I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3511 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish and operate a visitor 

facility to fulfill the purposes of the Marianas Trench Marine National 

Monument, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 31, 2009 

Mr. SABLAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish and 

operate a visitor facility to fulfill the purposes of the 

Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, 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 ‘‘Marianas Trench Ma5 rine National Monument Visitor Facility Authorization 

6 Act of 2009’’. 

7 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

8 In this Act: 


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1 (1) The terms ‘‘Marine National Monument’’ or 

2 ‘‘monument’’ mean the Marianas Trench Marine 

3 National Monument established by the President by 

4 a proclamation dated January 6, 2009. 

5 (2) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

6 of the Interior. 

7 SEC. 3. MARIANAS TRENCH MARINE NATIONAL MONUMENT 

8 VISITOR FACILITY. 

9 (a) VISITOR FACILITY AUTHORIZATION.—The Sec10 retary is authorized to construct a multipurpose visitor fa11 cility in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is12 lands for the interpretation and public education and en13 joyment of the marine environment within the boundaries 

14 of the Marine National Monument. 

15 (b) VISITOR FACILITY LOCATION AND DESCRIP16 TION.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall locate 

18 the visitor facility authorized under subsection (a) in 

19 the Northern Mariana Islands at a location suitable 

20 to fulfill the purposes of this Act. 

21 (2) COMPONENTS OF VISITOR FACILITY.—The 

22 facility authorized under subsection (a) shall in23 clude— 

24 (A) adequate space for permanent and 

25 temporary exhibits depicting the biological, geoVerDate Nov 24 2008 04:38 Aug 04, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3511.IH H3511

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1 logical, archaeological, cultural, and recreational 

2 heritage of the monument; 

3 (B) a venue for public education and inter4 pretive programs relevant to the natural, cul5 tural, and aesthetic resources of the monument, 

6 including formal classroom space to provide op7 portunities for research, training, and formal 

8 education regarding the monument; 

9 (C) a location to highlight the importance 

10 of the marine environment and the resources of 

11 the monument to the people and culture of the 

12 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is13 lands and other indigenous people and cultures 

14 of the Western Pacific Ocean Basin; 

15 (D) a location to provide information to 

16 the general public about natural resources, 

17 parks, museums, cultural resources, opportuni18 ties for wildlife-dependent outdoor recreation, 

19 and travel within the Commonwealth of the 

20 Northern Mariana Islands that provide opportu21 nities for the visiting public to actively or pas22 sively experience the monument and to gain 

23 greater awareness and appreciation of the re24 sources therein; 


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1 (E) sufficient visitor amenities including 

2 restrooms, public telephones, drinking water, 

3 and other basic facilities; and 

4 (F) administrative office space sufficient to 

5 fulfill the management obligations and respon6 sibilities of the Secretary and other Federal 

7 agencies as specified in the monument’s ena8 bling proclamation. 

9 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

10 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

11 as are necessary to fulfill the purposes of this Act. 

12 SEC. 5. DONATIONS. 

13 For the purposes of the planning, construction, and 

14 operation of the visitor facility authorized under section 

15 3 of this Act, the Secretary may accept, retain, and expend 

16 donations of funds, and use property or services donated 

17 from private persons and entities or from public entities. 

Æ 


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