§ 6471. Coral reef conservation and restoration assistance

736 words·~3 min read·/usc/title-16/section-6471

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(a)In general The Secretary of the Interior may provide scientific expertise and technical assistance, and subject to the availability of appropriations, financial assistance for the conservation and restoration of coral reefs consistent with all applicable laws governing resource management in Federal, State, and Tribal waters, including—

(1)the National Coral Reef Resilience Strategy; and

(2)coral reef action plans in effect under section 205 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 [16 U.S.C. 6404], as added by this division, as applicable.

(b)Coral Reef Initiative The Secretary may establish a Coral Reef Initiative Program—

(1)to provide grant funding to support local management, conservation, and protection of coral reef ecosystems in—

(A)coastal areas of covered States; and

(B)Freely Associated States;

(2)to enhance resource availability of National Park Service and National Wildlife Refuge System management units to implement coral reef conservation and restoration activities;

(3)to complement the other conservation and assistance activities conducted under this Act or the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 [16 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.], as amended by section 10001; and

(4)to provide other technical, scientific, and financial assistance and conduct conservation and restoration activities that advance the purposes of this title and the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, as amended by this division.

(c)Consultation with the Department of Commerce

(1)Coral reef conservation and restoration activities The Secretary of the Interior may consult with the Secretary of Commerce regarding the conduct of any activities to conserve and restore coral reefs and coral reef ecosystems in waters managed under the jurisdiction of the Federal agencies specified in paragraphs

(2)and

(3)of section 203(c) of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 [16 U.S.C. 6402(c)(2), (3)], as added by this division.

(2)Award of Coral Reef Management Fellowship The Secretary of the Interior shall consult with the Secretary of Commerce to award the Susan L. Williams Coral Reef Management Fellowship under subchapter III of this chapter.

(d)Cooperative agreements Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary of the Interior may enter into cooperative agreements with covered reef managers to fund coral reef conservation and restoration activities in waters managed under the jurisdiction of such managers that—

(1)are consistent with the National Coral Reef Resilience Strategy; and

(2)support and enhance the success of coral reef action plans in effect under section 205 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 [16 U.S.C. 6404], as added by this division.

(e)Definitions In this section:

(1)Conservation, coral, coral reef, etc. The terms “conservation”, “coral reef”, “covered reef manager”, “covered State”, “National Coral Reef Resilience Strategy”, “restoration”, and “State” have the meanings given those terms in section 216 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 [16 U.S.C. 6415], as added by this division.

(2)Tribe; Tribal The terms “Tribe” and “Tribal” refer to Indian Tribes (as defined in section 5130 of title 25).

(Pub. L. 117–263, div. J, title C, § 10021, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3954.)

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