II 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 277

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to construct an education and 

administrative center at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Box 

Elder County, Utah. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 4, 2003

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

to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to construct an 

education and administrative center at the Bear River 

Migratory Bird Refuge in Box Elder County, Utah.

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 ‘‘Bear River Migratory 

5 Bird Refuge Visitor Center Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 
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1 (1) The Bear River marshes have been a histor2 ical waterfowl oasis and an important inland water3 fowl flyway for thousands of years. 

4 (2) Congress created the Bear River Migratory 

5 Bird Refuge as one of the first National Wildlife 

6 Refuges, for the purpose of protecting waterfowl 

7 habitat and migratory birds, educating the public re8 garding, and enhancing public appreciation of, wa9 terfowl habitat and migratory birds. 

10 (3) The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge was 

11 virtually destroyed by the devastating floods that oc12 curred between 1983 and 1985. 

13 (4) Refuge employees, aided by volunteers, have 

14 taken valiant actions to rebuild the Refuge by re15 storing habitat, increasing its attractiveness to wa16 terfowl, reducing waterfowl botulism, and providing 

17 recreational and educational opportunities to the 

18 public. 

19 (5) The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge 

20 lacks a functional education and administrative cen21 ter. 

22 (6) The creation of such a facility would signifi23 cantly enhance public appreciation of waterfowl and 

24 the need to preserve waterfowl habitat. 
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1 (7) Congress has taken significant steps to pro2 vide funding for the construction of an education 

3 and administrative center. 

4 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

5 For the purpose of this Act, the following definitions 

6 apply: 

7 (1) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

8 the Secretary of the Interior. 

9 (2) REFUGE.—The term ‘‘Refuge’’ means the 

10 Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Box Elder 

11 County, Utah. 

12 (3) EDUCATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE CEN13 TER.—The term ‘‘Education and Administrative 

14 Center’’ means the facility identified in the Environ15 mental Assessment dated 1991 and entitled ‘‘Res16 toration and Expansion of the Bear River Migratory 

17 Bird Refuge’’. 

18 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF CONSTRUCTION OF THE EDU19 CATION CENTER. 

20 (a) CONSTRUCTION.—The Secretary shall construct 

21 the Education and Administrative Center at the Refuge 

22 for the purposes of providing for the interpretation of re23 sources of the Refuge for the education and benefit of the 

24 public, the advancement of research, protection, and 
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1 health of waterfowl habitat, and for the administration of 

2 the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. 

3 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

4 authorized to be appropriated $11,000,000 to carry out 

5 subsection (a). 

6 SEC. 5. MATCHING CONTRIBUTIONS REQUIREMENTS. 

7 (a) DONATION OF FUNDS AND SERVICES.—The Sec8 retary may accept donations of funds and services from 

9 nonprofit organizations, State and local governments, and 

10 private citizens for the construction of the Education and 

11 Administrative Center. 

12 (b) MATCHING FUNDS.—The Secretary may not re13 quire matching funds or contributions in kind with a com14 bined total value of more than $1,500,000 for construction 

15 of the Education and Administrative Center.

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