[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 952 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 952

 To clarify the mission, purposes, and authorized uses of the National 
       Wildlife Refuge System, and to establish requirements for 
       administration and conservation planning for that system.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 5, 1997

  Mr. Miller of California (for himself, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Markey, Mr. 
 Hinchey, Mr. Meehan, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Farr of California, 
  Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. Delahunt, Mr. Vento, Mrs. Mink of Hawaii, Mr. 
 Frank of Massachusetts, and Mr. Shays) introduced the following bill; 
            which was referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To clarify the mission, purposes, and authorized uses of the National 
       Wildlife Refuge System, and to establish requirements for 
       administration and conservation planning for that system.

    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 ``Theodore Roosevelt Wildlife Legacy 
Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. MISSION AND PURPOSES OF THE SYSTEM.

    (a) Mission.--The overall mission of the National Wildlife Refuge 
System (in this Act referred to as the ``System'') is to preserve a 
network of lands and waters for the conservation and management of 
fish, wildlife, and plants of the United States for the benefit of 
present and future generations.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of the System are--
            (1) to conserve, manage, and where appropriate, restore 
        fish and wildlife habitats so as to provide, in perpetuity, for 
        the diversity of fish, wildlife, and plants and the ecological 
        processes that sustain them;
            (2) to provide a diverse national network of lands and 
        waters designed to conserve and manage, in perpetuity, fish, 
        wildlife, and plants of the United States, and their habitats;
            (3) to conserve and manage migratory birds, endangered 
        species, anadromous or interjurisdictional fish species, marine 
        mammals, and other fish, wildlife, and plants; and
            (4) to fulfill international treaty obligations of the 
        United States with respect to fish, wildlife, and plants, and 
        their habitats.

SEC. 3. PRIORITY USES.

    The priority public uses of the System are wildlife observation and 
photography, hunting, fishing, and environmental education and 
interpretation.

SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION OF THE SYSTEM.

    In administering the System, the Secretary of the Interior shall--
            (1) ensure that the mission and purposes of the System 
        described in section 2 and the purposes of each refuge are 
        carried out, except that if a conflict exists between the 
        primary purpose of a National Wildlife Refuge and any purpose 
        of the System, the conflict shall be resolved in a manner that 
        first fulfills the primary purpose of the refuge, and, to the 
        extent practicable, also achieves the purposes of the System;
            (2) ensure that opportunities for the uses described in 
        section 3 receive priority attention in planning and management 
        within the System, consistent with the mission and purposes of 
        the System described in sections 2(a) and (b);
            (3) plan, propose, and direct expansion of the System--
                    (A) to accomplish the mission and purposes of the 
                System and the purposes of each National Wildlife 
                Refuge; and
                    (B) to contribute to the conservation of the 
                ecosystems of the United States; and
            (4) inventory and monitor the status and trends of fish, 
        wildlife, and plants in each National Wildlife Refuge.

SEC. 5. COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES.

    (a) General Rule.--Except as provided in subsection (b), effective 
beginning on the date that is 3 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall not initiate or permit a new use of a 
National Wildlife Refuge or expand, renew, or extend an existing 
allowed use unless the Secretary determines that the use is compatible 
with the primary purposes of the refuge and the mission and purposes of 
the System specified in section 2 of this Act. Such determinations 
shall--
            (1) be made in writing, be based on the best available 
        scientific information, and represent the best professional 
        judgment of the refuge officer involved;
            (2) be made after an opportunity has been provided for the 
        public to review and comment on the evaluations;
            (3) where appropriate, be made concurrently with the 
        development of a conservation plan for the refuge under section 
        6; and
            (4) be reevaluated when conditions under which the use is 
        permitted change significantly or when there is significant new 
        information regarding the effects of the use, but not less 
        frequently than every 10 years.
    (b) Prior Identification for New Acquisitions.--On lands added to 
the System after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
identify, prior to acquisition, existing compatible priority public 
uses (as described in section 3) that shall be permitted to continue on 
an interim basis pending completion of comprehensive planning.

SEC. 6. REFUGE CONSERVATION PLANNING PROGRAM.

    (a) General Rule.--Except with respect to National Wildlife Refuge 
lands in Alaska (which shall be governed by the refuge planning 
provision of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (16 
U.S.C. 3101 et seq.)), the Secretary shall--
            (1) propose a comprehensive conservation plan for each 
        refuge or ecologically related complex of refuges consistent 
        with section 2 of this Act within 15 years after the date of 
        enactment of this Act and revise such plans not less frequently 
        than every 15 years thereafter;
            (2) develop and implement a process to ensure an 
        opportunity for active public involvement in the preparation 
        and revision of conservation plans; and
            (3) manage each refuge in a manner consistent with the 
        conservation plan for the refuge.
    (b) New Refuges.--With respect to any refuge established after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prepare a 
conservation plan for the refuge not later than 2 years after the 
Secretary has determined that sufficient land has been acquired to 
warrant comprehensive planning.
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