[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4003 Engrossed in House (EH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4003

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource 
study to evaluate resources in the Hudson River Valley in the State of 
 New York to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing 
the site as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Hudson River Valley Special Resource 
Study Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (2) Study area.--The term ``study area''--
                    (A) means the portion of the Hudson River that 
                flows from Rodgers Island at Fort Edward to the 
                southern-most boundary of Westchester County, New York; 
                and
                    (B) includes any relevant sites and landscapes 
                within the counties in New York that abut the area 
                described in subparagraph (A).

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF STUDY.

    (a) In General.--As soon as funds are made available for this 
purpose, the Secretary shall complete a special resource study of the 
Hudson River Valley in the State of New York to evaluate--
            (1) the national significance of the area; and
            (2) the suitability and feasibility of designating the area 
        as a unit of the National Park System.
    (b) Study Guidelines.--In conducting the study under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall--
            (1) use the criteria for the study of areas for potential 
        inclusion in the National Park System in accordance with 
        section 8(c) of Public Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5(c));
            (2) determine the effect of the designation of the area as 
        a unit of the National Park System on existing commercial and 
        recreational activities, including but not limited to hunting, 
        fishing, trapping, recreational shooting, motor boat use, off-
        highway vehicle use, snowmobile use, and on the authorization, 
        construction, operation, maintenance, or improvement of energy 
        production and transmission infrastructure, and the effect on 
        the authority of State and local governments to manage those 
        activities;
            (3) identify any authorities that will compel or permit the 
        Secretary to influence local land use decisions (such as 
        zoning) or place restrictions on non-Federal land if the area 
        is designated a unit of the National Park System; and
            (4) closely examine park unit models, in particular 
        national river and recreation areas, as well as other landscape 
        protection models, that--
                    (A) encompass large areas of non-Federal lands 
                within their designated boundaries;
                    (B) foster public and private collaborative 
                arrangements for achieving National Park Service 
                objectives; and
                    (C) protect and respect the rights of private land 
                owners.

SEC. 4. REPORT.

    Not later than 36 months after the date that funds are first made 
available for this purpose, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee 
on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report on the findings, 
conclusions, and recommendations of the study authorized by this Act.

            Passed the House of Representatives March 19, 2010.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
111th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 4003

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource 
study to evaluate resources in the Hudson River Valley in the State of 
 New York to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing 
the site as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes.