[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5225 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5225

  To revise the boundaries of the Richmond National Battlefield Park 
based on the findings of the Civil War Sites Advisory Committee and the 
    National Park Service and to encourage cooperative management, 
  protection, and interpretation of the resources associated with the 
Civil War and the Civil War battles in and around the city of Richmond, 
                               Virginia.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 20, 2000

 Mr. Bliley (for himself and Mr. Scott) introduced the following bill; 
            which was referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To revise the boundaries of the Richmond National Battlefield Park 
based on the findings of the Civil War Sites Advisory Committee and the 
    National Park Service and to encourage cooperative management, 
  protection, and interpretation of the resources associated with the 
Civil War and the Civil War battles in and around the city of Richmond, 
                               Virginia.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; DEFINITIONS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Richmond National 
Battlefield Park Act of 2000''.
    (b) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Battlefield park.--The term ``battlefield park'' means 
        the Richmond National Battlefield Park.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) In the Act of March 2, 1936 (Chapter 113; 49 Stat. 
        1155; 16 U.S.C. 423j), Congress authorized the establishment of 
        the Richmond National Battlefield Park, and the boundaries of 
        the battlefield park were established to permit the inclusion 
        of all military battlefield areas related to the battles fought 
        during the Civil War in the vicinity of the city of Richmond, 
        Virginia. The battlefield park originally included the area 
        then known as the Richmond Battlefield State Park.
            (2) The total acreage identified in 1936 for consideration 
        for inclusion in the battlefield park consisted of 
        approximately 225,000 acres in and around the city of Richmond. 
        A study undertaken by the congressionally authorized Civil War 
        Sites Advisory Committee determined that of these 225,000 
        acres, the historically significant areas relating to the 
        campaigns against and in defense of Richmond encompass 
        approximately 38,000 acres.
            (3) In a 1996 general management plan, the National Park 
        Service identified approximately 7,121 acres in and around the 
        city of Richmond that satisfy the National Park Service 
        criteria of significance, integrity, feasibility, and 
        suitability for inclusion in the battlefield park. The National 
        Park Service later identified an additional 186 acres for 
        inclusion in the battlefield park.
            (4) There is a national interest in protecting and 
        preserving sites of historical significance associated with the 
        Civil War and the city of Richmond.
            (5) The Commonwealth of Virginia and its local units of 
        government have authority to prevent or minimize adverse uses 
        of these historic resources and can play a significant role in 
        the protection of the historic resources related to the 
        campaigns against and in defense of Richmond.
            (6) The preservation of the New Market Heights Battlefield 
        in the vicinity of the city of Richmond is an important aspect 
        of American history that can be interpreted to the public. The 
        Battle of New Market Heights represents a premier landmark in 
        black military history as 14 black Union soldiers were awarded 
        the Medal of Honor in recognition of their valor during the 
        battle. According to National Park Service historians, the 
        sacrifices of the United States Colored Troops in this battle 
        helped to ensure the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the 
        United States Constitution to abolish slavery.
    (b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act--
            (1) to revise the boundaries for the Richmond National 
        Battlefield Park based on the findings of the Civil War Sites 
        Advisory Committee and the National Park Service; and
            (2) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to work in 
        cooperation with the Commonwealth of Virginia, the city of 
        Richmond, other political subdivisions of the Commonwealth, 
        other public entities, and the private sector in the 
        management, protection, and interpretation of the resources 
        associated with the Civil War and the Civil War battles in 
        around the city of Richmond, Virginia.

SEC. 3. RICHMOND NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD PARK; BOUNDARIES.

    (a) Establishment and Purpose.--For the purpose of protecting, 
managing, and interpreting the resources associated with the Civil War 
battles in and around the city of Richmond, Virginia, there is 
established the Richmond National Battlefield Park consisting of 
approximately 7,307 acres of land, as generally depicted on the map 
entitled ``Richmond National Battlefield Park Boundary Revision'', 
numbered 367N.E.F.A.80026A, and dated September 2000. The map shall be 
on file in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service.
    (b) Boundary Adjustments.--The Secretary may make minor adjustments 
in the boundaries of the battlefield park consistent with section 7(c) 
of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l-
9(c)).

SEC. 4. LAND ACQUISITION.

    (a) Acquisition Authority.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary may acquire lands, waters, 
        and interests in lands within the boundaries of the battlefield 
        park by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, 
        or exchange. In acquiring lands and interests in lands under 
        this Act, the Secretary shall acquire the minimum interest 
        necessary to achieve the purposes for which the battlefield is 
        established.
            (2) Special rule for private lands.--Privately owned lands 
        or interests in lands may be acquired under this Act only with 
        the consent of the owner.
    (b) Easements Outside Boundaries.--The Secretary may acquire an 
easement on property outside the boundaries of the battlefield park and 
around the city of Richmond, with the consent of the owner, if the 
Secretary determines that the easement is necessary to protect core 
Civil War resources as identified by the Civil War Sites Advisory 
Committee. Upon acquisition of the easement, the Secretary shall revise 
the boundaries of the battlefield park to include the property subject 
to the easement.
    (c) Visitor Center.--The Secretary may acquire the Tredegar Iron 
Works buildings and associated land in the city of Richmond for use as 
a visitor center for the battlefield park.

SEC. 5. PARK ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) Applicable Laws.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of 
the National Park Service, shall administer the battlefield park in 
accordance with this Act and laws generally applicable to units of the 
National Park System, including the Act of August 25, 1916 (16 U.S.C. 1 
et seq.) and the Act of August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 461 et seq.).
    (b) Interpretation.--
            (1) In general.--In administering the battlefield park, the 
        Secretary shall interpret, for the benefit of visitors to the 
        battlefield park and the general public, the battles of 
        Richmond in the larger context of the Civil War and American 
        history, including the causes and consequences of the Civil War 
        and the effects of the war on all the American people.
            (2) New market heights battlefield.--The Secretary shall 
        provide for the establishment of a monument or memorial 
        suitable to honor the 14 Medal of Honor recipients from the 
        United States Colored Troops who fought in the Battle of New 
        Market Heights. The Secretary shall include the Battle of New 
        Market Heights and the role of black Union soldiers in the 
        battle in historical interpretations provided to the public at 
        the battlefield park.
    (c) Cooperative Agreements.--The Secretary may enter into 
cooperative agreements with the Commonwealth of Virginia, its political 
subdivisions (including the city of Richmond), private property owners, 
and other members of the private sector to develop mechanisms to 
protect and interpret the historical resources within the battlefield 
park in a manner that would allow for continued private ownership and 
use where compatible with the purposes for which the battlefield is 
established.
    (d) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary may provide technical 
assistance to the Commonwealth of Virginia, its political subdivisions, 
nonprofit entities, and private property owners for the development of 
comprehensive plans, land use guidelines, special studies, and other 
activities that are consistent with the identification, protection, 
interpretation, and commemoration of historically significant Civil War 
resources located inside and outside of the boundaries of the 
battlefield park. The technical assistance does not authorize the 
Secretary to own or manage any of the resources outside the battlefield 
park boundaries.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary 
to carry out this Act.

SEC. 7. REPEAL OF SUPERSEDED LAW.

    The Act of March 2, 1936 (Chapter 113; 16 U.S.C. 423j-423l) is 
repealed.
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