103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2961

AN ACT

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conWildlife Refuge. for the Sounds at the Pocosin Lakes National struct and operate the Walter B. Jones Center
103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2961

AN ACT

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.

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

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

4 The Congress finds the following:

5 (1) The Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Ref6 uge, located in northeastern North Carolina, pro7 vides unique opportunities for observing and inter8 preting the biological richness of the region’s estu9 aries and wetlands.
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1 (2) Although there are 10 national wildlife ref2 uges in eastern North Carolina, not one has an edu3 cational or interpretative center for visitors.

4 (3) The State of North Carolina, Tyrrell Coun5 ty, the town of Columbia, the Conservation Fund,

6 and private citizens have proposed to enter into a

7 partnership with the United States Fish and Wildlife

8 Service to establish an educational and interpretative

9 facility to be known as the Center for the Sounds.

10 (4) Establishment of the Center for the Sounds

11 would bestow economic benefits upon Tyrrell County

12 and the town of Columbia.

13 (5) The Federal Government has designated the

14 Albemarle-Pamlico estuary system of northeastern

15 North Carolina as an estuary of national concern.

16 SEC. 2. FURTHER FINDINGS.

17 The Congress further finds and declares the follow18 ing:

19 (1) Throughout his congressional career, the

20 Honorable Walter B. Jones was a strong supporter

21 of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

22 (2) During his years of service in the House of

23 Representatives, Walter B. Jones supported the es24 tablishment and expansion of National Wildlife Ref25 uges in eastern North Carolina; these include 6 new
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1 National Wildlife Refuges established in his district,

2 including the Alligator River National Wildlife Ref3 uge and the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge,

4 which are respectively the third largest and fifth

5 largest National Wildlife Refuges east of the Mis6 sissippi River.

7 (3) Walter B. Jones helped increase refuge

8 acreage in his district by over 303,000 acres, thus

9 ensuring the protection of these lands for wildlife

10 habitat and public recreation.

11 (4) Walter B. Jones’ support for reintroducing

12 endangered red wolves into the wild at Alligator

13 River National Wildlife Refuge was a major factor

14 in securing public acceptance of, and support for,

15 this first successful effort to reintroduce endangered

16 predators into formerly occupied habitat.

17 (5) Walter B. Jones devoted much of his con18 gressional career, including his years as Chairman of

19 the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, to

20 the conservation of fish and wildlife, for the benefit

21 of the Nation and the people of North Carolina.

22 (6) Walter B. Jones should most appropriately

23 be recognized for his work on behalf of fish and

24 wildlife conservation by having the Center for the
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1 Sounds at the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Ref2 uge System named in his honor.

3 SEC. 3. AUTHORITY TO CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE FACIL4 ITY.

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior

6 may, subject to the availability of appropriations, con7 struct and operate the Walter B. Jones Center for the

8 Sounds at the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in

9 Tyrrell County, North Carolina, for the following pur10 poses:

11 (1) Providing public opportunities, facilities,

12 and resources to study the natural history and natu13 ral resources of northeastern North Carolina.

14 (2) Offering a variety of environmental edu15 cational programs and interpretive exhibits.

16 (3) Fostering an awareness and understanding

17 of the interactions among wildlife, estuarine and

18 wetland ecosystems, and human activities.

19 (4) Providing office space and facilities for ref20 uge administration, research, education, and related

21 activities.

22 SEC. 4. DESIGN.

23 The Secretary of the Interior shall ensure that the

24 design, size, and location of a facility constructed under
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1 this Act are consistent with the cultural and natural his2 tory of the area with which the facility will be concerned.

3 SEC. 5. COST SHARING.

4 The Secretary of the Interior may accept contribu5 tions of funds from non-Federal sources to pay the costs

6 of operating and maintaining the facility authorized under

7 this Act, and shall take appropriate steps to seek to obtain

8 such contributions.

9 SEC. 6. REPORT.

10 Not later than 6 months after the date of the enact11 ment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall submit

12 a report to the Congress on progress made in designing

13 and constructing a facility under this Act, including steps

14 taken under section 5 to obtain contributions and any

15 such contributions that have been pledged to or received

16 by the United States.

Passed the House of Representatives September 21,

1993.

Attest:

Clerk.