[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.
____________________