text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Cormorant Management and Natural 
  Resources Protection Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      The Congress finds the following:
              (1) The current permitting system is not sufficient to 
          achieve a streamlined control of excessive cormorant 
          populations.
              (2) Excessive cormorant populations cause damage to 
          ecosystems.
              (3) Excessive cormorant populations pose public health and 
          safety concerns.
              (4) Excessive cormorant populations pose an unsightly, 
          loud, and olfactory nuisance.
              (5) Excessive cormorant populations can have a detrimental 
          effect on fish populations.
              (6) Excessive cormorant populations displace native species 
          from their habitats.
              (7) Cormorant excrement in colonies often kills vegetation.
  
  SEC. 3. DELEGATION TO STATES OF AUTHORITY UNDER MIGRATORY BIRD TREATY 
                ACT WITH RESPECT TO CORMORANTS.
  
      (a) Delegation of Authority.--Section 7 of the Migratory Bird 
  Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 708) is amended--
              (1) by inserting ``(a) Preservation of State Authority.--'' 
          before the first sentence; and
              (2) by adding at the end the following:
      ``(b) Delegation to States of Authority With Respect to 
  Cormorants.--
              ``(1) In general.--The authority of the Secretary under 
          this Act with respect to cormorants in a State is hereby 
          delegated to the governor of the State effective on the date on 
          which the Secretary approves a management plan for cormorants 
          in the State that is submitted by the governor.
              ``(2) Approval or disapproval of management plan.--
                      ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall approve or 
                  disapprove a management plan submitted under this 
                  subsection by not later than the end of the 60-day 
                  period beginning on the date the plan is submitted.
                      ``(B) Requirement to approve.--The Secretary shall 
                  approve a management plan submitted under this 
                  subsection if the plan is in accordance with United 
                  States obligations under treaties and Federal law.
                      ``(C) Disapproval of plan.--If the Secretary 
                  disapproves a management plan under this subsection the 
                  Secretary shall provide to the governor who submitted 
                  the plan the reasons for the disapproval and an 
                  opportunity to revise and resubmit the plan.
                      ``(D) Plan deemed approved.--Except as provided in 
                  subparagraph (E), if the Secretary does not approve or 
                  disapprove a management plan before the end of the 
                  period referred to in paragraph (1) the Secretary is 
                  deemed to have approved the plan.
                      ``(E) Limitation on approval.--A management plan 
                  shall not be approved under this paragraph if the plan 
                  is found to be in violation of United States 
                  obligations under treaties and Federal law.
                      ``(F) Review of approved plans.--The Secretary--
                              ``(i) shall review every 5 years each 
                          management plan approved for a State under this 
                          subsection and the State governor's exercise of 
                          authority delegated under this subsection; and
                              ``(ii) may revoke such approval and 
                          delegation if, based on such review, the 
                          Secretary determines that the plan or the 
                          governor's exercise of authority delegated 
                          under this subsection is not in accordance with 
                          this Act or any treaty implemented by this Act.
              ``(3) Relationship between approved plan and regulations.--
          A management plan that is approved for a State under this 
          subsection shall apply in that State with respect to management 
          of cormorants, in lieu of regulations issued under this Act.
              ``(4) Compliance with treaties and federal law.--In 
          exercising authority delegated under this subsection the 
          governor of a State shall comply with this Act and all treaties 
          implemented by this Act.
              ``(5) Relationship to other authority.--Nothing in this 
          subsection limits the authority of the Secretary or any Federal 
          agency to exercise authority under any Federal law to assist a 
          State, upon request by the governor of the State, with control 
          of cormorants.
              ``(6) Cormorant defined.--In this subsection the term 
          `cormorant' means the double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax 
          auritus).''.
      (b) Cooperation To Prevent Cormorant Proliferation.--
              (1) Department of interior cooperation.--The Secretary of 
          the Interior, acting in consultation with the National 
          Aquaculture Information Center and the Animal and Plant Health 
          Inspection Service, shall conduct educational and informational 
          activities for the owners and operators of aquaculture 
          facilities to improve their efforts to prevent cormorants from 
          consuming aquatic species being reared in aquaculture 
          facilities, which contributes to the proliferation of 
          cormorants.
              (2) Other efforts.--Nothing in this subsection restricts 
          the authority of other Federal or State wildlife or natural 
          resource management agencies to cooperate with the owners and 
          operators of aquaculture facilities regarding the management 
          and control of cormorants to prevent their proliferation.
              (3) Cormorant defined.--In this subsection, the term 
          ``cormorant'' means the double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax 
          auritus).
target: Cormorant Management and Natural Resources Protection Act - Amends the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to delegate the authority of the Secretary of the Interior under such Act with respect to double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) to a state on the date the Secretary approves a cormorant management plan submitted by such state.
  
  Requires the Secretary to: (1) approve or disapprove a management plan within 60 days of the plan's submission, (2) approve such plan if it is in accordance with U.S. obligations under treaties and federal law, (3) provide to the relevant governor the reasons for disapproving a plan and an opportunity to revise and resubmit the plan, (4) review each approved state management plan every five years, and (5) revoke such approval and delegation if the plan or the governor's exercise of delegated authority is not in accordance with such Act or any treaty implemented by such Act. Deems a management plan approved if the Secretary doesn't approve or disapprove it within 60 days after submission.
  
  Applies an approved management plan in lieu of regulations issued under such Act.
  
  Requires the Secretary to conduct educational and informational activities for the owners and operators of aquaculture facilities to improve their efforts to prevent cormorants from consuming aquatic species being reared in such facilities.
feat_title: To amend the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to delegate to States the authorities of the Secretary of the Interior under that Act with respect to cormorants, and for other purposes.