[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 36 (Friday, March 25, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 25, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION ESTABLISHMENT ACT AMENDMENT ACT

  Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I ask that the Chair lay before the Senate a 
message from the House of Representatives on S. 476, on a bill to 
reauthorize and amend the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 
Establishment Act.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore laid before the Senate the following 
message from the House of Representatives:
       Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 476) entitled 
     ``An Act to reauthorize and amend the National Fish and 
     Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act'', do pass with the 
     following amendments: 
  Strike out all after the enacting clause, and insert:
     TITLE I--AMENDMENTS TO NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION 
                           ESTABLISHMENT ACT

     SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE.

       This title may be cited as the ``National Fish and Wildlife 
     Foundation Improvement Act of 1994''.

     SEC. 102. COOPERATIVE PROGRAMS WITH NATIONAL OCEANIC AND 
                   ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION.

       Section 2(b) of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 
     Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 3701) is amended by inserting 
     ``and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration'' 
     after ``the United States Fish and Wildlife Service''.

     SEC. 103. MEMBERSHIP OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF FOUNDATION.

       (a) Consultations Regarding Appointments.--
       (1) In general.--Section 3(b) of the National Fish and 
     Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 3702(b)) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following: ``The Secretary 
     of the Interior shall consult with the Under Secretary of 
     Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere before appointing any 
     Director of the Board.''.
       (2) Application.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall 
     apply to appointments of Directors of the Board of Directors 
     of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation made after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act.
       (b) Expansion of Board.--Section 3(a) of the National Fish 
     and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 3702(a)) 
     is amended--
       (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by striking 
     ``nine'' and inserting ``15''; and
       (2) in paragraph (2) by striking ``three'' and inserting 
     ``4''.
       (c) Initial Terms.--Of the Directors on the Board of 
     Directors of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation first 
     appointed pursuant to the amendment made by subsection 
     (b)(1), notwithstanding the second sentence of section 3(b) 
     of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment 
     Act (16 U.S.C. 3702(b))--
       (1) 2 shall be appointed to a term of 2 years;
       (2) 2 shall be appointed to a term of 4 years; and
       (3) 2 shall be appointed to a term of 6 years;
     as specified by the Secretary of the Interior at the time of 
     appointment.
       (d) Completion of Appointments.--The Secretary of the 
     Interior shall appoint the additional members of the Board of 
     Directors of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 
     authorized by the amendment made by subsection (a), by not 
     later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this 
     Act.
       (e) Authority of Board Not Affected.--The authority of the 
     Board of Directors of the National Fish and Wildlife 
     Foundation to take any action otherwise authorized by law 
     shall not be affected by reason of the Secretary of the 
     Interior not having completed the appointment of Directors of 
     the Board of Directors of the National Fish and Wildlife 
     Foundation pursuant to the amendment made by subsection 
     (b)(1).

     SEC. 104. REAUTHORIZATION OF NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE 
                   FOUNDATION ESTABLISHMENT ACT.

       (a) Reauthorization.--Section 10 of the National Fish and 
     Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 3709) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subsection (a) by striking ``not to exceed 
     $15,000,000'' and all that follows through the end of the 
     sentence and inserting ``$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
     1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998.''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(c) Additional Authorization.--The amounts authorized to 
     be appropriated under this section are in addition to any 
     amounts provided or available to the Foundation under any 
     other Federal law.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--Section 10(b)(1) of the National 
     Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 
     3709(b)(1)) is amended by striking ``paragraphs (2) and 
     (3),'' and inserting ``paragraph (2),''.

     SEC. 105. CONVEYANCE OF SENECAVILLE NATIONAL FISH HATCHERY.

       (a) Conveyance Authorized.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law and within 180 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
     convey to the State of Ohio without reimbursement all right, 
     title, and interest of the United States in and to the 
     property known as the Senecaville National Fish Hatchery, 
     located in Senecaville, Ohio, including--
       (1) all easements and water rights relating to that 
     property, and
       (2) all land, improvements, and related personal property 
     comprising that hatchery.
       (b) Use of Property.--All property and interests conveyed 
     under this section shall be used by the Ohio Department of 
     Natural Resources for the Ohio fishery resources management 
     program.
       (c) Reversionary Interest.--All right, title, and interest 
     in and to all property and interests conveyed under this 
     section shall revert to the United States on any date on 
     which any of the property or interests are used other than 
     for the Ohio fishery resources management program.
              TITLE II--BROWNSVILLE WETLANDS POLICY CENTER

     SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.

