United States Fish and Wildlife Service

United States Fish and Wildlife Service resource management (including transfer of funds) For necessary expenses of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, as authorized by law, and for scientific and economic studies, general administration, and for the performance of other authorized functions related to such resources, $1,555,684,000, to remain available until September 30, 2024: Provided, That not to exceed $23,398,000 shall be used for implementing subsections (a), (b), (c), and (e) of section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533) (except for processing petitions, developing and issuing proposed and final regulations, and taking any other steps to implement actions described in subsection (c)(2)(A), (c)(2)(B)(i), or (c)(2)(B)(ii) of such section): Provided further, That of the amount appropriated under this heading, $25,641,000, to remain available until September 30, 2025, shall be for projects specified for Stewardship Priorities in the table titled “Interior and Environment Incorporation of Community Project Funding Items/Congressionally Directed Spending Items” included for this division in the explanatory statement described in section 4 (in the matter preceding division A of this consolidated Act): Provided further, That amounts in the preceding proviso may be transferred to the appropriate program, project, or activity under this heading 136 STAT. 4763 and shall continue to only be available for the purposes and in such amounts as such funds were originally appropriated. construction For construction, improvement, acquisition, or removal of buildings and other facilities required in the conservation, management, investigation, protection, and utilization of fish and wildlife resources, and the acquisition of lands and interests therein; $29,904,000, to remain available until expended. cooperative endangered species conservation fund For expenses necessary to carry out section 6 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1535), $24,564,000, to remain available until expended, to be derived from the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund. national wildlife refuge fund For expenses necessary to implement the Act of October 17, 1978 (16 U.S.C. 715s), $13,228,000. north american wetlands conservation fund For expenses necessary to carry out the provisions of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 4401 et seq.), $50,000,000, to remain available until expended. neotropical migratory bird conservation For expenses necessary to carry out the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.), $5,100,000, to remain available until expended. multinational species conservation fund For expenses necessary to carry out the African Elephant Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 4201 et seq.), the Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 4261 et seq.), the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994 (16 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.), the Great Ape Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), and the Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2004 (16 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.), $21,000,000, to remain available until expended. state and tribal wildlife grants For wildlife conservation grants to States and to the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and Indian tribes under the provisions of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, for the development and implementation of programs for the benefit of wildlife and their habitat, including species that are not hunted or fished, $73,812,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That of the amount provided herein, $6,200,000 is for a competitive grant program for Indian tribes not subject to the remaining provisions of this appropriation: Provided further, That $7,612,000 is for a competitive grant program to implement approved plans for 136 STAT. 4764 States, territories, and other jurisdictions and at the discretion of affected States, the regional Associations of fish and wildlife agencies, not subject to the remaining provisions of this appropriation: Provided further, That the Secretary shall, after deducting $13,812,000 and administrative expenses, apportion the amount provided herein in the following manner: (1) to the District of Columbia and to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, each a sum equal to not more than one-half of 1 percent thereof; and (2) to Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, each a sum equal to not more than one-fourth of 1 percent thereof: Provided further, That the Secretary of the Interior shall apportion the remaining amount in the following manner: (1) one-third of which is based on the ratio to which the land area of such State bears to the total land area of all such States; and (2) two-thirds of which is based on the ratio to which the population of such State bears to the total population of all such States: Provided further, That the amounts apportioned under this paragraph shall be adjusted equitably so that no State shall be apportioned a sum which is less than 1 percent of the amount available for apportionment under this paragraph for any fiscal year or more than 5 percent of such amount: Provided further, That the Federal share of planning grants shall not exceed 75 percent of the total costs of such projects and the Federal share of implementation grants shall not exceed 65 percent of the total costs of such projects: Provided further, That the non-Federal share of such projects may not be derived from Federal grant programs: Provided further, That any amount apportioned in 2023 to any State, territory, or other jurisdiction that remains unobligated as of September 30, 2024, shall be reapportioned, together with funds appropriated in 2025, in the manner provided herein. administrative provisions The United States Fish and Wildlife Service may carry out the operations of Service programs by direct expenditure, contracts, grants, cooperative agreements and reimbursable agreements with public and private entities. Appropriations and funds available to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service shall be available for repair of damage to public roads within and adjacent to reservation areas caused by operations of the Service; options for the purchase of land at not to exceed one dollar for each option; facilities incident to such public recreational uses on conservation areas as are consistent with their primary purpose; and the maintenance and improvement of aquaria, buildings, and other facilities under the jurisdiction of the Service and to which the United States has title, and which are used pursuant to law in connection with management, and investigation of fish and wildlife resources: Provided, That notwithstanding 44 U.S.C. 501, the Service may, under cooperative cost sharing and partnership arrangements authorized by law, procure printing services from cooperators in connection with jointly produced publications for which the cooperators share at least one-half the cost of printing either in cash or services and the Service determines the cooperator is capable of meeting accepted quality standards: Provided further, That the Service may 136 STAT. 4765 accept donated aircraft as replacements for existing aircraft: Provided further, That notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, all fees collected for non-toxic shot review and approval shall be deposited under the heading “United States Fish and Wildlife Service—Resource Management” and shall be available to the Secretary, without further appropriation, to be used for expenses of processing of such non-toxic shot type or coating applications and revising regulations as necessary, and shall remain available until expended: Provided further, That the second proviso under the heading “United States Fish and Wildlife Service—Resource Management” in title I of division E of Public Law 112–74 (16 U.S.C. 742l–1) is amended by striking “2012” and inserting “2023” and striking “$400,000” and inserting “$750,000”.