland, riparian, and other habitats for native wildlife, plant, and fish species in the San Luis Valley. Instructs the Secretary of the Interior, in administering the Refuge, to: (1) emphasize migratory bird conservation; and (2) take into consideration the role of the Refuge in broader landscape conservation efforts. Provides for the Secretary, in administering water resources for the Refuge, to use decreed water rights on the Refuge in approximately the same manner that the water rights have been used historically, subject to any existing agreement and to the extent consistent with the Refuge's purposes.

Date: 2009-01-08
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Crane Conservation Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial assistance for approved projects relating to the conservation of cranes, using amounts in the Crane Conservation Fund established by this Act. Allows a project proposal to be submitted by: (1) any wildlife management authority of a country located in the African, Asian, European, or North American range of a species of crane that carries out at least one activity that affects crane populations; (2) the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; and (3) any person or organization with demonstrated expertise in the conservation of cranes. Establishes the Crane Conservation Fund in the Multinational Species Conservation Fund. Authorizes the Secretary to convene an advisory group representing public and private organizations actively involved in the conservation of cranes to assist in carrying out this Act.

Date: 2009-01-09
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Boundary Modification and Protection Act - Makes it U.S. policy to protect and preserve living and other resources of the Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank marine environments. Makes certain adjustments to expand the boundaries of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (Farallones NMS) and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (Cordell Bank NMS). Prohibits the issuance of a lease or permit authorizing mineral or hydrocarbon exploration, development, production, or transportation by pipeline within the boundaries of the sanctuaries, as modified by this Act. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to complete: (1) a draft supplemental management plan for each of the sanctuaries that focuses on management in the areas added by this Act; and (2) a revised management plan for each of the sanctuaries. Directs the Secretary to carry out an assessment of necessary revisions to the regulations for the sanctuaries, including considering regulations regarding the deposit or release of introduced species and the alteration of stream and river drainage into the sanctuaries. Authorizes appropriations for FY2010 - FY2014.

Date: 2009-01-12
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Tropical Forest and Coral Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2009 - (Sec. 2) Renames the Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998 as The Tropical Forest and Coral Conservation Act of 2009. (3) Includes tropical forests and coral reefs and associated coastal marine ecosystems within the scope of such Act. Defines "coral" as species of the phylum Cnidaria, including: (1) all species of the orders Antipatharia (black corals), Scleractinia (stony corals), Alcyonacea (soft corals), Gorgonacea (horny corals), Stolonifera (organpipe corals and others), and Coenothecalia (blue coral), of the class Anthoza; and (2) all species of the order Hydrocorallina (fire corals and hydrocorals) of the class Hydrozoa. Defines "associated coastal marine ecosystem" as any coastal marine ecosystem surrounding, or directly related to, a coral reef and important to maintaining the ecological integrity of that coral reef, such as seagrasses, mangroves, sandy seabed communities, and immediately adjacent coastal areas. (Sec. 4) Renames the Tropical Forest Facility as the Conservation Facility. (Sec. 6) Authorizes U.S. government representation on the administering body that oversees the implementation of grants from a debt-for-nature swap or debt buy-back regardless of whether the United States is a party to any agreement between the eligible purchaser and the government of the beneficiary country. (Sec. 7) Requires U.S. government and beneficiary country government review of Conservation Fund grants in excess of $250,000. (Sec. 9) Repeals Enterprise of the Americas Board authority to carry out activities under the Act. (Sec. 10) Changes the due date for the annual Facility report to Congress from December 31 to April 15. (Sec. 11) Revises country eligibility criteria. (Sec. 12) Authorizes FY2009-FY2012 appropriations for debt reduction. Increases annual funds available for program audits and evaluation, and makes such funds available for program monitoring and administration.