       This title may be cited as the ``Brownsville Wetlands 
     Policy Act of 1994''.

     SEC. 202. ESTABLISHMENT OF WETLANDS POLICY CENTER AT THE PORT 
                   OF BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS.

       (a) Establishment of Center.--For purposes of utilizing 
     grants made by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service 
     there may be established in accordance with this title, on 
     property owned or held in trust by the Brownsville Navigation 
     District at the Port of Brownsville, Texas, a wetlands policy 
     center which shall be known as the ``Brownsville Wetlands 
     Policy Center at the Port of Brownsville, Texas'' (in this 
     title referred to as the ``Center''). The Center shall be 
     operated and maintained by the Port of Brownsville with 
     programs to be administered by the University of Texas at 
     Brownsville.
       (b) Mission of the Center.--The primary mission of the 
     Center shall be to utilize the unique wetlands property at 
     the Port of Brownsville and adjacent waters of South Texas to 
     focus on wetland matters for the purposes of protecting, 
     restoring, and maintaining the Lagoon Ecosystems of the 
     Western Gulf of Mexico Region.
       (c) Board of Directors.--The Center shall be governed by a 
     Board of Directors to oversee the management and financial 
     affairs of the Center. The Board of Directors shall be 
     cochaired by the Port of Brownsville, the University of Texas 
     at Brownsville, and the designee of the Director of the Fish 
     and Wildlife Service, and shall include as members other 
     representatives considered appropriate by those cochairs.
       (d) Oversight of the Center.--
       (1) Annual report.--The Board of Directors of the Center 
     shall prepare an annual report and submit it through the 
     Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to 
     the Congress.
       (2) Contents.--Annual reports under this subsection shall 
     cover the programs, projects, activities, and accomplishments 
     of the Center. The reports shall include a review of the 
     budget of the Center, including all sources of funding 
     received to carry out Center operations.
       (3) Availability of information.--The Board of Directors of 
     the Center shall make available all pertinent information and 
     records to allow preparation of annual reports under this 
     subsection.
       (4) General accounting office.--The Comptroller General of 
     the United States shall periodically submit to the Congress 
     reports on the operations of the Center.

     SEC. 203. GRANTS.

       The Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service 
     shall, subject to the availability of appropriations, make 
     grants to the Center for use for carrying out activities of 
     the Center.

     SEC. 204. LEASE.

       The Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife 
     Service, subject to the availability of appropriations, may 
     enter into a long-term lease with the Port of Brownsville for 
     use by the Center of wetlands property owned by the Port of 
     Brownsville. Terms of the lease shall be negotiated, and the 
     lease shall be signed by both parties, prior to the disposal 
     of any Federal funds pursuant to this title. The lease shall 
     include a provision authorizing the Director to terminate the 
     lease at any time.

     SEC. 205. OTHER REQUIREMENTS.

       As conditions of receiving assistance under this title--
       (1) the University of Texas at Brownsville shall make 
     available to the Center for fiscal years 1994, 1995, 1996, 
     and 1997--
       (A) administrative office space;
       (B) classroom space; and
       (C) other in-kind contributions for the Center, including 
     overhead and personnel; and
       (2) the Port of Brownsville shall make available up to 
     7,000 acres of Port Property for the programs, projects, and 
     activities of the Center.

     The Board of Directors of the Center shall include in their 
     annual report under section 202(d) a statement of whether 
     these conditions have been met.

     SEC. 206. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of 
     the United States Fish and Wildlife Service $5,000,000 for 
     fiscal year 1994, $4,000,000 for fiscal year 1995, $4,000,000 
     for fiscal year 1996; and such sums as may be necessary for 
     fiscal year 1997, for making grants to the Center under 
     section 203, including for use for the establishment, 
     operation, maintenance, and management of the Center.

     SEC. 207. RELATIONSHIP OF CENTER WITH THE CENTER FOR 
                   ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND SERVICES, CORPUS 
                   CHRISTI, TEXAS.

       None of the funds appropriated pursuant to this title may 
     be used to relocate any of the administrative operations of 
     the United States Fish and Wildlife Service from the Center 
     for Environmental Studies and Services Building on the campus 
     of Corpus Christi State University, to the Brownsville 
     Wetlands Policy Center at the Port of Brownsville, Texas, 
     established pursuant to this title.
 TITLE III--WALTER B. JONES CENTER FOR THE SOUNDS AT THE POCOSIN LAKES 
                        NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

     SEC. 301. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds the following:
       (1) The Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, located in 
     northeastern North Carolina, provides unique opportunities 
     for observing and interpreting the biological richness of the 
     region's estuaries and wetlands.
       (2) Although there are 10 national wildlife refuges in 
     eastern North Carolina, not one has an educational or 
     interpretative center for visitors.
       (3) The State of North Carolina, Tyrrell County, the town 
     of Columbia, the Conservation Fund, and private citizens have 
     proposed to enter into a partnership with the United States 
     Fish and Wildlife Service to establish an educational and 
     interpretative facility to be known as the Center for the 
     Sounds.
       (4) Establishment of the Center for the Sounds would bestow 
     economic benefits upon Tyrrell County and the town of 
     Columbia.
       (5) The Federal Government has designated the Albemarle-
     Pamlico estuary system of northeastern North Carolina as an 
     estuary of national concern.
       (6) Throughout his congressional career, the Honorable 
     Walter B. Jones was a strong supporter of the National 
     Wildlife Refuge System.
       (7) During his years of service in the House of 
     Representatives, Walter B. Jones supported the establishment 
     and expansion of National Wildlife Refuges in eastern North 
     Carolina; these include 6 new National Wildlife Refuges 
     established in his district, including the Alligator River 
     National Wildlife Refuge and the Pocosin Lakes National 
     Wildlife Refuge, which are respectively the third largest and 
     fifth largest National Wildlife Refuges east of the 
     Mississippi River.
       (8) Walter B. Jones helped increase refuge acreage in his 
     district by over 303,000 acres, thus ensuring the protection 
     of these lands for wildlife habitat and public recreation.
       (9) Walter B. Jones' support for reintroducing endangered 
     red wolves into the wild at Alligator River National Wildlife 
     Refuge was a major factor in securing public acceptance of, 
     and support for, this first successful effort to reintroduce 
     endangered predators into formerly occupied habitat.
       (10) Walter B. Jones devoted much of his congressional 
     career, including his years as Chairman of the Merchant 
     Marine and Fisheries Committee, to the conservation of fish 
     and wildlife, for the benefit of the Nation and the people of 
     North Carolina.
       (11) Walter B. Jones should most appropriately be 
     recognized for his work on behalf of fish and wildlife 
     conservation by having the Center for the Sounds at the 
     Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge System named in his 
     honor.

     SEC. 302. AUTHORITY TO CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE FACILITY.

       The Secretary of the Interior may, subject to the 
     availability of appropriations, construct and operate a 
     facility at the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in 
     Tyrrell County, North Carolina, which shall be known as the 
     ``Walter B. Jones Center for the Sounds'', for the following 
     purposes:
       (1) Providing public opportunities, facilities, and 
     resources to study the natural history and natural resources 
     of northeastern North Carolina.
       (2) Offering a variety of environmental educational 
     programs and interpretive exhibits.
       (3) Fostering an awareness and understanding of the 
     interactions among wildlife, estuarine and wetland 
     ecosystems, and human activities.
       (4) Providing office space and facilities for refuge 
     administration, research, education, and related activities.

     SEC. 303. DESIGN.

       The Secretary of the Interior shall ensure that the design, 
     size, and location of a facility constructed under this title 
     are consistent with the cultural and natural history of the 
     area with which the facility will be concerned.

     SEC. 304. COST SHARING.

       The Secretary of the Interior may accept contributions of 
     funds from non-Federal sources to pay the costs of operating 
     and maintaining the facility authorized under this title, and 
     shall take appropriate steps to seek to obtain such 
     contributions.

     SEC. 305. REPORT.

       Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall submit a report 
     to the Congress on progress made in designing and 
     constructing a facility under this title, including steps 
     taken under section 304 to obtain contributions and any such 
     contributions that have been pledged to or received by the 
     United States.
       Amend the title so as to read: ``An Act to reauthorize and 
     amend the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment 
     Act, and for other purposes.''.

  Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
concur in the amendments of the House and that the motion to reconsider 
be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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