[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1998 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 1998

  To authorize an interpretive center and related visitor facilities 
 within the Four Corners Monument Tribal Park, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 28, 1998

 Mr. Hatch (for himself, Mr. Bennett, and Mr. Bingaman) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                             Indian Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize an interpretive center and related visitor facilities 
 within the Four Corners Monument Tribal Park, 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 ``Four Corners Interpretive Center 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the Four Corners Monument is nationally significant as 
        the only geographic location in the United States where 4 State 
        boundaries meet;
            (2) the States with boundaries that meet at the Four 
        Corners area are Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah;
            (3) between 1868 and 1875 the boundary lines that created 
        the Four Corners were drawn, and in 1899 a monument was erected 
        at the site;
            (4) a United States postal stamp will be issued in 1999 to 
        commemorate the centennial of the original boundary marker;
            (5) the Four Corners area is distinct in character and 
        possesses important historical, cultural, and prehistoric 
        values and resources within the surrounding cultural landscape;
            (6) although there are no permanent facilities or utilities 
        at the Four Corners Monument Tribal Park, each year the park 
        attracts approximately 250,000 visitors;
            (7) the area of the Four Corners Monument Tribal Park falls 
        entirely within the Navajo Nation or Ute Mountain Ute Tribe 
        reservations;
            (8) the Navajo Nation and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe have 
        entered into a Memorandum of Understanding governing the 
        planning and future development of the Four Corners Monument 
        Tribal Park;
            (9) in 1992, through agreements executed by the governors 
        of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, the Four Corners 
        Heritage Council was established as a coalition of State, 
        Federal, tribal, and private interests;
            (10) the State of Arizona has obligated $45,000 for 
        planning efforts and $250,000 for construction of an 
        interpretive center at the Four Corners Monument Tribal Park;
            (11) numerous studies and extensive consultation with 
        American Indians have demonstrated that development at the Four 
        Corners Monument Tribal Park would greatly benefit the people 
        of the Navajo Nation and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe;
            (12) the Arizona Department of Transportation has completed 
        preliminary cost estimates that are based on field experience 
        with rest-area development for the construction for a Four 
        Corners Monument Interpretive Center and 
surrounding infrastructure, including restrooms, roadways, parking, 
water, electrical, telephone, and sewage facilities;
            (13) an interpretive center would provide important 
        educational and enrichment opportunities for all Americans; and
            (14) Federal financial assistance and technical expertise 
        are needed for the construction of an interpretive center.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to recognize the importance of the Four Corners 
        Monument and surrounding landscape as a distinct area in the 
        heritage of the United States that is worthy of interpretation 
        and preservation;
            (2) to assist the Navajo Nation and the Ute Mountain Ute 
        Tribe in establishing the Four Corners Interpretive Center and 
        related facilities to meet the needs of the general public;
            (3) to highlight and showcase the collaborative resource 
        stewardship of private individuals, Indian tribes, 
        universities, federal agencies, and the governments of States 
        and political subdivisions thereof (including counties); and
            (4) to promote knowledge of the life, art, culture, 
        politics, and history of the culturally diverse groups of the 
        Four Corners region.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act:
            (1) Center.--The term ``Center'' means the Four Corners 
        Interpretive Center established under section 4, including 
        restrooms, parking areas, vendor facilities, sidewalks, 
        utilities, exhibits, and other visitor facilities.
            (2) Four corners heritage council.--The term ``Four Corners 
        Heritage Council'' means the nonprofit coalition of Federal, 
        State, and tribal entities established in 1992 by agreements of 
        the Governors of the States of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, 
        and Utah.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (4) Recipient.--The term ``Recipient'' means the State of 
        Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, or Utah, or any consortium of 
        two or more of these states.
            (5) Four corners monument.--The term ``Four Corners 
        Monument'' means the physical monument where the boundaries of 
        the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet.
            (6) Four corners monument tribal park.--The term ``Four 
        Corners Monument Tribal Park'' means lands within the legally 
        defined boundary of the Four Corners Monument Tribal Park.

SEC. 4. FOUR CORNERS MONUMENT INTERPRETIVE CENTER.

    (a) Establishment.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, 
the Secretary is authorized to establish within the boundaries of the 
Four Corners Monument Tribal Park a center for the interpretation and 
commemoration of the Four Corners Monument, to be known as the ``Four 
Corners Interpretive Center''.
    (b) Land for the Center shall be designated and made available by 
the Navajo Nation or the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe within the boundary of 
the Four Corners Monument Tribal Park in consultation with the Four 
Corners Heritage Council and in accordance with--
            (1) the memorandum of understanding between the Navajo 
        Nation and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe that was entered into on 
October 22, 1996; and
            (2) applicable supplemental agreements with the Bureau of 
        Land Management, the National Park Service, the United States 
        Forest Service.
    (c) Concurrence.--Nothwithstanding any other provision of this act, 
no such center shall be established without the consent of the Navajo 
Nation and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.
    (d) Components of Center.--The Center shall include--
            (1) a location for permanent and temporary exhibits 
        depicting the archaeological, cultural, and natural heritage of 
        the Four Corners region;
            (2) a venue for public education programs;
            (3) a location to highlight the importance of efforts to 
        preserve southwestern archaeological sites and museum 
        collections;
            (4) a location to provide information to the general public 
        about cultural and natural resources, parks, museums, and 
        travel in the Four Corners region; and
            (5) visitor amenities including restrooms, public 
        telephones, and other basic facilities.

