[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 188 (Wednesday, December 18, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S7153]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
VICKSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK BOUNDARY MODIFICATION ACT
The bill (S. 4994) to modify the boundary of the Vicksburg National
Military Park in the State of Mississippi, and for other purposes, was
ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, was read the third time,
and passed as follows:
S. 4994
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 ``Vicksburg National Military
Park Boundary Modification Act''.
SEC. 2. VICKSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK CONVEYANCE AND
BOUNDARY MODIFICATION.
(a) Conveyance.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior (referred to
in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall convey to the State
of Mississippi (referred to in this Act as the ``State'')
without consideration subject to any terms and conditions
that the Secretary determines to be appropriate, the Federal
land described in subsection (b).
(2) Description of federal land.--The Federal land referred
to in subsection (a) is the following:
(A) The parcel of approximately 3.66 acres of National Park
Service land within the boundary of Vicksburg National
Military Park, as depicted on the map entitled ``VICK-2024-
01'', to be used by the State as a welcome center or other
public use.
(B) The approximately 6.48 acres of National Park Service
land within the boundary of Vicksburg National Mark Park, as
depicted on the map entitled ``VICK-2024-02'', to be used by
the State an interpretive center or a museum or other public
use.
(b) Boundary Modification.--On conveyance of a parcel of
Federal land under subsection (a), the Secretary shall modify
the boundary of the Vicksburg National Military Park to
reflect the conveyance of the parcel of Federal land.
Mr. WICKER. I thank my colleagues.
I will yield for a moment to my friend from Maryland and then I may
say a word after that.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The junior Senator from Maryland.
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam President, let me start by thanking my friend
and colleague, the Senator from Mississippi, for working on these two
pieces of important legislation. One which the Senator from Mississippi
will talk about in a moment in greater depth is the Vicksburg National
Military Park Boundary Modification Act. And coupled with that is the
Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act, as amended, and unanimously
passed by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources just
last month.
I introduced the Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act in July of
2023, after years of engagement with communities around the Chesapeake
Bay and with the support of Senator Cardin, Senator Warner, Senator
Kaine. And it has also been introduced in the House on a bipartisan
basis by Congressman Sarbanes and Congressman Wittman.
The idea for a Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act was born four
decades ago. This has been a long time coming, and I am glad we arrived
at this moment. It was motivated by a desire to formally recognize the
Chesapeake Bay as the national treasure that it is and to provide all
Americans with a greater opportunity to experience it.
The Chesapeake National Recreation Act would unite voluntarily
contributed sites and iconic Chesapeake Bay properties under the
operation of the National Park Service in what we call a string of
pearls that will help to tie together key areas of the Bay.
The establishment of the Chesapeake National Recreation Area would
improve public access to the Bay, allowing visitors to experience it
firsthand, strengthening the culture of environmental stewardship, and
providing visitors with an opportunity to learn about the region's rich
history and culture.
The National Chesapeake National Recreation Area would also create
jobs and support economic growth throughout the region, promoting
responsible tourism, and boosting the outdoor recreation and tourist
economies.
This bipartisan initiative has been driven by local leaders since the
beginning, and it was developed through exhaustive public outreach and
meaningful collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders.
I want just, for a moment, to describe to my colleagues the outreach
effort that brought us to this moment because it included the formation
of a working group composed of a bicameral group of lawmakers, State
government representatives, and more than 30 regional organizations to
help develop the legislation.
It included a public comment period which we used to gather input and
compile over 1,300 comments, which we integrated the feedback into the
bill.
When we introduced the bill, it was accompanied by over 70 letters of
support and 100 endorsements from local elected officials,
environmental and historical preservation organizations, seafood and
outdoor recreation businesses, and many more. We also worked closely
with the National Park Service on technical assistance to guide the
bill.
So it has been a great pleasure to work with Senator Wicker on his
Vicksburg National Military Park Boundary Modification Act as we also
work on this Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act. This is
collaboration for the public good, for people in both of our States and
people throughout the United States of America.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Cortez Masto). The Senator from
Mississippi.
Mr. WICKER. Reclaiming my time simply to say that I appreciate the
cooperation of the Senator from Maryland, and I thank the Senate for
giving unanimous consent to these two measures.
S. 4994, the Vicksburg National Military Park Modification Act, will
modify--simply modify--the boundary of the Vicksburg National Park in
my State of Mississippi. This transfer will convey a small parcel of
Federal land to the State government and to the Friends of Vicksburg
Military Park, an organization that will assist with restoration
efforts at the park.
These efforts include a new, state-of-the-art, interactive center,
which will guide tourists through the park and teach them the history
and importance of Vicksburg, MS, during the Civil War. To execute these
plans, the park will need to perform this land transfer.
The State will then be responsible for building and maintaining the
connector road as well as the bridge to the new center, relieving the
National Park Service from that burden.
So I am glad to see that our partners as well as Friends of Vicksburg
are working together to establish a modern, interactive center that
will tell the story of the siege and battle of Vicksburg for many
generations to come.
I thank the Chair, I thank my colleague, and I thank the Senate for
giving unanimous consent to these two measures.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut.
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