Date: 2009-01-29
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: International affairs
Great Cats and Rare Canids Act of 2009 - (Sec. 4) Establishes the Great Cats and Rare Canids Conservation Fund as a separate account of the Multinational Species Conservation Fund. (Sec. 5) Directs the Secretary of the Interior to use Fund amounts to provide assistance for projects for the conservation of rare felids and rare canids. Sets forth provisions governing project proposals, review, and approval. Defines "rare canid" to mean any of the canid species dhole, gray wolf, Ethiopian wolf, bush dog, African wild dog, maned wolf, and Darwin's fox, including any subspecies of such a species and excluding any subspecies or population that is native to the area comprised of the United States and Canada or the European Union. Defines "rare felid" to mean any of the felid species lion, leopard, jaguar, snow leopard, clouded leopard, cheetah, Iberian lynx, and Borneo bay cat, including any subspecies of such a species and excluding any species, subspecies, or population that is native to the United States and any tiger. Prohibits: (1) the use of assistance under this Act for captive breeding or display purposes, other than captive breeding for release into the wild where no other conservation method for the species is biologically feasible; or (2) the expenditure of such assistance for any project in a country the government of which has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism. Authorizes the Secretary to establish an advisory group to assist in carrying out this Act, which shall provide for public participation. (Sec. 6) Requires the Secretary to initiate and report to Congress on a study of felid and canid species listed under the Red List of Threatened Species Maintained by the World Conservation Union that are not rare canids or rare felids (as defined in this Act), to determine: (1) the conservation status of each such species in the wild, including identification of those that are critically endangered or endangered; and (2) whether any such species should be made eligible for project assistance. (Sec. 7) Authorizes appropriations.

Date: 2009-03-05
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Amends the Clean Air Act to revise the definition of "renewable biomass" to include: (1) slash and precommercial sized thinnings harvested in environmentally sustainable quantities from National Forest System land or public land, other than components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, wilderness study areas, inventoried roadless areas and all unroaded areas of at least 5,000 acres, old growth stands, components of the National Landscape Conservation System, and national monuments; and (2) biomass obtained on land in any ownership from the immediate vicinity of any building, camp, or public infrastructure facility (including roads) at risk from wildfire.

Date: 2009-03-05
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Environmental protection
Teaming with Wildlife Act of 2009 - Amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to require the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer to the federal aid to wildlife restoration fund for deposit in the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Account for each of FY2011-FY2016 specified funds from: (1) amounts received from rents, royalties, and other sums paid to the Secretary or the Secretary of the Navy under leases on the outer Continental Shelf; and (2) amounts received from sales, bonuses, and royalties collected under the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 and from rentals of public lands under the Mineral Leasing Act and the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970.

Date: 2009-03-19
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Amends the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act to increase the amount authorized to be appropriated for FY2010 and to authorize appropriations for FY2011-FY2015.

Date: 2009-03-25
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from considering global climate change as a natural or manmade factor in the determination as to whether a species is threatened or endangered until the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notifies the Secretary that: (1) each major emitter of greenhouse gas (GHG) (specifically including China, India, and the United States) has ratified an international agreement to reduce the quantity of GHGs emitted; and (2) any such emitter found to not to be in compliance with such agreement, in any year, becomes compliant. Makes this Act effective as of January 1, 2006.

Date: 2009-03-26
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Environmental protection
Shark Conservation Act of 2009 - Amends the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act to direct the Secretary of Commerce to urge international fishery management organizations to which the United States is a member to adopt shark conservation measures, including measures to prohibit removal any of the fins of a shark (including the tail) and discarding the shark carcass at sea. Requires the Secretary to seek to enter into international shark conservation agreements, including measures prohibiting fin removal and carcass disposal, that are comparable to those of the United States, taking into account different conditions. Directs the Secretary to include shark conservation measures when defining fishing activities that violate international fishery conservation and management agreements. Requires the Secretary to list a nation in the biennial report on international compliance if the nation's fishing vessels are or have been engaged in fishing activities that target or incidentally catch sharks in waters beyond their jurisdiction, and such nation has not adopted a regulatory program providing for shark conservation, including the fin removal and carcass disposal prohibitions. Requires such listing within one year after the enactment of this Act. Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to revise provisions prohibiting the removal of shark fins to make it a prohibited act to: (1) remove any shark fin (including the tail) at sea; (2) have a fin aboard a fishing vessel unless the fin is naturally attached to the carcass; (3) transfer a fin from one vessel to another or receive a fin unless it is naturally attached; or (4) land a fin that is not naturally attached to a carcass or land a carcass without fins naturally attached. Revises the current rebuttable presumption provision concerning shark fins on fishing vessels to create a rebuttable presumption that, if any shark fin (including the tail) is aboard a non-fishing vessel without being naturally attached, the fin was transferred from a fishing vessel in violation.

