[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 17, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H10440-H10442]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 NORTH PLATTE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in 
the Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 2679) to revise the boundary of 
the North Platte National Wildlife Refuge.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Senate amendments: Strike out all after the enacting clause 
     and insert:

             TITLE I--NORTH PLATTE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

     SEC. 101. REVISION OF BOUNDARY OF NORTH PLATTE NATIONAL 
                   WILDLIFE REFUGE.

       (a) Termination of Jurisdiction.--The secondary 
     jurisdiction of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service 
     over approximately 2,470 acres of land at the North Platte 
     National Wildlife Refuge in the State of Nebraska, as 
     depicted on a map entitled ``Relinquishment of North Platte 
     National Wildlife Refuge Secondary Jurisdiction'', dated 
     August 1995, and available for inspection at appropriate 
     offices of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, is 
     terminated.
       (b) Revocation of Executive Order.--Executive Order Number 
     2446, dated August 21, 1916, is revoked with respect to the 
     land described in subsection (a).

         TITLE II--PETTAQUAMSCUTT COVE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

     SEC. 201. EXPANSION OF PETTAQUAMSCUTT COVE NATIONAL WILDLIFE 
                   REFUGE.

       Section 204 of Public Law 100-610 (16 U.S.C. 668dd note) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(e) Expansion of Refuge.--
       ``(1) Acquisition.--The Secretary may acquire for addition 
     to the refuge the area in Rhode Island known as `Foddering 
     Farm Acres', consisting of approximately 100 acres, adjacent 
     to Long Cove and bordering on Foddering Farm Road to the 
     south and Point Judith Road to the east, as depicted on a map 
     entitled `Pettaquamscutt Cove NWR Expansion Area', dated May 
     13, 1996, and available for inspection in appropriate offices 
     of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
       ``(2) Boundary revision.--The boundaries of the refuge are 
     revised to include the area described in paragraph (1).
       ``(f) Future Expansion.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may acquire for addition 
     to the refuge such lands, waters, and interests in land and 
     water as the Secretary considers appropriate and shall adjust 
     the boundaries of the refuge accordingly.
       ``(2) Applicable laws.--Any acquisition described in 
     paragraph (1) shall be carried out in accordance with all 
     applicable laws.''.

     SEC. 202. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       Section 206(a) of Public Law 100-610 (16 U.S.C. 668dd note) 
     is amended by striking ``designated in section 4(a)(1)'' and 
     inserting ``designated or identified under section 204''.

     SEC. 203. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

       Public Law 100-610 (16 U.S.C. 668dd note) is amended--
       (1) in section 201(a)--
       (A) by striking ``and the associated'' and inserting 
     ``including the associated''; and
       (B) by striking ``and dividing'' and inserting 
     ``dividing'';
       (2) in section 203, by striking ``of this Act'' and 
     inserting ``of this title'';
       (3) in section 204--
       (A) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``of this Act'' and 
     inserting ``of this title''; and
       (B) in subsection (b), by striking ``purpose of this Act'' 
     and inserting ``purposes of this title'';
       (4) in the second sentence of section 205, by striking ``of 
     this Act'' and inserting ``of this title''; and
       (5) in section 207, by striking ``Act'' and inserting 
     ``title''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey [Mr. Saxton] and the gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Richardson] 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Saxton].
  (Mr. SAXTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, on April 23 of this year, the House overwhelmingly 
adopted H.R. 2679, a bill introduced by our colleague from Nebraska, 
Bill Barrett,

[[Page H10441]]

