Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to construct and operate the Walter B. Jones Center for the Sounds at the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Tyrrell County, North Carolina, to: (1) provide public opportunities, facilities, and resources to study the natural history and natural resources of northeastern North Carolina; (2) offer a variety of environmental educational programs and interpretive exhibits; (3) foster an awareness and understanding of the interactions among wildlife, estuarine and wetland ecosystems, and human activities; and (4) provide office space and facilities for refuge administration, research, education, and related activities.
Directs the Secretary to ensure that the design, size, and location of a facility constructed under this Act are consistent with the cultural and natural history of the area with which the facility will be concerned.
Authorizes the Secretary to accept contributions of funds from non-Federal sources to pay the costs of operating and maintaining the facility authorized under this Act. Directs the Secretary to take appropriate steps to obtain such contributions.
Sets forth reporting requirements.
[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[H.R. 2961 Introduced in House (IH)]
103d CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2961
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to construct and operate the
Walter B. Jones Center for the Sounds at the Pocosin Lakes National
Wildlife Refuge.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 6, 1993
Mr. Lancaster (for himself, Mr. Studds, Mr. Fields of Texas, Mr. Young
of Alaska, Mr. Rose, Mr. Valentine, Mr. Hefner, Mr. Neal of North
Carolina, Mrs. Bentley, Mr. Tauzin, Mr. Manton, Mr. Bateman, Mr. Ortiz,
Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Pickett, Mr. Hochbrueckner, Mr. Ravenel, Mr.
Gilchrest, Mr. Stupak, Mr. Barlow, and Mr. Torkildsen) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Merchant Marine
and Fisheries
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to construct and operate the
Walter B. Jones Center for the Sounds at the Pocosin Lakes National
Wildlife Refuge.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) The Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, located in
northeastern North Carolina, provides unique opportunities for
observing and interpreting the biological richness of the
region's estuaries and wetlands.
(2) Although there are 10 national wildlife refuges in
eastern North Carolina, not one has an educational or
interpretative center for visitors.
(3) The State of North Carolina, Tyrrell County, the town
of Columbia, the Conservation Fund, and private citizens have
proposed to enter into a partnership with the United States
Fish and Wildlife Service to establish an educational and
interpretative facility to be known as the Center for the
Sounds.
(4) Establishment of the Center for the Sounds would bestow
economic benefits upon Tyrrell County and the town of Columbia.
(5) The Federal Government has designated the Albemarle-
Pamlico estuary system of northeastern North Carolina as an
estuary of national concern.
SEC. 2. FURTHER FINDINGS.
The Congress further finds and declares the following:
(1) Throughout his congressional career, the Honorable
Walter B. Jones was a strong supporter of the National Wildlife
Refuge System.
(2) During his years of service in the House of
Representatives, Walter B. Jones supported the establishment
and expansion of National Wildlife Refuges in eastern North
Carolina; these include 6 new National Wildlife Refuges
established in his district, including the Alligator River
National Wildlife Refuge and the Pocosin Lakes National
Wildlife Refuge, which are respectively the third largest and
fifth largest National Wildlife Refuges east of the Mississippi
River.
(3) Walter B. Jones helped increase refuge acreage in his
district by over 303,000 acres, thus ensuring the protection of
these lands for wildlife habitat and public recreation.
(4) Walter B. Jones' support for reintroducing endangered
red wolves into the wild at Alligator River National Wildlife
Refuge was a major factor in securing public acceptance of, and
support for, this first successful effort to reintroduce
endangered predators into formerly occupied habitat.
(5) Walter B. Jones devoted much of his congressional
career, including his years as Chairman of the Merchant Marine
and Fisheries Committee, to the conservation of fish and
wildlife, for the benefit of the Nation and the people of North
Carolina.
(6) Walter B. Jones should most appropriately be recognized
for his work on behalf of fish and wildlife conservation by
having the Center for the Sounds at the Pocosin Lakes National
Wildlife Refuge System named in his honor.
SEC. 3. AUTHORITY TO CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE FACILITY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior may, subject to the
availability of appropriations, construct and operate the Walter B.
Jones Center for the Sounds at the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife
Refuge in Tyrrell County, North Carolina, for the following purposes:
(1) Providing public opportunities, facilities, and
resources to study the natural history and natural resources of
northeastern North Carolina.
(2) Offering a variety of environmental educational
programs and interpretive exhibits.
(3) Fostering an awareness and understanding of the
interactions among wildlife, estuarine and wetland ecosystems,
and human activities.
(4) Providing office space and facilities for refuge
administration, research, education, and related activities.
SEC. 4. DESIGN.
The Secretary of the Interior shall ensure that the design, size,
and location of a facility constructed under this Act are consistent
with the cultural and natural history of the area with which the
facility will be concerned.
SEC. 5. COST SHARING.
The Secretary of the Interior may accept contributions of funds
from non-Federal sources to pay the costs of operating and maintaining
the facility authorized under this Act, and shall take appropriate
steps to seek to obtain such contributions.
SEC. 6. REPORT.
Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall submit a report to the
Congress on progress made in designing and constructing a facility
under this Act, including steps taken under section 5 to obtain
contributions and any such contributions that have been pledged to or
received by the United States.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Natural Resources.
Executive Comment Requested from Interior.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
Subcommittee on Environment and Natural Resources Discharged.
Mr. Studds moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H6810-6812)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate.
At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Solomon objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was withdrawn.
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Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H6832-6833)
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by recorded vote (2/3 required): 425 - 0 (Roll no. 445).
Roll Call #445 (House)On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by recorded vote (2/3 required): 425 - 0 (Roll no. 445).
Roll Call #445 (House)Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate and read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.