Title III -- National Wildlife Refuge Centennial
Sec. 301. Short
title.
Sec. 302. Findings and purposes.
Sec. 303. National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial Commission.
Sec. 304. Long-term planning and annual reporting requirements regarding
the operation and maintenance backlog.
Sec. 305. Year of the National Wildlife Refuge.
Sec. 306. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 307. Effective date.
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Title III -- National Wildlife Refuge Centennial
Sec. 301. Short title.
This title may be cited as the "National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial Act".
Sec. 302. Findings and purposes.
- (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
- (1) President Theodore Roosevelt began the National Wildlife Refuge System by establishing the first refuge at Pelican Island, Florida, on March 14, 1903;
- (2) the National Wildlife Refuge System is comprised of more than 93,000,000 acres of Federal land managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in more than 532 individual refuges and thousands of waterfowl production areas located in all 50 States and the territories of the United States;
- (3) the System is the only network of Federal land dedicated singularly to wildlife conservation and where wildlife-dependent recreation and environmental education are priority public uses;
- (4) the System serves a vital role in the conservation of millions of migratory birds, dozens of endangered species and threatened species, some of the premier fisheries of the United States, marine mammals, and the habitats on which such species of fish and wildlife depend;
- (5) each year the System provides millions of Americans with opportunities to participate in wildlife-dependent recreation, including hunting, fishing, and wildlife observation;
- (6)(A) public
visitation to national wildlife refuges is growing, with more than
35,000,000 visitors annually; and
(B) it is essential that visitor centers and public use facilities be properly constructed, operated, and maintained; - (7) the National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and Community Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998 (16 U.S.C. 742f note; Public Law 105-242), and the amendments made by that Act, significantly enhance the ability of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to incorporate volunteers and partnerships in refuge management;
- (8) as of the date of the enactment of this Act, the System has an unacceptable backlog of critical operation and maintenance needs; and
- (9) the occasion of the centennial of the System, in 2003, presents a historic opportunity to enhance natural resource stewardship and expand public enjoyment of the national wildlife refuges of the United States.
- (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this title are--
- (1) to establish a commission to promote awareness by the public of the National Wildlife Refuge System as the System celebrates its centennial in 2003;
- (2) to develop a long-term plan to meet the priority operation, maintenance, and construction needs of the System;
- (3) to require
an annual report on the needs of the System prepared in the context
of--
(A) the budget submission of the Department of the Interior to the President; and
(B) the President's budget request to Congress; and - (4) to improve public use programs and facilities of the System to meet the increasing needs of the public for wildlife-dependent recreation in the 21st century.
Sec. 303. National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial Commission
- (a) Establishment.--There is established the National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial Commission (referred to in this title as the "Commission").
- (b) Members.--
- (1) In general.--The
Commission shall be composed of--
(A) the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service;
(B) up to 10 individuals appointed by the Secretary of the Interior; (C) the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives and of the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate, who shall be nonvoting members; and
(D) the congressional representatives of the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, who shall be nonvoting members. - (2) Appointments.--
(A) Deadline.--The members of the Commission shall be appointed not later than 90 days after the effective date of this title.
(B) Appointments by the secretary of the interior.--
(i) In general.--The members of the Commission appointed by the Secretary of the Interior under paragraph (1)(B)--
(I) shall not be officers or employees of the Federal Government; and
(II) shall, in the judgment of the Secretary--
(aa) represent the diverse beneficiaries of the System; and
(bb) have outstanding knowledge or appreciation of wildlife, natural resource management, or wildlife-dependent recreation.
(ii) Representation of views.--In making appointments under paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary of the Interior shall make every effort to ensure that the views of the hunting, fishing, and wildlife observation communities are represented on the Commission. - (3) Vacancies.--Any
vacancy in the Commission--
(A) shall not affect the power or duties of the Commission; and
(B) shall be expeditiously filled in the same manner as the original appointment was made. - (c) Chairperson.--The Secretary of the Interior shall appoint one of the members as the Chairperson of the Commission.
- (d) Compensation.--The members of the Commission shall receive no compensation for their service on the Commission.
- (e) Travel Expenses.--
- (1) Legislative branch members.--The members of the Commission from the legislative branch of the Federal Government shall be allowed necessary travel expenses, as authorized by other law for official travel, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the Commission.
- (2) Executive branch members.--The members of the Commission from the executive branch of the Federal Government shall be allowed necessary travel expenses in accordance with section 5702 of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the Commission.
