I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2984 

To designate certain Federal lands within the Cross Island National Wildlife 

Refuge and the Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge, part of the 

Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex, in Lincoln 

County, Hancock County, and Washington County, Maine, as wilderness. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 21, 2011 

Mr. MICHAUD (for himself and Ms. PINGREE of Maine) introduced the 

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

A BILL 

To designate certain Federal lands within the Cross Island 

National Wildlife Refuge and the Petit Manan National 

Wildlife Refuge, part of the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex, in Lincoln County, Hancock County, and Washington County, Maine, as wilderness. 

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 ‘‘Maine Coastal Islands 

5 Wilderness Act of 2011’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) HIGH-WATER MARK.—The term ‘‘high4 water mark’’ means the point on the bank or shore 

5 up to which the water, by its presence and action or 

6 flow, leaves a distinct mark indicated by erosion, de7 struction of or change in vegetation, or other easily 

8 recognizable characteristic. 

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

10 the Secretary of the Interior. 

11 SEC. 3. ADDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WILDERNESS PRES12 ERVATION SYSTEM. 

13 (a) ADDITIONS.—In furtherance of the purposes of 

14 the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), and subject 

15 to subsection (c), the following Federal lands in the State 

16 of Maine are hereby designated as wilderness and as com17 ponents of the National Wilderness Preservation System: 

18 (1) Certain lands in the Cross Island National 

19 Wildlife Refuge, comprising approximately 1,703 

20 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled 

21 ‘‘Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge: Islands Wil22 derness Proposal’’ and dated May, 2010, which shall 

23 be known as the ‘‘Cross Island Wilderness’’. Cross 

24 Island Wilderness includes six islands in a geo25 graphic cluster in Washington County distributed 

26 over the following: 


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1 (A) Cross Island: 1,654 acres. 

2 (B) Inner Double Head Shot Island: 8 

3 acres. 

4 (C) Outer Double Head Shot Island: 14 

5 acres. 

6 (D) Mink Island: 11 acres. 

7 (E) Scotch Island: 10 acres. 

8 (F) Old Man Island: 6 acres. 

9 (2) Certain lands in the Petit Manan National 

10 Wildlife Refuge, comprising approximately 1,553 

11 acres, as generally depicted on the maps entitled 

12 ‘‘Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge: Islands Wil13 derness Proposal’’ and dated May, 2010, which shall 

14 be known as the ‘‘Maine Coastal Islands Wilder15 ness’’. Maine Coastal Islands Wilderness includes 

16 seven islands distributed over the following: 

17 (A) Outer Heron Island (Lincoln County): 

18 66 acres. 

19 (B) Outer White Island (Lincoln County): 

20 16 acres. 

21 (C) Little Marshall Island (Hancock Coun22 ty): 14 acres. 

23 (D) John’s Island (Hancock County): 43 

24 acres. 


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1 (E) Bois Bubert Island (Washington 

2 County): 1,321 acres. 

3 (F) Inner Sand Island (Washington Coun4 ty): 18 acres. 

5 (G) Halifax Island (Washington County): 

6 75 acres. 

7 (b) MAPS AND DESCRIPTIONS.— 

8 (1) FILING AND AVAILABILITY.—As soon as 

9 practicable after the date of the enactment of this 

10 Act, the Secretary shall file a map and legal descrip11 tion of each wilderness area designated by sub12 section (a) with the Committee on Natural Re13 sources of the House of Representatives and the 

14 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 

15 Senate. The maps and legal descriptions filed shall 

16 be filed and made available for public inspection by 

17 the Secretary in the office of the Director of the 

18 United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 

19 (2) FORCE AND EFFECT.—A map and legal de20 scription filed under paragraph (1) shall have the 

21 same force and effect as if included in this Act, ex22 cept that the Secretary may correct errors in the 

23 map and legal description. 


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1 (c) SEAWARD BOUNDARY OF WILDERNESS AREAS.— 

2 The seaward boundary of each wilderness area designated 

3 by this section shall be the high-water mark. 

4 SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION. 

5 (a) MANAGEMENT.—Subject to valid existing rights, 

6 lands designated as wilderness by this Act shall be man7 aged by the Secretary in accordance with the Wilderness 

8 Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) and this Act, except that, 

9 with respect to any wilderness areas designated by this 

10 Act, any reference in the Wilderness Act to the effective 

11 date of the Wilderness Act is deemed to be a reference 

12 to the date of enactment of this Act. 

13 (b) INCORPORATION OF ACQUIRED LAND AND IN14 TEREST.—Any land within the boundary of the land des15 ignated as wilderness by section 3 that is acquired by the 

16 United States shall— 

17 (1) become part of the wilderness area; and 

18 (2) be managed in accordance with this section. 

19 (c) FISH AND WILDLIFE.—As provided in section 

20 4(d)(7) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(7)), 

21 nothing in this Act shall be construed as affecting the ju22 risdiction or responsibilities of the State of Maine with re23 spect to wildlife and fish. 

24 (d) BUFFER ZONES.—Congress does not intend for 

25 the designation of wilderness areas in the State under this 


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1 section to lead to the creation of protective perimeters or 

2 buffer zones around any wilderness area. 

3 (e) ACTIVITIES OR USES UP TO BOUNDARIES.—The 

4 fact that nonwilderness activities or uses can be seen or 

5 heard from within a wilderness designated by this Act 

6 shall not, of itself, preclude the activities or uses up to 

7 the boundary of the wilderness area. 

8 (f) NAVIGATIONAL DEVICES.—Consistent with the 

9 purpose of the Wilderness Act, the Secretary may author10 ize the installation of navigational devices in any wilder11 ness area designated by this Act for the purpose of im12 proving public health and safety. 

13 (g) LANDING OF WATERCRAFT.—Nothing in this Act 

14 shall be construed as prohibiting the landing of a 

15 watercraft on an island on which is located any area des16 ignated as a wilderness area by this Act. 

Æ 


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