[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1844 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 1844

To amend the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act to direct a study of 
  the opportunities for enhanced water based recreation and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 5, 1996

 Mr. Murkowski introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act to direct a study of 
  the opportunities for enhanced water based recreation 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 ``National Recreation Lakes Study Act 
of 1996''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    The Congress finds that the Federal Government, under the authority 
of the Reclamation Act and other statutes, has developed man-made lakes 
and reservoirs that have become a powerful magnet for diverse 
recreational activities and that such activities contribute to the 
well-being of families and individuals and the economic viability of 
local communities. The Congress further finds that in order to further 
the purposes of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the President 
should appoint an advisory commission to review the current and 
anticipated demand for recreational opportunities at federally-managed 
man-made lakes and reservoirs through creative partnerships involving 
Federal, State, and local governments and the private sector and to 
develop alternatives for enhanced recreational use of such facilities.

SEC. 3. COMMISSION.

    The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (Public Law 88-
578, 78 Stat. 897), as amended, is further amended by adding the 
following new section 13:
    ``Sec. 13. (a) The President shall appoint an advisory commission 
to review the opportunities for enhanced opportunities for water based 
recreation which shall submit a report to the President and to the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the 
Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives within one year 
from the date of enactment of this section.
    ``(b) The members of the Commission shall include--
            (1) the Secretary of the Interior, or his designee;
            (2) the Secretary of the Army, or his designee;
            (3) the Chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority, or his 
        designee;
            (4) the Secretary of Agriculture, or his designee;
            (5) a person nominated by the National Governor's 
        Association; and
            (6) four persons familiar with the recreation and tourism 
        industry, at least one of whom shall be familiar with the 
        economics and financing of recreation related infrastructure.
    ``(c) The President shall appoint one member to serve as Chairman. 
Any vacancy on the Commission shall be filled in the same manner as the 
original appointment. Members of the Commission shall serve without 
compensation but shall be reimbursed for travel, subsistence, and other 
necessary expenses incurred by them in the performance of their duties. 
The Secretary of the Interior shall provide all financial, 
administrative, and staffing requirements for the Commission, including 
office space, furnishings, and equipment. The heads of other Federal 
agencies are authorized, at the request of the Commission, to provide 
such information or personnel, to the extent permitted by law and 
within the limits of available funds, to the Commission as may be 
useful to accomplish the purposes of this section.
    (d) The Commission may hold such hearings, sit and act at such 
times and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as it 
deems advisable: Provided, That, to the maximum extent possible, the 
Commission shall use existing data and research. The Commission is 
authorized to use the United States mail in the same manner and upon 
the same conditions as other departments and agencies of the United 
States.
    ``(e) The report shall review the extent of water related 
recreation at Federal man-made lakes and reservoirs and shall develop 
alternatives to enhance the opportunities for such use by the public. 
In developing the report, the Commission shall--
            (1) review the extent to which recreation components 
        identified in specific authorizations associated with 
        individual Federal man-made lakes and reservoirs have been 
        accomplished;
            (2) evaluate the feasibility of enhancing recreation 
        opportunities at federally-managed lakes and reservoirs under 
        existing statutes;
            (3) consider legislative changes that would enhance 
        recreation opportunities consistent with and subject to the 
        achievement of the authorized purposes of Federal water 
        projects; and
            (4) make recommendations on alternatives for enhanced 
        recreation opportunities including, but not limited to, the 
        establishment of a National Recreation Lake System under which 
        specific lakes would receive national designation and which 
        would be managed through innovative partnership-based 
        agreements between Federal agencies, State and local units of 
        government, and the private sector. Any such alternatives shall 
        be consistent with and subject to the authorized purposes for 
        any man-made lakes and reservoirs and shall emphasize private 
        sector initiatives in concert with State and local units of 
        government.''.
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