Fort Presque Isle National Historic Site, Pennsylvania

(a)

Short title; Findings and Purposes

(1)

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Fort Presque Isle National Historic Site Act of 2008. (2)

Findings

The Congress finds the following: (A)Fort Presque Isle was a frontier outpost located on Garrison Hill in the area of present-day Erie, Pennsylvania, which was the site of the American installations built in 1795 and 1796 and in the War of 1812. (B)General Anthony Wayne was a Revolutionary War hero who served under General George Washington and, at one point, was commanding general of the United States Army. He first arrived in the area of Presque Isle in 1786. (C)Legend has it that General Wayne was nicknamed Mad by his troops, not for being rash or foolish, but for his leadership and bravery on and off the battlefield. (D)The original blockhouse of Fort Presque Isle was built in 1795 by 200 Federal troops from General Wayne’s army, under the direction of Captain John Grubb. It was the first blockhouse used as part of a defensive system established to counter Native American uprisings. It was also used during the War of 1812. (E)General Wayne was stricken ill at Fort Presque Isle and died there in 1796. At his request, his body was buried under the flagpole of the northwest blockhouse of the fort. (F)The original blockhouse of Fort Presque Isle burned in 1852, and the existing structure was built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1880 as a memorial to General Wayne. (G)The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has recognized the reconstructed blockhouse as eligible for placement on the National Register of Historic Places. (3)

Purposes

The purposes of this section are the following: (A)To provide for reconstruction of the frontier fort at Presque Isle for the benefit, inspiration, and education of the people of the United States. (B)To preserve the original grave site of General Mad Anthony Wayne at Fort Presque Isle. (C)To broaden understanding of the historical significance of Fort Presque Isle. (b)

Definitions

In this section: (1)

Historic site

The term historic site means the Fort Presque Isle National Historic Site established by subsection (c). (2)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior. (c)

Establishment of Fort Presque Isle National Historic Site

(1)

Establishment

There is established as a unit of the National Park System the Fort Presque Isle National Historic Site in Erie, Pennsylvania. (2)

Description

(A)

In general

The historic site shall consist of land and improvements comprising the historic location of Fort Presque Isle, including the existing blockhouse replica at that location, as depicted on a map entitled ____, numbered ____ and dated ____, comprising approximately ____ acres. (B)

Map and boundary description

The map referred to in subparagraph (A) and accompanying boundary description shall be on file and available for public inspection in the office of the Director of the National Park Service and any other office of the National Park Service that the Secretary determines to be an appropriate location for filing the map and boundary description. (d)

Administration of the Historic Site

(1)

In general

The Secretary shall administer the historic site in accordance with this section and the provisions of law 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.). (2)

Cooperative agreements

To further the purposes of this section, the Secretary may enter into a cooperative agreement with any interested individual, public or private agency, organization, or institution. (3)

Technical and preservation assistance

(A)

In general

The Secretary may provide to any eligible person described in subparagraph (B) technical assistance for the preservation of historic structures of, the maintenance of the cultural landscape of, and local preservation planning for, the historic site. (B)

Eligible persons

The eligible persons described in this subparagraph are— (i)an owner of real property within the boundary of the historic site, as described in subsection (c)(2); and (ii)any interested individual, agency, organization, or institution that has entered into an agreement with the Secretary pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection. (e)

Acquisition of Real Property

The Secretary may acquire by donation, exchange, or purchase with funds made available by donation or appropriation, such lands or interests in lands as may be necessary to allow for the interpretation, preservation, or restoration of the historic site. (f)

General Management Plan

(1)

In general

Not later than the last day of the third full fiscal year beginning after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, in consultation with the officials described in paragraph (2), prepare a general management plan for the historic site. (2)

Consultation

In preparing the general management plan, the Secretary shall consult with an appropriate official of each appropriate political subdivision of the State of Pennsylvania that has jurisdiction over all or a portion of the historic site. (3)

Submission of plan to congress

Upon the completion of the general management plan, the Secretary shall submit a copy of the plan to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives.