[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1521 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1521

 To preserve and protect archaeological sites and historical resources 
  of the central Mississippi Valley through the establishment of the 
 Mississippi Valley National Historical Park as a unit of the National 
  Park System on former Eaker Air Force Base in Blytheville, Arkansas.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 22, 1999

  Mr. Berry introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Armed 
Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To preserve and protect archaeological sites and historical resources 
  of the central Mississippi Valley through the establishment of the 
 Mississippi Valley National Historical Park as a unit of the National 
  Park System on former Eaker Air Force Base in Blytheville, Arkansas.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Mississippi Valley 
National Historical Park Act of 1999''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Mississippi Valley National Historical Park, Blytheville, 
                            Arkansas.
Sec. 4. Transfer of jurisdiction, Eaker Air Force Base, for historical 
                            park.
Sec. 5. Acquisition of Chickasawba Mound for inclusion in historical 
                            park.
Sec. 6. Administration of historical park.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The central and lower Mississippi Valley region 
        contained the highest population levels and the most complex 
        Native American societies north of Mexico before the arrival of 
        European peoples in the 16th century.
            (2) In addition, the Mississippi Valley has also hosted 
        Spanish, French, English, and ultimately American societies at 
        different times in the last 450 years.
            (3) Blytheville, Arkansas, is centrally located in the 
        Mississippi Valley region.
            (4) Former Eaker Air Force Base, which is located outside 
        of Blytheville, Arkansas, in the central Mississippi Valley 
        region, is the site of 14 archaeological sites associated with 
        Native Americans.
            (5) Because of its value in illustrating and interpreting 
        the heritage of the United States, the largest of these 
        archaeological sites, was recognized by the National Park 
        Service as a National Historic Landmark in 1996.
            (6) Another archaeological site outside of Blytheville, 
        Arkansas, the Chickasawba Mound, was placed on the National 
        Register of Historic Places in 1984 because of its historic and 
        archaeological resources.
            (7) These previous actions by the Department of the 
        Interior recognize that these archaeological sites are likely 
        to benefit, educate, and inspire present and future generations 
        of Americans, but no unified heritage park for the central 
        Mississippi Valley region exists within the National Park 
        Service.
            (8) Blytheville, Arkansas, also possesses many other 
        regionally and nationally significant natural, seismic, 
        cultural, and recreational resources associated with the 
        heritage of the central Mississippi Valley region.
            (9) The sites and resources associated with the heritage of 
        the central Mississippi Valley region require recognition 
        through the establishment of a national historical park for the 
        central Mississippi Valley region as a unit of the National 
        Park System.
            (10) As a result of the closing of Eaker Air Force Base in 
        Blytheville, Arkansas, pursuant to the Defense Base Closure and 
        Realignment Act of 1990, Federal land and facilities are 
        readily available for the establishment of a national 
        historical park for the central Mississippi Valley region to 
        protect the archaeological sites located on the former military 
        installation, as well as to preserve, maintain, and interpret 
        the natural, seismic, cultural, and recreational heritage of 
        the central Mississippi Valley region for the benefit, 
        education, and inspiration of present and future generations of 
        Americans.

SEC. 3. MISSISSIPPI VALLEY NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, BLYTHEVILLE, 
              ARKANSAS.

    (a) Establishment.--In order to preserve for the benefit and 
inspiration of the people of the United States as a national historical 
park certain properties in Blytheville, Arkansas, and its vicinity 
associated with the archaeological, natural, seismic, cultural, and 
recreational heritage of the Mississippi Valley region, there is 
established as a unit of the National Park System the Mississippi 
Valley National Historical Park in the State of Arkansas.
    (b) Boundaries.--The historical park shall consist of approximately 
570 acres, including the real property transferred to the National Park 
Service at former Eaker Air Force Base under section 4 and the parcel 
of real property containing the archaeological site known as the 
Chickasawba Mound and authorized for acquisition under section 5. The 
boundaries of the historical park shall also include all property 
authorized to be acquired for inclusion in the park by any law enacted 
after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. TRANSFER OF JURISDICTION, EAKER AIR FORCE BASE, FOR HISTORICAL 
              PARK.

    (a) Transfer of Archaeological Sites.--The Secretary of Defense 
shall transfer, without reimbursement, to the administrative 
jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior the parcels of real 
property (including improvements thereon) located at former Eaker Air 
Force Base, Blytheville, Arkansas, consisting of the archaeological 
sites depicted on the map entitled ``Arkansas Aeroplex Archaeological 
Sites''.
    (b) Visitor and Administrative Sites.--
            (1) Transfer required.--To preserve the historical 
        character and landscape of the main features of the historical 
        park, the Secretary of Defense also shall transfer, without 
        reimbursement, to the administrative jurisdiction of the 
        Secretary of the Interior an additional parcel of real property 
        at former Eaker Air Force Base for the development of visitor, 
        administrative, museum, curatorial, and maintenance facilities 
        for the historical park.
            (2) Acreage limitation.--The parcel transferred under this 
        subsection may not exceed 15 acres.
            (3) Selection.--The parcel to be transferred under this 
        subsection shall be jointly selected by the Secretary of 
        Defense and the Secretary of the Interior.
    (c) Use of Land.--The Secretary of the Interior shall use the real 
property transferred under this section as part of the historical park.
    (d) Legal Description.--The exact acreage and legal description of 
the real property to be transferred under this section shall be 
determined by a survey satisfactory to the Secretary of Defense. The 
cost of the survey shall be borne by the Secretary of the Interior.

SEC. 5. ACQUISITION OF CHICKASAWBA MOUND FOR INCLUSION IN HISTORICAL 
              PARK.

    The Secretary of the Interior may acquire for inclusion in the 
historical park, by donation or exchange, the archaeological site known 
as the Chickasawba Mound, which was placed on the National Register of 
Historic Places in 1984.

SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATION OF HISTORICAL PARK.

    (a) Applicable Laws.--The Secretary of the Interior shall 
administer the historical park in accordance with this Act and the laws 
generally applicable to units of the National Park System, including 
the Act of August 25, 1916 (commonly known as the National Park Service 
Organic Act; 16 U.S.C. 1 et seq.), and the Act of August 21, 1935 
(commonly known as the Historic Sites, Buildings, and Antiquities Act; 
16 U.S.C. 461 et seq.).
    (b) Cooperative Agreements.--
            (1) Authorized.--The Secretary of the Interior may consult 
        and enter into cooperative agreements with interested entities 
        and individuals to provide for the preservation, development, 
        interpretation, and use of the historical park.
            (2) Conditions.--Any payment made by the Secretary pursuant 
        to such a cooperative agreement shall be subject to an 
        agreement that conversion, use, or disposal of the project 
        assisted under the cooperative agreement for purposes contrary 
        to the purposes of the historical park, as determined by the 
        Secretary, shall result in a right of the United States to 
        reimbursement of all funds made available to such project or 
        the proportion of the increased value of the project 
        attributable to such finds as determined at the time of such 
        conversion, use, or disposal, whichever is greater.
    (c) Acquisition of Real Property.--Subject to sections 4 and 5, the 
Secretary of the Interior may acquire, within the boundaries of the 
historical park, real property with appropriated or donated funds, by 
donation, or by exchange for inclusion in the historical park.
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