[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5441 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5441

    To transfer management of the Banks Lake Unit of the Okefenokee 
                       National Wildlife Refuge.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 11, 2000

Mr. Chambliss introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                         Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To transfer management of the Banks Lake Unit of the Okefenokee 
                       National Wildlife Refuge.

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

SECTION 1. TRANSFER OF MANAGEMENT OF THE BANKS LAKE UNIT OF THE 
              OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.

    (a) Transfer.--Management of the Banks Lake Unit of the Okefenokee 
National Wildlife Refuge is transferred to the office or agency within 
the Georgia Department of Natural Resources having primary authority 
under State law for the protection and management of the fish and 
resident wildlife of the State.
    (b) Management Criteria.--The State wildlife agency is encouraged, 
to the extent practicable and in coordination with existing State of 
Georgia management of adjoining State-owned wildlife lands and waters--
            (1) to increase the intensity of management of the Banks 
        Lake Unit in order to provide hunting and fishing and other 
        wildlife-related recreational opportunities;
            (2) to manage lake levels in such unit to ensure adequate 
        water quantity and quality for maximum recreational 
        opportunities to fulfill the mission of the Okefenokee National 
        Wildlife Refuge; and
            (3) to ensure effective coordination, interaction, and 
        cooperation between the State wildlife agency and owners of 
        land adjoining the unit.
    (c) Applicable Law.--Management of the Banks Lake Unit by the State 
wildlife agency shall be subject to applicable laws and regulations of 
the State of Georgia and to all Federal laws for the protection of 
migratory game birds that are administered on the date of the enactment 
of this Act by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, except that 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and any other Federal 
statutory provision relating to Federal action shall not apply to 
management of such unit by the State wildlife agency or to allowing 
public access to such unit for the purpose of hunting, fishing, or 
other recreational opportunities.
    (d) Limitation on Acquisition of Privately Owned Interests in 
Land.--The Secretary of the Interior may not acquire any privately 
owned interest in any land located within or adjacent to the boundaries 
of the Banks Lake unit without the consent of the owner of the 
interest.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Banks lake unit.--The term ``Banks Lake Unit'' means 
        the Banks Lake Unit of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
            (2) Management.--The term ``management'' has the meaning 
        given that term in section 5 of the National Wildlife Refuge 
        System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.).
            (3) State wildlife agency.--The term ``State wildlife 
        agency'' means the office or agency within the Georgia 
        Department of Natural Resources having primary authority under 
        State law for the protection and management of the fish and 
        resident wildlife of the State of Georgia.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior $100,000 for fiscal year 
2001 and $75,000 for each of the subsequent 5 fiscal years for 
management by the State wildlife agency of the Banks Lake Unit in 
accordance with this section. The Secretary shall transfer to the State 
wildlife agency the full amount of any appropriation under this 
subsection at the beginning of each fiscal year. Such transfers shall 
not be subject to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 or any 
other Federal statutory provision relating to Federal action.
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