Congressional Record, Volume 144 Issue 125 (Friday, September 18, 1998)

[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 125 (Friday, September 18, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H8076-H8077]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM VOLUNTEER AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 1997

Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the
Speaker's table the 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, with Senate
amendments thereto, and concur in the Senate amendments.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The Clerk read the Senate amendments, as follows:

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``National Wildlife Refuge
System Volunteer and Community 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;
(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
complexes 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 purposes 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

[[Page H8077]]

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.''.

Mr. SAXTON (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent
that the Senate amendments be considered as read and printed in the
Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, as the author of H.R. 1856, the National
Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and Community Partnership Act, I am
pleased to report that the Senate has passed this bill with amendments
and returned it to us.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a very successful program to
encourage volunteer activities at National Wildlife Refuges and other
Service field stations. Last year, for example, over 25,000 volunteers
donated nearly $11 million worth of services, ranging from staffing
visitor centers, to hunter safety classes, and operating heavy
equipment.
I introduced H.R. 1856 after a field hearing held near the Edwin B.
Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in my district in New Jersey. That
hearing addressed the large maintenance backlog at refuges. We heard
from several local volunteer conservation groups who pointed out
problems with the existing volunteer program. This bill is intended to
solve those problems.
The biggest obstacle to improving the volunteer program is a shortage
of staff at refuges. We can't expect refuge employees who have full-
time operation and maintenance duties to also donate all of their
weekends to working with volunteer groups. H.R. 1856 would address this
problem by establishing up to 20 pilot projects for the purpose of
hiring full-time volunteer coordinators. This will make it much easier
for the Service and conservation groups to work together for the
benefit of refuges.
H.R. 1856 also makes it easier for interested individuals and groups
to donate money or services to refuges. It would ensure that gifts to a
particular refuge will actually go to that refuge, instead of
disappearing into a nationwide account.
Finally, the bill allows refuge managers to enter into cooperative
agreements with local conservation groups to conduct projects on
refuges. Again, these provisions are designed to make it easier for
refuge managers to cooperate with local organizations. For example, if
a volunteer group were interested in constructing a wildlife
observation tower or other improvement at a refuge, this section would
allow the refuge manager to contribute materials or staff assistance to
the project.
All of these provisions are designed to make it easier for volunteers
who are interested in helping to conserve fish and wildlife to
contribute their skills and enthusiasm to our National Wildlife
Refuges. Over the last two years, Congress and the Administration have
significantly increased the resources available to Refuge operations
and maintenance. However, even with those increased resources, the use
of volunteers who donate their time and energy is still needed to allow
the Refuge System to meet its conservation and management goals. By
making it easier for them, this bill will enhance an already successful
program and ultimately benefit fish and wildlife conservation
throughout the National Wildlife Refuge System.
I urge you to agree to clear H.R. 1856, as amended by the Senate, and
to send it to the President for signature. Together with the historic
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-57)
and increased funding, this Congress has done more for our National
Wildlife Refuge System than any other in the last 30 years.
I urge the House to accept the Senate amendments on H.R. 1856.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the initial request of
the gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
The Senate amendments were concurred in.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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