[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 36 (Tuesday, March 4, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H1201-H1203]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     JUPITER INLET LIGHTHOUSE OUTSTANDING NATURAL AREA ACT OF 2008

  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1922) 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, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1922

       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 2008''.

     SEC. 2. 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 4(a).
       (5) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled ``Jupiter 
     Inlet Lighthouse: Outstanding Natural Area'' and dated 
     October 29, 2007.
       (6) Outstanding natural area.--The term ``Outstanding 
     Natural Area'' means the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding 
     Natural Area established by section 3(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. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE JUPITER INLET LIGHTHOUSE 
                   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
       (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 
     6, 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. 4. 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--

[[Page H1202]]

       (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 
     5(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. 5. 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 6, 
     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 3(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. 6. 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 Guard 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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from West Virginia.

                              {time}  1445


                             General Leave

  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from West Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. RAHALL. Introduced by our colleague, Representative Tim Mahoney, 
the pending measure would establish the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse 
Outstanding Natural Area, to be managed by the Bureau of Land 
Management in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and a local 
working group. The lighthouse is the oldest building still standing in 
Palm Beach County.
  The design for the elegant brick and wrought iron building was 
originally drawn by Lieutenant George Gordon Meade, who later gained 
fame as the victorious Union general at Gettysburg. The bill would set 
aside 126 acres surrounding the lighthouse for protection as an 
Outstanding Natural Area as part of the BLM's Natural Landscape 
Conservation System. In addition to protecting the historic property, 
the bill would allow BLM, the Coast Guard and their local partners to 
continue and enhance their long-term stewardship of the area, including 
several habitat restoration projects.
  Representative Mahoney has done excellent work on this bill to 
protect and enhance a piece of the heritage of his district. I fully 
support passage of the legislation and urge its adoption.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on H.R. 1922, and 
yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the chairman has adequately explained the bill. I have 
no additional speakers. It is a good bill.
  Mr. MAHONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 
1922, the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area Act. Today 
is a great day for the towns and communities that live and thrive 
beneath the light of this magnificent landmark.
  I want to begin by thanking everyone in the community who worked 
tirelessly to make this

[[Page H1203]]

day a reality. The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area 
Act serves as an example of what local governments working together can 
do. The commitment to this historical lighthouse from officials and 
volunteers from Palm Beach County, the Town of Jupiter, the Village of 
Tequesta, and the Loxahatchee River Historical Society is truly 
remarkable.
  I would specifically like to recognize the efforts of Palm Beach 
County Commissioner Karen Marcus and Mayor Karen Golonka from the town 
of Jupiter. Their leadership and vision have been invaluable on this 
project.
  The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse is more than a beacon of light that 
guides mariners to safety; it is a monument to Florida's history and a 
symbol of our community. Since the lighthouse's construction in 1860, 
it has played an important role during military conflicts and has 
facilitated commerce up and down the East Coast.
  Designed by Lieutenant George Meade, who would later become famous 
for his service during the Civil War, the light allowed for vessels to 
safely travel down Florida's coast carrying cargo to new markets in the 
Caribbean. During World War II, the keeper dimmed the light in order to 
protect Allied warships traveling off the coast of Florida from German 
U-boat attacks. Today, the light still guides boaters safely home.
  The National Landscape Conservation System, and more specifically the 
Outstanding Natural Area Designation, was created in 2000 by the 
Department of the Interior in an effort to better meet the management 
needs of our Nation's public lands and historic treasures. In addition 
to the better management practices the system promotes, the designation 
helps to spur tourism and expand educational opportunities in 
surrounding communities.
  It is important to note that the area designated by this bill as an 
Outstanding Natural Area is much more than the lighthouse. H.R. 1922 
also seeks to protect and better coordinate the management of the more 
than 100 acres surrounding the historic structure. This land, like the 
lighthouse, has historical, cultural, and environmental value. For 
example, the area was first used by Native Americans over 4,000 years 
ago. Likewise, in the 17th Century, Europeans first made contact with 
this area.
  This lighthouse and the surrounding area, however, is much more than 
a historical marker. It has become a symbol of this community, woven 
into the fabric of our culture, even appearing on the town of Jupiter's 
seal.
  I recently received a letter from a student at Jupiter High School 
detailing why the lighthouse is special to her. She says in the letter: 
``I often reminisce about the days my parents used to take [me] to the 
area when I was a child and due to these trips my love for nature and 
its protection first started to blossom.'' Today, she is a member of 
the Jupiter High School Environmental Research and Field Studies 
Academy. It is important that we preserve this structure and continue 
to give children the opportunity to explore their history and learn 
about the environment.
  In closing, I would like to thank Chairman Rahall and Subcommittee 
Chairman Grijalva for their support throughout this process.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1922, the Jupiter 
Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area Act.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1922, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``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 Conservation System, and for other purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________