I

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.

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 inter-
2

•HR 2961 IH

1 preting the biological richness of the region’s estu2 aries and wetlands.

3 (2) Although there are 10 national wildlife ref4 uges in eastern North Carolina, not one has an edu5 cational or interpretative center for visitors.

6 (3) The State of North Carolina, Tyrrell Coun7 ty, the town of Columbia, the Conservation Fund,

8 and private citizens have proposed to enter into a

9 partnership with the United States Fish and Wildlife

10 Service to establish an educational and interpretative

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

12 (4) Establishment of the Center for the Sounds

13 would bestow economic benefits upon Tyrrell County

14 and the town of Columbia.

15 (5) The Federal Government has designated the

16 Albemarle-Pamlico estuary system of northeastern

17 North Carolina as an estuary of national concern.

18 SEC. 2. FURTHER FINDINGS.

19 The Congress further finds and declares the follow20 ing:

21 (1) Throughout his congressional career, the

22 Honorable Walter B. Jones was a strong supporter

23 of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

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

25 Representatives, Walter B. Jones supported the es-
3

•HR 2961 IH

1 tablishment and expansion of National Wildlife Ref2 uges in eastern North Carolina; these include 6 new

3 National Wildlife Refuges established in his district,

4 including the Alligator River National Wildlife Ref5 uge and the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge,

6 which are respectively the third largest and fifth

7 largest National Wildlife Refuges east of the Mis8 sissippi River.

9 (3) Walter B. Jones helped increase refuge

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

11 ensuring the protection of these lands for wildlife

12 habitat and public recreation.

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

14 endangered red wolves into the wild at Alligator

15 River National Wildlife Refuge was a major factor

16 in securing public acceptance of, and support for,

17 this first successful effort to reintroduce endangered

18 predators into formerly occupied habitat.

19 (5) Walter B. Jones devoted much of his con20 gressional career, including his years as Chairman of

21 the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, to

22 the conservation of fish and wildlife, for the benefit

23 of the Nation and the people of North Carolina.

24 (6) Walter B. Jones should most appropriately

25 be recognized for his work on behalf of fish and
4

•HR 2961 IH

1 wildlife conservation by having the Center for the

2 Sounds at the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Ref3 uge System named in his honor.

4 SEC. 3. AUTHORITY TO CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE FACIL5 ITY.

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

7 may, subject to the availability of appropriations, con8 struct and operate the Walter B. Jones Center for the

9 Sounds at the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in

10 Tyrrell County, North Carolina, for the following pur11 poses:

12 (1) Providing public opportunities, facilities,

13 and resources to study the natural history and natu14 ral resources of northeastern North Carolina.

15 (2) Offering a variety of environmental edu16 cational programs and interpretive exhibits.

17 (3) Fostering an awareness and understanding

18 of the interactions among wildlife, estuarine and

19 wetland ecosystems, and human activities.

20 (4) Providing office space and facilities for ref21 uge administration, research, education, and related

22 activities.

23 SEC. 4. DESIGN.

24 The Secretary of the Interior shall ensure that the

25 design, size, and location of a facility constructed under
5

•HR 2961 IH

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.

Æ