[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 7, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H3484-H3485]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SHILOH NATIONAL MILITARY PARK BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT AND PARKER'S 
                 CROSSROADS BATTLEFIELD DESIGNATION ACT

  Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 87) to modify the boundary of the Shiloh National Military Park 
located in Tennessee and Mississippi, to establish Parker's Crossroads 
Battlefield as an affiliated area of the National Park System, and for 
other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 87

       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 ``Shiloh National Military 
     Park Boundary Adjustment and Parker's Crossroads Battlefield 
     Designation Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act, the following definitions apply:
       (1) Affiliated area.--The term ``affiliated area'' means 
     the Parker's Crossroads Battlefield established as an 
     affiliated area of the National Park System under section 4.
       (2) Park.--The term ``Park'' means Shiloh National Military 
     Park, a unit of the National Park System.
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.

     SEC. 3. AREAS TO BE ADDED TO SHILOH NATIONAL MILITARY PARK.

       (a) Additional Areas.--The boundary of Shiloh National 
     Military Park is modified to include the areas that are 
     generally depicted on the map entitled ``Shiloh National 
     Military Park, Proposed Boundary Adjustment'', numbered 304/
     80,011, and dated July 2014, as follows:
       (1) Fallen Timbers Battlefield.
       (2) Russell House Battlefield.
       (3) Davis Bridge Battlefield.
       (b) Acquisition Authority.--The Secretary may acquire lands 
     described in subsection (a) by donation, purchase from 
     willing sellers with donated or appropriated funds, or 
     exchange.
       (c) Administration.--Any lands acquired under this section 
     shall be administered as part of the Park.

     SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF AFFILIATED AREA.

       (a) In General.--Parker's Crossroads Battlefield in the 
     State of Tennessee is hereby established as an affiliated 
     area of the National Park System.
       (b) Description.--The affiliated area shall consist of the 
     area generally depicted within the ``Proposed Boundary'' on 
     the map entitled ``Parker's Crossroads Battlefield, Proposed 
     Boundary'', numbered 903/80,073, and dated July 2014.
       (c) Administration.--The affiliated area shall be managed 
     in accordance with this Act and all laws generally applicable 
     to units of the National Park System.
       (d) Management Entity.--The City of Parkers Crossroads and 
     the Tennessee Historical Commission shall jointly be the 
     management entity for the affiliated area.
       (e) Cooperative Agreements.--The Secretary may provide 
     technical assistance and enter into cooperative agreements 
     with the management entity for the purpose of providing 
     financial assistance with marketing, marking, interpretation, 
     and preservation of the affiliated area.
       (f) Limited Role of the Secretary.--Nothing in this Act 
     authorizes the Secretary to acquire property at the 
     affiliated area or to assume overall financial responsibility 
     for the operation, maintenance, or management of the 
     affiliated area.
       (g) General Management Plan.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
     management entity, shall develop a general management plan 
     for the affiliated area. The plan shall be prepared in 
     accordance with section 100502 of title 54, United States 
     Code.
       (2) Transmittal.--Not later than 3 years after the date 
     that funds are made available for this Act, the Secretary 
     shall provide a copy of the completed general management to 
     the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources of the Senate.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Nevada (Mr. Hardy) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nevada.


                             General Leave

  Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Nevada?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 87, introduced by Representative Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, 
expands the boundaries of the Shiloh National Military Park and 
designates the Parker's Crossroads Battlefield as an affiliated area of 
the National Park System. Located in Corinth, Mississippi, the Battle 
of Shiloh was a flash point in the Western theater during the Civil 
War.
  This bill would preserve three critical battlefields, covering 
approximately 2,126 acres, associated with the Siege of Corinth, 
including the Fallen Timbers, Russell House, and Davis Bridge 
Battlefields. The National Park Service determined that each of these 
sites provides extensive opportunities for visitor use and 
interpretation or the potential for archeological research.
  This bill passed out of committee by unanimous consent. I urge my 
colleagues to vote in favor of its passage.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  By expanding the boundaries of the Shiloh National Military Park in 
the State of Tennessee, H.R. 87 will assist the National Park Service 
in its efforts to preserve and interpret resources associated with the 
Civil War.
  The bill adjusts the boundary of the park to include several sites 
identified in the 2004 boundary expansion study conducted by the 
National Park Service. This bill also establishes the Parker's 
Crossroads Battlefield as an associated area of the National Park 
System, providing even broader opportunities to interpret the Civil War 
story.
  Associated sites, such as Parker's Crossroads Battlefield, continue 
to highlight the value of State and local partnerships in the 
preservation of our national heritage. By incorporating three 
additional sites related to the Siege of Corinth into the park and 
under the management of the National Park Service, this bill guarantees 
the lasting conservation of these places of knowledge and remembrance.
  The emphasis that we all need to place on preserving our country's 
history cannot be overstated, and the Civil War is a chapter in our 
national story that continues to shape the thoughts and actions of this 
country over 150 years after its conclusion.

                              {time}  1730

  The struggles and personal conflicts that were faced by millions of 
soldiers and the impact on families throughout and after the war have 
provided us with many lessons--lessons that continue to remain relevant 
today. We can only ensure that we continue to learn from past 
struggles, triumphs, and mistakes if we make the effort to set aside 
special places for future generations.
  Parks, such as Shiloh National Military Park, offer countless 
opportunities for us to explore the rich history and lessons of the 
past. These opportunities are most effective when visitors to these 
sites can immerse themselves in the full setting of the area and gain a 
true understanding of the historical context, which is something that 
this expansion of the Shiloh National Military Park will achieve.
  I thank Representative Blackburn for her hard work and commitment to 
protecting the historical resources in her State, and I urge my 
colleagues to support the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn).
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. I thank my colleagues for the work that they have 
done on this issue.
  Mr. Speaker, they have each mentioned the public-private partnership

[[Page H3485]]

that has taken place in Tennessee and Mississippi and at the Shiloh 
National Military Park. I think it is so significant that we have seen 
our local elected officials work with our State and Federal officials.
  I do have to commend the employees of the National Park Service who 
have done a phenomenal job as they have worked toward the preservation 
of these entities, as Mr. Clay said so very well, and who have looked 
at how we adjust the boundaries, expand the boundaries, and then 
preserve these areas. It is a part of the historical legacy, as has 
been said, not only of Tennessee's and Mississippi's, but of the United 
States'.
  Indeed, over a half million visitors a year come to the Shiloh 
National Military Park. This will give the National Park Service the 
flexibility that it needs to look at adding in the additional 2,100 
acres into this park. It would encompass the Fallen Timbers, the 
Russell House, and the Davis Bridge battlefields, and would provide 
that consideration for Parker's Crossroads. As I said, it is an 
important part of the National Park Service.
  This legislation is the product of work from our local, State, and 
Federal officials and from the community groups and organizations that 
support this.
  I thank my colleagues for their support.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Hardy) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 87, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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