1.This Act may be cited as the
National Park Service Study Act of
2012
.
2.
(a)The
Secretary of the Interior shall conduct special resource studies of—
(1)the Kau coast, on
the island of Hawaii;
(2)upon request of
the Government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the island
of Rota in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;
(3)sites in the State
of Alaska associated with the forced abandonment of the Aleut villages of
Makushin, Kashega, and Biorka around Unalaska Island, and Attu on Attu Island
during World War II, and the 5 relocation sites at Funter Bay, Burnett Inlet,
Killisnoo, Ward Lake, and the Wrangell Institute;
(4)World War II
Japanese American Relocation Center sites including Gila River and Poston
sites, State of Arizona; Grenada, State of Colorado; Heart Mountain, State of
Wyoming; Jerome and Rohwer sites, State of Arkansas; and Topaz, State of
Utah;
(5)sites within the
San Luis Valley and Central Sangre de Cristo Mountains, States of Colorado and
New Mexico with cultural significance to Latinos in the United States;
(6)the town of
Goldfield and outlying mining sites in the State of Nevada;
(7)the Hudson River
Valley in the State of New York;
(8)the Norman
Studios, within Jacksonville, Florida, where African-American casts and crews
were used in the production of silent films;
(9)the Mobile-Tensaw
River Delta in the State of Alabama; and
(10)the Galveston Bay
in the State of Texas.
(b)In
conducting the studies required under subsection (a) of the sites identified
under such subsection, the Secretary shall—
(1)evaluate the
national significance of the sites and the areas surrounding such sites;
(2)determine the
suitability and feasibility of designating one or more sites as units of the
National Park System;
(3)consider other
alternatives for preservation, protection, and interpretation of the sites by
Federal, State, or local governmental entities or private and nonprofit
organizations;
(4)consult with
interested Federal, State, or local governmental entities, private and
nonprofit organizations, or any other interested individuals; and
(5)identify cost
estimates for any Federal acquisition, development, interpretation, operation,
and maintenance associated with the alternatives.
(c)The studies required under subsection (a) shall be conducted
in accordance with section 8 of the National Park System General Authorities
Act (16 U.S.C. 1a–5).
3.Special resource
study updates
(a)The
Secretary of the Interior shall update the study, World War II Sites,
Republic of Palau (upon the request of the Government of the Republic of
Palau)
as authorized by section 326(b)(3)(N) of the Department of the
Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000, and the 1979 study
Vermejo Ranch, New Mexico/Colorado: Study of Management
Options
.
(b)In
updating the studies under subsection (a), the Secretary shall—
(1)determine whether
conditions have changed to warrant that the site be designated as a unit of the
National Park System;
(2)consider other
alternatives for the preservation, protection, and interpretation of the site
by Federal, State, or local governmental entities or private and nonprofit
organizations;
(3)consult with other
interested Federal, State, or local governmental entities, private and
nonprofit organizations, or any other interested individuals; and
(4)identify cost
estimates for any Federal acquisition, development, interpretation, operation,
and maintenance associated with the alternatives considered under paragraph
(2).
4.Buffalo soldiers
in the National Parks study
(a)The
Secretary of the Interior shall conduct a study of alternatives for
commemorating and interpreting the role of the Buffalo Soldiers in the early
years of the national parks.
(b)In
conducting the study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall—
(1)complete a
historical assessment of the Buffalo Soldiers who served in national parks in
the years that preceded the establishment of the National Park Service;
(2)evaluate the
suitability and feasibility of establishing a national historic trail
commemorating the route traveled by the Buffalo Soldiers from their post in the
Presidio of San Francisco to Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks and to any
other national parks where they may have served;
(3)identify
properties that could meet criteria for listing in the National Register of
Historic Places or criteria for designation as national historic landmarks;
and
(4)evaluate
appropriate ways to enhance the historical research, education, interpretation,
and public awareness of the story of the Buffalo Soldiers’ stewardship role in
the national parks, including ways to link the story to both the development of
the national parks and the story of African-American military service following
the Civil War.
5.Reconstruction in
the South study
(a)The
Secretary of the Interior shall conduct a national historic landmark study to
identify sites and resources in the Southern United States that are significant
to the Reconstruction era.
(b)The
study conducted under subsection (a) shall include recommendations for
commemorating and interpreting sites and resources identified by the study,
including—
(1)sites for which
new national historic landmarks should be nominated; and
(2)sites for which
further study for potential inclusion in the National Park System is
needed.
6.Chattahoochee
river boundary expansion study
(a)The
Secretary of the Interior shall conduct a study to determine the suitability
and feasibility of including in the boundary of the Chattahoochee River
National Recreation Area approximately 45 miles of the Chattahoochee River and
lands along the river corridor from the southern boundary of the Recreation
Area south to the junction of Coweta, Heard, and Carroll Counties.
(b)The
study conducted under subsection (a) shall include an analysis of—
(1)significant resources or opportunities for
public enjoyment within the study area related to purposes of the Chattahoochee
River National Recreation Area;
(2)operational and
management issues that need to be considered if the study area is included
within the Recreation Area;
(3)protection of
resources within the study area critical to fulfilling the Recreation Area’s
purposes;
(4)the feasibility of
administering the study area as part of the Recreation Area considering the
study area’s size, configuration, ownership, costs, and other factors;
and
(5)the adequacy of
other alternatives for management and protection of resources within the study
area.
7.Not later than 3 years after the date on
which funds are first made available to conduct each study under this Act, the
Secretary of the Interior 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 containing—
(1)the results of
each such study; and
(2)any conclusions
and recommendations of the Secretary based on such results.
8.Authorization of
appropriationsThere are
authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this
Act.