- (3) Other members and staff.--The members of the Commission appointed by the Secretary of the Interior and staff of the Commission may be allowed necessary travel expenses as authorized by section 5702 of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the Commission.
- (f ) Duties.--The Commission shall--
- (1) prepare, in cooperation with Federal, State, local, and nongovernmental partners, a plan to commemorate the centennial of the National Wildlife Refuge System beginning on March 14, 2003;
- (2) coordinate the activities of the partners under the plan; and
- (3) plan and host, in cooperation with the partners, a conference on the National Wildlife Refuge System, and assist in the activities of the conference.
- (g) Staff.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Commission may employ such staff as are necessary to carry out the duties of the Commission.
- (h) Donations.--
- (1) In general.--The Commission may, in accordance with criteria established under paragraph (2), accept and use donations of money, personal property, or personal services.
- (2) Criteria.--The
Commission shall establish written criteria to be used in determining
whether the acceptance of gifts or donations under paragraph (1) would--
(A) reflect unfavorably on the ability of the Commission or any employee of the Commission to carry out its responsibilities or official duties in a fair and objective manner; or
(B) compromise the integrity or the appearance of the integrity of any person involved in the activities of the Commission. - (i) Administrative Support.--Upon the request of the Commission--
- (1) the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, may provide to the Commission such administrative support services as are necessary for the Commission to carry out the duties of the Commission under this title, including services relating to budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, personnel, and procurement; and
- (2) the head of any other appropriate Federal agency may provide to the Commission such advice and assistance, with or without reimbursement, as are appropriate to assist the Commission in carrying out the duties of the Commission.
- ( j) Reports.--
- (1) Annual reports.--Not later than 1 year after the effective date of this title, and annually thereafter, the Commission shall submit to Congress a report on the activities and plans of the Commission.
- (2) Final report.--Not later than September 30, 2004, the Commission shall submit to the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate a final report on the activities of the Commission, including an accounting of all funds received and expended by the Commission.
- (k) Termination.--
- (1) In general.--The Commission shall terminate 90 days after the date on which the Commission submits the final report under subsection ( j).
- (2) Disposition
of materials.--Upon termination of the Commission and after consultation
with the Archivist of the United States and the Secretary of the Smithsonian
Institution, the Secretary of the Interior may--
(A)(i) deposit all books, manuscripts, miscellaneous printed matter, memorabilia, relics, and other similar materials of the Commission relating to the centennial of the National Wildlife Refuge System in Federal, State, or local libraries or museums; or
(ii) otherwise dispose of such materials; and
(B)(i) use other property acquired by the Commission for the purposes of the National Wildlife Refuge System; or
(ii) treat such property as excess property.
Sec. 304. Long-term planning and annual reporting requirements regarding the operation and maintenance backlog.
- (a) Unified Long-Term Plan.--Not later than March 1, 2002, the Secretary of the Interior shall prepare and submit to Congress and the President a unified long-term plan to address priority operation, maintenance, and construction needs of the National Wildlife Refuge System, including--
- (1) priority staffing needs of the System; and
- (2) operation,
maintenance, and construction needs as identified in--
(A) the Refuge Operating Needs System;
(B) the Maintenance Management System;
(C) the 5-year deferred maintenance list;
(D) the 5-year construction list;
(E) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service report entitled "Fulfilling the Promise of America's National Wildlife Refuge System"; and
(F) individual refuge comprehensive conservation plans. - (b) Annual Submission.--Beginning with the submission to Congress of the budget for fiscal year 2003, the Secretary of theInterior shall prepare and submit to Congress, in the context of each annual budget submission, a report that contains--
- (1) an assessment of expenditures in the prior, current, and upcoming fiscal years to meet the operation and maintenance backlog as identified in the long-term plan under subsection (a); and
- (2) a specification of transition costs, in the prior, current, and upcoming fiscal years, as identified in the analysis of newly acquired refuge land prepared by the Department of the Interior, and a description of the method used to determine the priority status of the transition costs.
Sec. 305. Year of the National Wildlife Refuge.
- (a) Finding.--Congress finds that designation of the year 2003 as the "Year of the National Wildlife Refuge" would promote the goal of increasing public appreciation of the importance of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
- (b) Proclamation.--The President is requested to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to conduct appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to accomplish the goal of such a year.
Sec. 306. Authorization of appropriations.
There are authorized
to be appropriated to carry out the activities of the Commission under
this title--
(1) $100,000 for fiscal year 2001; and
(2) $250,000 for each of fiscal years 2002 through 2004.
Sec. 307. Effective date.
This title takes effect on January 20, 2001.
