[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1183 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1183

 To require the Secretary of the Interior to provide public access to 
Navassa National Wildlife Refuge and Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 9, 2005

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Secretary of the Interior to provide public access to 
Navassa National Wildlife Refuge and Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge.

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

SECTION 1. ACCESS TO NAVASSA AND DESECHEO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES.

    (a) Access, Generally.--The Secretary of the Interior, acting 
through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (in 
this section referred to as the ``Secretary''), shall provide public 
access to, use of, and recreational opportunities at Navassa National 
Wildlife Refuge and Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge under special use 
permits issued under the first section of Public Law 87-714 (16 U.S.C. 
460k), popularly known as the Refuge Recreation Act, section 4 of the 
National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 
668dd), and regulations issued under this section.
    (b) Time Limitations.--The Secretary--
            (1) subject to paragraph (2), may limit access to such 
        refuges to specific time periods in any year; and
            (2) shall provide access to each refuge during at least one 
        period each year.
    (c) Priority.--In issuing special use permits under this section, 
the Secretary shall give priority to consideration of permit 
applications that do not negatively impact opportunities for wildlife-
dependent recreation.
    (d) Conditions.--The Secretary may include in any permit issued 
under this section conditions that the Secretary determines are 
necessary to protect fish and wildlife populations and their habitat or 
public health and safety.
                                 <all>