Union Calendar No. 192
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1856
[Report No. 105–329]
A BILL
To amend the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to di-
rect the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a
volunteer pilot project at one national wildlife
refuge in each United States Fish and Wildlife
Service region, and for other purposes.
OCTOBER 21, 1997
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Commit-
tee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and
ordered to be printed
IB
Union Calendar No. 192
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1856
[Report No. 105–329]
To amend the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to direct the Secretary of
the Interior to conduct a volunteer pilot project at one national wildlife
refuge in each United States Fish and Wildlife Service region, and
for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 10, 1997
Mr. SAXTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Resources
OCTOBER 21, 1997
Additional sponsor: Mr. NETHERCUTT
OCTOBER 21, 1997
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
A BILL
To amend the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to conduct a volunteer pilot
project at one national wildlife refuge in each United
States Fish and Wildlife Service region, and for other
purposes.
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 ‘‘Volunteers for Wildlife
Act of 1997’’.
SEC. 2. VOLUNTEERS IN WILDLIFE.
Section 7(c) of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16
U.S.C. 742f(c)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(7)(A) Subject to the availability of appropria-
tions, the Secretary of the Interior shall conduct a
volunteer pilot project at one national wildlife refuge
in each United States Fish and Wildlife Service re-
gion, under which the Secretary shall employ a vol-
unteer coordinator for the refuge.
‘‘(B) The Secretary may—
‘‘(i) establish an account for each national
wildlife refuge at which a pilot project is con-
ducted under this paragraph;
‘‘(ii) deposit into the account entrance fees,
donations, and user fees generated at the na-
tional wildlife refuge at which the project is
conducted; and
‘‘(iii) without further appropriation, expend
amounts in the account for materials, training,
and other uses to enhance volunteer activities at
the refuge.
‘‘(C) There are authorized to be appropriated
$150,000 for each pilot project authorized under
this paragraph for each of the fiscal years 1998,
1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003.
‘‘(8) The Secretary shall appoint a national vol-
unteer coordinator for the National Wildlife Refuge
System.’’.
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Wildlife Refuge
System Volunteer and Community Partnership Act of
1997’’.
SEC. 2. VOLUNTEERS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS FOR
WILDLIFE.
(a) PROMOTION OF VOLUNTEERS AT NATIONAL WILD-
LIFE REFUGES.—Section 7(b)(2) of the Fish and Wildlife
Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f(b)(2)) is amended by adding
at the end the following: ‘‘Any gift or bequest made for the
benefit of a particular national wildlife refuge or complex
of refuges shall be disbursed only for the benefit of that ref-
uge or complex of refuges.’’.
(b) AWARDS AND RECOGNITION FOR VOLUNTEERS.—
Section 7(c)(2) of that Act (16 U.S.C. 742f(c)(2)) is amend-
ed—
(1) by inserting ‘‘awards and recognition,’’ after
‘‘lodging,’’; and
(2) by inserting ‘‘without regard to their place of
residence’’ after ‘‘volunteers’’.
(c) VOLUNTEER AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP EN-
HANCEMENT.—Section 7 of that Act (16 U.S.C. 742) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(d) VOLUNTEER AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP EN-
HANCEMENT.—(1) The purposes of this subsection are the
following:
‘‘(A) To encourage the use of volunteers in the
National Wildlife Refuge System.
‘‘(B) To facilitate partnerships between the Na-
tional Wildlife Refuge System and partner organiza-
tions.
‘‘(C) To promote participation by individuals,
organizations, and communities in understanding
and conserving the fish and wildlife resources, lands,
and facilities of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
‘‘(D) To enhance the availability of interpretive
and educational materials and services for the enjoy-
ment of visitors to national wildlife refuges.
‘‘(2) Subject to the availability of appropriations, the
Secretary of the Interior shall conduct a pilot project at
1 national wildlife refuge in each United States Fish and
Wildlife Service region, under which the Secretary shall em-
ploy a full-time volunteer coordinator for each refuge.
‘‘(3)(A) Subject to the compatibility requirements of
the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of
1966 and this paragraph, the Secretary of the Interior may
enter into a cooperative agreement (as that term is used
in chapter 63 of title 31, United States Code) with any
partner organization, academic institution, or State or
local government organization, for the conduct of a project
on a national wildlife refuge, under which—
‘‘(i) there will be provided enhanced opportuni-
ties for private citizens to volunteer with a national
wildlife refuge in their local communities and con-
tribute to stewardship of the resources on that refuge;
‘‘(ii) a partner organization, academic institu-
tion, or State or local government organization will
develop, produce, publish, distribute, or sell edu-
cational materials and products pertaining to a na-
tional wildlife refuge approved by the Secretary,
under conditions specified by the Secretary;
‘‘(iii) a partner organization, academic institu-
tion, or State or local government organization will
construct, maintain, operate, or improve a facility on
a national wildlife refuge necessary for the sale or
distribution of educational materials, products, pro-
grams, and services pertaining to national wildlife
refuges;
‘‘(iv) a partner organization, academic institu-
tion, or State or local government organization will
provide visitor services, facilities, or activities within
a national wildlife refuge, under terms that require
that the net profits from such services, facilities, or
activities shall be used exclusively for projects and
programs that benefit the refuge and are consistent
with the purposes for which it was established; or
‘‘(v) there will be carried out within a national
wildlife refuge, on a Federal/non-Federal cost sharing
basis, habitat restoration and improvement, biological
monitoring, research, public education and recreation,
construction of facilities, or other projects.
‘‘(B) Any Federal funds used to fund a project under
a cooperative agreement under this paragraph—
‘‘(i) may be used only for expenses directly relat-
ed to the project; and
‘‘(ii) may not be used for operation or adminis-
tration of any non-Federal entity.
‘‘(C) A partner organization, academic institution, or
State or local government organization shall not receive
preferential treatment in any application process to provide
visitor services, products, or facilities in a national wildlife
refuge.
‘‘(D) Any facility or permanent improvement con-
structed pursuant to this subsection shall be the property
of the United States Government.
‘‘(4)(A) Amounts received by the Secretary of the Inte-
rior as a result of activities under paragraph (3) shall be
deposited in a separate account in the Treasury.
‘‘(B) Amounts in the account referred to in subpara-
graph (A) that are attributable to activities at a particular
national wildlife refuge or complex of refuges shall be avail-
able to the Secretary of the Interior without further appro-
priation—
‘‘(i) for materials, training, and other uses relat-
ed to volunteer activities at the refuge or complex of
refuges; or
‘‘(ii) to carry out cooperative agreements under
this subsection applicable to the refuge or complex of
refuges.
‘‘(5) For the purposes of this subsection, the term ‘part-
ner organization’ means an organization—
‘‘(A) the mission of which is to promote under-
standing and conservation of the fish and wildlife,
cultural, or historic resources of a particular national
wildlife refuge or a complex of related national wild-
life refuges;
‘‘(B) that draws its membership primarily from
communities near that refuge or complex of related
national wildlife refuges; and
‘‘(C) that is described in section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax-
ation under section 501(a) of that Code.
‘‘(6) In addition to amounts available under para-
graph (4)(B), there are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of the Interior for each of fiscal years 1998,
1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003—
‘‘(A) $1,000,000 for carrying out activities under
this subsection and subsection (c); and
‘‘(B) $1,050,000 for pilot projects under para-
graph (2) among the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service Regions.’’.
(d) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 7(c)(6) of
that Act (16 U.S.C. 742f(c)(6)) is amended by striking
‘‘$100,000 for the Secretary of the Interior and’’.