§ 6303. — Great ape conservation assistance.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 16USC6303]
TITLE 16--CONSERVATION
CHAPTER 82--GREAT APE CONSERVATION
Sec. 6303. Great ape conservation assistance
(a) In general
Subject to the availability of funds and in consultation with other
appropriate Federal officials, the Secretary shall use amounts in the
Fund to provide 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 submitted 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 demonstrated 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;
(D) a concise description of--
(i) methods for project implementation and outcome
assessment;
(ii) staff and community management for the project; and
(iii) the logistics of the project;
(E) an estimate of the funds and time required to complete
the project;
(F) evidence of support for the project by appropriate
governmental entities of the countries in which the project will
be conducted, if the Secretary determines that such support is
required for the success of the project;
(G) information regarding the source and amount of matching
funding available for the project; and
(H) any other information that the Secretary considers to be
necessary for evaluating the eligibility of the project for
funding under this chapter.
(c) Project review and approval
(1) In general
The Secretary shall--
(A) not later than 30 days after receiving a project
proposal, provide a copy of the proposal to other appropriate
Federal officials; and
(B) review each project proposal in a timely manner to
determine if the proposal meets the criteria specified in
subsection (d) of this section.
(2) Consultation; approval or disapproval
Not later than 180 days after receiving a project proposal, and
subject to the availability of funds, the Secretary, after
consulting with other appropriate Federal officials, shall--
(A) consult on the proposal with the government of each
country in which the project is to be conducted;
(B) after taking into consideration any comments resulting
from the consultation, approve or disapprove the proposal; and
(C) provide written notification of the approval or
disapproval to the person who submitted the proposal, other
appropriate Federal officials, and each country described in
subparagraph (A).
(d) Criteria for approval
The Secretary may approve a project proposal under this section if
the project will enhance programs for conservation of great apes by
assisting efforts to--
(1) implement conservation programs;
(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 management 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 current and projected trends;
or
(5) promote cooperative projects on the issues described in
paragraph (4) among government entities, affected local communities,
nongovernmental organizations, or other persons in the private
sector.
(e) Project sustainability
To the maximum extent practicable, in determining whether to approve
project proposals under this section, the Secretary shall give
preference 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 approve 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 assistance under this section for a
project shall submit to the Secretary periodic reports (at such
intervals as the Secretary considers necessary) that include all
information 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 relating to
projects for which financial assistance is provided under this
chapter, shall be made available to the public.
(h) Limitations on use for captive breeding
Amounts provided as a grant under this chapter--
(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 convene a panel of experts to
identify the greatest needs for the conservation of great apes.
(Pub. L. 106-411, Sec. 4, Nov. 1, 2000, 114 Stat. 1791.)
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in section 6304 of this title.
