America's Conservation Enhancement Act

America's Conservation Enhancement Act This bill reauthorizes or establishes several programs that conserve or manage wildlife. TITLE I--WILDLIFE ENHANCEMENT, DISEASE, AND PREDATION (Sec. 101) This section establishes a Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize, under which at least one cash prize is awarded annually for technological innovation for reducing the frequency of human-predator conflict using nonlethal means. (Sec. 102) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) must establish a program to award grants to states and Indian tribes. The grants must be used to assist livestock producers in carrying out proactive and nonlethal activities to reduce the risk of livestock loss due to depredation by federally protected species (e.g., endangered species) and related research activities. Grants may also be used to compensate livestock producers for such losses. (Sec. 103) The USFWS may issue depredation permits to livestock producers authorizing takings (e.g., capturing or killing) of black vultures or common ravens otherwise prohibited by federal law to prevent such vultures or ravens from taking livestock during the calving season or lambing season. However, permits may be issued only to livestock producers in states and regions affected or that have been affected in the prior year by such vultures or ravens.

(Sec. 104) APHIS, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the USFWS must enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences to study the predominant pathways and mechanisms of the transmission of chronic wasting disease in wild, captive, and farmed populations of deer, elk, reindeer, and moose in the United States.

APHIS, the USGS, and the USFWS must then jointly establish within the USFWS a Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force. The section outlines the task force's duties, including the duty to develop an interstate action plan to stop the spread of and mitigate the impacts of chronic wasting disease. (Sec. 105) This section revises requirements under the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act concerning federal strategic plans to reduce invasive species populations in land or water managed by specified federal agencies. Specifically, the section directs agencies tasked with developing strategic plans for the implementation of their invasive species programs to consult with stakeholders and coordinate with other federal agencies. (Sec. 106) This section reauthorizes through FY2025 the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. (Sec. 107) This section reauthorizes through FY2025 and revises the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, including requirements concerning the foundation's board. (Sec. 108) This section prohibits the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating the lead content of sport fishing equipment under the Toxic Substances Control Act.

The summary continues for 10 more paragraphs. Read it in full on Congress.gov

Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Public Law" stage on October 30, 2020. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.

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