Date: 2009-04-22
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Amendments of 2009 - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to require the collection and updating of existing practices and procedures for rescuing and rehabilitating stranded or entangled (under current law, only stranded) marine mammals. Authorizes entanglement response agreements. Broadens the sources and allowed uses of amounts in the Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Event Fund. Renames the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program as the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Response Funding Program and authorizes appropriations to it for FY2010-FY2014. Adds providing for stranding or entangling events requiring emergency assistance to the program's duties. Authorizes carrying out the program through grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, or other arrangements. Establishes in the Treasury the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Rapid Response Fund. Limits support for an individual project under the program to $200,000 for any 12-month period. (Current law limits support to $100,000 and makes no reference to a time period.) Defines the term "emergency assistance" as assistance for a stranding or entangling event that: (1) is not an unusual mortality event, leads to an immediate increase in required costs in excess of regularly scheduled costs, may be cyclical or endemic, and may involve out-of-habitat animals; or (2) is found to qualify for such assistance. Authorizes appropriations for FY2010-FY2014 for provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to protect and rescue stranded and entangled marine mammals, including the Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Event Fund and the National Marine Mammal Tissue Bank.

Date: 2009-04-22
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Water Accountability Tax Efficiency Reinvestment Act of 2009 or the WATER Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for 30% of amounts paid for WaterSense labeled property certified by a licensed independent third party as meeting specifications of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense program. Limits the lifetime dollar amount of such credit to $1,500. Terminates such credit after 2010.

Date: 2009-06-23
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Taxation
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to issue a permit for the importation of polar bear parts taken in a sport hunt in Canada, if legally harvested before: (1) February 18, 1997; or (2) May 15, 2008, from a bear population from which a sport-hunted trophy could be imported before such date. (Polar bears were listed as a threatened species by the Department of the Interior on May 14, 2008.)

Date: 2009-07-06
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act - Amends the Lacey Act to add the bighead carp of the species Hypophthalmichthys nobilis to the list of injurious species that are prohibited from being shipped or imported into the United States.

Date: 2009-07-09
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Act of 2009 - Requires the United States Postal Service to issue and sell, at a premium, a Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp. Requires proceeds from the sale of such stamp to be: (1) transferred to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to help fund the operations supported by the Multinational Species Conservation Funds; and (2) divided equally among the African Elephant Conservation Fund, the Asian Elephant Conservation Fund, the Great Ape Conservation Fund, the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund, and the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund. Prohibits such proceeds from being taken into account in any decision relating to the level of appropriations or other federal funding to be furnished to the USFWS or such Funds. Requires the stamp to: (1) be made available to the public for at least five years; and (2) depict images of flagship multinational species.

Date: 2009-08-03
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Restore Our American Mustangs Act - Amends the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act to revise provisions concerning the management of such animals. Requires the Secretary of the Interior (for Bureau of Land Management [BLM] administered lands) or the Secretary of Agriculture (for Forest Service administered lands) to: (1) ensure that acreage available for wild and free-roaming horses and burros is at least equal to the acreage where they were found in 1971; (2) update the inventory of such horses and burros annually and make it publicly available on the BLM website every two years; (3) take specified actions to manage such horses and burros and to achieve and maintain a thriving natural ecological balance on lands where such horses and burros are found; (4) identify new rangelands, arrange for supervised protection on private lands, and establish sanctuaries or exclusive use areas for such horses and burros; (5) report to specified congressional committees on the effects of new ranges, sanctuaries, and exclusive use areas on rangeland health, riparian zones, water quality, soil compaction, seed bed disturbance, native wildlife, and endangered or threatened species; (6) research, develop, and implement enhanced fertility control for mares, stallions, or both; (7) exhaust all practicable options of maintaining a thriving natural ecological balance on the range before removing horses and burros; (8) take specified actions to promote the adoption program; (9) temporarily remove horses or burros from the range if their immediate health or safety is threatened; (10) remove horses and burros determined to be a threat to the health and well-being of native plant or wildlife species; and (11) provide specified public information on animal removals, range changes, and treatment. Revokes provisions that allow the Secretaries to destroy: (1) old, sick, or lame animals; and (2) excess horses and burros for which an adoption demand does not exist. Requires adopters of such horses and burros to affirm that adopted animals and their remains will not be sold or transferred for consideration for processing into commercial products. Prohibits: (1) containing such horses and burros in corrals or short-term holding facilities for more than six months while awaiting disposition; or (2) destroying such horses or burros unless the Secretaries determine that the horses or burros are terminally ill or fatally injured. Removes the limitation on the number of titles to horse and burros that may be transferred to qualified individuals. Expands the membership of the advisory board on the management and protection of such horses and burros. Applies criminal penalties to any person who transports a live or deceased horse or burro for processing into commercial products. Lifts a restriction on the authority of the Secretary to relocate such horses and burros to public lands where they did not exist at the passage of such Act. Sets forth new reporting requirements on the management of such horses and burros.

Date: 2009-08-05
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Requires the release of 5,412.5 acre-feet of water from the marketable yield pool (the portion of the regulatory capacity that is dedicated to marketing purposes) of water stored in the Ruedi Reservoir (a component of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project of the Bureau of Land Management [BLM] in western Colorado) for the benefit of endangered fish habitat in the Colorado River for FY2013 and each fiscal year thereafter, at the request of the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Requires such release during the late summer months to enhance low water flows in areas that comprise the endangered fish habitat in the Colorado River, unless otherwise requested by the Director. Provides that the release shall satisfy 50% of the obligation of certain water users to provide 10,825 acre-feet of water, as described in the document entitled "Final Programmatic Biological Opinion for Bureau of Reclamation's Operations and Depletions, Other Depletions, and Funding and Implementation of Recovery Program Actions in the Upper Colorado River above the Confluence with the Gunnison River." Makes this Act effective on the date on which the Secretary of the Interior complies with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 regarding such release.

Date: 2009-08-06
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Water resources development
Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act - Amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to: (1) authorize a state to pay up to 90% of the costs of acquiring land for, expanding, or constructing a public target range; (2) authorize a state to elect to allocate 10% of a specified amount apportioned to it from the federal aid to wildlife restoration fund for such costs; (3) limit the federal share of such costs under such Act to 90%; and (4) require amounts provided for such costs under such Act to remain available for expenditure and obligation for five fiscal years. Shields the United States from any civil action or claim for money damages for injury to or loss of property, personal injury, or death caused by an activity occurring at a public target range that is funded by the federal government pursuant to such Act or located on federal land, except to the extent provided under the Federal Tort Claims Act with respect to the exercise or performance of a discretionary function. Urges the Chief of the Forest Service and the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to cooperate with state and local authorities and other entities to carry out waste removal and other activities on any federal land used as a public target range in order to encourage its continued use for target practice or marksmanship training.

