[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5891 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5891
To adjust the boundary of Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas and
provide for three ecotourism projects within the preserve, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 24, 2008
Mr. Brady of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To adjust the boundary of Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas and
provide for three ecotourism projects within the preserve, 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. FINDINGS.
Congress finds as follows:
(1) The Big Thicket National Preserve, located in East
Texas, was established by Congress in 1974 as the nation's
first Preserve.
(2) The Big Thicket, known as the ``biological crossroads
of North America,'' is home to species native of the Gulf
Coastal Plains, Eastern Forests, and the Central Plains,
including the bald eagle, the peregrine falcon, and whooping
crane, which make their home among rivers, baldcypress swamps,
pine savannahs, sandhills, and tall forests.
(3) In 1993, Congress approved an expansion of the
authorized boundary of the Big Thicket to incorporate more
biological diversity.
(4) In 2007, major owners of timberland in the region began
divesting property, some of which was ultimately purchased by
the National Park Service for Big Thicket.
(5) Because of these new additions, the Big Thicket has
reached its Congressionally authorized boundary of 97,000
acres.
SEC. 2. BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT.
The first section of the Act titled ``An Act to authorize the
establishment of the Big Thicket National Preserve in the State of
Texas, and for other purposes'' (16 U.S.C. 698), is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsections (c), (d), and (e) as
subsections (d), (e), and (f), respectively;
(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
``(c) Additional Lands.--The boundary of the preserve may also
include any lands acquired from willing sellers totaling not more than
100,000 acres of land near the Preserve as generally depicted on the
map titled `Big Thicket National Preserve Proposed Boundary Expansion',
numbered 175/80, 017A, and dated April 2008. The map shall be on file
and available for inspection in the appropriate offices of the National
Park Service.'';
(3) in subsection (d) (as redesignated by paragraph (1)
above)--
(A) by striking ``owner: Provided further'' and all
that follows through ``exchange:'' and inserting a
colon; and
(B) by striking ``After notifying'' through the end
of that sentence and inserting ``The Secretary may, if
the Secretary considers such that lands would make a
significant contribution to the purposes for which the
preserve was created, accept title to any lands, or
interests in lands, located outside of the boundaries
of the preserve, as established by subsections (b) and
(c), which the State of Texas or its political
subdivisions may acquire and offer to donate to the
United States or which any private person,
organization, or public or private corporation may
offer to donate to the United States. The Secretary may
administer such lands as a part of the preserve after
publishing notice to that effect in the Federal
Register.''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(g) Private Landowner Withdrawal.--Any owner of private property
included within the boundaries of the preserve shall have their
property immediately removed from the boundary by submitting a written
request for such withdrawal to the Secretary.''.
SEC. 3. CANOPY WALKS, ELEVATED BOARDWALKS, AND ASSOCIATED
INTERPRETATION.
The Secretary of the Interior shall construct, operate, and
maintain a system of canopy walks, elevated boardwalks, and associated
interpretation that connect visitors with the ecological diversity of
Big Thicket National Preserve. In developing the system, the Secretary
may give special consideration to areas in Big Thicket National
Preserve that are inaccessible to most visitors due to swamp, high
vegetation, or fragile ecology.
SEC. 4. BIG THICKET NATIONAL PRESERVE INTERPRETIVE CENTER.
The Secretary of the Interior shall construct, operate, and
maintain a Big Thicket National Preserve interpretive center that is--
(1) easily accessible to a heavily traveled area (such as
Beaumont, Texas, near Interstate 10); and
(2) serves as an educational opportunity for children and
young adults to learn more about Big Thicket National Preserve,
wildlife, and the environment, and the importance of protecting
these resources.
SEC. 5. CANOE AND KAYAKING TRAILS.
The Secretary of the Interior shall construct, operate, and
maintain canoe and kayaking trails in Big Thicket National Preserve
that--
(1) are guided by Global Positioning System waypoints; and
(2) include platforms off the water for kayaks and canoes
to be docked safely.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the
Interior such sums as are necessary to carry out this Act and the
amendments made by this Act.
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