[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 706 Reported in House (RH)]

                                                 Union Calendar No. 518
113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 706

                          [Report No. 113-687]

 To establish the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, to 
      dedicate the Park to John H. Chafee, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 14, 2013

 Mr. Cicilline (for himself, Mr. Langevin, Mr. McGovern, and Mr. Neal) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Natural Resources

                           December 22, 2014

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]
    [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on 
                           February 14, 2013]


_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, to 
      dedicate the Park to John H. Chafee, 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 ``Blackstone River Valley National 
Historical Park Establishment Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) National heritage corridor.--The term ``National 
        Heritage Corridor'' means the John H. Chafee Blackstone River 
        Valley National Heritage Corridor.
            (2) Park.--The term ``Park'' means the Blackstone River 
        Valley National Historical Park established under section 3.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (4) States.--The term ``States'' means--
                    (A) the State of Massachusetts; and
                    (B) the State of Rhode Island.

SEC. 3. BLACKSTONE RIVER VALLEY NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the States a unit of 
the National Park System, to be known as the ``Blackstone River Valley 
National Historical Park''.
    (b) Historic Sites and Districts.--The Park may include--
            (1) Blackstone River State Park; and
            (2) the following resources, as described in Management 
        Option 3 of the study entitled ``Blackstone River Valley 
        Special Resource Study--Study Report 2011'':
                    (A) Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark 
                District.
                    (B) Slatersville Historic District.
                    (C) Ashton Historic District.
                    (D) Whitinsville Historic District.
                    (E) Hopedale Village Historic District.
                    (F) Blackstone River and the tributaries of 
                Blackstone River.
                    (G) Blackstone Canal.
    (c) Acquisition of Land; Park Boundary.--
            (1) Land acquisition.--The Secretary may acquire land or 
        interests in land in the historic sites and districts described 
        in subsection (b)(2) for inclusion in the Park boundary by 
        donation or exchange.
            (2) Park boundary.--On a determination by the Secretary 
        that a sufficient quantity of land or interests in land has 
        been acquired to constitute a manageable park unit, the 
        Secretary may establish a boundary for the Park by publishing a 
        boundary map in the Federal Register.
            (3) Boundary adjustment.--On the acquisition of additional 
        land or interests in land under paragraph (1), the boundary of 
        the Park shall be adjusted to reflect the acquisition by 
        publishing a Park boundary map in the Federal Register.
            (4) Availability of map.--The maps referred to in this 
        subsection shall be available for public inspection in the 
        appropriate offices of the National Park Service.
            (5) Written consent of the owner.--No non-Federal property 
        may be included in the Park without the written consent of the 
        owner.
            (6) Limitation.--Land owned by the States or a political 
        subdivision of the States may be acquired under this subsection 
        only by donation.
    (d) Administration.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall administer land within 
        the boundary of the Park in accordance with--
                    (A) this section; and
                    (B) the laws generally applicable to units of the 
                National Park System, including--
                            (i) the National Park Service Organic Act 
                        (16 U.S.C. 1 et seq.); and
                            (ii) the Act of August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 
                        461 et seq.).
            (2) General management plan.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the 
                date on which funds are made available to carry out 
                this section, the Secretary shall prepare a general 
                management plan for the Park--
                            (i) in consultation with the States and 
                        other interested parties; and
                            (ii) in accordance with section 12(b) of 
                        the National Park System General Authorities 
                        Act (16 U.S.C. 1a-7(b)).
                    (B) Requirements.--The plan shall consider ways to 
                use preexisting or planned visitor facilities and 
                recreational opportunities developed in the National 
                Heritage Corridor, including--
                            (i) the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center, 
                        Pawtucket, Rhode Island;
                            (ii) the Captain Wilbur Kelly House, 
                        Blackstone River State Park, Lincoln, Rhode 
                        Island;
                            (iii) the Museum of Work and Culture, 
                        Woonsocket, Rhode Island;
                            (iv) the River Bend Farm/Blackstone River 
                        and Canal Heritage State Park, Uxbridge, 
                        Massachusetts;
                            (v) the Worcester Blackstone Visitor 
                        Center, located at the former Washburn & Moen 
                        wire mill facility, Worcester, Massachusetts;
                            (vi) the Route 295 Visitor Center adjacent 
                        to Blackstone River State Park; and
                            (vii) the Blackstone River Bikeway.
            (3) Technical assistance.--The Secretary may provide 
        technical assistance to State, local, or tribal governments, 
        organizations, or individuals for the management, 
        interpretation, and historic preservation of historically 
        significant Blackstone River Valley resources not included 
        within the Park.
            (4) Cooperative agreements.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary may enter into 
                cooperative agreements to carry out this Act.
                    (B) Matching requirement.--The Secretary shall 
                require that any Federal funds made available under a 
                cooperative agreement entered into under this paragraph 
                are to be matched on a 1-to-1 basis by non-Federal 
                funds.
                    (C) Reimbursement.--Any payment made by the 
                Secretary under subparagraph (A) shall be subject to an 
                agreement that the conversion, use, or disposal of the 
                project for purposes that are inconsistent with the 
                purposes of this section, as determined by the 
                Secretary, shall result in a right of the United States 
                to reimbursement of the greater of--
                            (i) the amount provided by the Secretary to 
                        the project under subparagraph (A); or
                            (ii) an amount equal to the increase in the 
                        value of the project that is attributable to 
                        the funds, as determined by the Secretary at 
                        the time of the conversion, use, or disposal.
                    (D) Public access.--Any cooperative agreement 
                entered into under this paragraph shall provide for 
                reasonable public access to the resources covered by 
                the cooperative agreement.
    (e) Dedication; Memorial.--
            (1) In general.--Congress dedicates the Park to John H. 
        Chafee, the former United States Senator from Rhode Island, in 
        recognition of--
                    (A) the role of John H. Chafee in the preservation 
                of the resources of the Blackstone River Valley and the 
                heritage corridor that bears the name of John H. 
                Chafee; and
                    (B) the decades of the service of John H. Chafee to 
                the people of Rhode Island and the United States.
            (2) Memorial.--The Secretary shall display a memorial at an 
        appropriate location in the Park that recognizes the role of 
        John H. Chafee in preserving the resources of the Blackstone 
        River Valley for the people of the United States.
    (f) No Use of Condemnation.--The Secretary may not acquire by 
condemnation any land or interest in land under this Act for the 
purposes of this Act.
    (g) No Buffer Zone Created.--Nothing in this Act, the establishment 
of the Park, or the management plan for the Park shall be construed to 
create buffer zones outside of the Park. That activities or uses can be 
seen, heard, or detected from areas within the Park shall not preclude, 
limit, control, regulate, or determine the conduct or management of 
activities or uses outside of the Park.
                                                 Union Calendar No. 518

113th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 706

                          [Report No. 113-687]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To establish the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, to 
      dedicate the Park to John H. Chafee, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           December 22, 2014

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed