[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4708 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4708

To establish the California Trail Interpretive Center in Elko, Nevada, 
to facilitate the interpretation of the history of development and use 
 of trails in the settling of the western portion of the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 21, 2000

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish the California Trail Interpretive Center in Elko, Nevada, 
to facilitate the interpretation of the history of development and use 
 of trails in the settling of the western portion of the United States.

    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 ``California Trail Interpretive Center 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the nineteenth century westward movement in the United 
        States over the California National Historic Trail, which 
        occurred from 1840 until the completion of the transcontinental 
        railroad in 1869, was an important cultural and historical 
        event in--
                    (A) the development of the western land of the 
                United States; and
                    (B) the prevention of colonization of the west 
                coast by Russia and the British Empire;
            (2) the movement over the California Trail was completed by 
        over 300,000 settlers, many of whom left records or stories of 
        their journeys; and
            (3) additional recognition and interpretation of the 
        movement over the California Trail is appropriate in light of--
                    (A) the national scope of nineteenth century 
                westward movement in the United States; and
                    (B) the strong interest expressed by people of the 
                United States in understanding their history and 
                heritage.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to recognize the California Trail, including the 
        Hastings Cutoff and the trail of the ill-fated Donner-Reed 
        Party, for its national, historical, and cultural significance; 
        and
            (2) to provide the public with an interpretive facility 
        devoted to the vital role of the California Trail and other 
        trails in the West in the development of the United States.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) California trail.--The term ``California Trail'' means 
        the California National Historic Trail, established under 
        section 5(a)(18) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 
        1244(a)(18)).
            (2) Center.--The term ``Center'' means the California Trail 
        Interpretive Center established under section 4(a).
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of 
        Land Management.
            (4) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Nevada.

SEC. 4. CALIFORNIA TRAIL INTERPRETIVE CENTER.

    (a) Establishment and Operation.--In furtherance of the purposes of 
section 7(c) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1246(c)), the 
Secretary may establish and operate an interpretive center, to be known 
as the ``California Trail Interpretive Center'', near the city of Elko, 
Nevada, to preserve and interpret the history of development and use of 
the California Trail in the settling of the American West.
    (b) Development Plan.--The Secretary shall prepare a plan for the 
establishment and operation of the Center that includes--
            (1) a detailed description of the design of the Center;
            (2) a description of the site on which the Center is to be 
        located;
            (3) a description of the method and estimated cost of 
        acquisition of the site on which the Center is to be located;
            (4) an estimate of the cost of construction of the Center;
            (5) an estimate of the cost of operation and maintenance of 
        the Center; and
            (6) a description of the manner and extent to which non-
        Federal entities will participate in the acquisition, 
        construction, and operation of the Center.
    (c) Special Considerations.--
            (1) Master plan study.--In preparing the development plan 
        required by subsection (b) and establishing the Center, the 
        Secretary shall consider the findings contained in the master 
        plan study for the California Trail Interpretive Center 
        prepared pursuant to the authorization on page 15 of Senate 
        Report 106-99 to accompany the Department of the Interior and 
        Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, 2000 (S. 1292).
            (2) Local participation.--The Secretary may provide for 
        local review of, and input concerning, the establishment and 
        operation of the Center by the Advisory Board for the National 
        Historic California Emigrant Trails Interpretive Center of the 
        city of Elko, Nevada.
    (d) Acquisition Authority.--The Secretary may acquire land and 
interests in land for the construction of the Center by--
            (1) donation;
            (2) purchase with donated or appropriated funds; or
            (3) exchange.
    (e) Operation and Maintenance Budget.--The Secretary shall 
periodically prepare a budget and funding request for the maintenance 
and operation of the Center.
    (f) Cooperative Agreements.--The Secretary may enter into a 
cooperative agreement with--
            (1) the State regarding the provision by the State of 
        assistance in--
                    (A) the removal of snow from roads serving the 
                Center;
                    (B) rescue, firefighting, and law enforcement 
                services for the Center; and
                    (C) the coordination of activities of nearby law 
                enforcement and firefighting departments or agencies; 
                and
            (2) a Federal, State, or local agency to develop or operate 
        facilities and services to carry out this Act.
    (g) Acceptance and Use of Contributions.--
            (1) Authority to accept.--Notwithstanding any other 
        provision of law, the Secretary may accept donations of funds, 
        property, or services from an individual, foundation, 
        corporation, or public entity to assist the Secretary in 
        establishing or operating the Center.
            (2) State and local contributions.--The Secretary shall 
        accept contributions for the Center (to be payable during the 
        construction of the Center) from--
                    (A) the State, in the amount of $3,000,000;
                    (B) Elko County, Nevada, in the amount of 
                $1,000,000; and
                    (C) the city of Elko, Nevada, in the amount of 
                $2,000,000.
            (3) Use of contributions.--The Secretary shall use 
        contributions received under this subsection to establish and 
        operate the Center.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $12,000,000 
to establish the Center.
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