This bill establishes a new nonprofit organization called the United States Foundation for International Conservation to provide long-term funding for the protection and management of wildlife habitats and natural areas in developing countries. The Foundation will be governed by a board including officials from the State Department, USAID, Department of Interior, and Forest Service, along with nine private sector and independent experts appointed through a bipartisan congressional consultation process. The Foundation will award grants to countries with significant biodiversity that demonstrate commitment to conservation, with eligible projects required to secure at least two dollars in matching funds from other sources for every federal dollar received and must have support from host governments and local communities. The bill authorizes $1 million for fiscal year 2024 and $100 million annually from 2025 through 2035, and requires the Foundation to establish an independent accountability mechanism to ensure funded projects meet environmental and social safeguards and prevent support for countries designated as terrorism sponsors or with patterns of human rights violations. The Foundation will operate for ten years before terminating operations according to a congressionally reviewed wind-down plan.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.