I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2894

To establish the Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge and the Holt 

Collier Wildlife Interpretation and Education Center. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 24, 2003

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Resources 

A BILL

To establish the Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge 

and the Holt Collier Wildlife Interpretation and Education Center.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Theodore Roosevelt 

5 National Wildlife Refuge Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) The Yazoo-Mississippi Delta, located in 

9 Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Leflore, Sharkey, 

10 Warren, Washington, and Yazoo Counties, Mis-
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1 sissippi, popularly known as the Lower Delta, is of 

2 critical importance to the Louisiana Black Bear, 

3 over 350 species of birds (including migratory and 

4 resident waterfowl, shore birds, and neotropical mi5 gratory birds), aquatic life, and a wide array of 

6 other species associated with river basin ecosystems. 

7 (2) The bottomland hardwood forests of the 

8 Lower Delta have been significantly cleared. Refor9 estation and restoration of native habitat will benefit 

10 a host of species. 

11 (3) The Lower Delta is part of a major conti12 nental migration corridor for migratory birds fun13 neling through the midcontinent from as far north 

14 as the Arctic Circle and as far south as South Amer15 ica. 

16 (4) The Lower Delta offers extraordinary rec17 reational, research, and educational opportunities for 

18 students, scientists, bird watchers, wildlife observers, 

19 hunters, anglers, trappers, hikers, and nature pho20 tographers. 

21 (5) The Lower Delta is an internationally sig22 nificant environmental resource that has been ne23 glected and requires active restoration and manage24 ment to protect and enhance the value of the region 

25 as a habitat for fish and wildlife. 
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1 (6) The Lower Delta’s existing natural, histor2 ical, and cultural assets and environmental restora3 tion potential may provide for a large component of 

4 the economic revitalization of this area. 

5 (7) The Lower Delta has the Nation’s highest 

6 potential carbon sequestration storage capacity. 

7 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE OF REFUGE. 

8 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 

9 as a national wildlife refuge the lands, waters, and inter10 ests therein acquired under section 5, at such time as the 

11 Secretary determines that sufficient property has been ac12 quired under that section to constitute an area that can 

13 be effectively managed as a national wildlife refuge for the 

14 purposes set forth in subsection (b) of this section. The 

15 national wildlife refuge so established shall be known as 

16 the ‘‘Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge’’. 

17 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Refuge are the 

18 following: 

19 (1) To restore and preserve native Mississippi 

20 River ecosystems. 

21 (2) To provide habitat for migratory birds and 

22 the Louisiana Black Bear. 

23 (3) To maximize fisheries on the Mississippi 

24 River and its tributaries, natural lakes, and man25 made reservoirs. 
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1 (4) To provide habitat for and population man2 agement of native plants and resident animals (in3 cluding restoration of extirpated species). 

4 (5) To provide technical assistance to private 

5 landowners in the protection, restoration, and en6 hancement of their lands for the benefit of fish and 

7 wildlife. 

8 (6) To provide the public with opportunities for 

9 hunting, angling, trapping, photographing wildlife, 

10 hiking, bird watching, and other outdoor recreational 

11 and educational activities. 

12 (7) To celebrate President Theodore Roosevelt 

13 and his 1902 bear hunt in Mississippi, which gave 

14 birth to the ‘‘teddy bear’’. 

15 (8) To increase natural, cultural, and historical 

16 resource education and business. 

17 (9) To achieve the purposes under this sub18 section without violating section 6. 

19 (c) NOTICE OF ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary 

20 shall publish a notice of the establishment of the Refuge—

21 (1) in the Federal Register; and 

22 (2) in publications of local circulation in the vi23 cinity of the Refuge. 
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1 SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION OF REFUGE. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall administer all 

3 lands, waters, and interests therein acquired under section 

4 5 in accordance with—

5 (1) the National Wildlife Refuge System Ad6 ministration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.) 

7 and the Act of September 28, 1962 (76 Stat. 653; 

8 16 U.S.C. 460k et seq.; popularly known as the Ref9 uge Recreation Act); 

10 (2) the purposes of the Refuge set forth in sec11 tion 3(b); and 

12 (3) the management plan issued under sub13 section (b). 

14 (b) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months 

16 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec17 retary shall issue a management plan for the Ref18 uge. 

19 (2) CONTENTS.—The management plan shall 

20 include provisions that provide for the following: 

21 (A) Planning and design of trails and ac22 cess points. 

23 (B) Planning of wildlife and habitat res24 toration, including reforestation. 
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1 (C) Permanent exhibits and facilities and 

2 regular educational programs throughout the 

3 Refuge. 

4 (3) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.—

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

6 provide an opportunity for public participation 

7 in developing the management plan. 

8 (B) LOCAL VIEWS.—The Secretary shall 

9 give special consideration to views by local pub10 lic and private entities and individuals in devel11 oping the management plan. 

12 (c) WILDLIFE INTERPRETATION AND EDUCATION

13 CENTER.—

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall con15 struct, administer, and maintain, at an appropriate 

16 site within the Refuge, a multiagency wildlife inter17 pretation and education center, which shall be 

18 known as the Holt Collier Wildlife Interpretation 

19 and Education Center. 

20 (2) PURPOSES.—The center shall be designed 

21 and operated—

22 (A) to provide continuing, natural, cultural 

23 and historical resource conservation and res24 toration educational programs to the public and 
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1 business development education and assistance 

2 for natural resource-based tourism activities; 

3 (B) to promote environmental education; 

4 (C) to provide an opportunity for the study 

5 and enjoyment of wildlife in its natural habitat; 

6 and 

7 (D) to honor the legendary African Amer8 ican hunting guide Holt Collier. 

9 SEC. 5. ACQUISITION OF LANDS, WATERS, AND INTERESTS 

10 THEREIN. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall seek to ac12 quire up to 25,000 acres of land, water, or interests there13 in (including permanent conservation easements or ser14 vitudes) within the boundaries designated under sub15 section (c). All lands, waters, an interests acquired under 

16 this subsection shall be part of the Refuge. 

17 (b) METHOD OF ACQUISITION.—The Secretary may 

18 acquire an interest in land or water for inclusion in the 

19 Refuge only by donation, exchange, or purchase from a 

20 willing seller. 

21 (c) DESIGNATION OF BOUNDARIES.—

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 12 months 

23 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec24 retary shall—
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1 (A) consult with appropriate State and 

2 local officials, private conservation organiza3 tions, and other interested parties, regarding 

4 the designation of appropriate boundaries for 

5 the Refuge within the selection area; 

6 (B) designate boundaries of the Refuge 

7 that are within the selection area and adequate 

8 for fulfilling the purposes of the Refuge set 

9 forth in section 3(b); and 

10 (C) prepare a detailed map, entitled 

11 ‘‘Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge’’, 

12 depicting the boundaries of the Refuge des13 ignated under subparagraph (B). 

14 (2) SELECTION AREA.—For purposes of this 

15 subsection, the selection area consists of Holmes, 

16 Humphreys, Issaquena, Leflore, Sharkey, Warren, 

17 Washington, and Yazoo Counties, Mississippi. 

18 (3) AVAILABILITY OF MAP; NOTICE.—The Sec19 retary shall—

20 (A) keep the map prepared under para21 graph (1) on file and available for public in22 spection at offices of the United States Fish 

23 and Wildlife Service in the District of Columbia 

24 and Mississippi; and 
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1 (B) publish in the Federal Register a no2 tice of that availability. 

3 (d) BOUNDARY REVISIONS.—The Secretary may 

4 make such minor revisions in the boundaries designated 

5 under subsection (c) as may be appropriate to achieve the 

6 purposes of the Refuge under section 3(b) or to facilitate 

7 the acquisition of property for the Refuge. 

8 SEC. 6. CONTINUED PUBLIC SERVICES. 

9 Nothing in this Act shall be construed as prohibiting 

10 or preventing, and the Secretary shall not for purposes 

11 of the Refuge prohibit or prevent—

12 (1) the continuation or development of commer13 cial or recreational navigation on the Mississippi 

14 River or Yazoo River; 

15 (2) necessary construction, operation, or main16 tenance activities associated with the proposed 

17 Yazoo Backwater Pump Project; 

18 (3) the construction, improvement, or expansion 

19 of public port or recreational facilities on the Mis20 sissippi River or Yazoo River; or 

21 (4) the construction, improvement, or replace22 ment of railroads or interstate highways within the 

23 selection area described in section 5(c)(2), or bridges 

24 that cross the Mississippi River, Sunflower River, or 

25 Yazoo River. 
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1 SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 

2 For purposes of this Act: 

3 (1) REFUGE.—The term ‘‘Refuge’’ means the 

4 Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge estab5 lished under section 3. 

6 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

7 the Secretary of the Interior.

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