[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1728 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1728

To provide for the development of a plan and a management review of the 
   National Park System and to reform the process by which areas are 
  considered for addition to the National Park System, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 22, 1997

 Mr. Hefley (for himself and Mr. Vento) introduced the following bill; 
            which was referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for the development of a plan and a management review of the 
   National Park System and to reform the process by which areas are 
  considered for addition 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 ``National Park Service Administrative 
Amendment of 1997''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act:
            (1) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the 
        Interior.
            (2) The term ``Congressional resources committees'' means 
        the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives and 
        the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate.

                    TITLE I--NEW AREA ESTABLISHMENT

SEC. 101. STUDY OF NEW PARK SYSTEM AREAS.

    Section 8 of the Act of August 18, 1970, 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'' (16 U.S.C. 1a-1 and following) is 
amended as follows:
            (1) By inserting ``General Authority.--'' after ``(a)''.
            (2) By striking the second through the sixth sentences of 
        subsection (a).
            (3) By redesignating the last two sentences of subsection 
        (a) as subsection (f) and inserting in the first of such 
        sentences before the words ``For the purposes of carrying'' the 
        following: ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--''.
            (4) By striking subsection (b).
            (5) By inserting the following after subsection (a):
    ``(b) Studies of Areas for Potential Addition.--(1) At the 
beginning of each calendar year, along with the annual budget 
submission, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Resources of 
the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the United States Senate a list of areas recommended for 
study for potential inclusion in the National Park System.
    ``(2) In developing the list to be submitted under this subsection, 
the Secretary shall give consideration to those areas that have the 
greatest potential to meet the established criteria of national 
significance, suitability, and feasibility. The Secretary shall give 
special consideration to themes, sites, and resources not already 
adequately represented in the National Park System as identified in the 
National Park System Plan to be developed under section 101 of the 
National Park System Reform Act of 1995.
    ``(3) No study of the potential of an area for inclusion in the 
National Park System may be initiated after the date of enactment of 
this subsection, except as provided by specific authorization of an Act 
of Congress.
    ``(4) Nothing in this Act shall limit the authority of the National 
Park Service to conduct preliminary resource assessments, gather data 
on potential study areas, provide technical and planning assistance, 
prepare or process nominations for administrative designations, update 
previous studies, or complete reconnaissance surveys of individual 
areas requiring a total expenditure of less than $25,000.
    ``(5) Nothing in this section shall be construed to apply to or to 
affect or alter the study of any river segment for potential addition 
to the national wild and scenic rivers system or to apply to or to 
affect or alter the study of any trail for potential addition to the 
national trails system.
    ``(c) Report.--(1) The Secretary shall complete the study for each 
area for potential inclusion in the National Park System within 3 
complete fiscal years following the date of enactment of specific 
legislation providing for the study of such area. Each study under this 
section shall be prepared with appropriate opportunity for public 
involvement, including at least one public meeting in the vicinity of 
the area under study, and after reasonable efforts to notify 
potentially affected landowners and State and local governments.
    ``(2) In conducting the study, the Secretary shall consider whether 
the area under study--
            ``(A) possesses nationally significant natural or cultural 
        resources, or outstanding, and that the area represents one of 
        the most important examples of a particular resource type in 
        the country; and
            ``(B) is a suitable and feasible addition to the system.
    ``(3) Each study--
            ``(A) shall consider the following factors with regard to 
        the area being studied--
                    (i) the rarity and integrity of the resources;
                    (ii) the threats to those resources;
                    (iii) similar resources are already protected in 
                the National Park System or in other public or private 
                ownership;
                    (iv) the public use potential;
                    (v) the interpretive and educational potential;
                    (vi) costs associated with acquisition, development 
                and operation;
                    (vii) the socioeconomic impacts of any designation;
                    (viii) the level of local and general public 
                support, and
                    (ix) whether the area is of appropriate 
                configuration to ensure long-term resource protection 
                and visitor use;
            ``(B) shall consider whether direct National Park Service 
        management or alternative protection by other public agencies 
        or the private sector is appropriate for the area;
            ``(C) shall identify what alternative or combination of 
        alternatives would in the professional judgment of the Director 
        of the National Park Service be most effective and efficient in 
        protecting significant resources and providing for public 
        enjoyment;
            ``(D) may include any other information which the Secretary 
        deems to be relevant; and
    ``(4) Each study shall be completed in compliance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
    ``(5) The letter transmitting each completed study to Congress 
shall contain a recommendation regarding the Secretary's preferred 
management option for the area.
    ``(d) New Area Study Office.--The Secretary shall establish a 
single office to be assigned to prepare all new area studies and to 
implement other functions of this section.
    ``(e) List of Areas.--At the beginning of each calendar year, along 
with the annual budget submission, the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives and to the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Senate a 
list of areas which have been previously studied which contain 
primarily historical resources, and a list of areas which have been 
previously studied which contain primarily natural resources, in 
numerical order of priority for addition to the National Park System. 
In developing the lists, the Secretary should consider threats to 
resource values, cost escalation factors, and other factors listed in 
subsection (c) of this section. The Secretary should only include on 
the lists areas for which the supporting data is current and 
accurate.''.

SEC. 102. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are hereby authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 to carry 
out the purposes of this title.
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