[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2400 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2400

 To establish the Northern Yukon-Arctic International Wildlife Refuge, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

              August 17 (legislative day, August 11), 1994

   Mr. Roth introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish the Northern Yukon-Arctic International Wildlife Refuge, 
                        and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Northern Yukon-Arctic International 
Wildlife Refuge Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE AREA.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--Effective as of the date the conditions 
        described in subsection (b) are met, there is established an 
        international wildlife refuge area to be known as the 
        ``Northern Yukon-Arctic International Wildlife Refuge'', which 
        shall include the entire Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 
        administered under the National Wildlife Refuge System 
        Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.).
            (2) Purposes of establishment.--The Northern Yukon-Arctic 
        International Wildlife Refuge is established--
                    (A) for the purpose of permanently commemorating 
                the long-existing relationship of peace and good will 
                between the people and Governments of Canada and the 
                United States;
                    (B) for the purpose of permanently protecting in an 
                undisturbed condition the only remaining complete 
                spectrum of Arctic ecosystems in North America;
                    (C) in fulfillment of the serious responsibility of 
                humans as stewards of the land, the resources of the 
                land, and the life that depends on the land;
                    (D) for the purpose of permanently protecting all 
                wild bird resources native to North America that are in 
                an unconfined state and that are protected under the 
                Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.), 
                including--
                            (i) ducks, geese, and swans of the family 
                        Anatidae;
                            (ii) bird resources listed as threatened or 
                        endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 
                        1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.);
                            (iii) birds that are nongame fish and 
                        wildlife (as defined in section 3(6) of the 
                        Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1980 (16 
                        U.S.C. 2902(6))); and
                            (iv) wetlands listed as protected under the 
                        Convention on Wetlands of International 
                        Importance, Especially as Waterfowl Habitat, 
                        done at Ramsar on February 2, 1971 (TIAS 
                        11084);
                    (E) for the purpose of maintaining a commitment to 
                the permanent protection of marine mammals, including--
                            (i) seals, walruses, and whales, and the 
                        Beaufort Sea population of polar bears that are 
                        protected under the Agreement on the 
                        Conservation of Polar Bears, done at Oslo on 
                        November 15, 1973 (27 U.S.T. 3918); and
                            (ii) mammals listed as threatened or 
                        endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 
                        1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.);
                    (F) for the purpose of maintaining a commitment to 
                the principles of caribou management as prescribed 
                under the Agreement on the Conservation of the 
                Porcupine Caribou Herd, signed at Ottawa on July 17, 
                1987 (TIAS 11259);
                    (G) for the purpose of continued international 
                cooperation and commitment to the protection of marine 
                and anadromous fish species that inhabit the coastal 
                waters of the Beaufort Sea, whose nearshore waters and 
                brackish lagoon system provide for the fish--
                            (i) eastward and westward migration routes;
                            (ii) feeding areas; and
                            (iii) important spawning and overwintering 
                        areas; and
                    (H) for the purpose of continuing the opportunity, 
                consistent with sound management principles, for 
                subsistence uses by--
                            (i) rural residents of Alaska, including 
                        Alaska Natives and other individuals, of public 
                        lands; and
                            (ii) Alaska Natives of native lands that 
                        are essential to native physical, economic, 
                        traditional, and social existence;
                which uses should cause the least adverse impact 
                practicable on other rural residents who depend on 
                subsistence uses of the resources of the lands.
    (b) Conditions.--The establishment of the Northern Yukon-Arctic 
International Wildlife Refuge and the inclusion in the refuge of the 
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge shall become effective upon--
            (1) the enactment by the proper authority of the Government 
        of Canada of a provision similar to this Act concerning the 
        Northern Yukon National Park in or near the Yukon Territory, 
        Canada; and
            (2) the issuance of a proclamation by the President 
        declaring that such an enactment by the Government of Canada 
        has taken place.

SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATION.

    For the purposes of administration and appropriations, the United 
States portion of the Northern Yukon-Arctic International Wildlife 
Refuge shall continue to be administered under the National Wildlife 
Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.).

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary 
to carry out this Act.
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