A bill to establish the Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge.
PL 96-285 (H.R.6022), enacted 06/28/1980

PUBLIC LAW 96-285—JUNE 28, 1980 
94 STAT. 595 
Public Law 96-285 
96th Congress 
An Act 
To establish the Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of 
America in Congress assembled, 
CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS 
SECTION 1. The Congress finds that— 
(1) the great forests of hardwoods, which once covered vast 
acreages along the lower reach of the Mississippi River Valley, 
are rapidly being destroyed; 
(2) the remaining forests constitute a unique ecological, com-
mercial, and recreational resource, providing a combination of 
forest products, habitat for a diversity of fish and wildlife, and 
opportunities to the public for scientific research and for recre-
ational activities such as hunting, fishing, hiking, boating, and 
wildlife observation; 
(3) the area within which the Tensas River National Wildlife 
Refuge will be located contains one of the largest tracts of such 
forests in the Mississippi River Valley; and 
(4) establishment of the refuge represents a significant action 
by the Federal Government for the preservation and develop-
ment of the environmental resources in the basins of the Tensas, 
Bouef, and Red Rivers of the State of Louisiana. 
DEFINITIONS 
SEC. 2. As used in this Act— 
(1) the term "refuge" means the Tensas River National Wild-
life Refuge that includes those lands and waters, and interests 
therein, located along the Tensas River in Franklin, Madison, 
and Tensas Parishes, Louisiana, that are depicted on the map 
entitled "Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge", dated Febru-
ary 1980, and on file at the United States Fish and Wildlife 
Service. 
(2) The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Interior. 
ESTABLISHMENT OF REFUGE 
SEC. 3. (a) ACQUISITION.—Within four years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act— 
(1) the Secretary shall acquire lands and waters, and interests 
therein, referred to in section 2(1) through donation, purchase 
with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange, or through any 
combination of the foregoing; and 
(2) the Secretary of the Army shall acquire such of those lands 
and waters, and interests therein, referred to in section 2(1) as 
are not acquired under paragraph (1). 
June 28, 1980 
[H.R. 6022] 
Tensas River 
National 
Wildlife Refuge, 
establishment. 
16 u s e 668dd 
note. 
94 STAT. 596 
PUBLIC LAW 96-285—JUNE 28, 1980 
Publication in 
Federal 
Register. 
Timber 
management. 
The Secretary of the Army shall transfer to the Secretary jurisdiction 
over all lands and waters, and interests therein, acquired under 
paragraph (2) and the Secretary shall include all such lands, waters, 
and interests in the refuge. The Secretary and the Secretary of the 
Army may only enter into contracts or incur obligations to purchase 
lands and waters, and interests therein with appropriated funds to 
the extent budget authority has been provided in advance in appro-
priation Acts. 
0?) ESTABLISHMENT.—At such time as sufficient lands and waters, 
and interests therein, have been acquired under subsection (a) (1) and 
(2) to constitute an area that can be administered for refuge purposes, 
the Secretary shall establish the Tensas River National Wildlife 
Refuge by publication of notice to that effect in the Federal Register. 
(c) ADJUSTMENTS.—The Secretary may make such minor adjust-
ments with respect to the boundary of the refuge as may be necessary 
to facilitate the acquisition of lands and waters, and interests therein, 
for the refuge and to facilitate the administration of the refuge. 
(d) ARMY ACQUISITIONS IN UEU OF CERTAIN OTHER MITIGATION 
ACTIONS.—The land and waters and interests therein, which the 
Secretary of the Army is required to acquire under subsection (a)(2) of 
this section, shall when acquired in total be in lieu of and in 
satisfaction of the mitigation acquisitions which otherwise would be 
required for the following Corps of Engineers water resources proj-
ects and modifications thereof: the Tensas River project, the Tensas-
Cocodrie Pumping Plant, the Sicily Island Levee, the Bushley Bayou 
Levee, the Below Red River Levee, and that portion of the Red River 
Waterway Project below River Mile 104. Should any of these projects 
not be authorized or implemented, the Secretary of the Army, in 
consultation with the Secretary, may substitute additional projects 
with similar mitigation requirements which may be authorized for 
construction in the future and which are located wholly within the 
State of Louisiana and within the area depicted on the Corps of 
Engineers map entitled "Tensas National Wildlife Refuge Mitigation 
Area" dated April 1980 and on file in the Office of the Chief of 
Engineers, which mitigation area includes the basins of the Tensas, 
Bouef, Ouachita and Black Rivers and the Red River basin below 
River Mile 104. 
ADMINISTRATION 
SEC. 4. (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall administer all lands 
and waters, and interests therein, acquired under this Act in accord-
ance with the provisions of the National Wildlife Refuge System 
Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) to conserve the 
diversity of fish and wildlife and their habitat within the refuge; 
except that the Secretary may utilize such additional statutory 
authority as may be available to him for the conservation and 
development of wildlife and natural resources, the development of 
outdoor recreation opportunities, and interpretative education, as he 
deems appropriate to carry out the purposes of the refuge. The 
Secretary shall give special consideration to the management of the 
timber on the refuge to insure continued commercial production and 
harvest compatible with the purposes for which the refuge is estab-
lished and the needs of fish and wildlife which depend upon a 
dynamic and diversified hardwood forest. 
O
t
>
) FLOOD CONTROL.—The Secretary shall administer the refuge as 
part of an overall Federal management plan for the use of water and 
related land resources for the area. This Act shall not preclude the 
PUBLIC LAW 96-285—JUNE 28, 1980 
94 STAT. 597 
construction and maintenance of the Tensas River flood control 
project, authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1944, as amended, in 58 Stat. 887. 
such modified configuration as may be determined by the Secretary 
of the Army, in consultation with the Secretary. The Secretary shall 
assist the Secretary of the Army in this flood control project, 
including the provision of all lands and rights-of-ways necessary for 
project construction and maintenance within the refuge area as 
determined by the Secretary of the Army, in consultation with the 
Secretary. The establishment of the refuge shall not preclude any 
other public or private works, determined to be in the public interest, 
to relieve flooding along or adjacent to the Tensas River. 
AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS 
SEC. 5. For the purposes of carrying out this Act, there are 
authorized to be appropriated, beginning October 1,1980— 
(1) not to exceed $10,000,000 to the Department of the Interior; 
to remain available until September 30,1985, and 
(2) not to exceed $40,000,000 to the Department of the Army, to 
remain available until September 30,1985. 
Approved June 28, 1980. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 96-891 (Comm. on Merchant Marine and Fisheries). 
SENATE REPORT No. 96-741 accompanying S. 2244 (Comm. on Environment and 
Pubhc Works). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 126 (1980): 
May 5, considered and passed House. 
May 22, considered and passed Senate, amended, in lieu of S. 2244. 
June 16, House concurred in Senate amendment.