II

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2433

To establish the Red River National Wildlife Refuge.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

APRIL 13, 2000

Ms. LANDRIEU (for herself and Mr. BREAUX) introduced the following bill;

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and

Public Works

A BILL

To establish the Red River 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. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Red River National

5 Wildlife Refuge Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds the following:

8 (1) The area of Louisiana known as the Red

9 River Valley, located along the Red River Waterway

10 in Caddo, Bossier, Red River, Natchitoches, and

11 DeSoto Parishes, is of critical importance to over
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1 350 species of birds (including migratory and resi2 dent waterfowl, shore birds, and neotropical migra3 tory birds), aquatic life, and a wide array of other

4 species associated with river basin ecosystems.

5 (2) The bottomland hardwood forests of the

6 Red River Valley have been almost totally cleared.

7 Reforestation and restoration of native habitat will

8 benefit a host of species.

9 (3) The Red River Valley is part of a major

10 continental migration corridor for migratory birds

11 funneling through the mid continent from as far

12 north as the Arctic Circle and as far south as South

13 America.

14 (4) There are no significant public sanctuaries

15 for over 300 river miles on this important migration

16 corridor, and no significant Federal, State, or pri17 vate wildlife sanctuaries along the Red River north

18 of Alexandria, Louisiana.

19 (5) Completion of the lock and dam system as20 sociated with the Red River Waterway project up to

21 Shreveport, Louisiana, has enhanced opportunities

22 for management of fish and wildlife.

23 (6) The Red River Valley offers extraordinary

24 recreational, research, and educational opportunities

25 for students, scientists, bird watchers, wildlife ob-
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1 servers, hunters, anglers, trappers, hikers, and na2 ture photographers.

3 (7) The Red River Valley is an internationally

4 significant environmental resource that has been ne5 glected and requires active restoration and manage6 ment to protect and enhance the value of the region

7 as a habitat for fish and wildlife.

8 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSES OF REFUGE.

9 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish

10 as a national wildlife refuge the lands, waters, and inter11 ests therein acquired under section 5, at such time as the

12 Secretary determines that sufficient property has been ac13 quired under that section to constitute an area that can

14 be effectively managed as a national wildlife refuge for the

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

16 national wildlife refuge so established shall be known as

17 the ‘‘Red River National Wildlife Refuge’’.

18 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Refuge are the

19 following:

20 (1) To restore and preserve native Red River

21 ecosystems.

22 (2) To provide habitat for migratory birds.

23 (3) To maximize fisheries on the Red River and

24 its tributaries, natural lakes, and man-made res25 ervoirs.
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1 (4) To provide habitat for and population man2 agement of native plants and resident animals (in3 cluding restoration of extirpated species).

4 (5) To provide technical assistance to private

5 land owners in the restoration of their lands for the

6 benefit of fish and wildlife.

7 (6) To provide the public with opportunities for

8 hunting, angling, trapping, photographing wildlife,

9 hiking, bird watching, and other outdoor recreational

10 and educational activities.

11 (7) To achieve the purposes under this sub12 section without violating section 6.

13 (c) NOTICE OF ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary

14 shall publish a notice of the establishment of the Refuge—

15 (1) in the Federal Register; and

16 (2) in publications of local circulation in the vi17 cinity of the Refuge.

18 SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION OF REFUGE.

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall administer all

20 lands, waters, and interests therein acquired under section

21 5 in accordance with—

22 (1) the National Wildlife Refuge System Ad23 ministration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq)

24 and the Act of September 28, 1962 (76 Stat. 653;
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1 16 U.S.C. 460k et seq; commonly known as the Ref2 uge Recreation Act);

3 (2) the purposes of the Refuge set forth in sec4 tion 3(b); and

5 (3) the management plan issued under sub6 section (b).

7 (b) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months

9 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec10 retary shall issue a management plan for the Ref11 uge.

12 (2) CONTENTS.—The management plan shall

13 include provisions that provide for the following:

14 (A) Planning and design of trails and ac15 cess points.

16 (B) Planning of wildlife and habitat res17 toration, including reforestation.

18 (C) Permanent exhibits and facilities and

19 regular educational programs throughout the

20 Refuge.

21 (3) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.—

22 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall

23 provide an opportunity for public participation

24 in developing the management plan.
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1 (B) LOCAL VIEWS.—The Secretary shall

2 give special consideration to views by local pub3 lic and private entities and individuals in devel4 oping the management plan.

5 (c) WILDLIFE INTERPRETATION AND EDUCATION

6 CENTER.—

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall con8 struct, administer, and maintain, at an appropriate

9 site within the Refuge, a wildlife interpretation and

10 education center.

11 (2) PURPOSES.—The center shall be designed

12 and operated—

13 (A) to promote environmental education;

14 and

15 (B) to provide an opportunity for the study

16 and enjoyment of wildlife in its natural habitat.

17 SEC. 5. ACQUISITION OF LANDS, WATERS, AND INTERESTS

18 THEREIN.

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall seek to ac20 quire up to 50,000 acres of land, water, or interests there21 in (including permanent conservation easements or ser22 vitudes) within the boundaries designated under sub23 section (c). All lands, waters, and interests acquired under

24 this subsection shall be part of the Refuge.
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1 (b) METHOD OF ACQUISITION.—The Secretary may

2 acquire an interest in land or water for inclusion in the

3 Refuge only by donation, exchange, or purchase from a

4 willing seller.

5 (c) DESIGNATION OF BOUNDARIES.—

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 12 months

7 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec8 retary shall—

9 (A) consult with appropriate State and

10 local officials, private conservation organiza11 tions, and other interested parties (including

12 the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fish13 eries, the Louisiana Department of Transpor14 tation and Development, the Red River Water15 way Commission, and the Northwest Louisiana

16 Council of Governments), regarding the des17 ignation of appropriate boundaries for the Ref18 uge within the selection area;

19 (B) designate boundaries of the Refuge

20 that are within the selection area and adequate

21 for fulfilling the purposes of the Refuge set

22 forth in section 3(b); and

23 (C) prepare a detailed map entitled ‘‘Red

24 River National Wildlife Refuge’’ depicting the
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1 boundaries of the Refuge designated under sub2 paragraph (B).

3 (2) SELECTION AREA.—For purposes of this

4 subsection, the selection area consists of Caddo,

5 Bossier, Red River, DeSoto, and Natchitoches Par6 ishes, Louisiana.

7 (3) AVAILABILITY OF MAP; NOTICE.—The Sec8 retary shall—

9 (A) keep the map prepared under para10 graph (1) on file and available for public in11 spection at offices of the United States Fish

12 and Wildlife Service of the District of Columbia

13 and Louisiana; and

14 (B) publish in the Federal Register a no15 tice of that availability.

16 (d) BOUNDARY REVISIONS.—The Secretary may

17 make such minor revisions in the boundaries designated

18 under subsection (c) as may be appropriate to achieve the

19 purposes of the Refuge under section 3(b) or to facilitate

20 the acquisition of property for the Refuge.

21 SEC. 6. CONTINUED PUBLIC SERVICES.

22 Nothing in this Act shall be construed as prohibiting

23 or preventing, and the Secretary shall not for purposes

24 of the Refuge prohibit or prevent—
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1 (1) the continuation or development of commer2 cial or recreational navigation on the Red River Wa3 terway;

4 (2) necessary construction, operation, or main5 tenance activities associated with the Red River Wa6 terway project;

7 (3) the construction, improvement, or expansion

8 of public port or recreational facilities on the Red

9 River Waterway; or

10 (4) the construction, improvement, or replace11 ment of railroads or interstate highways within the

12 selection area (designated in section 5(c)(2)), or

13 bridges that cross the Red River.

14 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

15 There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec16 retary such sums as may be necessary to carry out this

17 Act.

18 SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.

19 For purposes of this Act:

20 (1) REFUGE.—The term ‘‘Refuge’’ means the

21 Red River National Wildlife Refuge established

22 under section 3.

23 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means

24 the Secretary of the Interior.

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