S 191

S 191 IS

To amend the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act of 2000 to explain the purpose and provide for the administration of the Baca National Wildlife Refuge.

January 8, 2009

Mr. SALAZAR (for himself and Mr. UDALL of Colorado) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

To amend the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act of 2000 to explain the purpose and provide for the administration of the Baca National Wildlife Refuge.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PURPOSE AND MANAGEMENT OF THE BACA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.

Section 6 of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 410hhh-4) is amended--

(1) in subsection (a)--

(A) by striking ‘(a) Establishment- (1) When’ and inserting the following:

‘(a) Establishment and Purpose-

‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT-

‘(A) IN GENERAL- When’;

(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘(2) Such establishment’ and inserting the following:

‘(B) EFFECTIVE DATE- The establishment of the refuge under subparagraph (A)’; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

‘(2) PURPOSE- The purpose of the Baca National Wildlife Refuge shall be to restore, enhance, and maintain wetland, upland, riparian, and other habitats for native wildlife, plant, and fish species in the San Luis Valley.’;

(2) in subsection (c)--

(A) by striking ‘The Secretary’ and inserting the following:

‘(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary’; and

(B) by adding at the end the following:

‘(2) REQUIREMENTS- In administering the Baca National Wildlife Refuge, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable--

‘(A) emphasize migratory bird conservation; and

‘(B) take into consideration the role of the Refuge in broader landscape conservation efforts.’; and

(3) in subsection (d)--

(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘and’ at the end;

(B) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and inserting ‘; and’; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

‘(3) subject to any agreement in existence as of the date of enactment of this paragraph, and to the extent consistent with the purposes of the Refuge, use decreed water rights on the Refuge in approximately the same manner that the water rights have been used historically.’.