I
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4241
To amend the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 to designate
the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness, to amend the Everglades
National Park Protection and Expansion Act of 1989 to designate the
Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SEPTEMBER 27, 1996
Mr. DEUTSCH (for himself and Mr. GOSS) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Resources
A BILL
To amend the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978
to designate the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness,
to amend the Everglades National Park Protection and
Expansion Act of 1989 to designate the Ernest F. Coe
Visitor Center, 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. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following:
(1) Marjory Stoneman Douglas, through her
book, ‘‘The Everglades: River of Grass’’ (1947), de-
fined the Everglades for the American people and
for the world. Her book was the first to stimulate
widespread understanding of the Everglades eco-
system and ultimately served to awaken the desire to
restore its health.
(2) In her 106th year, Mrs. Douglas is the sole
surviving member of the original group of people
who devoted decades of selfless effort to establish
Everglades National Park.
(3) When the water supply and ecology of the
Everglades, both within and outside the park, be-
came threatened by drainage and development, Mrs.
Douglas dedicated the balance of her life to the de-
fense of the Everglades through extraordinary per-
sonal effort and by inspiring countless others to take
action.
(4) For these and many other accomplishments,
the President awarded Mrs. Douglas the Medal of
Freedom on Earth Day, 1994.
(5) Ernest F. Coe (1886–1951) was a leader in
the creation of Everglades National Park. He orga-
nized the Tropic Everglades National Park Associa-
tion in 1928 and was widely regarded as the ‘‘Fa-
ther of Everglades National Park’’.
(6) As a landscape architect, Mr. Coe’s vision
for the park recognized the need to protect south
Florida’s diverse wildlife and their habitats for fu-
ture generations. His original park proposal included
lands and waters subsequently protected within Ev-
erglades National Park, the Big Cypress National
Preserve, and the Florida Keys National Marine
Sanctuary.
(7) Mr. Coe’s leadership, selfless devotion, and
commitment to achieving this vision culminated in
the authorization of Everglades National Park by
Congress in 1934. Afterwards, Mr. Coe fought tire-
lessly and lobbied strenuously for establishment of
the park, finally realizing his dream in 1947. He ac-
complished much of this work at his own expense,
which dramatically demonstrated his commitment to
establishment of the park.
(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to com-
memorate the vision, leadership, and enduring contribu-
tions of Marjory Stoneman Douglas and Ernest F. Coe
in the protection of the Everglades and the establishment
of Everglades National Park.
SEC. 2. MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS WILDERNESS.
Section 401(3) of the National Parks and Recreation
Act of 1978 (Public Law 95–625; 92 Stat. 3490) is hereby
amended by striking out ‘‘to be known as the Everglades
Wilderness’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘to be known
as the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness’’ to com-
memorate the vision and leadership shown by Mrs. Doug-
las in the protection of the Everglades and the establish-
ment of Everglades National Park.
SEC. 3. ERNEST F. COE VISITOR CENTER.
Section 103 of the Everglades National Park Protec-
tion and Expansion Act of 1989 (Public Law 101–229)
is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the follow-
ing new subsection:
‘‘(f) ERNEST F. COE VISITOR CENTER.—Upon com-
pletion of construction of the main visitor center facility
at Everglades National Park headquarters, the Secretary
of the Interior shall designate the visitor center facility
as ‘The Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center’ to commemorate
the vision and leadership shown by Mr. Coe in the estab-
lishment and protection of Everglades National Park.’’.
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