[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 38 (Tuesday, March 6, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2718-S2719]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. LANDRIEU:
  S. 783. A bill to adjust the boundary of the Barataria Preserve Unit 
of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in the State 
of Louisiana, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources.
  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I come before the Senate today to re-
introduce--with some changes--a bill that I first introduced on April 
6, 2004, in the 108th Congress and which I reintroduced in the 109th 
Congress. This bill will transfer 3,083 acres of Federal land to the 
Barataria Preserve Unit of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park, 
and authorize the Park to purchase up to 821 acres of neighboring 
private lands from willing sellers. The lands in question contain 
important freshwater wetlands, and would allow the park boundary to 
conform to existing waterways and levee corridors.
  As of today, the Senate has twice passed--once in the 108th Congress 
and once in the 109th Congress--a form of this bill by unanimous 
consent. I trust that few will find anything too objectionable about 
these provisions in the 110th Congress either. After all, it simply 
places lands that are already under Federal control under the 
management authority of the National Park Service, which already 
manages neighboring lands and helps protect their environmental, 
cultural and historic integrity.
  The first major tract in question is the Bayou aux Carpes wetlands, 
which were acquired by the Justice Department in 1996 as a result of 
the settlement of a lawsuit. Although the National Park Service has 
constructive possession of the deeds, it lacks legal management 
authority. The area has exemplary natural resource values and has been 
designated by the Environmental Protection Agency as a wetland of 
significant value. Most importantly, because of the hydrologic 
connection between the two areas, the environmental health of the Jean 
Lafitte Park's Barataria Preserve is dependent on the continued health 
of the Bayou aux Carpes.
  The second major tract is the Bayou Segnette wetlands, which are 
presently managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. The inclusion of this 
area in the Barataria Unit will allow for better control over water 
entering the park from outside sources.
  My bill also authorizes the acquisition, from willing sellers, of 
approximately 821 acres of privately owned lands which are adjacent to 
the park. Approximately half of this area is designated as 
jurisdictional wetlands, with limited access and no potential for 
development. All of this land has been included within the boundary at 
the request of the owners. This provision was also included in the 
earlier versions of this bill that were passed in the 108th and 109th 
Congresses.
  Lastly, allow me to explain what is new about this bill: this bill 
also authorizes the Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve to 
acquire the Fleming-Berthoud Plantation--previously known as the Mavis 
Grove Plantation. This plantation is one of the southernmost early 
sugar plantations and surrounds a prehistoric Indian mound and historic 
cemetery on the edge of the bayou, which is one of the most scenic and 
most photographed cemeteries around New Orleans. Recently, it was 
highlighted in the recent Cabildo exhibition and book on historic 
cemeteries of New Orleans.
  The original plantation contained more than 10,000 acres and was a 
large sugar plantation. After floods destroyed area sugar plantations 
in the 19th century, this was turned into one of the larger cypress 
tree lumbering plantations. The Berthoud family bought it in the late 
19th century and the Fleming family bought it in the early 20th 
century.
  The 1,000-year-old prehistoric Indian mound and historic above-ground 
tombstone cemetery are relatively well preserved and have been twice 
declared eligible for the National Register of Historic Places by state 
officials; though no action has yet been taken on that designation.
  Currently, many of the historic plantation structures are unrestored, 
vacant and in poor condition. But the main plantation house remains in 
good condition. I have been told that it was photographed for the cover 
of National Geographic Magazine in the 1930s and has been the setting 
for close to 10 Hollywood movies.
  The other buildings include a 75-foot, 175-year-old brick sugar 
refining chimney, in relatively good condition; an overseer's Creole 
style cottage from the mid 1800s cited by historians as a fine early 
example of island architecture; a 19th Century annex building connected 
to the original plantation house, now in poor condition; a 1920s house 
built on the original sugar refinery foundations; an early blacksmith 
shop and several other barns and buildings, most in poor condition.
  My bill will authorize the National Park Service to acquire this land 
from the family, who I am told support the transaction and the 
restoration of the land and buildings. I am also told that historic 
preservation organizations may step forward to provide private funding 
in support of the National Park Service's acquisition of the land.

[[Page S2719]]

  In all, I think that this bill marks an important day for Louisiana. 
We are authorizing the management and preservation of several 
ecological, cultural and historic gems. I hope that my colleagues will 
fully support this endeavor as they have in the past.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the legislation be printed 
in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 783

       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 ``Jean Lafitte National 
     Historical Park and Preserve Boundary Adjustment Act of 
     2007''.

     SEC. 2. JEAN LAFITTE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK AND PRESERVE 
                   BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT.

       (a) In General.--Section 901 of the National Parks and 
     Recreation Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 230) is amended in the 
     second sentence by striking ``of approximately twenty 
     thousand acres generally depicted on the map entitled 
     `Barataria Marsh Unit-Jean Lafitte National Historical Park 
     and Preserve' numbered 90,000B and dated April 1978,'' and 
     inserting ``generally depicted on the map entitled `Boundary 
     Map, Barataria Preserve Unit, Jean Lafitte National 
     Historical Park and Preserve', numbered _____, and dated 
     ________