112 STAT. 1574 PUBLIC LAW 105-242—OCT. 5, 1998 Public Law 105-242 105th Congress An Act r\tK1QQ« '^^ amend the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to promote volunteer programs and '— community partnerships for the benefit of national wildlife refuges, and for other [H.R. 1856] purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of National Wildlife the United States of America in Congress assembled, Refuge System Volunteer and SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. Partnership This Act may be cited as the "National Wildlife Refuge System Enhancement Volunteer and Community Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998". Act of 1998. 16 USC 742a SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 16 USC 742f (a) FINDINGS. —Congress finds that— note. (1) the National Wildlife Refuge System (referred to in this Act as the "System"), consisting of more than 500 refuges and 93,000,000 acres, plays an integral role in the protection of the natural resources of the United States; (2) the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-57; 111 Stat. 1252) significantly improved the law governing the System, although the financial resources for implementing this law and managing the System remain limited; (3) by encouraging volunteer programs and donations, and facilitating non-Federal partnerships with refuges. Federal funding for the refuges can be supplemented and the System can fully benefit from the amendments made by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997; and (4) by encouraging refuge educational programs, public awareness of the resources of the System and public participation in the conservation of those resources can be promoted. (b) PURPOSES. —The purposes of this Act are— (1) to encourage the use of volunteers to assist the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in the management of refuges within the System; (2) to facilitate partnerships between the System and non- Federal entities to promote public awareness of the resources of the System and public participation in the conservation of those resources; and (3) to encourage donations and other contributions by persons and organizations to the System. SEC. 3. GIFTS TO PARTICULAR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES. Section 7(b)(2) of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f (b)(2)) is amended— (1) by striking "(2) Any" and inserting the following:
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