Nature Protection Act

Nature Protection Act - Provides that Congress finds that: (1) there is an overriding need to preserve representatives of all animal species in their natural habitat in sufficient numbers and over extensive enough areas to protect animals from extinction and (2) pursuant to our treaty obligations under Article VIII and other provisions of the Convention on Nature Protection and Wildlife Preservation, it is the responsibility of Congress to protect animal species and subspecies threatened with extinction.

Provides that: (1) no person within any State, or within any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, shall hunt, capture, kill, take, transport, sell or purchase any fish or wildlife; the species or subspecies of which is listed in the Annex to the Convention and (2) no person or State (or political subdivision thereof) shall pay or offer to pay any form of bounty for any fish or wildlife the species or subspecies of which is listed in the Annex to the Convention.

Exempts a person from these prohibitions if the Secretary of the Interior determines that it will not endanger the preservation or health of the species or subspecies protected by this Act.

Provides that this Act shall not apply to the following fish or wildlife: (1) the Tule Whitefronted Goose (anser albifrons gambelli); (2) American alligators (alligators mississippiensis) found on private property and transported without harm to the animal, to its natural habitat for release in the wild; (3) fish or wildlife in captivity on the effective date of this Act; (4) fish or wildlife raised and kept entirely in captivity; (5) fish or wildlife released as game animals after having been raised in captivity specifically for that purpose; (6) fish or wildlife taken for the religious purposes of Indian tribes; and (7) individual fish or wildlife which are infected with plague, rabies, tularemia or other dangerous disease.

Provides that any person that violates any provision of this Act shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall pay all costs of the proceedings and be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.