article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Endangered Species Community Advisory Board Act of 1995''. SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARDS UNDER ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT OF 1973. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section: ``community advisory boards ``Sec. 19. (a) Establishment.--(1) The Secretary shall establish an Endangered Species Community Advisory Board (in this section referred to as a `community advisory board') in connection with the designation of an area under this Act as critical habitat or as a National Wildlife Refuge. ``(2) Each community advisory board-- ``(A) shall be comprised of 12 members appointed by the Secretary from among individuals recommended by the Governor of the State in which is located the area for which the advisory board is established; and ``(B) shall have as its chairperson a member of the advisory board who is an elected official of a local government in that area and who is designated as chairperson by the Secretary. ``(3) The term of a member of a community advisory board shall be 4 years, except that of the members first appointed-- ``(A) 3 shall be appointed for an initial term of 1 year; ``(B) 3 shall be appointed for an initial term of 2 years; and ``(C) 3 shall be appointed for an initial term of 3 years; as specified by the Secretary at the time of appointment. ``(4) Individuals who are Federal employees may not comprise a majority of the total number of members of a community advisory board. ``(5) The Secretary shall prescribe regulations regarding the establishment, characteristics, composition, and funding of community advisory boards. However, the issuance of regulations shall not be a precondition to the establishment of a community advisory board or affect the existence or operation of a community advisory board established before the effective date of this section. ``(6) The Secretary may provide for the payment of routine administrative expenses of a community advisory board established for an area from funds available for activities relating to study of the area to determine whether to designate the area as critical habitat or as a National Wildlife Refuge. ``(b) Assistance for Citizen Participation.--(1) Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary shall make available funds to facilitate the participation of individuals from the private sector on community advisory boards for the purpose of ensuring public input into the designation of areas as critical habitat or National Wildlife Refuges. ``(2) The private individuals who are members of a community advisory board are eligible for funding assistance under this subsection only if they reside in the vicinity of the area for which the community advisory board is established. For accounting and financial management purposes, such funds shall be paid to and administered by the community advisory board on which the private individuals are members, subject to paragraph (3). ``(3) Individuals who are local community members of a community advisory board may use funds made available under this paragraph only-- ``(A) to obtain technical assistance of experts in interpreting scientific data, material, and issues regarding protection of endangered species; and ``(B) to educate the local community in understanding such data, material, and issues. ``(c) Consultation by Secretary.--If a community advisory board is established for an area, the Secretary, before designating any of the area under this Act as critical habitat or as a National Wildlife Refuge, shall-- ``(1) consult with and seek the advice and recommendations of the board regarding-- ``(A) identifying the needs and concerns of the affected local community and individual landowners; ``(B) monitoring scientific studies and surveys used to determine the need for designation of the area as critical habitat or a National Wildlife Refuge, before that designation; and ``(C) addressing land use strategies and management; and ``(2) publish recommendations received from the board within 180 days after the date the Secretary initiates consultation under paragraph (1). ``(d) Monitoring and Reporting by Community Advisory Boards.--Each community advisory board shall, with respect to critical habitat or a National Wildlife Refuge for which it was established-- ``(1) monitor and periodically report to the Secretary on progress made in the conservation and recovery of species for which that critical habitat or Refuge was designated; and ``(2) periodically review and report to the Secretary regarding the continued accuracy and sufficiency of the scientific findings that were the basis of that designation. ``(e) State Defined.--Notwithstanding section 3(17), in this section the term `State' means any of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.''.
summary: Endangered Species Community Advisory Board Act of 1995 - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish an Endangered Species Community Advisory Board in connection with the designation of an area under the Act as critical habitat or as a National Wildlife Refuge. Allows the Secretary, subject to the availability of appropriations, to make funds available to facilitate the participation of individuals from the private sector on such Boards to ensure public input into the designation of such areas or Refuges. Requires the Board to: (1) monitor and periodically report to the Secretary on progress made in the conservation and recovery of species for which the critical habitat or Refuge was designated; and (2) periodically review and report to the Secretary regarding the continued accuracy and sufficiency of the scientific findings that were the basis of such designation.