II 
Calendar No. 67
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 289
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
APRIL 2, 2003
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works 
APRIL 9, 2003
Reported by Mr. INHOFE, without amendment 
AN ACT 
To expand the boundaries of the Ottawa National Wildlife 
Refuge Complex and the Detroit River International 
Wildlife Refuge.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ottawa National Wild-
life Refuge Complex Expansion and Detroit River Inter-
national Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that—
(1) the western basin of Lake Erie, as part of 
the Great Lakes ecosystem—
(A) is the largest freshwater ecosystem in 
the world; and 
(B) is vitally important to the economic 
and environmental future of the United States; 
(2) over the 30-year period preceding the date 
of enactment of this Act, the citizens and govern-
mental institutions of the United States and Canada 
have devoted increasing attention and resources to 
the restoration of the water quality and fisheries of 
the Great Lakes, including the western basin; 
(3) that increased awareness has been accom-
panied by a gradual shift toward a holistic eco-
system approach that highlights a growing recogni-
tion that shoreline areas, commonly referred to as 
nearshore terrestrial ecosystems, are an integral part 
of the western basin and the Great Lakes ecosystem; 
(4) the Great Lakes account for more than 90 
percent of the surface freshwater in the United 
States; 
(5) the western basin receives approximately 90 
percent of its flow from the Detroit River and only 
approximately 10 percent from tributaries;
(6) the western basin is an important ecosystem 
that includes a number of distinct islands, channels, 
rivers, and shoals that support dense populations of 
fish, wildlife, and aquatic plants; 
(7) coastal wetland of Lake Erie supports the 
largest diversity of plant and wildlife species in the 
Great Lakes; 
(8) because Lake Erie is located at a more 
southern latitude than other Great Lakes, the mod-
erate climate of Lake Erie is appropriate for many 
species that are not found in or along the northern 
Great Lakes; 
(9) more than 300 species of plants, including 
37 significant species, have been identified in the 
aquatic and wetland habitats of the western basin; 
(10) the shallow western basin of Lake Erie, 
extending from the Lower Detroit River to Sandusky 
Bay, is home to the greatest concentration of 
marshes in Lake Erie, including—
(A) Mouille, Metzger, and Magee marshes; 
(B) the Maumee Bay wetland complex; 
(C) the wetland complexes flanking Locust 
Point; and 
(D) the wetland in Sandusky Bay;
(11) the larger islands of the United States in 
western 
Lake 
Erie 
have 
wetland 
in 
small 
embayments; 
(12) the wetland in the western basin comprises 
some of the most important waterfowl habitat in the 
Great Lakes; 
(13) waterfowl, wading birds, shore birds, gulls 
and terns, raptors, and perching birds use the wet-
land in the western basin for migration, nesting, and 
feeding; 
(14) hundreds of thousands of diving ducks 
stop to rest in the Lake Erie area during autumn 
migration from Canada to points east and south; 
(15) the wetland of the western basin provides 
a major stopover for ducks, such as migrating 
bufflehead, common goldeneye, common mergansers, 
and ruddy duck; 
(16) the international importance of Lake Erie 
is indicated in the United States by congressional 
designation of the Ottawa and Cedar Point National 
Wildlife Refuges; 
(17)(A) Lake Erie has an international reputa-
tion for walleye, perch, and bass fishing, recreational 
boating, birding, photography, and duck hunting; 
and
(B) on an economic basis, tourism in the Lake 
Erie area accounts for an estimated $1,500,000,000 
in retail sales and more than 50,000 jobs;
(18)(A) many of the 417,000 boats that are 
registered in the State of Ohio are used in the west-
ern basin, in part to fish for the estimated 
10,000,000 walleye that migrate from the lake to 
spawn; and 
(B) that internationally renowned walleye fish-
ery drives much of the $2,000,000,000 sport fishing 
industry in the State of Ohio; 
(19) coastal wetland in the western basin has 
been subjected to intense pressure for 150 years; 
(20) prior to 1850, the western basin was part 
of an extensive coastal marsh and swamp system 
consisting of approximately 122,000 hectares that 
