PUBLIC LAW 105-277—OCT. 21, 1998 112 STAT. 2681-120 has research and regulatory responsibihty for the conservation of whales under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.); and (B) the heads of other Federal agencies and the Marine Mammal Commission established under section 201 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1401) have related research and management activities under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 or the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); (8) the funding available for the activities described in paragraph (8) is insufficient to support all necessary whale conservation and recovery activities; and (9) there is a need to facilitate the use of funds from non-Federal sources to carry out the conservation of whales. SEC. 903. NATIONAL WHALE CONSERVATION FUND. Section 4 of the National Fish and Wildlife Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 3703) is amended by adding at the end the following: "(f)(1) In carrying out the purposes under section 2(b), the Foundation may establish a national whale conservation endowment fund, to be used by the Foundation to support research, management activities, or educational programs that contribute to the protection, conservation, or recovery of whale populations in waters of the United States. "(2)(A) In a manner consistent with subsection (c)(1), the Foundation may— "(i) accept, receive, solicit, hold, administer, and use any gift, devise, or bequest made to the Foundation for the express purpose of supporting whale conservation; and "(ii) deposit in the endowment fund under paragraph (1) £my funds made available to the Foundation under this subparagraph, including any income or interest earned from a gift, devise, or bequest received by the Foundation under this subparagraph. "(B) To raise funds to be deposited in the endowment fund under paragraph (1), the Foundation may enter into appropriate arrangements to provide for the design, copyright, production, marketing, or licensing, of logos, seals, decals, stamps, or any other item that the Foundation determines to be appropriate. "(C)(i) The Secretary of Commerce may transfer to the Foundation for deposit in the endowment fund under paragraph (1) any amount (or portion thereof) received by the Secretary under section 105(a)(1) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1375(a)(1)) as a civil penalty assessed by the Secretary under that section. "(ii) The Directors of the Board shall ensure that any amounts transferred to the Foundation under clause (i) for the endowment fund under paragraph (1) are deposited in that fund in accordance with this subparagraph. "(3) It is the intent of Congress that in msiking expenditures from the endowment fund under paragraph (1) to carry out activities specified in that paragraph, the Foundation should give priority to funding projects that address the conservation of populations of whales that the Foundation determines— "(A) are the most endangered (including the northern right whale (Eubaleana glacialis)); or
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