[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5094 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5094

    To require the conveyance of Mattamuskeet Lodge and surrounding 
     property, including the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge 
headquarters, to the State of North Carolina to permit the State to use 
the property as a public facility dedicated to the conservation of the 
           natural and cultural resources of North Carolina.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 5, 2006

 Mr. Jones of North Carolina introduced the following bill; which was 
                 referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To require the conveyance of Mattamuskeet Lodge and surrounding 
     property, including the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge 
headquarters, to the State of North Carolina to permit the State to use 
the property as a public facility dedicated to the conservation of the 
           natural and cultural resources of North Carolina.

    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 ``Lake Mattamuskeet Lodge Preservation 
Act''.

SEC. 2. CONVEYANCE OF MATTAMUSKEET LODGE, MATTAMUSKEET NATIONAL 
              WILDLIFE REFUGE, NORTH CAROLINA.

    (a) Conveyance Required.--Within six months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through 
the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, shall 
convey to the State of North Carolina, without consideration, all 
right, title, and interest of the United States, except for certain 
utility and road easements, in and to a parcel of real property 
consisting of approximately 6.25 acres and containing Mattamuskeet 
Lodge and surrounding property, including the Mattamuskeet National 
Wildlife Refuge headquarters, as depicted on the map entitled ``Lake 
Mattamuskeet Lodge/Pump Station'' and dated January 10, 2006, for the 
purpose of permitting the State to use the property as a public 
facility dedicated to the conservation of the natural and cultural 
resources of North Carolina.
    (b) Restoration and Maintenance of Lodge.--The Mattamuskeet Lodge 
is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and, as a 
condition of the conveyance of the lodge under subsection (a), the 
State shall agree to restore and maintain the lodge in accordance 
with--
            (1) the Standard for the Treatment of Historic Properties 
        with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and 
        Reconstructing Historic Buildings, as prescribed pursuant to 
        section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (16 
        U.S.C. 470f), Part 800 of title 36, Code of Federal 
        Regulations; and
            (2) the General Statutes of North Carolina, Chapter 121, 
        Article 1.
    (c) As Is Conveyance.--The conveyance under subsection (a) shall be 
subject to the condition that the State accept the real property 
described in such subsection in its condition at the time of the 
conveyance, commonly known as conveyance ``as is''.
    (d) Administrative Expenses.--The State shall cover the costs of 
any survey and the cost of recordation of deeds in connection with the 
conveyance under this section. Except as provided in subsection (e), 
all other costs associated with the conveyance shall be paid by the 
Secretary.
    (e) Liability.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
Secretary shall not retain liability for any environmental remediation 
that may be required with regard to the real property conveyed under 
this section under any applicable environmental authorities for--
            (1) costs or performance of response actions required under 
        the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and 
        Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601, et seq.) at or related 
        to the property; or
            (2) costs, penalties, fines, or performance of actions 
        related to noncompliance with applicable environmental 
        authorities at or related to the property or related to the 
        presence, release, or threat of release of any hazardous 
        substance, pollutant, or contaminant, hazardous waste, 
        hazardous material, or petroleum product or derivative of a 
        petroleum product of any kind at or related to the property, 
        including contamination resulting from migration.
    (f) Reversionary Interest.--If the Secretary determines at any time 
that the real property conveyed under this section is not being used in 
accordance with the purpose of the conveyance specified in subsection 
(a) or the State is not complying with the condition of the conveyance 
under subsection (b), all right, title, and interest in and to the 
property shall revert, at the option of the Secretary, to the United 
States, and the United States shall have the right of immediate entry 
onto the property. Any determination of the Secretary under this 
subsection shall be made on the record after an opportunity for a 
hearing.
    (g) Memorandum of Agreement.--The Secretary shall cooperate with 
the State to develop a memorandum of agreement encompassing mutually 
beneficial opportunities to use the property to be conveyed under this 
section to provide visitor services, to construct and utilize 
facilities and utilities, and to implement wildlife conservation 
projects.
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