I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2956 

To provide for the establishment of the Western Riverside County Wildlife 

Refuge. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 23, 2019 

Mr. CALVERT (for himself, Mr. AGUILAR, and Mr. TAKANO) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To provide for the establishment of the Western Riverside 

County 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. ESTABLISHMENT. 

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

5 this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall establish as 

6 a national wildlife refuge the lands, waters, and interests 

7 therein acquired under section 4, at such time as the Sec8 retary determines that sufficient property has been ac9 quired by the United States to constitute an area that can 

10 be effectively managed as a national wildlife refuge for the 


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1 purposes set forth in subsection (b) of this section. The 

2 national wildlife refuge shall be known as the Western Riv3 erside County National Wildlife Refuge (in this Act re4 ferred to as the ‘‘Wildlife Refuge’’). 

5 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Wildlife Refuge 

6 shall be— 

7 (1) to conserve, manage, and restore wildlife 

8 habitats for the benefit of present and future gen9 erations of Americans; 

10 (2) to conserve wildlife listed as endangered 

11 species or threatened species; 

12 (3) to support the recovery and protection of 

13 threatened and endangered species under the En14 dangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 

15 seq.); and 

16 (4) to provide for wildlife habitat connectivity 

17 and migratory corridors within the Western River18 side County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation 

19 Plan Area. 

20 (c) NOTIFICATION OF ESTABLISHMENT.—The Sec21 retary shall publish notice of the establishment of the 

22 Wildlife Refuge in the Federal Register. 

23 SEC. 2. BOUNDARIES. 

24 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall include within 

25 the boundaries of the Wildlife Refuge the lands and waters 


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1 within the Western Riverside County Multiple Species 

2 Habitat Conservation Plan Area (as depicted on maps and 

3 described in the Final Western Riverside County Multiple 

4 Species Habitat Conservation Plan dated June 17, 2003) 

5 that are owned by the Federal government, a State, or 

6 a political subdivision of a State on the date on which the 

7 Secretary establishes the Wildlife Refuge under section 

8 1(a). 

9 (b) BOUNDARY REVISIONS.—The Secretary may 

10 from time to time make such revisions to the boundaries 

11 of the Wildlife Refuge as may be appropriate to carry out 

12 the purposes of the Wildlife Refuge as specified in section 

13 1(b) if such revisions do not extend the boundaries of the 

14 Wildlife Refuge beyond the boundaries of the Western Riv15 erside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan 

16 Area. 

17 SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATION. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—Upon the establishment of the 

19 Wildlife Refuge and thereafter, the Secretary, in consulta20 tion with the Western Riverside County Regional Con21 servation Authority which administers the Western River22 side County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan 

23 Area, shall administer all federally owned lands, waters, 

24 and interests in the Wildlife Refuge in accordance with 

25 the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act 


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1 of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.) and this Act. The Sec2 retary may use such additional statutory authority as may 

3 be available to the Secretary for the conservation, manage4 ment, and restoration of fish and wildlife and natural re5 sources, the development of wildlife dependent outdoor 

6 recreation opportunities, and the facilitation of fish and 

7 wildlife interpretation and education as the Secretary con8 siders appropriate to carry out the purposes of this Act. 

9 (b) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS REGARDING NON10 FEDERAL LANDS.—The Secretary may enter into cooper11 ative agreements with the State of California, any political 

12 subdivision thereof, or any other person— 

13 (1) for the management, in a manner consistent 

14 with this Act and the Western Riverside County 

15 Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan, of lands 

16 that are owned by such State, subdivision, or other 

17 person and located within the boundaries of the 

18 Wildlife Refuge; 

19 (2) to promote public awareness of the natural 

20 resources of the Western Riverside County Multiple 

21 Species Habitat Conservation Plan Area; or 

22 (3) to encourage public participation in the con23 servation of those resources. 


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1 SEC. 4. ACQUISITION AND TRANSFERS OF LANDS AND 

2 WATERS FOR WILDLIFE REFUGE. 

3 (a) ACQUISITIONS.—The Secretary may acquire by 

4 donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, 

5 or exchange the lands and water, or interest therein (in6 cluding conservation easements), within the boundaries of 

7 the Wildlife Refuge, except that the lands, water, and in8 terests therein owned by the State of California and its 

9 political subdivisions may be acquired only by donation. 

10 (b) TRANSFERS.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—The head of any Federal de12 partment or agency other than the Department of 

13 the Interior that has jurisdiction of any Federal 

14 property located within the boundaries of the Wild15 life Refuge as described by this Act shall, not later 

16 than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this 

17 Act, submit to the Secretary an assessment of the 

18 suitability of such property for inclusion in the Wild19 life Refuge. 

20 (2) ASSESSMENT.—Any assessment under para21 graph (1) shall include— 

22 (A) parcel descriptions and best existing 

23 land surveys for such property; 

24 (B) a list of existing special reservations, 

25 designations, or purposes of the property; 


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1 (C) a list of all known or suspected haz2 ardous substance contamination of such prop3 erty, and any facilities, surface water, or 

4 groundwater on such property; 

5 (D) the status of withdrawal of such prop6 erty from— 

7 (i) the Mineral Leasing Act; and 

8 (ii) the General Mining Act of 1872; 

9 and 

10 (E) a recommendation as to whether such 

11 property is or is not suitable for inclusion in the 

12 Wildlife Refuge. 

13 (3) INCLUSION IN WILDLIFE REFUGE.— 

14 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, 

15 not later than 60 days after receiving an assess16 ment submitted pursuant to paragraph (1), de17 termine if the property described in such as18 sessment is suitable for inclusion in the Wildlife 

19 Refuge. 

20 (B) TRANSFER.—If the Secretary deter21 mines the property in an assessment submitted 

22 under paragraph (1) is suitable for inclusion in 

23 the Wildlife Refuge, the head of the Federal de24 partment or agency that has jurisdiction of 

25 such property shall transfer such property to 


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1 the administrative jurisdiction of the Secretary 

2 for the purposes of this Act. 

3 (4) PROPERTY UNSUITABLE FOR INCLUSION.— 

4 Property determined by the Secretary to be unsuit5 able for inclusion in the Wildlife Refuge based on an 

6 assessment submitted under paragraph (1) shall be 

7 subsequently transferred to the Secretary for pur8 poses of this Act by the head of the department or 

9 agency that has jurisdiction of such property if such 

10 property becomes suitable for inclusion in the Wild11 life Refuge as determined by the Secretary in con12 sultation with the head of the department or agency 

13 that has jurisdiction of such property. 

14 (5) PUBLIC ACCESS.—If property transferred to 

15 the Secretary under this subsection allows for public 

16 access at the time of transfer, such access shall be 

17 maintained unless such access— 

18 (A) would be incompatible with the pur19 poses of the Wildlife Refuge; 

20 (B) would jeopardize public health or safe21 ty; or 

22 (C) must be limited due to emergency cir23 cumstances. 

Æ 


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