II 111th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2951 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 26, 2010 Mr. Burr (for himself, Mrs. Hagan, Mr. Warner, and Mr. Webb) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources A BILL To authorize funding to protect and conserve lands contiguous with the Blue Ridge Parkway to serve the public, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Blue Ridge Parkway Protection Act.

2.

Definitions

In this Act— (1)

Director

The term Director means the Director of the National Park Service. (2)

Parkway

The term Parkway means the Blue Ridge Parkway. (3)

Plan

The term Plan means the National Park Service’s Blue Ridge Parkway Land Protection Plan. (4)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior. (5)

Superintendent

The term Superintendent means the Superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

3.

Findings

Congress finds that— (1)it is in the national interest to preserve and protect the Blue Ridge Parkway, the most visited unit of the National Park System; (2)the 75th anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway is in September 2010; (3)the Parkway, including 469 miles in North Carolina and Virginia linking the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the Shenandoah National Park, has nearly 19,000,000 visitors each year and is vital to the economic well-being of communities along the Parkway; (4)the Parkway’s renowned scenic vistas are threatened by encroaching development, and surveys of visitors to the Parkway have found that fewer people would frequent the Parkway if scenic views are compromised; (5)the protection and conservation of land along the Parkway helps preserve farmland, intact forests, wildlife habitat, and drinking water supplies downstream; and (6)in order to preserve the natural beauty, ecological integrity, and cultural heritage of the Parkway and to commemorate its 75th anniversary, it is vital that certain lands contiguous to the Parkway are conserved for the enjoyment of future generations.

4.

Land acquisition

(a)

Acquisition authority

The Secretary is authorized to acquire land and interests in land from willing sellers by donation, by purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or by exchange to protect up to 50,000 acres of land that are identified in the Plan or that meets the Plan’s amendment criteria. (b)

Acquisition of land

Lands and interests in lands to be acquired with funds made available under this Act shall be— (1)contiguous with the Parkway; and (2)identified by the Superintendent as a priority for acquisition by the Federal Government. (c)

Availability of plan

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

Boundary adjustment

Upon acquisition of lands and interests in land under this Act, the Secretary shall adjust the boundary of the Parkway to reflect the acquisition. (e)

Administration

Lands or interests in land acquired for the Parkway shall be administered by the Secretary, through the National Park Service, as part of the Parkway in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.

5.

Authorization of appropriations

(a)

In general

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this Act $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015. Unobligated funding in each of these fiscal years shall be available until expended. (b)

Technical assistance

From the funds made available under this Act, the Secretary may award grants for the following: (1)To acquire land and interests in lands. (2)To provide technical expense assistance (such as costs for title reports, recordable surveys, hazardous material surveys, and appraisals, and other costs normally associated with land acquisition) by entering into cooperative agreements with qualified non-profit conservation organizations for acquiring lands or interests in lands from willing sellers that have been specifically identified by the Superintendent as a priority. (c)

Site restoration and surveys

The Secretary is authorized to expend not more than 10 percent of funds made available under this section in any fiscal year for site restoration and for resource surveys. (d)

Reimbursement of expenses for qualified non-Profit conservation organizations

From funds made available under this Act, not more than $250,000 may be used in each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015 for the reimbursement of administrative expenses for qualified non-profit conservation organizations involved directly in land acquisition projects in which lands and interests in lands are conveyed to the Parkway. Such funds shall be disbursed according to cooperative agreement arrangements established with qualified non-profit conservation organizations for the purpose of acquiring lands or interests in lands for the protection of the Parkway and shall remain available until expended.

6.

Reporting requirements

For each fiscal year that funds are made available under this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that includes— (1)a description of the condition of the Parkway, including threats and land preservation needs; (2)a list of land acquisitions that have been completed or are underway under this Act; and (3)a list of priority land acquisitions that should be made to accomplish the purpose of this Act, notwithstanding the addition of other priority lands that become available throughout the year.