[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1256 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1256

  To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide funds to the 
  Palisades Interstate Park Commission for acquisition of land in the 
 Sterling Forest area of the New York/New Jersey Highlands Region, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 15, 1995

 Mr. Torricelli (for himself, Mr. Hinchey, and Mr. Gilman) introduced 
  the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide funds to the 
  Palisades Interstate Park Commission for acquisition of land in the 
 Sterling Forest area of the New York/New Jersey Highlands Region, 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 ``Sterling Forest Protection Act of 
1995''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) the Palisades Interstate Park Commission was 
        established pursuant to a joint resolution of the 75th Congress 
        approved in 1937 (Public Resolution No. 65; ch. 706; 50 Stat. 
        719), and chapter 170 of the Laws of 1937 of the State of New 
        York and chapter 148 of the Laws of 1937 of the State of New 
        Jersey;
            (2) the Palisades Interstate Park Commission is responsible 
        for the management of 23 parks and historic sites in New York 
        and New Jersey, comprising over 82,000 acres;
            (3) over 8,000,000 visitors annually seek outdoor 
        recreational opportunities within the Palisades Park System;
            (4) Sterling Forest is a biologically diverse open space on 
        the New Jersey border comprising approximately 17,500 acres, 
        and is a highly significant watershed area for the State of New 
        Jersey, providing the source for clean drinking water for 25 
        percent of the State;
            (5) Sterling Forest is an important outdoor recreational 
        asset in the northeastern United States, within the most 
        densely populated metropolitan region in the Nation;
            (6) Sterling Forest supports a mixture of hardwood forests, 
        wetlands, lakes, glaciated valleys, is strategically located on 
        a wildlife migratory route, and provides important habitat for 
        27 rare or endangered species;
            (7) the protection of Sterling Forest would greatly enhance 
        the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, a portion of which 
        passes through Sterling Forest, and would provide for enhanced 
        recreational opportunities through the protection of lands 
        which are an integral element of the trail and which would 
        protect important trail viewsheds;
            (8) stewardship and management costs for units of the 
        Palisades Park System are paid for by the States of New York 
        and New Jersey; thus, the protection of Sterling Forest through 
        the Palisades Interstate Park Commission will involve a minimum 
        of Federal funds;
            (9) given the nationally significant watershed, outdoor 
        recreational, and wildlife qualities of Sterling Forest, the 
        demand for open space in the northeastern United States, and 
        the lack of open space in the densely populated tri-state 
        region, there is a clear Federal interest in acquiring the 
        Sterling Forest for permanent protection of the watershed, 
        outdoor recreational resources, flora and fauna, and open 
        space; and
            (10) such an acquisition would represent a cost effective 
        investment, as compared with the costs that would be incurred 
        to protect drinking water for the region should the Sterling 
        Forest be developed.

SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to establish the Sterling Forest Reserve in the State 
        of New York to protect the significant watershed, wildlife, and 
        recreational resources within the New York-New Jersey highlands 
        region;
            (2) to authorize Federal funding, through the Department of 
        the Interior, for a portion of the acquisition costs for the 
        Sterling Forest Reserve;
            (3) to direct the Palisades Interstate Park Commission to 
        convey to the Secretary of the Interior certain interests in 
        lands acquired within the Reserve; and
            (4) to provide for the management of the Sterling Forest 
        Reserve by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the 
        Palisades Interstate Park Commission established pursuant to 
        Public Resolution No. 65 approved August 19, 1937 (ch. 707; 50 
        Stat. 719).
            (2) Reserve.--The term ``Reserve'' means the Sterling 
        Forest Reserve.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.

SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE STERLING FOREST RESERVE.

    (a) Establishment.--Upon the certification by the Commission to the 
Secretary that the Commission has acquired sufficient lands or 
interests therein to constitute a manageable unit, there is established 
the Sterling Forest Reserve in the State of New York.
    (b) Map.--
            (1) Composition.--The Reserve shall consist of lands and 
        interests therein acquired by the Commission within the 
        approximately 17,500 acres of lands as generally depicted on 
        the map entitled ``Boundary Map, Sterling Forest Reserve'', 
        numbered SFR-60,001 and dated July 1, 1994.
            (2) Availability for public inspection.--The map described 
        in paragraph (1) shall be on file and available for public 
        inspection in the offices of the Commission and the appropriate 
        offices of the National Park Service.
    (c) Transfer of Funds.--Subject to subsection (d), the Secretary 
shall transfer to the Commission such funds as are appropriated for the 
acquisition of lands and interests therein within the Reserve.
    (d) Conditions of Funding.--
            (1) Agreement by the commission.--Prior to the receipt of 
        any Federal funds authorized by this Act, the Commission shall 
        agree to the following:
                    (A) Conveyance of lands in event of failure to 
                manage.--If the Commission fails to manage the lands 
                acquired within the Reserve in a manner that is 
                consistent with this Act, the Commission shall convey 
                fee title to such lands to the United States, and the 
                agreement stated in this subparagraph shall be recorded 
                at the time of purchase of all lands acquired within 
                the Reserve.
                    (B) Consent of owners.--No lands or interest in 
                land may be acquired with any Federal funds authorized 
                or transferred pursuant to this Act except with the 
                consent of the owner of the land or interest in land.
                    (C) Inability to acquire lands.--If the Commission 
                is unable to acquire all of the lands within the 
                Reserve, to the extent Federal funds are utilized 
                pursuant to this Act, the Commission shall acquire all 
                or a portion of the lands identified as ``National Park 
                Service Wilderness Easement Lands'' and ``National Park 
                Service Conservation Easement Lands'' on the map 
                described in section 5(b) before proceeding with the 
                acquisition of any other lands within the Reserve.
                    (D) Conveyance of easement.--Within 30 days after 
                acquiring any of the lands identified as ``National 
                Park Service Wilderness Easement Lands'' and ``National 
                Park Service Conservation Easement Lands'' on the map 
                described in section 5(b), the Commission shall convey 
                to the United States--
                            (i) conservation easements on the lands 
                        described as ``National Park Service Wilderness 
                        Easement Lands'' on the map described in 
                        section 5(b), which easements shall provide 
                        that the lands shall be managed to protect 
                        their wilderness character; and
                            (ii) conservation easements on the lands 
                        described as ``National Park Service 
                        Conservation Easement Lands'' on the map 
                        described in section 5(b), which easements 
                        shall restrict and limit development and use of 
                        the property to that development and use that 
                        is--
                                    (I) compatible with the protection 
                                of the Appalachian National Scenic 
                                Trail; and
                                    (II) consistent with the general 
                                management plan prepared pursuant to 
                                section 6(b).
            (2) Matching funds.--Funds may be transferred to the 
        Commission only to the extent that they are matched from funds 
        contributed by non-Federal sources.

SEC. 6. MANAGEMENT OF THE RESERVE.

    (a) In General.--The Commission shall manage the lands acquired 
within the Reserve in a manner that is consistent with the Commission's 
authorities and with the purposes of this Act.
    (b) General Management Plan.--Within 3 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall prepare a general 
management plan for the Reserve and submit the plan to the Secretary 
for approval.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as are necessary to carry out this Act, to remain available until 
expended.
    (b) Land Acquisition.--Of amounts appropriated pursuant to 
subsection (a), the Secretary may transfer to the Commission not more 
than $17,500,000 for the acquisition of lands and interests in land 
within the Reserve.

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