SEC. 5. CONSTRUCTION GRANT.

    (a) Grant.--The Secretary is authorized to award a Federal grant to 
the recipient described in section 3(4) for up to 50 percent of the 
cost to construct the Center. To be eligible for the grant, the 
recipient shall provide assurances that--
            (1) the non-Federal share of the costs of construction is 
        paid from non-Federal sources. The non-Federal sources may 
        include contributions made by States, private sources, the 
        Navajo Nation and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe for planning, 
        design, construction, furnishing, startup, and operational 
        expenses;
            (2) the aggregate amount of non-Federal funds contributed 
        by the States used to carry out the activities specified in 
        subparagraph (A) will not be less than $2,000,000, of which 
        each of the states that is party to the grant will contribute 
        equally in cash or in kind;
            (3) States may use private funds to meet the requirements 
        of paragraph (2); and
            (4) the State of Arizona may apply $45,000 authorized by 
        the State of Arizona during fiscal year 1998 for planning and 
        $250,000 that is held in reserve by that State for construction 
        towards the Arizona share.
    (b) Grant Requirements.--In order to receive a grant under this 
act, the recipient shall--
            (1) submit to the Secretary a proposal that meets all 
        applicable--
                    (A) laws, including building codes and regulations;
                    (B) requirements under the Memorandum of 
                Understanding described in paragraph (2) of this 
                subsection; and
                    (C) provides such information and assurances as the 
                Secretary may require;
            (2) the recipient shall enter into a Memorandum of 
        Understanding (MOU) with the Secretary providing--
                    (A) a timetable for completion of construction and 
                opening of the Center;
                    (B) assurances that design, architectural and 
                construction contracts will be competitively awarded;
                    (C) specifications meeting all applicable Federal, 
                state, and local building codes and laws;
                    (D) arrangements for operations and maintenance 
                upon completion of construction;
                    (E) a description of center collections and 
                educational programming;
                    (F) a plan for design of exhibits including, but 
                not limited to, collections to be exhibited, security, 
                preservation, protection, environmental controls, and 
                presentations in accordance with professional museum 
                standards;
                    (G) an agreement with the Navajo Nation and the Ute 
                Mountain Ute Tribe relative to site selection and 
                public access to the facilities; and
                    (H) a financing plan developed jointly by the 
                Navajo Nation and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe outlining 
                the long-term management of the Center, including but 
                not limited to--
                            (i) the acceptance and use of funds derived 
                        from public and private sources to minimize the 
                        use of appropriated or borrowed funds;
                            (ii) the payment of the operating costs of 
                        the Center through the assessment of fees or 
                        other income generated by the Center;
                            (iii) a strategy for achieving financial 
                        self-sufficiency with respect to the Center by 
                        not later than 5 years after the date of 
                        enactment of this Act; and
                            (iv) defining appropriate vendor standards 
                        and business activities at the Four Corners 
                        Monument Tribal Park.

SEC. 6. SELECTION OF GRANT RECIPIENT.

    The Secretary is authorized to award a grant in accordance with the 
provisions of this act. The Four Corners Heritage Council may make 
recommendations to the Secretary on grant proposals regarding the 
design of facilities at the Four Corners Monument Tribal Park.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    In General.--
            (1) Authorizations.--There are authorized to be 
        appropriated to carry out this act--
                    (A) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 1999; and
                    (B) $50,000 for each of fiscal years 2000-2004 for 
                maintenance and operation of the center, program 
                development, or staffing in a manner consistent with 
                the requirements of Section 5(b).
            (2) Carryover.--Any funds made available under this section 
        that are unexpended at the end of the fiscal year for which 
        those funds are appropriated may be used by the Secretary 
        through fiscal year 2001 for the purposes for which those funds 
        were made available.
            (3) Reservation of funds.--The Secretary may reserve funds 
        appropriated pursuant to this act until a proposal meeting the 
        requirements of this act is submitted, but no later than 
        September 30, 2000.

SEC. 8. DONATIONS.

    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for purposes of the 
planning, construction, and operation of the Center, the Secretary may 
accept, retain, and expand donations of funds, and use property or 
services donated from private persons and entities or from public 
entities.

SEC. 9. STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this Act is intended to abrogate, modify, or impair any 
right or claim of the Navajo Nation or the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, that 
is based on any law (including any treaty, Executive order, agreement, 
or Act of Congress).
                                 <all>