to remove certain lands from the North Platte National Wildlife Refuge.
  The other body has now acted on this legislation and while they made 
no changes in the North Platte provision, they did add a new title to 
the bill dealing with the Pettaquamscutt Cove National Wildlife Refuge 
in Rhode Island.
  This refuge was established in 1988 to protect valuable coastal 
wetlands that provide essential habitat to a diverse group of species 
of waterfowl, shore and wading birds, small mammals, reptiles, and 
amphibians. In fact, it is my understanding that this cove is the most 
important habitat in Rhode Island for the black duck population under 
the North American waterfowl management plan.
  While the boundaries of the refuge now encompass about 460 acres of 
salt marsh and forest habitat, title II of H.R. 2679 will authorize the 
Secretary of the Interior to acquire a 100-acre parcel of land known as 
Foddering Farm Acres. This property is privately owned and there are 
certain commercial interests that desire to develop these lands.
  Fortunately, the people who own this property, the Rotelle family, 
have indicated their willingness to donate a portion of the value of 
the property to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
  Mr. Speaker, I have been advised by the author of this measure, the 
distinguished chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works 
Committee, that there is some urgency in moving this legislation 
forward.
  I am pleased to present this bill to the House and strongly believe 
that these modifications in two refuge units in Nebraska and Rhode 
Island will greatly enhance the fundamental goal of our National 
Wildlife Refuge System.
  I urge an ``aye'' vote on H.R. 2679 and compliment Bill Barrett and 
Senator John Chafee for their outstanding leadership in this matter.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. RICHARDSON asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this 
noncontroversial bill. We are concurring in the Senate amendment and 
sending this bill to the President for his signature. The bill 
transfers land from the Fish and Wildlife Service to the Bureau of Land 
Management in Nebraska so that it can continue to be used for public 
recreation. The Senate added a provision, which I support, to authorize 
the expansion of a wildlife refuge in Rhode Island. This bill is sound 
management of our public lands, promotes wildlife conservation, and is 
supported by the administration. I urge my colleagues to support the 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
distinguished gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Barrett], the author of this 
bill.
  Mr. BARRETT of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished 
gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Saxton] the subcommittee chairman, for 
yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I do rise in support of H.R. 2679. As all of my 
colleagues know, we are less than 2 months away from an election and, 
unfortunately, many people are not going to vote in November because 
they believe that their vote does not count; perhaps their voice cannot 
or will not be heard.
  Those cynics who believe that one or two people cannot make a 
difference need to hear a little story and the many others that occur 
like it all the time in this country.
  Let me share with you, Mr. Speaker, about a couple out in my 
district, Mr. and Mrs. Ehrhart, Barbara and Ed Ehrhart. They are 
residents of Lake Minatare, NE. That is the small lake outside of 
Scotts Bluff, which is a community in the panhandle of my district. 
Lake Minatare, which is part of the North Platte Wildlife Refuge, is a 
part of the particular bill in question and it is the residence of the 
Ehrharts.
  Mr. Speaker, you may remember a few years ago when the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service was sued for allowing wildlife refuges to be 
administered without being in compliance with existing environmental 
regulations. The Fish and Wildlife Service decided that the best way at 
that time to bring Lake Minatare into compliance was to turn the lake 
into a nonresidential and nonrecreational area. This would have forced 
about 60 families out of their homes and closed the only major 
recreational facility in the area. The next closest major recreational 
lake was 100 miles away.
  The Ehrharts, Mr. and Mrs. Ehrhart, decided that this so-called 
solution was unacceptable. They had made their home on this lake for 13 
years and they were avid recreationists. They believed that the lake 
did not benefit the bird migrations. They thought that the refuge was 
built for irrigation, and a later impact statement did confirm that 
belief.
  Barb and Ed Ehrhart met with local residents in the area. I met with 
them in their lake home one afternoon. They got excited and went to the 
community business interests and so forth and took their case to a 
little higher level. Thus began a letter writing campaign that conjured 
up about 5,000 individual letter into my office.
  At the urging of the Ehrharts and the whole Scotts Bluff community, 
the agencies charged with administering the lake undertook an 
environmental assessment to determine the wildlife value of Lake 
Minatare. It was determined that the lake was not an effective refuge 
and that the boundaries should be altered to reflect the needs of that 
community.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I introduced H.R. 2679 to reflect those 
recommendations. I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Ehrhart and the 
community for the interest that they have shown in the future of this 
particular area. And I am very pleased to have been a part of the 
process. I would like to believe that Scotts Bluff County has learned a 
valuable lesson in how to work together and to manage the resources for 
the future.
  Certainly, Mr. Speaker, I again thank Barb and Ed Ehrhart and the 
many, many people out across the country just like them; I thank my 
colleagues, of course, for their support of H.R. 2679; and again I 
thank the subcommittee chairman for yielding.
  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, before yielding back, let me yield myself 
such time as I may consume to thank the gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. 
Richardson], my friend and the ranking member of the committee, for the 
great cooperation that he has shown on this bill, as well as many other 
bills that we have done together. I have a report here which I just 
looked at which indicates that already our subcommittee has had 13 
bills signed into law in this session. Without the cooperation of the 
gentleman, and the other members of the minority, that would not have 
happened.
  I would also like to point out, Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from 
Nebraska [Mr. Barrett] has worked so hard and has been so diligent on 
this bill in overcoming hurdle after hurdle in the subcommittee and 
committee process. We were going to vote on this bill I think a week or 
two ago, and something came up and the gentleman was right back at it 
bringing to our attention the urgent nature of getting this done. So I 
commend the gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Barrett] for his very hard 
work.
  Mr. REED. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the House of Representatives 
is considering H.R. 2679, as amended by the Senate. By clearing this 
measure for President Clinton's signature, Congress is taking an 
important step toward protecting the environmental treasures of Rhode 
Island.
  H.R. 2679 expands the Pettaquamscutt Cove National Wildlife Refuge to 
include the vulnerable coastal wetlands that have been identified as 
vital habitat for a range of species. For example, our State's 
declining black duck population relies heavily on these areas.
  H.R. 2679 also illustrates the great potential of cooperation between 
government and private citizens. Among the lands that this bill adds to 
the refuge are 100 acres known as Foddering Farms. The owners of this 
property are interested in donating a portion of its value to the U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, helping Congress to advance critical 
environmental interests at a reasonable cost.
  In addition, H.R. 2679 allows the Fish and Wildlife Service to expand 
the refuge as other important habitats become available. I urge my 
colleagues to support this important bill and send it to President 
Clinton, who is committed to preserving our environment.
  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

[[Page H10442]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Saxton] that the House suspend the rules 
and concur in the Senate amendments to the bill, H.R. 2679.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate amendments were 
concurred in.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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