[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 18, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4682-S4683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. NELSON of Florida:
  S. 1143. A bill to designate the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and the 
surrounding Federal land in the State of Florida as an Outstanding 
Natural Area and as a unit of the National Landscape System, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, today I am introducing a bill 
designating the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and the 126 surrounding acres 
in Jupiter, Florida, as an ``Outstanding Natural Area.'' The Jupiter 
Lighthouse is a local and regional icon, full of rich history and home 
to many endangered plant and animal species. Designating the lighthouse 
as an ``Outstanding Natural Area'' will preserve the rich cultural 
heritage and important ecological value of the site. This designation 
would give the Jupiter Inlet the distinction of being the sole East 
Coast representative of the National Landscape Conservation System--the 
eastern counterpart to the Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Oregon.
  This bill is the product of the hard work and cooperation of many 
people in Florida, including the Town of Jupiter Island, the Town of 
Jupiter, the Board of County Commissioners of Palm Beach County, the 
Loxahatchee River Historical Society, and numerous others. I am also 
pleased that Representative Tim Mahoney is introducing similar 
legislation in the House of Representatives.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1143

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse 
     Outstanding Natural Area Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) the area surrounding the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse in 
     the State of Florida--
       (A) is at the confluence of the Loxahatchee River and the 
     Indian River Lagoon; and
       (B) supports significant ecological values, including--
       (i) endangered species of flora and fauna; and
       (ii) imperiled natural communities rapidly vanishing in 
     south Florida;
       (2) the area surrounding the Lighthouse was first used by 
     Native Americans over 4,000 years ago;
       (3) Europeans made contact with the area surrounding the 
     Lighthouse in the 17th century;
       (4) the Lighthouse and the associated Oil House, which was 
     constructed in 1860, are nationally recognized historical 
     structures that should be preserved for present and future 
     generations of people in the United States;
       (5) the Lighthouse tells an important story about--
       (A) the maritime history of southeast Florida;
       (B) the prehistory and history of southeast Florida; and
       (C) the role of southeast Florida in the Civil War, World 
     War II, and the creation of the National Weather Service;
       (6) the Lighthouse is listed on the National Register of 
     Historic Places;
       (7) the Lighthouse has been, and continues to be, a 
     physical manifestation of the commitment of the Federal 
     Government to maritime safety and security;
       (8) the current operations and activities of the Coast 
     Guard at Jupiter Inlet perpetuate the commitment described in 
     paragraph (7);
       (9) the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area--
       (A) would make a significant addition to the National 
     Landscape Conservation System administered by the Bureau of 
     Land Management; and
       (B) would be the only unit of the National Landscape 
     Conservation System located east of the Mississippi River;
       (10) statutory protection is needed for the Lighthouse and 
     the Federal land surrounding the Lighthouse to ensure that 
     the natural and cultural resources continue to be--
       (A) a part of the historic, cultural, and natural heritage 
     of the United States; and
       (B) a source of inspiration for the people of the United 
     States;
       (11) the actions of the Federal Government to protect and 
     conserve the land and historic structures associated with the 
     Outstanding Natural Area should not be construed, 
     interpreted, or allowed to diminish or control ongoing or 
     future Coast Guard operations or activities; and
       (12) the Lighthouse and the Federal land surrounding the 
     Lighthouse represent a true partnership of the highest order 
     in which collaboration is, and would continue to be, an 
     everyday reality leading to successful management and land 
     stewardship by the Bureau of Land Management, Palm Beach 
     County, Florida, the Town of Jupiter, Florida, the Village of 
     Tequesta, Florida, the Loxahatchee River Historical Society, 
     and the Coast Guard (collectively known as the ``Jupiter 
     Working Group'') and other partners.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Commandant.--The term ``Commandant'' means the 
     Commandant of the Coast Guard.
       (2) Lighthouse.--The term ``Lighthouse'' means the Jupiter 
     Inlet Lighthouse located in Palm Beach County, Florida.
       (3) Local partners.--The term ``Local Partners'' includes--
       (A) Palm Beach County, Florida;
       (B) the Town of Jupiter, Florida;
       (C) the Village of Tequesta, Florida; and
       (D) the Loxahatchee River Historical Society.
       (4) Management plan.--The term ``management plan'' means 
     the management plan developed under section 5(a).
       (5) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled ``Jupiter 
     Inlet Lighthouse: Outstanding Natural Area'' and dated 
     February 2007.
       (6) Outstanding natural area.--The term ``Outstanding 
     Natural Area'' means the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding 
     Natural Area established by section 4(a).
       (7) Public land.--The term ``public land'' has the meaning 
     given the term ``public lands'' in section 103(e) of the 
     Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 
     1702(e)).
       (8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (9) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Florida.

     SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE JUPITER INLET LIGHT HOUSE 
                   OUTSTANDING NATURAL AREA.

       (a) Establishment.--Subject to valid existing rights, there 
     is established for the purposes described in subsection (b) 
     the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area, the 
     boundaries of which are depicted on the map.
       (b) Purposes.--The purposes of the Outstanding Natural Area 
     are to protect, conserve, and enhance the unique and 
     nationally important historic, natural, cultural, scientific, 
     educational, scenic, and recreational values of the Federal 
     land surrounding the Lighthouse for the benefit of present 
     generations and future generations of people in the United 
     States, while--
       (1) allowing certain recreational and research activities 
     to continue in the Outstanding Natural Area; and

[[Page S4683]]

       (2) ensuring that Coast Guard operations and activities are 
     unimpeded within the boundaries of the Outstanding Natural 
     Area.
       (c) Availability of Map.--The map shall be on file and 
     available for public inspection in--
       (1) the Office of the Director of the Bureau of Land 
     Management; and
       (2) the Eastern States Office of the Bureau of Land 
     Management in the State of Virginia.
       (d) Withdrawal.--
       (1) In general.--Subject to valid existing rights, section 
     7, and any existing withdrawals under the Executive orders 
     and public land order described in paragraph (2), the Federal 
     land and any interests in the Federal land included in the 
     Outstanding Natural Area are withdrawn from--
       (A) all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under 
     the public land laws;
       (B) location, entry, and patent under the public land 
     mining laws; and
       (C) operation of the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing 
     laws and the mineral materials laws.
       (2) Description of executive orders.--The Executive orders 
     and public land order described in paragraph (1) are--
       (A) the Executive Order dated October 22, 1854;
       (B) Executive Order No. 4254 (June 12, 1925); and
       (C) Public Land Order No. 7202 (61 Fed. Reg. 29758).

     SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT PLAN.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with 
     the Commandant, shall develop a comprehensive management plan 
     in accordance with section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and 
     Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712) to--
       (1) provide long-term management guidance for the public 
     land in the Outstanding Natural Area; and
       (2) ensure that the Outstanding Natural Area fulfills the 
     purposes for which the Outstanding Natural Area is 
     established.
       (b) Consultation; Public Participation.--The management 
     plan shall be developed--
       (1) in consultation with appropriate Federal, State, 
     county, and local government agencies, the Commandant, the 
     Local Partners, the Loxahatchee River Historical Society, and 
     other partners; and
       (2) in a manner that ensures full public participation.
       (c) Existing Plans.--The management plan shall, to the 
     maximum extent practicable, be consistent with existing 
     resource plans, policies, and programs.
       (d) Inclusions.--The management plan shall include--
       (1) objectives and provisions to ensure--
       (A) the protection and conservation of the resource values 
     of the Outstanding Natural Area; and
       (B) the restoration of native plant communities and 
     estuaries in the Outstanding Natural Area, with an emphasis 
     on the conservation and enhancement of healthy, functioning 
     ecological systems in perpetuity;
       (2) objectives and provisions to maintain or recreate 
     historic structures;
       (3) an implementation plan for a program of interpretation 
     and public education about the natural and cultural resources 
     of the Lighthouse, the public land surrounding the 
     Lighthouse, and associated structures;
       (4) a proposal for administrative and public facilities to 
     be developed or improved that--
       (A) are compatible with achieving the resource objectives 
     for the Outstanding Natural Area described in section 
     6(a)(1)(B); and
       (B) would accommodate visitors to the Outstanding Natural 
     Area;
       (5) natural and cultural resource management strategies for 
     the Outstanding Natural Area, to be developed in consultation 
     with appropriate departments of the State, the Local 
     Partners, and the Commandant, with an emphasis on resource 
     conservation in the Outstanding Natural Area and the 
     interpretive, educational, and long-term scientific uses of 
     the resources; and
       (6) recreational use strategies for the Outstanding Natural 
     Area, to be prepared in consultation with the Local Partners, 
     appropriate departments of the State, and the Coast Guard, 
     with an emphasis on passive recreation.
       (e) Interim Plan.--Until a management plan is adopted for 
     the Outstanding Natural Area, the Jupiter Inlet Coordinated 
     Resource Management Plan (including any updates or amendments 
     to the Jupiter Inlet Coordinated Resource Management Plan) 
     shall be in effect.

     SEC. 6. MANAGEMENT OF THE JUPITER INLET LIGHTHOUSE 
                   OUTSTANDING NATURAL AREA.

