[105th Congress Public Law 82]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
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[DOCID: f:publ82.105]
[[Page 1539]]
MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS WILDERNESS AND ERNEST F. COE VISITOR CENTER
DESIGNATION ACT
[[Page 111 STAT. 1540]]
Public Law 105-82
105th Congress
An Act
To designate the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness and the Ernest F.
Coe Visitor Center. <<NOTE: Nov. 13, 1997 - [S. 931]>>
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in <<NOTE: Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness
and Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center Designation Act.>> Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT <<NOTE: 16 USC 410r-5 note.>> TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness
and Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center Designation Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND <<NOTE: 16 USC 410r-7 note.>> PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1)(A) Marjory Stoneman Douglas, through her book, ``The
Everglades: River of Grass'' (published in 1947), defined the
Everglades for the people of the United States and the world;
(B) Mrs. Douglas's book was the first to stimulate
widespread understanding of the Everglades ecosystem and
ultimately served to awaken the desire of the people of the
United States to restore the ecosystem's health;
(C) in her 107th year, Mrs. Douglas is the sole surviving
member of the original group of people who devoted decades of
selfless effort to establish the Everglades National Park;
(D) when the water supply and ecology of the Everglades,
both within and outside the park, became threatened by drainage
and development, Mrs. Douglas dedicated the balance of her life
to the defense of the Everglades through extraordinary personal
effort and by inspiring countless other people to take action;
(E) for these and many other accomplishments, the President
awarded Mrs. Douglas the Medal of Freedom on Earth Day, 1994;
and
(2)(A) Ernest F. Coe (1886-1951) was a leader in the
creation of Everglades National Park;
(B) Mr. Coe organized the Tropic Everglades National Park
Association in 1928 and was widely regarded as the father of
Everglades National Park;
(C) as a landscape architect, Mr. Coe's vision for the park
recognized the need to protect south Florida's diverse wildlife
and habitats for future generations;
(D) Mr. Coe's original park proposal included lands and
waters subsequently protected within the Everglades National
Park, the Big Cypress National Preserve, and the Florida Keys
National Marine Sanctuary; and
[[Page 111 STAT. 1541]]
(E)(i) Mr. Coe's leadership, selfless devotion, and
commitment to achieving his vision culminated in the
authorization of the Everglades National Park by Congress in
1934;
(ii) after authorization of the park, Mr. Coe fought
tirelessly and lobbied strenuously for establishment of the
park, finally realizing his dream in 1947; and
(iii) Mr. Coe accomplished much of the work described in
this paragraph at his own expense, which dramatically
demonstrated his commitment to establishment of Everglades
National Park.
(b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to commemorate the
vision, leadership, and enduring contributions of Marjory Stoneman
Douglas and Ernest F. Coe to the protection of the Everglades and the
establishment of Everglades National Park.
SEC. 3. MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS WILDERNESS. <<NOTE: 16 USC 1132
note.>>
(a) Redesignation.--Section 401(3) of the National Parks and
Recreation Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-625; 92 Stat. 3490; 16 U.S.C. 1132
note) is amended by striking ``to be known as the Everglades
Wilderness'' and inserting ``to be known as the Marjory Stoneman Douglas
Wilderness, to commemorate the vision and leadership shown by Mrs.
Douglas in the protection of the Everglades and the establishment of the
Everglades National Park''.
(b) Notice of Redesignation.--The Secretary of the Interior shall
provide such notification of the redesignation made by the amendment
made by subsection (a) by signs, materials, maps, markers, interpretive
programs, and other means (including changes in signs, materials, maps,
and markers in existence before the date of enactment of this Act) as
will adequately inform the public of the redesignation of the wilderness
area and the reasons for the redesignation.
(c) References.--Any reference in any law, regulation, document,
record, map, or other paper of the United States to the ``Everglades
Wilderness'' shall be deemed to be a reference to the ``Marjory Stoneman
Douglas Wilderness''.
SEC. 4. ERNEST F. COE VISITOR CENTER.
(a) Designation.--Section 103 of the Everglades National Park
Protection and Expansion Act of 1989 (16 U.S.C. 410r-7) is amended by
adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(f) Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center.--On completion of construction
of the main visitor center facility at the headquarters of Everglades
National Park, the Secretary shall designate the visitor center facility
as the `Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center', to commemorate the vision and
leadership shown by Mr. Coe in the establishment and protection of
Everglades National Park.''.
[[Page 111 STAT. 1542]]
SEC. 5. CONFORMING AND TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.
Section 103 of the Everglades National Park Protection and Expansion
Act of 1989 (16 U.S.C. 410r-7) is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)(2), by striking ``personnally-owned''
and inserting ``personally-owned''; and
(2) in subsection (e), by striking ``Visitor Center'' and
inserting ``Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center''.
Approved November 13, 1997.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 931 (H.R. 136):
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HOUSE REPORTS: No. 105-328 accompanying H.R. 136 (Comm. on Resources).
SENATE REPORTS: No. 105-68 (Comm. on Energy and Natural Resources).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 143 (1997):
Sept. 16, considered and passed Senate.
Nov. 4, considered and passed House.
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