comprised a portion of the Great Black Swamp; 
(21) by 1951, only 12,407 wetland hectares re-
mained in the western basin; 
(22) 50 percent of that acreage was destroyed 
between 1972 and 1987, leaving only approximately 
5,000 hectares in existence today; 
(23) along the Michigan shoreline, coastal wet-
land was reduced by 62 percent between 1916 and 
the early 1970s;
(24) the development of the city of Monroe, 
Michigan, has had a particularly significant impact 
on the coastal wetland at the mouth of the Raisin 
River; 
(25) only approximately 100 hectares remain 
physically unaltered today in an area in which, 70 
years ago, marshes were 10 times more extensive; 
(26) in addition to the actual loss of coastal 
wetland acreage along the shores of Lake Erie, the 
quality of much remaining dike wetland has been de-
graded by numerous stressors, especially excessive 
loadings of sediments and nutrients, contaminants, 
shoreline modification, exotic species, and the diking 
of wetland; and 
(27) protective peninsula beach systems, such 
as the former Bay Point and Woodtick, at the bor-
der of Ohio and Michigan near the mouth of the Ot-
tawa River and Maumee Bay, have been eroded over 
the years, exacerbating erosion along the shorelines 
and negatively affecting breeding and spawning 
grounds. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) 
INTERNATIONAL
REFUGE.—The 
term 
‘‘International Refuge’’ means the Detroit River
International Wildlife Refuge established by section 
5(a) of the Detroit River International Wildlife Ref-
uge Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 668dd note; 115 
Stat. 894). 
(2) REFUGE
COMPLEX.—The term ‘‘Refuge 
Complex’’ means the Ottawa National Wildlife Ref-
uge Complex and the lands and waters in the com-
plex, as described in the document entitled ‘‘The 
Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the Ottawa 
National Wildlife Refuge Complex’’ and dated Sep-
tember 22, 2000, including—
(A) the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, 
established by the Secretary in accordance with 
the Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 
U.S.C. 715 et seq.); 
(B) the West Sister Island National Wild-
life Refuge established by Executive Order No. 
7937, dated August 2, 1937; and 
(C) the Cedar Point National Wildlife Ref-
uge established by the Secretary in accordance 
with the Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 
U.S.C. 715 et seq.). 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(4) WESTERN BASIN.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘western 
basin’’ means the western basin of Lake Erie, 
consisting of the land and water in the water-
sheds of Lake Erie extending from the water-
shed of the Lower Detroit River in the State of 
Michigan to and including Sandusky Bay and 
the watershed of Sandusky Bay in the State of 
Ohio. 
(B) INCLUSION.—The term ‘western basin’ 
includes the Bass Island archipelago in the 
State of Ohio. 
SEC. 4. EXPANSION OF BOUNDARIES. 
(a) REFUGE COMPLEX BOUNDARIES.—
(1) EXPANSION.—The boundaries of the Refuge 
Complex are expanded to include land and water in 
the State of Ohio from the eastern boundary of 
Maumee Bay State Park to the eastern boundary of 
the Darby Unit (including the Bass Island archi-
pelago), as depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Ottawa 
National Wildlife Refuge Complex Expansion and 
Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Expan-
sion Act’’ and dated September 6, 2002. 
(2) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The map referred 
to in paragraph (1) shall be available for inspection
in appropriate offices of the United States Fish and 
Wildlife Service. 
(b) BOUNDARY
REVISIONS.—The Secretary may 
make such revisions of the boundaries of the Refuge Com-
plex as the Secretary determines to be appropriate to fa-
cilitate the acquisition of property within the Refuge Com-
plex. 
(c) ACQUISITION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
the Secretary may acquire by donation, purchase 
with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange the 
land and water, and interests in land and water (in-
cluding conservation easements), within the bound-
aries of the Refuge Complex. 
(2) MANNER OF ACQUISITION.—Any and all ac-
quisitions of land or waters under the provisions of 
this Act shall be made in a voluntary manner and 
shall not be the result of forced takings. 
