[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4973 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
H.R.4973
One Hundred Eleventh Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the fifth day of January, two thousand and ten
An Act
To amend the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to reauthorize volunteer
programs and community partnerships for national wildlife refuges, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer
Improvement Act of 2010''.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS TO IMPLEMENT VOLUNTEER,
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS UNDER FISH AND WILDLIFE
ACT OF 1956.
(a) Reauthorization.--Section 7(f) of the Fish and Wildlife Act of
1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f(f)) is amended to read as follows:
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior to carry out subsections
(b), (c), (d), (e), and (f), $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011
through 2014.''.
(b) Technical Corrections.--Section 7 of the Fish and Wildlife Act
of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f) is amended in subsections (b)(2)(B)(ii) and
(d)(2)(C)(i) by striking ``National Wildlife Refuge Administration Act
of 1966'' each place it appears and inserting ``National Wildlife
Refuge System Administration Act of 1966''.
SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM VOLUNTEER AND
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 1998.
Section 4(a) of the National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and
Community Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998 (16 U.S.C. 742f-1) is
amended--
(1) in the subsection heading by striking ``Projects'' and
inserting ``National Volunteer Coordination Program'';
(2) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
``(1) In general.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations, and in conformance with the strategy developed
under paragraph (2) and consistent with the authorities regarding
gifts, volunteer services, community partnerships, and refuge
education enhancement under section 7 of the Fish and Wildlife Act
of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 741f), the Secretary of the Interior, through
the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, shall
carry out a National Volunteer Coordination Program within the
National Wildlife Refuge System to--
``(A) augment and support the capabilities and efforts of
Federal employees to implement resource management,
conservation, and public education programs and activities
across the National Wildlife Refuge System;
``(B) provide meaningful opportunities for volunteers to
support the resource management, conservation, and public
education programs and activities of national wildlife refuges
or complexes of geographically related national wildlife
refuges in each United States Fish and Wildlife Service region;
and
``(C) fulfill the purpose and mission of the National
Wildlife Refuge System under the National Wildlife Refuge
System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.).'';
(3) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
``(2) Volunteer coordination strategy.--
``(A) In general.--No later than one year after date of
enactment of this paragraph, the Director shall publish in the
Federal Register a national strategy for the coordination and
utilization of volunteers within the National Wildlife Refuge
System.
``(B) Consultation required.--The strategy shall be
developed in consultation with State fish and wildlife
agencies, Indian tribes, refuge friends groups or similar
volunteer organizations, and other relevant stakeholders.
``(C) Volunteer coordinators.--The Director shall provide,
subject to the availability of appropriations, no less than one
regional volunteer coordinator for each United States Fish and
Wildlife Service region to implement the strategy published
under this paragraph. Such coordinators may be responsible for
assisting partner organizations in developing and implementing
volunteer projects and activities under cooperative agreements
under section 7(d) of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16
U.S.C. 742f(d)).''; and
(4) in paragraph (4), by striking ``for for each fiscal year
through fiscal year 2009'' and inserting ``for each fiscal year
through fiscal year 2014''.
SEC. 4. VOLUNTEER, COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS
REPORT.
(a) In General.--Section 7 of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16
U.S.C. 742f(e)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (f) (as amended by this Act) as
subsection (g); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (e) the following new
subsection:
``(f) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this subsection and every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary of the
Interior shall submit a report to the Committee on Natural Resources of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Environment and
Public Works of the Senate--
``(1) evaluating the accomplishments of the volunteer program,
the community partnerships program, and the refuge education
programs authorized under this section, and of the National
Volunteer Coordination Program and volunteer coordination strategy
under section 4(a) of the National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer
and Community Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998 (16 U.S.C. 742f-
1); and
``(2) making recommendations to improve the effectiveness of
such programs, including regarding implementing subparagraphs (A),
(B), and (C) of paragraph (1) of subsection (e).''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 4(a) of the National Wildlife
Refuge System Volunteer and Community Partnership Enhancement Act of
1998 (16 U.S.C. 742f-1) is further amended by striking paragraph (3),
and by redesignating paragraph (4) (as amended by this Act) as
paragraph (3).
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.