[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 120 (Friday, September 11, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10248-S10250]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM VOLUNTEER AND PARTNERSHIP ENHANCEMENT 
                              ACT OF 1998

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 504, H.R. 1856.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 1856) to amend the Fish and Wildlife Act of 
     1956 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 
     volunteer pilot project at one national wildlife refuge in 
     each United States Fish and Wildlife Service region, and for 
     other purposes.

  The Senate proceeded to consider the bill, which had been reported 
from the Committee on Environment and Public Works, with an amendment 
to strike all after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof 
the following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``National Wildlife Refuge 
     System Volunteer and Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) the National Wildlife Refuge System (referred to in 
     this Act as the ``System''), consisting of more than 500 
     refuges and 93,000,000 acres, plays an integral role in the 
     protection of the natural resources of the United States;

[[Page S10249]]

       (2) the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 
     1997 (Public Law 105-57; 111 Stat. 1252) significantly 
     improved the law governing the System, although the financial 
     resources for implementing this law and managing the System 
     remain limited;
       (3) by encouraging volunteer programs and donations, and 
     facilitating non-Federal partnerships with refuges, Federal 
     funding for the refuges can be supplemented and the System 
     can fully benefit from the amendments made by the National 
     Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997; and
       (4) by encouraging refuge educational programs, public 
     awareness of the resources of the System and public 
     participation in the conservation of those resources can be 
     promoted.
       (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
       (1) to encourage the use of volunteers to assist the United 
     States Fish and Wildlife Service in the management of refuges 
     within the System;
       (2) to facilitate partnerships between the System and non-
     Federal entities to promote public awareness of the resources 
     of the System and public participation in the conservation of 
     those resources; and
       (3) to encourage donations and other contributions by 
     persons and organizations to the System.

     SEC. 3. GIFTS TO PARTICULAR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES.

       Section 7(b)(2) of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 
     U.S.C. 742f(b)(2)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``(2) Any'' and inserting the following:
       ``(2) Use of gifts, devises, and bequests.--
       ``(A) In general.--Any''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) Gifts, devises, and bequests to particular refuges.--
       ``(i) Disbursal.--Any gift, devise, or bequest made for the 
     benefit of a particular national wildlife refuge or complex 
     of geographically related refuges shall be disbursed only for 
     the benefit of that refuge or complex of refuges and without 
     further appropriations.
       ``(ii) Matching.--Subject to the availability of 
     appropriations and the requirements of the National Wildlife 
     Refuge Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.) 
     and other applicable law, the Secretary may provide funds to 
     match gifts, devises, and bequests made for the benefit of a 
     particular national wildlife refuge or complex of 
     geographically related refuges. With respect to each gift, 
     devise, or bequest, the amount of Federal funds may not 
     exceed the amount (or, in the case of property or in-kind 
     services, the fair market value) of the gift, devise, or 
     bequest.''.

     SEC. 4. VOLUNTEER ENHANCEMENT.

       (a) Pilot Projects.--
       (1) In general.--Subject to the availability of 
     appropriations, the Secretary of the Interior shall carry out 
     a pilot project at 2 or more national wildlife refuges or 
     complex of geographically related refuges in each United 
     States Fish and Wildlife Service region, but not more than 20 
     pilot projects nationwide.
       (2) Volunteer coordinator.--Each pilot project shall 
     provide for the employment of a full-time volunteer 
     coordinator for the refuge or complex of geographically 
     related refuges. The volunteer coordinator shall be 
     responsible for recruiting, training and supervising 
     volunteers. The volunteer coordinator may be responsible for 
     assisting partner organizations in developing projects and 
     programs under cooperative agreements under section 7(d) of 
     the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (as added by section 5) and 
     coordinating volunteer activities with partner organizations 
     to carry out the projects and programs.
       (3) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
     submit a report to the Committee on Resources of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public 
     Works of the Senate evaluating and making recommendations 
     regarding the pilot projects.
       (4) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $2,000,000 
     for each of fiscal years 1999 through 2002.
       (b) Awards and Recognition for Volunteers.--Section 7(c)(2) 
     of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f(c)(2)) 
     is amended--
       (1) by inserting ``awards (including nominal cash awards) 
     and recognition,'' after ``lodging,''; and
       (2) by inserting ``without regard to their places of 
     residence'' after ``volunteers''.
       (c) Senior Volunteer Corps.--Section 7(c) of the Fish and 
     Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f(c)) is amended by 
     striking paragraph (6) and inserting the following:
       ``(6) Senior volunteer corps.--The Secretary of the 
     Interior may establish a Senior Volunteer Corps, consisting 
     of volunteers over the age of 50. To assist in the 
     recruitment and retention of the volunteers, the Secretary 
     may provide for additional incidental expenses to members of 
     the Corps beyond the incidental expenses otherwise provided 
     to volunteers under this subsection. The members of the Corps 
     shall be subject to the other provisions of this 
     subsection.''.

     SEC. 5. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP ENHANCEMENT.

       Section 7 of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 
     742f) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(d) Community Partnership Enhancement.--
       ``(1) Definition of partner organization.--In this 
     subsection, the term `partner organization' means an 
     organization that--
       ``(A) draws its membership from private individuals, 
     organizations, corporations, academic institutions, or State 
     or local governments;
       ``(B) is established to promote the understanding of, 
     education relating to, and the conservation of the fish, 
     wildlife, plants, and cultural and historical resources of a 
     particular refuge or complex of geographically related 
     refuges; and
       ``(C) is described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal 
     Revenue Code of 1986 and is exempt from taxation under 
     section 501(a) of that Code.
       ``(2) Cooperative agreements.--
       ``(A) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior may enter 
     into a cooperative agreement (within the meaning of chapter 
     63 of title 31, United States Code) with any partner 
     organization, academic institution, or State or local 
     government agency to carry out 1 or more projects or programs 
     for a refuge or complex of geographically related refuges in 
     accordance with this subsection.
       ``(B) Projects and programs.--Subject to the requirements 
     of the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 
     1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.) and other applicable law, and 
     such terms and conditions as the Secretary determines to be 
     appropriate, the Secretary may approve projects and programs 
     for a refuge or complex of geographically related refuges 
     that--
       ``(i) promote the stewardship of resources of the refuge 
     through habitat maintenance, restoration, and improvement, 
     biological monitoring, or research;
       ``(ii) support the operation and maintenance of the refuge 
     through constructing, operating, maintaining, or improving 
     the facilities and services of the refuge;
       ``(iii) increase awareness and understanding of the refuge 
     and the National Wildlife Refuge System through the 
     development, publication, or distribution of educational 
     materials and products;
       ``(iv) advance education concerning the purpose of the 
     refuge and the mission of the System through the use of the 
     refuge as an outdoor classroom and development of other 
     educational programs; or
       ``(v) contribute financial resources to the refuge, under 
     terms that require that the net revenues be used exclusively 
     for the benefit of the refuge, through donation of net 
     revenues from the sale of educational materials and products 
     and through encouragement of gifts, devises, and bequests.
       ``(C) Federal funding and ownership.--
       ``(i) Matching.--Subject to the availability of 
     appropriations and the requirements of the National Wildlife 
     Refuge Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.) 
     and other applicable law, the Secretary may provide funds to 
     match non-Federal funds donated under a cooperative agreement 
     under this paragraph. With respect to each project or 
     program, the amount of funds provided by the Secretary may 
     not exceed the amount of the non-Federal funds donated 
     through the project or program.
       ``(ii) Use of federal funds.--Any Federal funds used to 
     fund a project or program under a cooperative agreement may 
     be used only for expenses directly related to the project or 
     program and may not be used for operation or administration 
     of any non-Federal entity.
       ``(iii) Ownership of facilities.--Any new facility, 
     improvement to an existing facility, or other permanent 
     improvement to a refuge constructed under this subsection 
     shall be the property of the United States Government.
       ``(D) Treasury account.--Amounts received by the Secretary 
     of the Interior as a result of projects and programs under 
     subparagraph (B) shall be deposited in a separate account in 
     the Treasury. Amounts in the account that are attributable to 
     activities at a particular refuge or complex of 
     geographically related refuges shall be available to the 
     Secretary of the Interior, without further appropriation, to 
     pay the costs of incidental expenses related to volunteer 
     activities, and to carry out cooperative agreements for the 
     refuge or complex of refuges.''.

     SEC. 6. REFUGE EDUCATION PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT.

