Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 114 Part 1.djvu/629

 PUBLIC LAW 106-247-^ULY 20, 2000 114 STAT. 593 Public Law 106-247 106th Congress An Act To require the Secretary of the Interior to estabhsh a program to provide assistance in the conservation of neotropical migratory birds. 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 "Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act". SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds that— (1) of the nearly 800 bird species known to occur in the United States, approximately 500 migrate among countries, and the large majority of those species, the neotropical migrants, winter in Latin America and the Caribbean; (2) neotropical migratory bird species provide invaluable environmental, economic, recreational, and aesthetic benefits to the United States, as well as to the Western Hemisphere; (3)(A) many neotropical migratory bird populations, once considered common, are in decline, and some have declined to the point that their long-term survival in the wild is in jeopardy; and (B) the primary reason for the decline in the populations of those species is habitat loss and degradation (including pollution and contamination) across the species' range; and (4)(A) because neotropical migratory birds range across numerous international borders each year, their conservation requires the commitment and effort of all countries along their migration routes; and (B) although numerous initiatives exist to conserve migratory birds and their habitat, those initiatives can be significantly strengthened and enhanced by increased coordination. SEC. 3. PURPOSES. The purposes of this Act are— (1) to perpetuate healthy populations of neotropical migratory birds; (2) to assist in the conservation of neotropical migratory birds by supporting conservation initiatives in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean; and (3) to provide financial resources and to foster international cooperation for those initiatives. SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: July 20, 2000 [S. 148] Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act. Foreign relations. Intergovermnental relations. 16 USC 6101 note. 16 USC 6101. 16 USC 6102. 16 USC 6103.

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