Pub.L. 108-132 Making appropriations for military construction, family housing, and base realignment and closure for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, and for other purposes. <> %%F...

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[[Page 117 STAT. 1372]]

Public Law 108-131
108th Congress

                                 An Act


 
 To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the property in 
  Cecil County, Maryland, known as Garrett Island for inclusion in the 
  Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. <<NOTE: Nov. 22, 2003 -  [H.R. 
                                 274]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress <<NOTE: Blackwater National 
Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act. 16 USC 668dd note.>> assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

     This Act may be cited as the ``Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge 
Expansion Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

     The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Garrett Island, located at the mouth of the Susquehanna 
        River in Cecil County, Maryland, is a microcosm of the geology 
        and geography of the region, including hard rock piedmont, 
        coastal plain, and volcanic formations.
            (2) Garrett Island is the only rocky island in the tidal 
        waters of the Chesapeake.
            (3) Garrett Island and adjacent waters provide high-quality 
        habitat for bird and fish species.
            (4) Garrett Island contains significant archaeological sites 
        reflecting human history and prehistory of the region.

SEC. 3. AUTHORITY TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY FOR INCLUSION IN THE BLACKWATER 
            NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.

    (a) Acquisition.--The Secretary of the Interior may use otherwise 
available amounts to acquire the area known as Garrett Island, 
consisting of approximately 198 acres located at the mouth of the 
Susquehanna River in Cecil County, Maryland.
    (b) Administration.--Lands and interests acquired by the United 
States under this section shall be managed by the Secretary as the 
Garrett Island Unit of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.
    (c) Purposes.--The purposes for which the Garrett Island Unit is 
established and shall be managed are the following:
            (1) To support the Delmarva Conservation Corridor 
        Demonstration Program.
            (2) To conserve, restore, and manage habitats as necessary 
        to contribute to the migratory bird populations prevalent in the 
        Atlantic Flyway.
            (3) To conserve, restore, and manage the significant aquatic 
        resource values associated with submerged land adjacent to the 
        unit and to achieve the habitat objectives of the agreement 
        known as the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement.

[[Page 117 STAT. 1373]]

            (4) To conserve the archaeological resources on the unit.
            (5) To provide public access to the unit in a manner that 
        does not adversely impact natural resources on and around the 
        unit.

    Approved November 22, 2003.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 274:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

SENATE REPORTS: No. 108-180 (Comm. on Environment and Public Works).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 149 (2003):
            Apr. 29, considered and passed House.
            Nov. 7, considered and passed Senate.

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