[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1958 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1958

   To establish the Fort Presque Isle National Historic Site in the 
                     Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 26, 1999

 Mr. English (for himself, Mr. Weldon of Pennsylvania, Mr. Souder, Mr. 
 Traficant, Mr. Weller, and Mr. Holden) introduced the following bill; 
            which was referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish the Fort Presque Isle National Historic Site in the 
                     Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

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

SECTION 1. FORT PRESQUE ISLE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, PENNSYLVANIA.

    (a) Findings and Purposes.--
            (1) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
                    (A) Fort Presque Isle was a frontier outpost 
                located on Garrison Hill in the area of present-day 
                Erie, Pennsylvania, which was the site of the American 
                installations built in 1795 and 1796 and in the War of 
                1812.
                    (B) General Anthony Wayne was a Revolutionary War 
                hero who served under General George Washington and, at 
                one point, was commanding general of the United States 
                Army. He first arrived in the area of Presque Isle in 
                1786.
                    (C) Legend has it that General Wayne was nicknamed 
                ``Mad'' by his troops, not for being rash or foolish, 
                but for his leadership and bravery on and off the 
                battlefield.
                    (D) The original blockhouse of Fort Presque Isle 
                was built in 1795 by 200 Federal troops from General 
                Wayne's army, under the direction of Captain John 
                Grubb. It was the first blockhouse used as part of a 
                defensive system established to counter Native American 
                uprisings. It was also used during the War of 1812.
                    (E) General Wayne was stricken ill at Fort Presque 
                Isle and died there in 1796. At his request, his body 
                was buried under the flagpole of the northwest 
                blockhouse of the fort.
                    (F) The original blockhouse of Fort Presque Isle 
                burned in 1852, and the existing structure was built by 
                the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1880 as a memorial 
                to General Wayne.
                    (G) The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum 
                Commission has recognized the reconstructed blockhouse 
                as eligible for placement on the National Register of 
                Historic Places.
            (2) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are the 
        following:
                    (A) To provide for reconstruction of the frontier 
                fort at Presque Isle for the benefit, inspiration, and 
                education of the people of the United States.
                    (B) To preserve the original grave site of General 
                ``Mad'' Anthony Wayne at Fort Presque Isle.
                    (C) To broaden understanding of the historical 
                significance of Fort Presque Isle.
    (b) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Historic site.--The term ``historic site'' means the 
        Fort Presque Isle National Historic Site established by 
        subsection (c).
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
    (c) Establishment of Fort Presque Isle National Historic Site.--
            (1) Establishment.--There is established as a unit of the 
        National Park System the Fort Presque Isle National Historic 
        Site in Erie, Pennsylvania.
            (2) Description.--
                    (A) In general.--The historic site shall consist of 
                land and improvements comprising the historic location 
                of Fort Presque Isle, including the existing blockhouse 
                replica at that location, as depicted on a map entitled 
                ``________'', numbered ________ and dated ________, 
                comprising approximately ________ acres.
                    (B) Map and boundary description.--The map referred 
                to in subparagraph (A) and accompanying boundary 
                description shall be on file and available for public 
                inspection in the office of the Director of the 
                National Park Service and any other office of the 
                National Park Service that the Secretary determines to 
                be an appropriate location for filing the map and 
                boundary description.
    (d) Administration of the Historic Site.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall administer the 
        historic site in accordance with this section and the 
        provisions of law 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.).
            (2) Cooperative agreements.--To further the purposes of 
        this section, the Secretary may enter into a cooperative 
        agreement with any interested individual, public or private 
        agency, organization, or institution.
            (3) Technical and preservation assistance.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary may provide to any 
                eligible person described in subparagraph (B) technical 
                assistance for the preservation of historic structures 
                of, the maintenance of the cultural landscape of, and 
                local preservation planning for, the historic site.
                    (B) Eligible persons.--The eligible persons 
                described in this subparagraph are--
                            (i) an owner of real property within the 
                        boundary of the historic site, as described in 
                        subsection (c)(2); and
                            (ii) any interested individual, agency, 
                        organization, or institution that has entered 
                        into an agreement with the Secretary pursuant 
                        to paragraph (2) of this subsection.
    (e) Acquisition of Real Property--The Secretary may acquire by 
donation, exchange, or purchase with funds made available by donation 
or appropriation, such lands or interests in lands as may be necessary 
to allow for the interpretation, preservation, or restoration of the 
historic site.
    (f) General Management Plan.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than the last day of the third 
        full fiscal year beginning after the date of enactment of this 
        Act, the Secretary shall, in consultation with the officials 
        described in paragraph (2), prepare a general management plan 
        for the historic site.
            (2) Consultation.--In preparing the general management 
        plan, the Secretary shall consult with an appropriate official 
        of each appropriate political subdivisions of the State of 
        Pennsylvania that have jurisdiction over all or a portion of 
        the historic site.
            (3) Submission of plan to congress.--Upon the completion of 
        the general management plan, the Secretary shall submit a copy 
        of the plan to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
        the Senate and the Committee on Resources of the House of 
        Representatives.
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