[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 972 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
Union Calendar No. 216
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 972
[Report No. 117-294]
To establish the Western Riverside County Wildlife Refuge, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 11, 2021
Mr. Calvert (for himself and Mr. Takano) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
April 25, 2022
Additional sponsor: Mr. Aguilar
April 25, 2022
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources; committed to the
Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to
be printed
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Western Riverside County Wildlife Refuge, 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 ``Wildlife Refuge Conservation and
Recreation for the Community Act''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF WESTERN RIVERSIDE COUNTY NATIONAL WILDLIFE
REFUGE.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior (in this section
referred to as the ``Secretary''), acting through the United States
Fish and Wildlife Service, shall establish as a national wildlife
refuge the lands, waters, and interests therein acquired under
subsection (g). The national wildlife refuge shall be known as the
``Western Riverside County National Wildlife Refuge'' (in this section
referred to as the ``Wildlife Refuge'').
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Wildlife Refuge shall be--
(1) to conserve, manage, and restore wildlife habitats for
the benefit of present and future generations of Americans;
(2) to conserve species listed as threatened or endangered
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.) or the California Endangered Species Act (California Fish
and Game Code 2050-2068), or which is a covered species under
the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat
Conservation Plan;
(3) to support the recovery and protection of threatened
and endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); and
(4) to provide for wildlife habitat connectivity and
migratory corridors within the Western Riverside County
Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan Area.
(c) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the
Secretary shall seek to acquire land, water, or interests therein
(including conservation easements), or sufficient to satisfy the goals
established in the Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan, within
the acquisition boundaries pursuant to this section, including but not
limited to those which have been heretofore or may be hereinafter
acquired by the Western Riverside County Regional Conservation
Authority for Purposes of the Multiple Species Habitat Conservation
Plan.
(d) Notification of Establishment.--The Secretary shall publish
notice of the establishment of the Wildlife Refuge in the Federal
Register.
(e) Acquisition Boundaries.--The Secretary shall establish the
acquisition boundaries of the Wildlife Refuge as the lands and waters
within the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat
Conservation Plan Area (as depicted on maps and described in the Final
Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan
dated June 17, 2003).
(f) Administration.--
(1) In general.--Upon the establishment of the Wildlife
Refuge and thereafter, the Secretary shall administer all
federally owned lands, waters, and interests in the Wildlife
Refuge in accordance with the National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.) and this
section. The Secretary may use such additional statutory
authority as may be available to the Secretary for the
conservation, management, recovery and restoration of fish and
wildlife and habitat, the development of compatible wildlife
dependent outdoor recreation opportunities, and the
facilitation of fish and wildlife interpretation and education
as the Secretary considers appropriate to carry out the
purposes of this section and serve the objectives of the
Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation
Plan.
(2) Cooperative agreements regarding non-federal lands.--
The Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with the
State of California, any political subdivision thereof, or any
other person--
(A) for the management, in a manner consistent with
this section and the Western Riverside County Multiple
Species Habitat Conservation Plan, of lands that are
owned by such State, subdivision, or other person and
located within the acquisition boundaries of the
Wildlife Refuge;
(B) to promote public awareness of the natural
resources of the Western Riverside County Multiple
Species Habitat Conservation Plan Area; or
(C) to encourage public participation in the
conservation of those resources.
(g) Acquisition and Transfers of Lands and Waters for Wildlife
Refuge.--
(1) Acquisitions.--The Secretary shall acquire by donation,
purchase with appropriated funds, or exchange such lands and
waters, or interests therein (including conservation
easements), as they become available, that will achieve the
purposes of subsection (b), within the acquisition boundaries
of the Wildlife Refuge, except that the lands, waters, and
interests therein owned by the State of California and its
political subdivisions may be acquired only by donation.
(2) Transfers.--
(A) In general.--The head of any Federal department
or agency, including any agency within the Department
of the Interior, that has jurisdiction of any Federal
property located within the boundaries of the Wildlife
Refuge as described by this section shall, not later
than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this
Act, submit to the Secretary an assessment of the
suitability of such property for inclusion in the
Wildlife Refuge.
(B) Assessment.--Any assessment under subparagraph
(A) shall include--
(i) parcel descriptions and best existing
land surveys for such property;
(ii) a list of existing special
reservations designations, or purposes of the
property;
(iii) a list of all known or suspected
hazardous substance contamination of such
property, and any facilities, surface water, or
groundwater on such property;
(iv) the status of withdrawal of such
property from--
(I) the Mineral Leasing Act (30
U.S.C. 181 et seq.); and
(II) the General Mining Act of 1872
(30 U.S.C. 22 et seq.); and
(v) a recommendation as to whether such
property is or is not suitable for inclusion in
the Wildlife Refuge, and the reasons supporting
the recommendation.
(C) Inclusion in wildlife refuge.--
(i) In general.--The Secretary shall, not
later than 60 days after receiving an
assessment submitted pursuant to subparagraph
(A), determine if the property described in
such assessment is suitable for inclusion in
the Wildlife Refuge.
(ii) Transfer.--If the Secretary determines
the property in an assessment submitted under
subparagraph (A) is suitable for inclusion in
the Wildlife Refuge, the head of the Federal
department or agency that has jurisdiction of
such property shall transfer such property to
the administrative jurisdiction of the
Secretary for the purposes of this section.
(D) Property unsuitable for inclusion.--Property
determined by the Secretary to be unsuitable for
inclusion in the Wildlife Refuge based on an assessment
submitted under subparagraph (A) shall be subsequently
transferred to the Secretary for purposes of this
section by the head of the department or agency that
has jurisdiction of such property if such property
becomes suitable for inclusion in the Wildlife Refuge
as determined by the Secretary in consultation with the
head of the department or agency that has jurisdiction
of such property.
(E) Public access.--If property transferred to the
Secretary under this paragraph allows for public access
at the time of transfer, such access shall be
maintained unless such access--
(i) would be incompatible with the purposes
of the Wildlife Refuge;
(ii) would jeopardize public health or
safety; or
(iii) must be limited due to emergency
circumstances.
Union Calendar No. 216
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 972
[Report No. 117-294]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Western Riverside County Wildlife Refuge, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
April 25, 2022
Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union
and ordered to be printed