Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge Establishment Act

Summary: Directs the Secretary, in providing opportunities for compatible fish- and wildlife-oriented recreation on the Refuge, to ensure that hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, and environmental education and interpretation are the priority public uses of the Refuge.
Authorizes appropriations.
Designates a building proposed to be located within the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island, Virginia, as the Herbert H. Bateman Education And Administrative Center.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge 
Establishment Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
        (1) as the southernmost unleveed portion of the Mississippi 
    River, Cat Island, Louisiana, is one of the last remaining tracts 
    in the lower Mississippi Valley that is still influenced by the 
    natural dynamics of the river;
        (2) Cat Island supports one of the highest densities of virgin 
    bald cypress trees in the entire Mississippi River Valley, 
    including the Nation's champion cypress tree which is 17 feet wide 
    and has a circumference of 53 feet;
        (3) Cat Island is important habitat for several declining 
    species of forest songbirds and supports thousands of wintering 
    waterfowl;
        (4) Cat Island supports high populations of deer, turkey, and 
    furbearers, such as mink and bobcats;
        (5) conservation and enhancement of this area through inclusion 
    in the National Wildlife Refuge System would help meet the habitat 
    conservation goals of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan;
        (6) these forested wetlands represent one of the most valuable 
    and productive wildlife habitat types in the United States, and 
    have extremely high recreational value for hunters, anglers, 
    birdwatchers, nature photographers, and others; and
        (7) the Cat Island area is deserving of inclusion in the 
    National Wildlife Refuge System.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act--
        (1) the term ``Refuge'' means the Cat Island National Wildlife 
    Refuge; and
        (2) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior.

SEC. 4. PURPOSES.

    The purposes for which the Refuge is established and shall be 
managed are--
        (1) to conserve, restore, and manage habitats as necessary to 
    contribute to the migratory bird population goals and habitat 
    objective as established through the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint 
    Venture;
        (2) to conserve, restore, and manage the significant aquatic 
    resource values associated with the area's forested wetlands and to 
    achieve the habitat objectives of the ``Mississippi River Aquatic 
    Resources Management Plan'';
        (3) to conserve, enhance, and restore the historic native 
    bottomland community characteristics of the lower Mississippi 
    alluvial valley and its associated fish, wildlife, and plant 
    species;
        (4) to conserve, enhance, and restore habitat to maintain and 
    assist in the recovery of endangered, and threatened plants and 
    animals; and
        (5) to encourage the use of volunteers and facilitate 
    partnerships among the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 
    local communities, conservation organizations, and other non-
    Federal entities to promote public awareness of the resources of 
    the Refuge and the National Wildlife Refuge System and public 
    participation in the conservation of those resources.

SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF REFUGE.

    (a) Acquisition Boundary.--The Secretary is authorized to establish 
the Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of approximately 
36,500 acres of land and water, as depicted upon a map entitled ``Cat 
Island National Wildlife Refuge-Proposed'', dated February 8, 2000, and 
available for inspection in appropriate offices of the United States 
Fish and Wildlife Service.
    (b) Boundary Revisions.--The Secretary may make such minor 
revisions of the boundary designated under this section as may be 
appropriate to carry out the purposes of the Refuge or to facilitate 
the acquisition of property within the Refuge.
    (c) Acquisition.--The Secretary is authorized to acquire the lands 
and waters, or interests therein, within the acquisition boundary 
described in subsection (a) of this section.
    (d) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish the Refuge by 
publication of a notice to that effect in the Federal Register and 
publications of local circulation whenever sufficient property has been 
acquired to constitute an area that can be efficiently managed as a 
National Wildlife Refuge.

SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall administer all lands, waters, 
and interests therein acquired under this Act in accordance with the 
National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act (16 U.S.C. 668dd et 
seq.). The Secretary may use such additional statutory authority as may 
be available for the conservation of fish and wildlife, and the 
provision of fish- and wildlife-oriented recreational opportunities as 
the Secretary considers appropriate to carry out the purposes of this 
Act.
    (b) Priority Uses.--In providing opportunities for compatible fish- 
and wildlife-oriented recreation, the Secretary, in accordance with 
paragraphs (3) and (4) of section 4(a) of the National Wildlife Refuge 
System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd(a)), shall ensure 
that hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, and 
environmental education and interpretation are the priority public uses 
of the Refuge.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Department of the 
Interior--
        (1) such funds as may be necessary for the acquisition of lands 
    and waters designated in section 5(c); and
        (2) such funds as may be necessary for the development, 
    operation, and maintenance of the Refuge.

SEC. 8. DESIGNATION OF HERBERT H. BATEMAN EDUCATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE 
              CENTER.

    (a) In General.--A building proposed to be located within the 
boundaries of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, on Assateague 
Island, Virginia, shall be known and designated as the ``Herbert H. 
Bateman Education and Administrative Center''.
    (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, 
paper, or other record of the United States to the building referred to 
in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be a reference to the Herbert H. 
Bateman Education and Administrative Center.

SEC. 9. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.

    (a) Effective on the day after the date of the enactment of the Act 
entitled, ``An Act to reauthorize the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation 
and Design Program Act of 1994'' (106th Congress), section 6 of the 
Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program Act of 1994 (16 
U.S.C. 668dd note; Public Law 103-340), relating to an environmental 
education center and refuge, is redesignated as section 7.
    (b) Effective on the day after the date of the enactment of the 
Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge Establishment Act (106th 
Congress), section 6 of that Act is amended--
        (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``the Endangered Species Act 
    of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.)'' and inserting ``the Endangered 
    Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)''; and
        (2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``section 4(a)(3) and (4) of 
    the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 
    U.S.C. 668ee(a)(3), (4))'' and inserting ``paragraphs (3) and (4) 
    of section 4(a) of the National Wildlife Refuge System 
    Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd(a))''.
    (c) Effective on the day after the date of the enactment of the Red 
River National Wildlife Refuge Act (106th Congress), section 4(b)(2)(D) 
of that Act is amended by striking ``section 4(a)(3) and (4) of the 
National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 
668ee(a)(3), (4))'' and inserting ``paragraphs (3) and (4) of section 
4(a) of the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 
(16 U.S.C. 668dd(a))''.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.