[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1696 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1696

 To honor agreements reached in the acquisition of Santa Rosa Island, 
               California, by the National Park Service.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 21, 1997

  Mr. Radanovich (for himself and Mr. Young of Alaska) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To honor agreements reached in the acquisition of Santa Rosa Island, 
               California, by the National Park Service.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SANTA ROSA ISLAND SPECIAL USE PERMITS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds and declares the following:
            (1) Channel Islands National Park was established in 1980 
        by Public Law 96-199, and Santa Rosa Island, California, was 
        acquired by the National Park Service for inclusion in Channel 
        Islands National Park in 1986.
            (2) Vail & Vickers, Inc., a corporation established under 
        the laws of the State of California, has owned and operated a 
        viable ranch and hunting operation on Santa Rosa Island since 
        1902 and has proven itself to be an excellent steward of the 
        land.
            (3) When Channel Islands National Park was expanded to 
        include Santa Rosa Island, Vail & Vickers, Inc. was repeatedly 
        promised and assured that it would be allowed to maintain its 
        historic operation for 25 years.
            (4) When the Federal Government acquired Santa Rosa Island 
        from Vail & Vickers, Inc., in 1986, Vail & Vickers, Inc. was 
        again assured it could maintain its historic operation for 25 
        years until 2011.
            (5) The National Park Service has recently released a 
        resources management plan for Santa Rosa Island which, if 
        implemented, would violate the assurances made to Vail & 
        Vickers, Inc. and terminate its historic operation.
    (b) National Park Service Management Plan.--Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, the National Park Service shall reissue Special 
Use Permit Number WRO-8120-2600-001 with an expiration date of December 
29, 2011.
    (c) National Park Service Property Acquisition Commitments.--It 
shall be the policy of the National Park Service to seek to honor all 
commitments made, during the acquisition of property by the Service, 
between the Service and the person from whom the property is acquired, 
including any commitment by the Service to reissue a special use permit 
except to the extent the permit holder and the Service agree to revise 
the commitment.
                                 <all>