United States Foundation for International Conservation Act of 2023

United States Foundation for International Conservation Act of 2023

This bill requires the Department of State to establish the U.S. Foundation for International Conservation as a tax-exempt organization to promote international conservation efforts, including by providing grants for eligible projects.

The foundation shall fund projects that support effective area-based conservation measures and the long-term management of protected or conserved areas and their contiguous buffer zones. Such areas include terrestrial, coastal, and marine-protected or conserved parks, conservancies, and reserves. Projects must be cost-matched from sources other than the U.S. government.

Project grants shall focus on countries that (1) have low-income, lower middle-income, or upper-middle-income economies; (2) have a high degree of biological diversity or important species or ecosystems; and (3) have demonstrated a commitment to conservation through their actions.

The foundation may not provide support for any government, or any entity owned or controlled by a government, that has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism or has engaged in a consistent pattern of gross human rights violations. Additionally, the foundation may not engage in any dealings prohibited under U.S. sanctions.