99–006 

112TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 112–171 

TO REDESIGNATE THE NOXUBEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE 

REFUGE AS THE SAM D. HAMILTON NOXUBEE 

NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE 

JULY 20, 2011.—Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed 

Mr. Hastings of Washington, from the Committee on Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 266] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

act (S. 266) to redesignate the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge as 

the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge, having 

considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment 

and recommend that the act do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of S. 266 is to redesignate the Noxubee National 

Wildlife Refuge as the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife 

Refuge. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

The Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1940 

through lands obtained from the Resettlement Administration, 

which was a federal agency created in 1935 during the Franklin 

Roosevelt Administration. Today, it is 48,000 acres in size and is 

located within the three Mississippi counties of Noxubee, 

Oktibbeha and Winston. The refuge is primarily comprised of 

42,500 acres of bottomland and upland woodlands. It provides essential habitat to the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, the 

American alligator, bobcat, quail, white-tailed deer and wild turkeys. Further, upwards of 15,000 waterfowl, primarily American 

widgeons, gadwalls, mallards and wood ducks, overwinter on the 

refuge. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, over 

125,000 people visit the refuge annually to participate in fishing, 


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hunting, wildlife observation, wildlife photography and environmental education. In addition, Noxubee serves as an outdoor classroom for Mississippi State University and other local educational 

institutions. 

The son of a U.S. Air Force pilot, Sam D. Hamilton was born in 

1955 in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and grew up in Starkville, Mississippi. His first job outdoors was at the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge where he learned how to band wood ducks and Canada 

geese, to build waterfowl pens and to appreciate the value of managing wildlife habitat. Hamilton was a 1977 graduate of Mississippi State University and had a distinguished 30-year career 

with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Prior to his confirmation 

as Director, he served as Regional Director of the Service’s Southeast Region in Atlanta, Georgia, where he successfully managed a 

$484 million dollar budget, 1,500 federal employees, 128 national 

wildlife refuges and more than 350 federally-listed threatened and 

endangered species. 

Sam Hamilton was selected as Director of the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service by President Barack Obama and was sworn in as 

its 15th Director of the Service on September 15, 2009. Tragically, 

Hamilton died of a heart attack on February 20, 2010, at the age 

of 54. At the time of his untimely death, Secretary of the Interior 

Ken Salazar described Hamilton as, ‘‘A friend, a visionary and a 

professional whose years of service and passionate dedication to his 

work have left an indelible mark on the lands and wildlife we cherish.’’ 

S. 266 would rename the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in 

Mississippi as the Sam D. Hamilton National Wildlife Refuge. An 

identical proposal, H.R. 588, has been introduced in the House of 

Representatives by Congressman Greg Harper (R–MS). The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has awarded a grant of 

$100,000 to the Friends of the Noxubee Refuge for new signs and 

any other capital improvements that may be necessary to rename 

the refuge. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

S. 266 was introduced on February 3, 2011, by Sen. Thad Cochran (R–MS). On February 17, 2011, the bill passed the Senate by 

unanimous consent. The bill was then referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the 

Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs. 

On April 7, 2011, the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, 

and Insular Affairs held a hearing on the bill. On June 15, 2011, 

the Full Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs was 

discharged by unanimous consent. No amendments were offered, 

and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous consent. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee on 

Natural Resources’ oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in the body of this report. 


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COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) of Rule XIII of the Rules of 

the House of Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(2)(B) of that rule provides 

that this requirement does not apply when the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Under clause 

3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 

section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate for this bill from the 

Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, July 6, 2011. 

Hon. DOC HASTINGS, 

Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has reviewed S. 266, an act to redesignate the Noxubee National Wildlife 

Refuge as the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge, 

as ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources 

on June 15, 2011. 

CBO estimates that enacting this legislation would have no significant impact on the federal budget and would not affect direct 

spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not 

apply. The bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 

mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 

would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jeff LaFave. 

Sincerely, 

ROBERT A. SUNSHINE

(For Douglas W. Elmendorf, Director). 

2. Section 308(a) of Congressional Budget Act. As required by 

clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, 

this bill does not contain any new budget authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or 

tax expenditures. CBO estimates that enacting this legislation 

would have no significant impact on the federal budget and would 

not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do apply. 

3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. This bill does not 

authorize funding and therefore, clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the 

Rules of the House of Representatives does not apply. 

EARMARK STATEMENT

This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, limited 

tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined under clause 9(e), 

9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives. 


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COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104–4

This bill contains no unfunded mandates. 

PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or tribal law. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing law. 

Æ 


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