[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 545 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 545

 To establish the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers National Historical Park in 
             the State of New York, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 4, 1997

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers National Historical Park in 
             the State of New York, 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 ``Hudson and Mohawk Rivers National 
Historical Park Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act--
            (1) Hudson-mohawk area.--The term ``Hudson-Mohawk Area'' 
        means the area made up of the cities of Troy, Cohoes, and 
        Watervliet, the towns of Waterford and Colonie, and the 
        villages of Waterford and Green Island in the State of New 
        York.
            (2) Park.--The term ``park'' means the Hudson and Mohawk 
        Rivers National Historical Park established pursuant to section 
        4(c).
            (3) Sites.--The term ``sites'' means the Harmony Mills 
        National Historic Site and the Kate Mullaney National Historic 
        Site established by sections 4 (a) and (b), respectively.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The area of the confluence of the Hudson and Mohawk 
        Rivers in the State of New York experienced rapid growth and 
        transformation from an agrarian to an industrial area in the 
        early 19th century because of its geographic location, water 
        power, and human creative genius. It has been called the 
        ``Birthplace of America's Industrial Revolution''.
            (2) The cities and villages that make up the Hudson-Mohawk 
        area in the 19th century were commercial and industrial 
        communities that linked New England's markets with other 
        northeastern cities and Europe, and spawned the collar 
        industry, the thriving iron and textile industries, and a 
        diversified economy.
            (3) The transition from an agrarian to industrial society 
        within this area produced dramatically different relationships 
        between workers and employers and historically significant 
        examples of the Americanization of immigrant workers.
            (4) The city of Troy was a leader nationally in the 
        development of trade unions with the Troy union of iron molders 
        being at one time the largest local in America and the Trojan 
        laundry workers organizing the first female union in the 
        Nation.
            (5) Across the Hudson River from Troy in the city of 
        Cohoes, the Harmony Mills complex, America's largest complete 
        cotton mill in its time, made Cohoes a significant example of 
        the company town pervading almost every aspect of the life of 
        the mill workers.
            (6) As a result of the enactment of Public Law 102-101 
        calling for a national labor theme study, the Harmony Mills 
        complex and the Kate Mullaney house, home of the organizer of 
        the first female union in the Nation, were nominated for 
        National Historic Landmark status.
            (7) This area exists today as a reservoir of historic and 
        cultural lands, waterways, and structures revealing the wide 
        diversity of individual and social endeavor associated with the 
        life of the American worker that created a productive urban 
        industrial society.
            (8) Collectively, the resources of this area provide 
        opportunities for illustrating and interpreting cultural themes 
        of the heritage of the United States and unique opportunities 
        for education, public use and enjoyment.
            (9) The seven cities, towns, and villages making up this 
        Hudson-Mohawk area have entered into a cooperative arrangement 
        to manage their valuable cultural resources, and the area has 
        been designated by the State of New York to be one of 14 urban 
        cultural parks to represent industrial development and labor 
        themes in the State's development.
            (10) This area, known as the Hudson-Mohawk Urban Cultural 
        Park or RiverSpark, has been a pioneer in the development of 
        ``partnership parks'' where intergovernmental and public and 
        private partnerships bring about the conservation of its 
        heritage and the attainment of goals for preservation, 
        education, recreation, and economic development.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to preserve and interpret for the benefit, inspiration, 
        and education of the people of the United States significant 
        places illustrative and representative of the legacy of the 
        Hudson-Mohawk area workers;
            (2) to help maintain the integrity of setting in the 
        Hudson-Mohawk area that reveals significant chapters in the 
        story of the American worker;
            (3) through cooperative management, to coordinate the 
        interpretive, preservation, and recreational efforts of 
        Federal, State, and regional entities in the Hudson-Mohawk area 
        in order to enhance opportunities for education, public use, 
        and enjoyment; and
            (4) to broaden public understanding of the Hudson-Mohawk 
        area and its role in American prehistory, history, and culture.

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF SITES AND PARK.

    (a) Harmony Mills National Historic Site.--There is established, as 
a unit of the National Park System, the Harmony Mills National Historic 
Site consisting of a portion of the Harmony Mills complex as depicted 
on the map entitled ``________'' and dated ________.
    (b) Kate Mullaney House National Historic Site.--There is 
established, as a unit of the National Park System, the Kate Mullaney 
National Historic Site consisting of the home of Kate Mullaney located 
at 350-8th Street, City of Troy, State of New York and as generally 
depicted on the map entitled ``________'' and dated ________.
    (c) Hudson and Mohawk Rivers National Historical Park.--
            (1) Establishment.--At such time as the Secretary 
        determines that sufficient lands, improvements, and interests 
        in lands and improvements have been acquired, or at such time 
        as the Secretary has entered into cooperative agreements 
        satisfying the interpretive, preservation, and historical 
        objectives of this Act, the Secretary may establish the Hudson 
        and Mohawk Rivers National Historical Park in the State of New 
        York by publication in the Federal Register of notice of the 
        establishment and a detailed description or map setting forth 
        the lands and improvements included in the park.
            (2) Included lands.--The park shall consist of the sites 
        established by subsections (a) and (b).
            (3) Maps.--The maps referred to in this section shall be on 
        file and available for public inspection in appropriate offices 
        of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

SEC. 5. ACQUISITION OF REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY AND SERVICES.

    (a) Real Property.--The Secretary may acquire the sites and such 
lands and improvements as are necessary for the management and 
operation of the sites.
    (b) Personal Property.--For the purposes of the park, the Secretary 
may acquire historic objects and artifacts and other personal property 
associated with and appropriate for the interpretation of the park.
    (c) Other Property, Funds, and Services.--For the purpose of 
carrying out this Act, the Secretary may accept donated funds, 
property, and services and enter into cooperative agreements with the 
Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation of the State of 
New York, the Department of Environmental Conservation of the State of 
New York, and other appropriate State, county, and local entities and 
individuals, including the Hudson-Mohawk Urban Cultural Park 
Commission, the Hudson-Mohawk Industrial Gateway, the Hudson River 
Valley Greenway Council, and other private museums and institutions.

SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATION OF PARK.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall administer the park in 
accordance with this Act and all laws generally applicable to national 
historic sites, including the Acts entitled ``An Act to establish a 
National Park Service, and for other purposes'', approved August 25, 
1916 (16 U.S.C. 1 et seq.), and ``An Act to provide for the 
preservation of historic American sites, buildings, objects, and 
antiquities of national significance, and for other purposes'', 
approved August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 461 et seq.).
    (b) Preservation and Interpretation.--In administering the park, 
the Secretary shall preserve and interpret the site and preserve and 
perpetuate knowledge and understanding of the park's natural and 
cultural resources.
    (c) In General.--
            (1) Cooperative agreements.--To further the purposes of 
        this Act, the Secretary may consult with and enter into 
        cooperative agreements with the State of New York and other 
        public and private entities. Each agreement shall facilitate 
        the development, presentation, and funding of exhibits and 
        programs and other appropriate activities related to the 
        preservation, development, and use of the park, and encourage 
        an appreciation of the story and traditions inspired by the 
        workers of the Hudson-Mohawk area.
            (2) Technical assistance.--Through agreements, the 
        Secretary may provide technical assistance to cooperating 
        entities described in paragraph (1) for the marking, 
interpretation, restoration, preservation, or interpretation of any 
property listed in section 4.
            (3) Interpretation agreements.--The Secretary may enter 
        into additional cooperative agreements to plan and coordinate 
        the interpretation of the cultural and natural history of the 
        Hudson River Valley region, which provides the context for 
        relating the story of the workers of the Hudson-Mohawk area.
    (d) General Management Plan.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than the end of the second 
        fiscal year that begins after the establishment of the park, 
        the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and 
        Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Resources 
        of the House of Representatives a general management plan for 
        the sites and the park.
            (2) Consultation.--In preparing the plan, the Secretary, 
        acting through the Director of the National Park Service, shall 
        consult with advisors (including representatives of cooperating 
        entities described in subsection (c), representatives of local 
        and municipal interests, nationally recognized historians, 
        scholars, and other experts) concerning the interpretation, 
        preservation, and visitations of, and other issues pertaining 
        to the park and other sites of related historical or scenic 
        significance in the Hudson-Mohawk area.
            (3) Statutory authorities.--The plan shall be prepared in 
        accordance with this subsection and section 12(b) 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-7), and 
        other applicable law.
            (4) Contents.--The plan shall include--
                    (A) recommendations and cost estimates for the 
                identification, marking, interpretation, and 
                preservation of properties associated with the workers 
                of the Hudson-Mohawk area to be carried out through 
                cooperative agreements and other means considered 
                appropriate and practicable;
                    (B) recommendations on ways to broaden public 
                understanding of the Hudson-Mohawk and its role in 
                American prehistory, history, and culture; and
                    (C) recommendations on ways to foster relevant 
                public education, resources preservation, and 
                appropriate levels of regional tourism.
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