       (a) Management.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
     Local Partners and the Commandant, shall manage the 
     Outstanding Natural Area--
       (A) as part of the National Landscape Conservation System; 
     and
       (B) in a manner that conserves, protects, and enhances the 
     unique and nationally important historical, natural, 
     cultural, scientific, educational, scenic, and recreational 
     values of the Outstanding Natural Area, including an emphasis 
     on the restoration of native ecological systems.
       (2) Limitation.--In managing the Outstanding Natural Area, 
     the Secretary shall not take any action that precludes, 
     prohibits, or otherwise affects the conduct of ongoing or 
     future Coast Guard operations or activities on lots 16 and 
     18, as depicted on the map.
       (b) Uses.--Subject to valid existing rights and section 7, 
     the Secretary shall only allow uses of the Outstanding 
     Natural Area that the Secretary, in consultation with the 
     Commandant and Local Partners, determines would likely 
     further--
       (1) the purposes for which the Outstanding Natural Area is 
     established;
       (2) the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 
     U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); and
       (3) other applicable laws.
       (c) Cooperative Agreements.--To facilitate implementation 
     of the management plan and to continue the successful 
     partnerships with local communities and other partners, the 
     Secretary shall, in accordance with section 307(b) of the 
     Federal Land Management Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 
     U.S.C. 1737(b)), enter into cooperative agreements with the 
     appropriate Federal, State, county, other local government 
     agencies, and other partners (including the Loxahatchee River 
     Historical Society) for the long-term management of the 
     Outstanding Natural Area
       (d) Research Activities.--To continue successful research 
     partnerships, pursue future research partnerships, and assist 
     in the development and implementation of the management plan, 
     the Secretary may, in accordance with section 307(a) of the 
     Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 
     1737(a)), authorize the conduct of appropriate research 
     activities in the Outstanding Natural Area for the purposes 
     described in section 4(b).
       (e) Acquisition of Land.--
       (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary 
     may acquire for inclusion in the Outstanding Natural Area any 
     State or private land or any interest in State or private 
     land that is--
       (A) adjacent to the Outstanding Natural Area; and
       (B) identified in the management plan as appropriate for 
     acquisition.
       (2) Means of acquisition.--Land or an interest in land may 
     be acquired under paragraph (1) only by--
       (A) donation;
       (B) exchange with a willing party; or
       (C) purchase from a willing seller.
       (3) Additions to the outstanding natural area.--Any land or 
     interest in land adjacent to the Outstanding Natural Area 
     acquired by the United States after the date of enactment of 
     this Act under paragraph (1) shall be added to, and 
     administered as part of, the Outstanding Natural Area.
       (f) Law Enforcement Activities.--Nothing in this Act, the 
     management plan, or the Jupiter Inlet Coordinated Resource 
     Management Plan (including any updates or amendments to the 
     Jupiter Inlet Coordinated Resource Management Plan) 
     precludes, prohibits, or otherwise affects--
       (1) any maritime security, maritime safety, or 
     environmental protection mission or activity of the Coast 
     Guard;
       (2) any border security operation or law enforcement 
     activity by the Department of Homeland Security or the 
     Department of Justice; or
       (3) any law enforcement activity of any Federal, State, or 
     local law enforcement agency in the Outstanding Natural Area.
       (g) Future Disposition of Coast Guard Facilities.--If the 
     Commandant determines, after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, that Coast Guard facilities within the Outstanding 
     Natural Area exceed the needs of the Coast Guard, the 
     Commandant may relinquish the facilities to the Secretary 
     without removal, subject only to any environmental 
     remediation that may be required by law.

     SEC. 7. EFFECT ON ONGOING AND FUTURE COAST GUARD OPERATIONS.

       Nothing in this Act, the management plan, or the Jupiter 
     Inlet Coordinated Resource Management Plan (including updates 
     or amendments to the Jupiter Inlet Coordinated Resource 
     Management Plan) precludes, prohibits, or otherwise affects 
     ongoing or future Coast Guard operations or activities in the 
     Outstanding Natural Area, including--
       (1) the continued and future operation of, access to, 
     maintenance of, and, as may be necessitated for Coast Guard 
     missions, the expansion, enhancement, or replacement of, the 
     Coast Guard High Frequency antenna site on lot 16;
       (2) the continued and future operation of, access to, 
     maintenance of, and, as may be necessitated for Coast Guard 
     missions, the expansion, enhancement, or replacement of, the 
     military family housing area on lot 18;
       (3) the continued and future use of, access to, maintenance 
     of, and, as may be necessitated for Coast Guad missions, the 
     expansion, enhancement, or replacement of, the pier on lot 
     18;
       (4) the existing lease of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse on 
     lot 18 from the Coast Guard to the Loxahatchee River 
     Historical Society; or
       (5) any easements or other less-than-fee interests in 
     property appurtenant to existing Coast Guard facilities on 
     lots 16 and 18.

     SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
     necessary to carry out this Act.
                                 ______