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HR 2881 102th Congress House

National Wildlife Refuge System Act of 1991

Official title: To amend the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to improve management of the National Wildlife Refuge System, and for other purposes.

Introduced: July 11, 1991 See on congress.gov
Public Lands and Natural Resources Administrative procedureCongressional reporting requirementsManagementPlanningWildlife refuges
This bill died when the 102nd Congress ended
It never became law before the 102nd Congress (1991–1992) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 6, 1992
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Aug 1, 1991
Referred to the Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment.
Aug 1, 1991
Executive Comment Requested from Interior.
Jul 11, 1991
Referred to the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries.
Jul 11, 1991
Introduced in House
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 Latest action May 6, 1992

Subcommittee Hearings Held.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

National Wildlife Refuge System Act of 1991 - Amends the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to set forth new purposes for which the National Wildlife Refuge System shall be administered, including: (1) acquiring, restoring, maintaining, and managing of lands and water to conserve native fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats with special attention focused on endangered species of fish, wildlife, and plants in refuges; and (2) helping to fulfill the international treaty obligations of the United States with respect to fish and wildlife and their habitats. Requires the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to issue regulations governing the manner of finding whether an existing or proposed new use in a refuge is compatible or incompatible with the established purposes of such refuge.

Directs the Secretary to prepare and revise at least once every ten years a comprehensive plan governing the administration of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Requires the Director to: (1) review, within two years of enactment of this Act, cooperative agreements and memoranda of understanding governing refuges not under the primary jurisdiction of the Service; and (2) negotiate modification of terms and conditions with the appropriate agencies, if needed, to achieve the purposes for which the refuges were established.

Directs the Secretary to identify and discontinue incompatible uses of refuges that do not meet established refuge purposes.

Requires annual reports to specified congressional committees, together with one special report, a year after enactment, on: (1) the usefulness of comprehensive planning for individual refuges; and (2) the role of the System in maintaining biological diversity in the United States.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 2881: National Wildlife Refuge System Act of 1991. 102nd Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/102-HR-2881/
MLA
"H.R. 2881: National Wildlife Refuge System Act of 1991." 102nd Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/102-HR-2881/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 2881, 102nd Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/102-HR-2881/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 2881: National Wildlife Refuge System Act of 1991](https://openamerica.io/bill/102-HR-2881/)
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