Date: 2009-09-23
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Migratory Bird Treaty Act Penalty and Enforcement Act of 2009 - Amends the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to: (1) make a person who intentionally and maliciously takes any migratory bird by any manner not allowed by such Act guilty of a felony and subject to a fine of up to $50,000 and/or imprisonment for up to two years; and (2) make a person who intentionally and maliciously commits any other act or omission in violation of such Act guilty of a felony punishable by a fine of up to $50,000 and/or imprisonment for up to two years. Requires the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of the Treasury to pay rewards to persons who furnish information that leads to an arrest or a criminal conviction for any violation of such Act.

Date: 2009-11-20
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Amends the Whale Conservation and Protection Study Act to rename it as the International Whale Conservation and Protection Act of 2010. Requires the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), in cooperation with the Secretary of State, to: (1) restate strong U.S. opposition to commercial whaling and any reinterpretation of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling that would weaken the moratorium on commercial whaling, create new categories of whaling, condone lethal scientific whaling, or weaken whale conservation and protection; and (2) support subsistence whaling carried out by indigenous peoples and the development of the Aboriginal Whaling Management Scheme. Sets forth provisions concerning the International Whaling Commission. Requires the Secretary, in cooperation with the Coast Guard, to: (1) pursue the establishment of guidelines for minimizing the introduction of incidental noise from commercial shipping operations into marine environments to reduce the potential adverse affects on whales and other marine life; and (2) promote the use of areas to be avoided by commercial vessels and other navigational measures to minimize the threat of injury to whales. Requires the Secretary, in cooperation with the Secretary of the Interior, to encourage each country that holds a reservation under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora to the great whales listed in Appendix I to withdraw such reservations and terminate commercial trade in whale meat and products. Provides for international cooperation and compliance with regulations governing trade in or takings of whales. Requires the Secretary to: (1) negotiate with Canada with the goal of concluding a North Atlantic Whale Conservation Agreement within 18 months; (2) develop international action plans to reduce threats to whales and other cetaceans through the establishment of new International Marine Protected Areas (IMPAs) and IMPA networks; and (3) establish whale research initiatives to enhance whale conservation efforts. Requires the Secretary and the Secretary of State to support efforts to study and reduce the adverse effects of anthropogenic noise on whales and other marine life.

Date: 2010-03-15
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: International affairs
Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow certain landowners whose property contains the habitat of an endangered or threatened species and who enter into a habitat protection agreement a tax credit for costs relating to habitat protection easements and restoration. Places limits on the amount of such credit for calendar years 2011 through 2015. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the effectiveness of such credit.

Date: 2010-03-22
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Taxation
Redesignates the North Mississippi National Wildlife Refuges Complex, consisting of the Dahomey National Wildlife Refuge, Tallahatchie National Wildlife Refuge, Coldwater National Wildlife Refuge, and Bear Lake Unit as the Sam D. Hamilton North Mississippi National Wildlife Refuges Complex. Prohibits anything in this Act from preventing the Secretary of the Interior, in carrying out the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System, from: (1) making adjustments to the boundaries of the Complex; or (2) adding new land or parcels of the System to such Complex.

Date: 2010-05-12
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Extends until December 18, 2013, provisions prohibiting the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or a state with an approved National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act), from requiring an NPDES permit for a covered vessel (a vessel that is less than 79 feet in length or a fishing vessel) for any discharge: (1) of effluent from properly functioning marine engines; (2) of laundry, shower, and galley sink wastes; or (3) that is incidental to the normal operation of a covered vessel.

Date: 2010-05-13
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Environmental protection
Coastal Habitat Conservation Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to carry out within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service a Coastal Program to: (1) identify the most important natural resource problems and solutions in priority coastal ecosystems in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal governments, nongovernmental institutions, nonprofit organizations, and private individuals or corporate entities; (2) provide technical and financial support through partnerships with such governments, institutions, organizations, and private individuals for voluntary habitat assessment, protection, planning, restoration, and enhancement projects on public or private land; (3) assist in the development and implementation of monitoring protocols and adaptive management procedures so as to ensure the success of coastal ecosystem conservation and restoration measures; and (4) collaborate with partners and the public regarding methods and models for the conservation, restoration, and enhancement of coastal ecosystems. Requires the Secretary to employ youth volunteers and organizations that provide service opportunities for youths to carry out nonhazardous habitat restoration and enhancement activities.