(d) TRANSFERS FROM OTHER AGENCIES.—Adminis-
trative jurisdiction over any Federal property that is lo-
cated within the boundaries of the Refuge Complex and 
under the administrative jurisdiction of an agency of the 
United States other than the Department of the Interior 
may, with the concurrence of the head of the admin-
SEC. 5. EXPANSION OF INTERNATIONAL REFUGE BOUND-
ARIES. 
The southern boundary of the International Refuge 
is extended south to include additional land and water in 
the State of Michigan located east of Interstate Route 75, 
extending from the southern boundary of Sterling State 
Park to the Ohio State boundary, as depicted on the map 
referred to in section 4(a)(1). 
SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATION. 
(a) REFUGE COMPLEX.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall admin-
ister all federally owned land, water, and interests in 
land and water that are located within the bound-
aries of the Refuge Complex in accordance with—
(A) the National Wildlife Refuge System 
Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd 
et seq.); and 
(B) this Act. 
(2) ADDITIONAL
AUTHORITY.—The Secretary 
may use such additional statutory authority avail-
able to the Secretary for the conservation of fish and 
wildlife, and the provision of opportunities for fish- 
and wildlife-dependent recreation, as the Secretary 
determines to be appropriate to carry out this Act. 
(b) ADDITIONAL PURPOSES.—In addition to the pur-
poses of the Refuge Complex under other laws, regula-
tions, executive orders, and comprehensive conservation 
plans, the Refuge Complex shall be managed—
(1) to strengthen and complement existing re-
source management, conservation, and education 
programs and activities at the Refuge Complex in a 
manner consistent with the primary purposes of the 
Refuge Complex—
(A) to provide major resting, feeding, and 
wintering habitats for migratory birds and 
other wildlife; and 
(B) to enhance national resource conserva-
tion and management in the western basin; 
(2) in partnership with nongovernmental and 
private organizations and private individuals dedi-
cated to habitat enhancement, to conserve, enhance, 
and restore the native aquatic and terrestrial com-
munity characteristics of the western basin (includ-
ing associated fish, wildlife, and plant species); 
(3) to facilitate partnerships among the United 
States Fish and Wildlife Service, Canadian national 
and provincial authorities, State and local govern-
ments, local communities in the United States and 
Canada, conservation organizations, and other non-
Federal entities to promote public awareness of the 
resources of the western basin; and
(4) to advance the collective goals and priorities 
that—
(A) were established in the report entitled 
‘‘Great Lakes Strategy 2002—A Plan for the 
New Millennium’’, developed by the United 
States Policy Committee, comprised of Federal 
agencies (including the United States Fish and 
Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration, the United States 
Geological Survey, the Forest Service, and the 
Great Lakes Fishery Commission) and State 
governments and tribal governments in the 
Great Lakes basin; and 
(B) include the goals of cooperating to pro-
tect and restore the chemical, physical, and bio-
logical integrity of the Great Lakes basin eco-
system. 
(c) PRIORITY USES.—In providing opportunities for 
compatible fish- and wildlife-dependent recreation, the 
Secretary, in accordance with paragraphs (3) and (4) of 
section 4(a) of the National Wildlife Refuge System Ad-
ministration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd(a)), shall en-
sure that hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photog-
raphy, and environmental education and interpretation are 
the priority public uses of the Refuge Complex.
(d) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS REGARDING NON-
FEDERAL LAND.—To promote public awareness of the re-
sources of the western basin and encourage public partici-
pation in the conservation of those resources, the Sec-
retary may enter into cooperative agreements with the 
State of Ohio or Michigan, any political subdivision of the 
State, or any person for the management, in a manner 
consistent with this Act, of land that—
(1) is owned by the State, political subdivision, 
or person; and 
(2) is located within the boundaries of the Ref-
uge Complex. 
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as are necessary—
(1) to acquire land and water within the Refuge 
Complex under section 4(c); 
(2) to carry out the study under section 4(e); 
and 
(3) to develop, operate, and maintain the Ref-
uge Complex.
Calendar No. 67
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 289
AN ACT 
To expand the boundaries of the Ottawa National 
Wildlife Refuge Complex and the Detroit River 
International Wildlife Refuge. 
APRIL 9, 2003
Reported without amendment