II

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2400

To establish the Northern Yukon-Arctic International Wildlife Refuge, and

for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

AUGUST 17 (legislative day, AUGUST 11), 1994

Mr. ROTH introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to

the Committee on Environment and Public Works

A BILL

To establish the Northern Yukon-Arctic International

Wildlife Refuge, 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 ‘‘Northern Yukon-Arctic

5 International Wildlife Refuge Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE

7 REFUGE AREA.

8 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—Effective as of the date the

10 conditions described in subsection (b) are met, there
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1 is established an international wildlife refuge area to

2 be known as the ‘‘Northern Yukon-Arctic Inter3 national Wildlife Refuge’’, which shall include the

4 entire Arctic National Wildlife Refuge administered

5 under the National Wildlife Refuge System Adminis6 tration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.).

7 (2) PURPOSES OF ESTABLISHMENT.—The

8 Northern Yukon-Arctic International Wildlife Refuge

9 is established—

10 (A) for the purpose of permanently com11 memorating the long-existing relationship of

12 peace and good will between the people and

13 Governments of Canada and the United States;

14 (B) for the purpose of permanently pro15 tecting in an undisturbed condition the only re16 maining complete spectrum of Arctic

17 ecosystems in North America;

18 (C) in fulfillment of the serious responsibil19 ity of humans as stewards of the land, the re20 sources of the land, and the life that depends

21 on the land;

22 (D) for the purpose of permanently pro23 tecting all wild bird resources native to North

24 America that are in an unconfined state and
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1 that are protected under the Migratory Bird

2 Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.), including—

3 (i) ducks, geese, and swans of the

4 family Anatidae;

5 (ii) bird resources listed as threatened

6 or endangered under the Endangered Spe7 cies Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.);

8 (iii) birds that are nongame fish and

9 wildlife (as defined in section 3(6) of the

10 Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act of

11 1980 (16 U.S.C. 2902(6))); and

12 (iv) wetlands listed as protected under

13 the Convention on Wetlands of Inter14 national Importance, Especially as Water15 fowl Habitat, done at Ramsar on February

16 2, 1971 (TIAS 11084);

17 (E) for the purpose of maintaining a com18 mitment to the permanent protection of marine

19 mammals, including—

20 (i) seals, walruses, and whales, and

21 the Beaufort Sea population of polar bears

22 that are protected under the Agreement on

23 the Conservation of Polar Bears, done at

24 Oslo on November 15, 1973 (27 U.S.T.

25 3918); and
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1 (ii) mammals listed as threatened or

2 endangered under the Endangered Species

3 Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.);

4 (F) for the purpose of maintaining a com5 mitment to the principles of caribou manage6 ment as prescribed under the Agreement on the

7 Conservation of the Porcupine Caribou Herd,

8 signed at Ottawa on July 17, 1987 (TIAS

9 11259);

10 (G) for the purpose of continued inter11 national cooperation and commitment to the

12 protection of marine and anadromous fish spe13 cies that inhabit the coastal waters of the Beau14 fort Sea, whose nearshore waters and brackish

15 lagoon system provide for the fish—

16 (i) eastward and westward migration

17 routes;

18 (ii) feeding areas; and

19 (iii) important spawning and

20 overwintering areas; and

21 (H) for the purpose of continuing the op22 portunity, consistent with sound management

23 principles, for subsistence uses by—
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1 (i) rural residents of Alaska, including

2 Alaska Natives and other individuals, of

3 public lands; and

4 (ii) Alaska Natives of native lands

5 that are essential to native physical, eco6 nomic, traditional, and social existence;

7 which uses should cause the least adverse im8 pact practicable on other rural residents who

9 depend on subsistence uses of the resources of

10 the lands.

11 (b) CONDITIONS.—The establishment of the North12 ern Yukon-Arctic International Wildlife Refuge and the

13 inclusion in the refuge of the Arctic National Wildlife Ref14 uge shall become effective upon—

15 (1) the enactment by the proper authority of

16 the Government of Canada of a provision similar to

17 this Act concerning the Northern Yukon National

18 Park in or near the Yukon Territory, Canada; and

19 (2) the issuance of a proclamation by the Presi20 dent declaring that such an enactment by the Gov21 ernment of Canada has taken place.

22 SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATION.

23 For the purposes of administration and appropria24 tions, the United States portion of the Northern Yukon25 Arctic International Wildlife Refuge shall continue to be
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1 administered under the National Wildlife Refuge System

2 Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.).

3 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

4 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums

5 as are necessary to carry out this Act.

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