Date: 2010-05-18
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Environmental protection
Requires the release of 5,412.5 acre-feet of water from the marketable yield pool (the portion of the regulatory capacity that is dedicated to marketing purposes) of water stored in the Ruedi Reservoir (a component of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project of the Bureau of Reclamation in western Colorado) for the benefit of endangered fish habitat in the Colorado River for calendar year 2013 and each year thereafter, at the request of the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Requires such release during the late summer months to enhance low water flows in areas that comprise the endangered fish habitat in the Colorado River, unless otherwise requested by the Director. Provides that the release shall satisfy 50% of the commitment by certain water users to provide 10,825 acre-feet of water per year, as described in Appendix C of the document entitled "Final Programmatic Biological Opinion for Bureau of Reclamation's Operations and Depletions, Other Depletions, and Funding and Implementation of Recovery Program Actions in the Upper Colorado River above the Confluence with the Gunnison River."Makes this Act effective on the later of the date on which: (1) the Secretary of the Interior issues a finding of no significant impact, or a record of decision under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 regarding such release; and (2) an additional 5,412.5 acre-feet of water has been made available by means acceptable to water users to satisfy the remaining obligations of such users.

Date: 2010-05-19
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Water resources development
Amends the Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act of 1978 to exempt the taking of migratory birds by indigenous inhabitants of Alaska for their own nutritional and other essential needs, as authorized by such Act, from the prohibition on taking migratory waterfowl under the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act.

Date: 2010-05-24
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
American Family Farm and Ranchland Protection Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase to $5 million the limitation on the estate tax exclusion for land subject to a qualified conservation easement and to increase the percentage of the value of such land that is excludable.

Date: 2010-07-22
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Taxation
State Wolf Management Act - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to provide that the inclusion of the portion of the distinct population segment of the Rocky Mountain gray wolf located in Idaho, Montana, or specified areas of Washington, Oregon, and Utah on any list of threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 shall have no force or effect. Permits the Secretary of the Interior, five years after this Act's enactment, to initiate a process to include the Rocky Mountain gray wolf on such a list upon certifying to Congress that a state, by and through its management plan, has not provided for the maintenance within the state of not fewer than 10 breeding pairs and an aggregate of 100 Rocky Mountain gray wolves.

Date: 2010-09-22
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Restoring State Wildlife Management Act of 2010 - Declares that the inclusion of any Rocky Mountain gray wolf located in Idaho or Montana on any list of threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 shall have no force or effect. Makes this Act effective with respect to each state on the date on which the Secretary of the Interior certifies to Congress that the Secretary has approved a state management plan for the maintenance of Rocky Mountain gray wolf populations with respect to that state.

Date: 2010-09-28
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Declares that the inclusion of the gray wolf on any list of endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 shall have no force or effect.

Date: 2010-09-29
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Sustainable States Act of 2010 - Establishes a program under which the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shall provide grants to sustainable state consortia (partnerships consisting of local governments, states, public universities, and other municipal organizations, businesses, or nonprofit organizations) to establish and carry out municipal sustainability certification programs. Defines "municipal sustainability certification program" as a program that: (1) determines a set of state-specific benchmarks for use in evaluating sustainability; and (2) certifies a municipality as sustainable based on achievement of those benchmarks. Directs the Administrator to: (1) establish flexible guidelines that reflect regional differences for use by such consortia in establishing such programs; (2) annually compile data from such consortia and report to Congress on municipal actions undertaken to obtain municipal sustainability certification; (3) encourage such consortia to establish certification standards beyond the guidelines established by the Administrator, adapt the administration of the program to meet regional or local needs, and plan for public-private partnership agreements that will sustain the operation of the certification program of a state beyond the term of the grant; (4) establish a national leaders program under which certified municipalities may seek additional recognition for demonstrated performance in meeting sustainability challenges; and (5) establish a website that permits interactive dialogue and collaboration among community leaders and citizens engaged in municipal sustainability certification.