       Section 7 of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 
     742f) (as amended by section 5) is amended by adding at the 
     end the following:
       ``(e) Refuge Education Program Enhancement.--
       ``(1) Guidance.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this subsection, the Secretary of the Interior 
     shall develop guidance for refuge education programs to 
     further the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System 
     and the purposes of individual refuges through--
       ``(A) providing outdoor classroom opportunities for 
     students on national wildlife refuges that combine 
     educational curricula with the personal experiences of 
     students relating to fish, wildlife, and plants and their 
     habitat and to the cultural and historical resources of the 
     refuges;
       ``(B) promoting understanding and conservation of fish, 
     wildlife, and plants and cultural and historical resources of 
     the refuges; and
       ``(C) improving scientific literacy in conjunction with 
     both formal and nonformal education programs.
       ``(2) Refuge programs.--Based on the guidance developed 
     under paragraph (1), the Secretary of the Interior may 
     develop or enhance refuge education programs as appropriate, 
     based on the resources of individual refuges and the 
     opportunities available for such programs in State, local, 
     and private schools. In developing and implementing each 
     program, the Secretary should cooperate with State and local 
     education authorities, and may cooperate with partner 
     organizations in accordance with subsection (d).''.

     SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       Section 7 of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 
     742f) (as amended by section 6) is amended by adding at the 
     end the following:
       ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior to carry 
     out subsections (b), (c), (d) and (e), $2,000,000 for each of 
     fiscal years 1999 through 2004.''.

[[Page S10250]]

                           Amendment No. 3578

          (Purpose: To make technical corrections to the bill)

  Mr. LOTT. Senator Chafee has a technical amendment at the desk. I ask 
for its consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Mississippi [Mr. Lott], for Mr. Chafee, 
     proposes an amendment numbered 3578.

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the 
amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

       On page 19, line 3, insert ``Community'' before 
     ``Partnership''.
       On page 22, line 2, strike ``complex'' and insert 
     ``complexes''.
       On page 22, line 10, insert a comma after ``training''.
       On page 26, line 2, strike ``purpose'' and insert 
     ``purposes''.
       On page 29, line 20, strike ``(d) and (e),'' and insert 
     ``(d), and (e)''.

  Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I am pleased that the Senate is 
considering H.R. 1856, a bipartisan bill that has tremendous potential 
to improve management and operations of the National Wildlife Refuge 
System by supplementing scarce Federal dollars with outside services 
and donations by local groups and individuals.
  As budgets continue to shrink, the Federal Government must look for 
alternative sources of funding and assistance. Volunteers have helped 
the Refuge System since volunteer wardens staffed the very first refuge 
on Pelican Island, Florida in 1903. Since 1982, when the Fish and 
Wildlife Service (FWS) established a formal volunteer program, the 
program has grown from 4,251 volunteers donating 128,400 hours of time 
to 28,800 volunteers donating more than 1.5 million hours in 1997. This 
1997 figure represents almost 20 percent of all work done by the FWS on 
the Refuge System, amounting to about $14 million worth of services, at 
a support cost of $780,000.
  The five refuges in my own state of Rhode Island, which are managed 
as a single complex, provide a wonderful illustration of how important 
these efforts are. With only five full-time employees working among the 
five Rhode Island refuges, volunteers contributed more than one-third 
of all work performed on these refuges. At several of our refuges, the 
typical visitor will interact with only volunteer staff.
  The ``National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and Community 
Partnership Enhancement Act'' lends much needed support to the efforts 
of the Service to maintain and operate the Refuge System. Specifically, 
it establishes pilot projects for the Service to hire volunteer 
coordinators; it also authorizes the creation of a Senior Volunteer 
Corps, which is expected to be part of the Service's existing volunteer 
program, and for which the Secretary should explore coordination with 
National Senior Service Corps programs operated by the Corporation for 
the National Service. In addition to encouraging volunteer efforts 
within the System, the bill encourages financial contributions, 
community partnership initiatives, and educational programs to benefit 
the System.
  H.R. 1856 was introduced by Congressman Saxton on June 10, 1997, and 
subsequently passed by the House. On June 26, 1998, I introduced a 
similar bill, S. 2244, within 14 cosponsors. The Committee on 
Environment and Public Works amended the House-passed bill to conform 
with S. 2244, and I now ask that the Senate take up H.R. 1856 as 
amended. I have been pleased to work with Congressman Saxton on this 
wonderful initiative, and I urge expeditious approval by both the 
Senate and House, as well as by the President.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the amendment be 
agreed to, the committee substitute amendment be agreed to, the bill be 
considered read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, the amendment to the title be agreed to, and that 
any statements relating to the bill appear at this point in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 3578) was agreed to.
  The substitute amendment, as amended, was agreed to.
  The bill (H.R. 1856) was considered read the third time and passed.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``An Act to amend the Fish and 
Wildlife Act of 1956 to promote volunteer programs and community 
partnerships for the benefit of national wildlife refuges, and for 
other purposes.''

                          ____________________