Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 120.djvu/2110

 PUBLIC LAW 109–363—OCT. 17, 2006

120 STAT. 2079

(2) shall be administered by the Secretary in accordance with— (A) the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.); (B) the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge Establishment Act; and (C) this Act.

TITLE VI—CHERRY VALLEY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge Study Act.

SEC. 601. SHORT TITLE.

This title may be cited as the ‘‘Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge Study Act’’. SEC. 602. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds the following: (1) The scenic Cherry Valley area of Northeastern Pennsylvania is blessed with more than 80 special-concern animal and plant species and natural habitats. (2) In a preliminary assessment of Cherry Valley, United States Fish and Wildlife Service biologists ranked Cherry Valley very high as a potential national wildlife refuge. (3) Six species that are listed as endangered species or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) have been documented within or near Cherry Valley: The bog turtle (possibly the most significant population of the listed subspecies), the dwarf wedge mussel, the northeastern bulrush, the small whorled pogonia, the bald eagle, and the Indiana bat (a historic resident, with efforts under way to re-establish favorable conditions). (4) Cherry Valley provides habitat for at least 79 species of national or regional concern, which either nest in Cherry Valley or migrate through the area during critical times in their life cycle, including— (A) neo-tropical migratory birds such as the Cerulean Warbler, the Worm-eating Warbler, and the Wood Thrush, all of which nest in Cherry Valley; (B) waterfowl such as the American Black Duck; (C) several globally rare plants, such as the spreading globeflower; and (D) anadromous fish species. (5) The Cherry Valley watershed encompasses a large segment of the Kittatinny Ridge, an important migration route for birds of prey throughout the Northeastern United States. Every migratory raptor species in the Northeast is regularly observed along the Kittatinny Ridge during the autumnal migration, including the bald eagle, the golden eagle, and the broad-winged hawk. (6) The Kittatinny Ridge also includes a long segment of the Appalachian Trail, a nationally significant natural-cultural-recreational feature. (7) Many of the significant wildlife habitats found in the Cherry Valley, especially the rare calcareous wetlands, have disappeared from other localities in their range.

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