Short Title

This Act may be cited as the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site Boundary Adjustment Act of 2005.

Definitions

As used in this Act: (1)

Historic Site

The term historic site means the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site in the State of New York, as authorized by Public Law 93–486 on October 26, 1974. (2)

Map

The term map means the map entitled Boundary Map, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site, numbered 460/80801 and dated January 2005. (3)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.

Findings and Purposes

(a)

Findings

Congress finds that— (1)the historic site was established to preserve and interpret the landscape, structures, and collections of Lindenwald, in Kinderhook, New York, owned by Martin Van Buren, the eighth President of the United States (1837–1841) from 1839 to his death in 1862; (2)the current boundary, encompassing about 39 acres of land, does not adequately protect natural and cultural resources that contribute to the significance of the historic site; (3)the conservation easements acquired to preserve the historic site’s key agricultural views no longer offer adequate protection for those views; (4)administrative buildings and facilities required for future operations of the historic site may not be suitable to be developed within its boundaries due to impacts on historic or scenic resources; and (5)a boundary study prepared by the National Park Service in 2003 identifies about 331 acres of lands that, if acquired, would help protect the agricultural character and the quality of the historic setting of the historic site and increase opportunities for interpretation and education there. (b)

Purposes

The purposes of this Act are— (1)to protect the remaining contributing resources significant to the historic site; (2)to preserve a more accurate portrayal of Van Buren’s Lindenwald by reuniting remaining agricultural lands associated with the house through their acquisition from willing sellers; (3)to enhance the interpretation of Van Buren’s broader political and agrarian beliefs by enabling public access to key historic agricultural resources and to protect scenic values associated with the historic site; and (4)to enable the National Park Service to establish administrative facilities to serve the historic site that do not intrude upon the historic site’s resources or scenic values.

Boundary Adjustments to the Historic Site

(a)

Boundary Adjustment

Effective on the date of enactment of this Act, the boundary of the historic site is adjusted to include approximately 261 acres of land identified as the Proposed Park Additions, as generally depicted on the map. (b)

Future Acquisitions

The Secretary may acquire approximately 70 acres of land and interests in land outside the boundary of the historic site identified as 53–1–17.2 and 53–1-19.111, which are the Columbia County, New York, tax map numbers for those lands, as generally depicted on the map. (c)

Lands for Administrative Purposes

In order to preserve the historic site’s resources and scenic values, the Secretary may acquire land or interests in land outside the boundary of the historic site necessary for administrative, maintenance, curatorial, or other park purposes. (d)

Acquisition Authority

The Secretary may acquire the lands and interests in lands referred to this section from a willing seller by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange. (e)

Revision of Boundary

Upon acquisition of any land referred to in subsections (b) and (c), the boundary of the historic site shall be revised to include the acquired land. (f)

Availability of Map

The map shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service. (g)

Administration

Land acquired for the historic site by this section shall be administered as part of the historic site in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Authorization of Appropriation

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