[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1932 Introduced in House (IH)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1932
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
May 22, 2001
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 2001''.
(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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