[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1596 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1596

  To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the Gold Hill 
                      Ranch in Coloma, California.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 6, 2009

  Mrs. Boxer introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the Gold Hill 
                      Ranch in Coloma, California.

    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 ``Gold Hill-Wakamatsu Preservation 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the Gold Hill Ranch in Coloma, California, was the 
        location of the founding of the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm 
        Colony in 1869;
            (2) the Ranch is--
                    (A) the oldest property in North America to be 
                associated with Japanese immigration; and
                    (B) the only property associated with the 
                immigration of samurai following the Meiji Restoration;
            (3) the Ranch includes--
                    (A) an 1860s home that was occupied by the 
                Wakamatsu settlers;
                    (B) mulberry trees planted by the silk farmers; and
                    (C) the grave stone of Okei Ito, which is the 
                oldest Japanese immigrant grave in the United States; 
                and
            (4) a variety of non-Federal funds have been obligated with 
        respect to the acquisition and restoration of the Ranch, 
        including--
                    (A) $485,000 from the Farm and Ranchland Protection 
                Program and $515,000 from private donations to be 
                applied toward acquisition of the Ranch; and
                    (B) $483,750 from the California Cultural and 
                Historical Endowment to be applied toward restoration 
                of the Graner farmhouse.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled ``Gold 
        Hill-Wakamatsu Site'' and dated May 7, 2009.
            (2) Ranch.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``Ranch'' means the Gold 
                Hill Ranch in Coloma, California (El Dorado County 
                Assessor's Parcel No. 089-010-06), comprising 
                approximately 272 acres, which is more particularly 
                described as the SW\1/4\ and the SW \1/2\ of the SE \1/
                4\ of Sec. 29 and the N\1/2\NE\1/4\ of Sec. 32, T. 11 
                N., R. 10 E., of El Dorado County, California.
                    (B) Exclusion.--The term ``Ranch'' excludes the 
                small inholding of the Gold Trail School District, as 
                depicted on the map.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of 
        Land Management.

SEC. 4. ACQUISITION OF GOLD HILL RANCH, COLOMA, CALIFORNIA.

    (a) In General.--Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary may 
acquire the Ranch in exchange for consideration in an amount not to 
exceed $3,290,000.
    (b) Limitation on Acquisition.--The acquisition of the Ranch under 
subsection (a) shall only be from willing sellers and not through 
eminent domain.
    (c) Non-Federal Contributions.--For the consideration required 
under subsection (a), the American River Conservancy and the Gold Hill 
Wakamatsu Colony Foundation shall contribute any private funds or State 
or Federal grants received by the Conservancy and the Foundation for 
the acquisition of the Ranch.
    (d) Visitor Center.--
            (1) In general.--On acquisition of the Wakamatsu Colony 
        site, the Secretary may work with the American River 
        Conservancy and the Gold Hill Wakamatsu Colony Foundation to 
        design and develop a visitor center that provides for the 
        interpretation of--
                    (A) the Wakamatsu Colony;
                    (B) early pioneer history; and
                    (C) the contribution of traditional Japanese crops 
                and practices to the extensive agricultural economy of 
                the State of California.
            (2) Costs.--To the maximum extent practicable, the costs of 
        constructing the visitor center and conducting restoration 
        activities at the Ranch shall be leveraged by amounts received 
        by the American River Conservancy and the Gold Hill Wakamatsu 
        Colony Foundation in the form of private funds and State or 
        Federal grants provided for those purposes.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this Act.
                                 <all>