Date: 2010-11-18
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Environmental protection
Polar Bear Delisting Act - Provides that the determination by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service of the threatened status of the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the listing of such species as threatened shall have no force or effect.

Date: 2011-01-05
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Multinational Species Conservation Funds Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Authorizes appropriations to carry out the African Elephant Conservation Act, the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994, and the Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997 for FY2012-FY2016.

Date: 2011-01-05
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act - Designates specified lands within Alaska in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as wilderness and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Date: 2011-01-05
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Corolla Wild Horses Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to enter into an agreement with the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, Currituck County, and the state of North Carolina to provide for the management of free-roaming wild horses in and around the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge. Requires that such agreement: (1) allow a herd of no more than 130 free-roaming wild horses in and around the Refuge; (2) provide for cost-effective management of such horses; and (3) provide for the introduction of a small number of free-roaming wild horses from the herd at Cape Lookout National Seashore as is necessary to maintain the genetic viability of the herd in and around the Refuge; and (4) specify that the Corolla Wild Horse Fund shall pay certain costs associated with the health, maintenance, removal, and placement of such horses. Bars the Secretary from excluding free-roaming wild horses from any part of the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge unless: (1) it is found that the presence of such horses on a part of the Refuge threatens the survival of an endangered species for which such land is designated as critical habitat, (2) such finding is based on a peer-reviewed scientific assessment, and (3) a period of public notice and comment is provided on such finding. Prohibits the removal of any horse from the Seashore for introduction at the Refuge, except with the approval of the Foundation for Shackleford Horses Inc. and consistent with the memorandum of understanding between the National Park Service (NPS) and the Foundation and the management plan for the Shackleford Banks Horse Herd. Prohibits anything in this Act from being construed as creating liability of the United States for any damages caused by the free-roaming wild horses to any person or property located inside or outside the boundaries of the Refuge.

Date: 2011-01-18
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to provide that such Act shall not apply to the gray wolf (canis lupus).

Date: 2011-01-26
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Idaho and Montana Wolf Management Act of 2011 - Prohibits any wolf (species, subspecies, or population segment of Canis lupus) in Idaho or Montana from being treated under any status of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, including as an endangered species, a threatened species, an essential experimental population, or a nonessential experimental population. Provides that each state shall have exclusive jurisdiction over the management of wolves within its borders.

Date: 2011-01-26
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Redesignates the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in Mississippi as the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge. Prohibits anything in this Act from preventing the Secretary of the Interior from making adjustments to the boundaries of the Refuge or adding new land or parcels of the National Wildlife Refuge System to carry out the mission of the System.

Date: 2011-02-09
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Coral Reef Conservation Act Reauthorization and Enhancement Amendments of 2011 - Amends the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 to extend the award of remaining coral reef conservation program grant funds to appropriate projects, including monitoring and assessment, research, pollution reduction, education, and technical support. Authorizes actions to: (1) minimize injury to a coral reef or loss of an ecosystem function resulting from human activities; and (2) stabilize, repair, or restore the reef. Deems specified terms (such as "sanctuary resources" and "national marine sanctuary") to include any coral reef that is subject to the jurisdiction of the United States or (subject to state consent) any state, regardless of whether the reef is in a national marine sanctuary. Makes the destruction, loss, or injury of a coral reef not unlawful in certain circumstances, including if it was: (1) from permitted usage of fishing gear; (2) caused by an authorized activity; (3) subject to exception, the necessary result of marine scientific research; (4) caused by a federal agency in certain circumstances; or (5) unavoidable. Modifies the Act's purposes, the goals and objectives of the national coral reef action strategy, and the Act's authorized activities. Allows the Coral Reef Conservation Fund to be used to address emergency response actions. Authorizes the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to: (1) make community-based planning grants for increased protection of high priority coral reefs; (2) maintain an inventory of all coral reef vessel groundings; (3) identify all coral reefs with a high incidence of vessel impacts; and (4) identify measures to reduce such impacts. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to submit an international coral reef ecosystem strategy to Congress and authorizes the Secretary to establish an international coral reef ecosystem partnership program. Establishes the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force to coordinate federal actions. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, subject to appropriations, to provide financial assistance for coral reef conservation.

Date: 2011-02-16
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Western Great Lakes Wolf Management Act of 2011 - Prohibits any wolf (species, subspecies, or population segment of Canis lupus) in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan from being treated under any status of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, including as an endangered species, a threatened species, an essential experimental population, or a nonessential experimental population. Provides that each state shall have exclusive jurisdiction over the management of wolves within its borders.

Date: 2011-02-28
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to authorize the Secretary of the department in which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is operating to issue one-year permits for the lethal taking of California sea lions on the waters of the Columbia River or its tributaries if the Secretary determines that alternative measures to reduce sea lion predation on salmonid stocks listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 do not adequately protect such stocks. Prohibits such a permit from authorizing the lethal taking of more than 10 California sea lions. Limits the cumulative annual taking of California sea lions each year under all such permits to 1% of the annual potential biological removal level. Requires the Secretary to determine whether alternative measures to reduce sea lion predation on such salmonid stocks will adequately protect them. Prohibits a California sea lion from being taken unless the permit holder has determined that: (1) such sea lion has preyed upon salmonid stocks in the Columbia River, and (2) nonlethal alternative measures have not been effective. Terminates such permitting authority after the earlier of five years after this Act's enactment or the date the Secretary determines that lethal removal authority is no longer necessary to protect such salmonid stocks. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) nonlethal means of preventing sea lion predation of salmonid stocks in the Columbia River is preferable to lethal means, (2) permit holders exercising lethal removal authority should be trained in wildlife management, and (3) the government should continue to support effective nonlethal alternatives.

Date: 2011-03-08
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Restoration of the U.S.-Russia Polar Bear Conservation Fund Act of 2011 - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow the importation of polar bear parts taken legally in sport hunts in Canada.

Date: 2011-03-09
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Polar Bear Conservation and Fairness Act of 2011 - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue a permit for the importation of any polar bear part (other than an internal organ) from a polar bear taken in a sport hunt in Canada to any person: (1) who submits proof that the polar bear was legally harvested before February 18, 1997; or (2) who has submitted, in support of an application submitted before May 15, 2008, proof that the bear was legally harvested before such date from a polar bear population from which a sport-hunted trophy could be imported before such date. (Polar bears were listed as a threatened species by the Department of the Interior on May 14, 2008.)

Date: 2011-03-09
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Discredit Eternal Listing Inequality of Species Takings Act or the DELIST Act - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) to treat a limited listed species as extinct for purposes of this Act upon the expiration of the 15-year period beginning on the date it is determined by the Secretary of the Interior to be an endangered species, unless the Secretary publishes a finding that: (1) there has been a substantial increase in the population of the species during that period; or (2) the continued listing of the species does not impose any economic hardship on communities located in the range of the species. Defines "limited listed species" as any species that is listed as an endangered species for which it is not reasonably possible to determine whether the species has been extirpated from the range of the species that existed on the date the species was listed because not all individuals of the species were identified at the time of such listing.

Date: 2011-03-11
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Requires the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to permit any applicant to carry out a timber activity on National Forest System (NFS) land unless the application proposes an unpermitted use of clearcutting. Prohibits NFS clearcutting unless it complies with specified Renewable Resource Program guidelines in the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974. Directs the Secretary to establish a program to preserve the Mexican Spotted Owl in a sanctuary.

Date: 2011-03-17
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources