I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1207 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish and operate a visitor 

facility to fulfill the purposes of the Marianas Trench Marine National 

Monument, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 17, 2011 

Mr. SABLAN (for himself, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. HONDA, Mr. YOUNG

of Alaska, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Ms. HIRONO, Mrs. 

CHRISTENSEN, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. KILDEE, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. 

GEORGE MILLER of California, Mrs. CAPPS, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. 

GRIJALVA, Mr. BOREN, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, and Mr. PIERLUISI) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish and 

operate a visitor facility to fulfill the purposes of the 

Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, and for 

other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Marianas Trench Ma5 rine National Monument Visitor Facility Authorization 

6 Act of 2011’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) The terms ‘‘Marine National Monument’’ or 

4 ‘‘monument’’ mean the Marianas Trench Marine 

5 National Monument established by the President by 

6 a proclamation dated January 6, 2009. 

7 (2) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

8 of the Interior. 

9 SEC. 3. MARIANAS TRENCH MARINE NATIONAL MONUMENT 

10 VISITOR FACILITY. 

11 (a) VISITOR FACILITY AUTHORIZATION.—The Sec12 retary is authorized to construct a multipurpose visitor fa13 cility in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is14 lands for the interpretation and public education and en15 joyment of the marine environment within the boundaries 

16 of the Marine National Monument. 

17 (b) VISITOR FACILITY LOCATION AND DESCRIP18 TION.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall locate 

20 the visitor facility authorized under subsection (a) in 

21 the Northern Mariana Islands at a location that is— 

22 (A) on land that is under the control of the 

23 Federal Government on the date of enactment 

24 of this Act and available for such use, or that 

25 is made available to the Federal Government 


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1 after such date for such use, at no additional 

2 lease cost to the Federal Government; and 

3 (B) suitable to fulfill the purposes of this 

4 Act. 

5 (2) COMPONENTS OF VISITOR FACILITY.—The 

6 facility authorized under subsection (a) shall in7 clude— 

8 (A) adequate space for permanent and 

9 temporary exhibits depicting the biological, geo10 logical, archaeological, cultural, and recreational 

11 heritage of the monument; 

12 (B) a venue for public education and inter13 pretive programs relevant to the natural, cul14 tural, and aesthetic resources of the monument, 

15 including formal classroom space to provide op16 portunities for research, training, and formal 

17 education regarding the monument; 

18 (C) a location to highlight the importance 

19 of the marine environment and the resources of 

20 the monument to the people and culture of the 

21 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is22 lands and other indigenous people and cultures 

23 of the Western Pacific Ocean Basin; 

24 (D) a location to provide information to 

25 the general public about natural resources, 


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1 parks, museums, cultural resources, opportuni2 ties for wildlife-dependent outdoor recreation, 

3 and travel within the Commonwealth of the 

4 Northern Mariana Islands that provide opportu5 nities for the visiting public to actively or pas6 sively experience the monument and to gain 

7 greater awareness and appreciation of the re8 sources therein; 

9 (E) sufficient visitor amenities including 

10 restrooms, public telephones, drinking water, 

11 and other basic facilities; and 

12 (F) administrative office space sufficient to 

13 fulfill the management obligations and respon14 sibilities of the Secretary and other Federal 

15 agencies as specified in the monument’s ena16 bling proclamation. 

17 SEC. 4. DONATIONS. 

18 For the purposes of the planning, construction, and 

19 operation of the visitor facility authorized under section 

20 3 of this Act, the Secretary may accept, retain, and expend 

21 donations of funds, and use property or services donated 

22 from private persons and entities or from public entities. 

Æ 


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