Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 117.djvu/723

 117 STAT. 704

PUBLIC LAW 108–23—MAY 19, 2003

Public Law 108–23 108th Congress An Act May 19, 2003 [H.R. 289] Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex Expansion and Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act. Michigan. Ohio. 16 USC 668dd note.

VerDate 11-MAY-2000

13:45 Aug 26, 2004

To expand the boundaries of the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex and the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.

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 ‘‘Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex Expansion and Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act’’. SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

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Congress finds that— (1) the western basin of Lake Erie, as part of the Great Lakes ecosystem— (A) is the largest freshwater ecosystem in the world; and (B) is vitally important to the economic and environmental future of the United States; (2) over the 30-year period preceding the date of enactment of this Act, the citizens and governmental institutions of the United States and Canada have devoted increasing attention and resources to the restoration of the water quality and fisheries of the Great Lakes, including the western basin; (3) that increased awareness has been accompanied by a gradual shift toward a holistic ecosystem approach that highlights a growing recognition that shoreline areas, commonly referred to as nearshore terrestrial ecosystems, are an integral part of the western basin and the Great Lakes ecosystem; (4) the Great Lakes account for more than 90 percent of the surface freshwater in the United States; (5) the western basin receives approximately 90 percent of its flow from the Detroit River and only approximately 10 percent from tributaries; (6) the western basin is an important ecosystem that includes a number of distinct islands, channels, rivers, and shoals that support dense populations of fish, wildlife, and aquatic plants; (7) coastal wetland of Lake Erie supports the largest diversity of plant and wildlife species in the Great Lakes; (8) because Lake Erie is located at a more southern latitude than other Great Lakes, the moderate climate of Lake Erie is appropriate for many species that are not found in or along the northern Great Lakes;

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