[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 471 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 471

  To establish a new area study process for proposed additions to the 
             National Park System, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

               March 2 (legislative day, January 5), 1993

  Mr. Wallop introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish a new area study process for proposed additions to the 
             National Park System, and for other purposes.

    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 ``New Parks Study Act'' of 1993.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act:
            (1) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the 
        Interior.

SEC. 3. NEW AREA STUDIES FOR POTENTIAL ADDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL PARK 
              SYSTEM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall undertake and submit to the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and Committee on 
Appropriations of the United States Senate and to the appropriate 
committees of the House of Representatives reports on such new area 
studies or park expansion studies as are herein or may hereafter be 
authorized by Congress for the purpose of determining the feasibility 
and suitability of designating such areas (including boundary expansion 
of existing units) for addition to the National Park System and any 
feasible alternatives to such action. The Secretary shall undertake 
site specific and, where appropriate, thematic studies in preparing 
such reports. All such studies shall be made in consultation with 
affected agencies at the Federal, State, and local levels, public and 
private organizations and concerned landowners and users.
    (b) Factors.--All new area or expansion studies referred to in this 
section shall consider each of the following--
            (1) whether the resource is nationally significant, 
        including, but not limited to, an evaluation of the area's 
        uniqueness,
            (2) whether similar resources are already protected in the 
        National Park System, or by other public or private ownership 
        and the degree to which such protection would achieve the 
        purposes sought by inclusion of such resource within the 
        National Park System,
            (3) whether the unit is of appropriate configuration to 
        ensure long-term resource protection and visitor use,
            (4) the extent of nonconforming existing or potential uses 
        that may compromise management as a unit of the System,
            (5) whether any other management entity other than the 
        National Park Service would be more appropriate,
            (6) public use potential,
            (7) resource integrity,
            (8) the cost of land acquisition and development, and 
        annual cost for operation and maintenance, and
            (9) any other factors deemed appropriate by the Secretary.
    (c) Reports to Congress.--Within eighteen months after the date 
that funds are made available for the study of an area the Secretary 
shall transmit to the Congress a report of such study that specifically 
addresses all of the factors required to be considered under subsection 
(b). Each such report shall indicate the suitability and feasibility of 
authorizing the area as a unit or expanding an existing unit of the 
National Park System and any feasible alternative to such action. In 
transmitting the report, the Secretary shall identify the preferred 
alternative and also discuss any outstanding contentious issues related 
to each alternative considered.

SEC. 4. PRIORITY LIST OF POTENTIAL PARK SYSTEM ADDITIONS.

    (a) List.--The National Park Service shall develop and maintain a 
single list of potential additions (including major expansion 
proposals) in order of their numerical priority for potential addition 
to the National Park System. This list shall be initially comprised of 
areas for which the agency has completed adequate studies which are 
consistent with section 3. The list shall be updated and republished at 
least every two years to reflect studies completed under the provisions 
of this act.
    (b) Establishing Priorities.--In addition to the factors referred 
to in section 3(b), the Secretary shall consider each of the following 
in establishing the numerical priorities for inclusion of new areas or 
expansion of existing units in the National Park System--
            (1) imminence of any threats to the resource or nature of 
        ongoing degradation,
            (2) extent to which similar resources are protected in the 
        National Park System or by any other entity,
            (3) the numerical priority of land acquisition for the 
        proposed new area or addition relative to the numerical 
        priorities of authorized but unacquired lands for existing 
        units,
            (4) the numerical priority of development and operation of 
        the new area or addition relative to other proposed additions 
        and existing units,
            (5) the level of local and general public support, and
            (6) any other factors deemed appropriate by the Secretary.
    (c) Transmission of Priority List to Congress.--At the beginning of 
each Congress, the Secretary shall transmit to the Speaker of the House 
of Representatives and to the President of the Senate, a copy of the 
most recent numerical priority list prepared under this section. In 
addition, the Secretary is encouraged to periodically transmit any 
recommendations for new area studies (including expansion proposals) 
which he deems appropriate. Such recommendations should be based on an 
objective preliminary review of such proposals.

SEC. 5. REPEAL OF EXISTING STATUTE.

    Section 8 of the Act entitled ``An Act to improve the 
Administration of the national park system by the Secretary of the 
Interior, and to clarify the authorities applicable to the system, and 
for other purposes'', approved August 18, 1970 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5), is 
amended by striking out the first through the seventh sentences of 
subsection (a).

SEC. 6. CLARIFICATION OF EXISTING STATUTE.

    Section 1215(b) of Public Law 101-628 is amended by inserting ``, 
one single document in numerical order,'' after the words ``A priority 
listing''.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act.

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