[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4144 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4144

To ensure the protection of natural, cultural, and historical resources 
in Cumberland Island National Seashore and Cumberland Island Wilderness 
                        in the State of Georgia.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 25, 1998

 Mr. Kingston introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                         Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To ensure the protection of natural, cultural, and historical resources 
in Cumberland Island National Seashore and Cumberland Island Wilderness 
                        in the State of Georgia.

    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 ``Cumberland Island Preservation 
Act''.

SEC. 2. CUMBERLAND ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE AND CUMBERLAND ISLAND 
              WILDERNESS, GEORGIA.

    (a) Boundary Adjustments for Land Exchange.--
            (1) Exclusion of conveyed lands.--If the proposed land 
        exchange described in subsection (b) is agreed to by the 
        Secretary of the Interior, any lands to be conveyed by the 
        United States as part of the land exchange shall be excluded 
        from the boundaries of the Cumberland Island Wilderness or 
        potential wilderness area designated by section 2 of Public Law 
        97-250 (96 Stat. 709; 16 U.S.C. 1132 note).
            (2) Inclusion of acquired lands.--All lands acquired by the 
        United States as part of the land exchange described in 
        subsection (b) shall be included in, and managed as part of, 
        the Cumberland Island Wilderness designated by section 2 of 
        Public Law 97-250 (96 Stat. 709; 16 U.S.C. 1132 note). Upon 
        acquisition of the lands, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
        adjust the boundaries of the Cumberland Island Wilderness to 
        include the acquired lands.
    (b) Description of Land Exchange.--The land exchange referred to in 
subsection (a) is a land exchange with regard to Cumberland Island 
National Seashore, which is established under Public Law 92-536 (16 
U.S.C. 459i et seq.), and Cumberland Island Wilderness that is being 
negotiated by the Secretary of the Interior with the Nature Conservancy 
and High Point, Inc., for the purpose of acquiring privately owned 
lands on Cumberland Island, which have substantial wilderness 
characteristics, in exchange for Federal lands located at the north end 
of the island.
    (c) Treatment of Main Road.--
            (1) Findings.--The main road at Cumberland Island National 
        Seashore is included on the register of national historic 
        places. The continued existence and use of the main road, as 
        well as a spur road that provides access to Plum Orchard 
        mansion at Cumberland Island National Seashore, is necessary 
        for maintenance and access to the natural, cultural, and 
        historical resources of Cumberland Island National Seashore. 
        The inclusion of these roads both on the register of national 
        historic places and in the Cumberland Island Wilderness or 
        potential wilderness area is incompatible and causes competing 
        mandates on the Secretary of the Interior for management.
            (2) Exclusion from wilderness.--The main road on Cumberland 
        Island (as described on the register of national historic 
        places), the spur road that provides access to Plum Orchard 
        mansion, and such limited area on each side of these roads as 
        the Secretary of the Interior considers necessary, are hereby 
        excluded from the boundaries of the Cumberland Island 
        Wilderness and the potential wilderness area designated by 
        section 2 of Public Law 97-250 (96 Stat. 709; 16 U.S.C. 1132 
        note).
            (3) Effect of exclusion.--Nothing in this subsection shall 
        be construed to affect the inclusion of the main road on the 
        register of national historic places or the authority of the 
        Secretary of the Interior to impose reasonable restrictions on 
        the use of the main road or spur road to minimize any adverse 
        impacts on the Cumberland Island Wilderness or potential 
        wilderness area.
    (d) Restoration of Plum Orchard Mansion.--
            (1) Restoration required.--Using funds appropriated 
        pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in paragraph 
        (4), the Secretary of the Interior shall restore Plum Orchard 
        mansion at Cumberland Island National Seashore so that the 
        condition of the restored mansion is at least equal to the 
        condition of the mansion when it was donated to the United 
        States. The Secretary may also accept donations of money and 
        in-kind contributions for the purpose of restoring the mansion.
            (2) Subsequent maintenance.--The Secretary of the Interior 
        shall endeavor to enter into an agreement with public and 
        private persons to provide for the maintenance of Plum Orchard 
        mansion following its restoration.
            (3) Restoration plan.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the 
        Interior shall submit to Congress a comprehensive plan for the 
        repair, stabilization, and restoration of Plum Orchard mansion 
        to the condition the mansion was in when acquired by the United 
        States.
            (4) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated such sums as are necessary for the 
        restoration of Plum Orchard mansion under paragraph (1).
    (e) Archaeological and Historic Sites.--The Secretary of the 
Interior shall identify, document, and protect archaeological sites 
located on Federal land within Cumberland Island National Seashore. The 
Secretary shall prepare and implement a plan to preserve designated 
national historic sites within the seashore.
    (f) Designation of Additional Wilderness Area.--
            (1) Designation.--In furtherance of the purposes of the 
        Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), a parcel of Federal 
        lands within Cumberland Island National Seashore, which 
        comprises approximately ____ acres on the southern portion of 
        Cumberland Island, as depicted on the map entitled ``Cumberland 
        Island Wilderness Addition, Proposed'', dated ________, 1998, 
        is hereby designated as wilderness and therefore as a component 
        of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
            (2) Administration.--The parcel designated by paragraph (1) 
        shall be administered by the Secretary of the Interior in 
        accordance with the Wilderness Act as part of the Cumberland 
        Island Wilderness designated by section 2 of Public Law 97-250 
        (96 Stat. 709; 16 U.S.C. 1132 note). The Secretary shall adjust 
        the boundaries of the Cumberland Island Wilderness to include 
        the parcel.
            (3) Existing rights and uses.--The designation of the 
        wilderness area under paragraph (1) shall be subject to valid 
        existing rights and pre-existing uses of the designated parcel.
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