[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4770 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4770

To require the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service 
  to conduct a study to determine the lands and waters comprising the 
  LaBranche Wetlands in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, and to acquire 
    those lands and waters for inclusion in the Bayou Sauvage Urban 
                       National Wildlife Refuge.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 14, 1994

  Mr. Tauzin introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
               Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service 
  to conduct a study to determine the lands and waters comprising the 
  LaBranche Wetlands in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, and to acquire 
    those lands and waters for inclusion in the Bayou Sauvage Urban 
                       National Wildlife Refuge.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. STUDY AND ACQUISITION OF LABRANCHE WETLANDS FOR INCLUSION IN 
              BAYOU SAUVAGE URBAN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.

    (a) Study.--Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife 
Service (in this section referred to as the ``Director'') shall conduct 
a study to survey and determine the lands and waters that comprise the 
area popularly known as the ``LaBranche Wetlands'', located generally 
along Interstate 10 between New Orleans and Baton Rouge in St. Charles 
Parish, Louisiana. The Director shall provide an opportunity for 
submission by the public of comments on the subject of the study. After 
completion of the study, the Director shall make the results of the 
study available at offices of the United States Fish and Wildlife 
Service in the vicinity of the LaBranche Wetlands.
    (b) Acquisition.--
            (1) In general.--As soon as practicable after completion of 
        the study under subsection (a), the Director shall acquire from 
        willing sellers the lands and waters determined under 
        subsection (a) to comprise the LaBranche Wetlands.
            (2) Price.--As consideration for an area of lands or waters 
        acquired under this subsection, the Director shall pay to the 
        seller the fair market value of the area, determined without 
        considering restrictions on use of the area established under 
        Federal law after the date the seller acquired the area.
    (c) Addition to Refuge.--Lands and waters acquired by the Director 
under subsection (b) are included in and shall be administered by the 
Director as part of the Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge.
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