110 HR 189 : Paterson Great Falls National
U.S. House of Representatives
2007-10-23
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.This Act may be cited as the
Paterson Great Falls National
Historical Park Act of 2007
.
2.
(a)Congress
finds the following:
(1)The Great Falls
Historic District in Paterson, New Jersey, is the site that Alexander Hamilton
selected to implement his vision of American economic independence and
transform a rural agrarian society based on slavery into a global economy based
on freedom.
(2)The Great Falls
Historic District was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1976 and
President Gerald Ford declared it a symbol of the industrial might which
helps to make America the most powerful nation in the world
.
(3)Section 510 of
Public Law
104–333 established the Great Falls Historic District to
recognize the contribution to our national heritage of certain historical,
cultural, and natural resources of the historic district.
(4)Exceptional
natural and cultural resources make the Great Falls Historic District America’s
only National Historic District that contains both a National Historic Landmark
and a National Natural Landmark.
(5)Pierre L’Enfant’s
water power system at the Great Falls and the buildings erected around it over
two centuries constitute the finest and most extensive remaining example of
engineering, planning and architectural works that span the entire period of
America’s growth into an industrial power.
(b)The
purposes of this Act are—
(1)to establish a
unit of the National Park System in Paterson, New Jersey, consisting of the
Great Falls Historic District; and
(2)to foster
activities among Federal, State, and local governments, non-profit
organizations, and private donors to preserve, enhance, interpret, and promote
the cultural sites, historic structures, and natural beauty of the Great Falls
Historic District for the benefit of present and future generations.
3.For the purposes of this Act, the following
definitions apply:
(1)The
term park
means the Paterson Great Falls National Historical
Park established in section 4.
(2)The
term Secretary
means the Secretary of the Interior.
(3)The
term Commission
means the Paterson Great Falls National
Historical Park Commission established in section 7.
4.Paterson great
falls national historical park
(a)In
order to preserve and interpret for the benefit of present and future
generations certain historical, cultural, and natural resources associated with
the Great Falls National Historic District, there is established in the city of
Paterson in the county of Passaic in the State of New Jersey the Paterson Great
Falls National Historical Park as a unit of the National Park System.
(b)The park shall consist of approximately 109
acres as generally depicted on the map titled Paterson Great Falls
National Historical Park—Proposed Boundary
, numbered T03/80,000, and
dated June 2007. The map shall be on file and available for public inspection
in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service and the city of
Paterson.
5.
(a)The park shall be administered by the Secretary in
accordance with this Act and the provisions of law generally applicable to
units of the National Park System, including the Act of August 25, 1916 (16
U.S.C. 1–4) and the Act of August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 461–467).
(b)State and Local
JurisdictionNothing in this section shall be construed to
diminish, enlarge, or modify any right of the State of New Jersey or any
political subdivision thereof, to exercise civil and criminal jurisdiction or
to carry out State laws, rules, and regulations within the park.
(c)
(1)In furtherance of the purposes of this Act, the Secretary
is authorized, after consultation with the Commission, to enter into
cooperative agreements with the owners of properties of natural, historical, or
cultural significance within the park, pursuant to which agreements the
Secretary may mark, interpret, restore, and provide technical assistance for
the preservation of such properties and pursuant to which the Secretary may
provide assistance, including management services and program
implementation.
(2)Each cooperative agreement shall provide that the
Secretary, through the National Park Service, shall have the right of access at
all reasonable times to all public portions of the property covered by the
agreement for the purpose of conducting visitors through such properties and
interpreting them to the public.
(3)Each cooperative agreement shall provide that no
changes or alterations shall be made in the property covered by the agreement
except by mutual agreement between the Secretary and the other party to the
agreement.
(d)
(1)Conversion, use,
or disposal of projectsAny payment made by the Secretary
pursuant to a cooperative agreement under this section shall be subject to an
agreement that conversion, use, or disposal of a project so assisted for
purposes contrary to the purposes of this Act, as determined by the Secretary,
shall result in the right of the United States to reimbursement of all funds
made available to the project or the portion of the increased value of the
project attributable to such funds as determined at the time of such
conversion, use, or disposal, whichever is greater.
(2)As a condition of expending any funds appropriated to the
Secretary for the purposes of cooperative agreements under this section, the
Secretary shall require that such expenditure must be matched by expenditure of
an equal amount of funds provided by non-Federal sources.
(3)With
the approval of the Secretary, any donation of property, goods, or services
from a non-Federal source may be considered as a contribution of funds from a
non-federal source for purposes of this section.
6.Not later than 3 complete
fiscal years after the date funds are made available for this purpose, the
Secretary shall prepare, in consultation with the Commission, and transmit to
the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a general management
plan for the park in accordance with the provisions of section 12(b) of the Act
of August 18, 1970 (16
U.S.C. 1a–7(b)), popularly known as the National Park System
General Authorities Act, and other applicable law.
7.Paterson great
falls national historical park commission
(a)There
is hereby established the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park
Commission whose purpose shall be to assist and advise the Secretary in the
development and implementation of the general management plan for the
park.
(b)
(1)The
Commission shall be composed of 9 members appointed by the Secretary, of
whom—
(A)4 members shall be
from nominees submitted by the Governor of the State of New Jersey;
(B)2 members shall be
from nominees submitted by the City Council of Paterson;
(C)1 member shall be
from nominees submitted by the Board of Chosen Freeholders of Passaic County,
New Jersey; and
(D)2 members shall be
qualified to serve on the Commission because of their familiarity with national
parks and historic preservation.
(2)Chairperson;
vice chairpersonThe Commission shall elect one of its members as
Chairperson and one as Vice Chairperson. The Vice Chairperson shall serve as
chairperson in the absence of the Chairperson.
(3)A
vacancy in the Commission shall be filled in the same manner in which the
original appointment was made.
(4)Terms
of service are as follows:
(A)The term of office
of the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson shall be one year.
(B)Members of the
Commission shall serve for terms of 3 years and may be reappointed not more
than once.
(C)A member may serve
after the expiration of his or her term until a successor has been
appointed.
(5)Timeline for
appointmentsThe Secretary shall appoint the first members of the
Commission not later than 30 days after the date on which the Secretary has
received all of the recommendations for appointment pursuant to paragraph
(1).
(c)Members
of the Commission shall serve without pay, but while away from their homes or
regular places of business in the performance of services for the Commission,
members shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, in the same manner as persons employed intermittently in the
Government service are allowed expenses under
section
5703 of title 5, United States Code.
(d)The
Commission shall meet at the call of the Chairperson or a majority of its
members.
(e)A
majority of the Commission shall constitute a quorum.
(f)The
Secretary shall provide the Commission with such staff and technical assistance
as the Secretary, after consultation with the Commission, considers appropriate
to enable the Commission to carry out its duties. The Secretary may accept the
services of personnel detailed from the State of New Jersey, any political
subdivision of the State or any entity represented on the Commission.
(g)Section
14(b) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to
the Commission.
(h)The
Commission shall terminate 10 years after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
8.
(a)The Secretary may acquire land or interests in land
within the boundaries of the park from willing sellers only by donation,
purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange.
(b)Land or interests in land owned by the State of New
Jersey or any political subdivision of the State may be acquired only by
donation.
9.Not later than three
years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall complete
a study regarding the preservation and interpretation of Hinchliffe Stadium as
listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The study shall include an
assessment of the potential for listing as a National Historic Landmark as well
as options for maintaining the historic integrity of the stadium.
10.Authorization of
appropriationsThere are
authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this
Act.
Passed the House of
Representatives October 22, 2007.
Lorraine C. Miller,
Clerk