[Senate Report 114-332]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                      Calendar No. 605
114th Congress     }                                   {       Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session        }                                   {       114-332

======================================================================



 
   STE. GENEVIEVE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK ESTABLISHMENT ACT OF 2016

                                _______
                                

               September 6, 2016.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Ms. Murkowski, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 2954]

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 
referred the bill (S. 2954) to establish the Ste. Genevieve 
National Historical Park in the State of Missouri, and for 
other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably 
thereon with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an 
amendment to the title and recommends that the bill, as 
amended, do pass.
    The amendments are as follows:
    1. Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to establish the 
Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park in the State of 
Missouri, and for other purposes.''.
    2. Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Ste. Genevieve National Historical 
Park Establishment Act of 2016''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
          (1) Historic district.--The term ``Historic District'' means 
        the Ste. Genevieve Historic District National Historic 
        Landmark, as generally depicted on the Map.
          (2) Historical park.--The term ``Historical Park'' means the 
        Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park established by section 
        3(a).
          (3) Map.--The term ``Map'' means the map entitled ``Ste. 
        Genevieve National Historical Park Proposed Boundary'', 
        numbered 571/132,626, and dated May 2016.
          (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
        the Interior.
          (5) Special resource study.--The term ``special resource 
        study'' means the study entitled ``Ste. Genevieve Final Special 
        Resources Study and Environmental Assessment, Missouri'' and 
        dated May 2016.
          (6) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Missouri.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE STE. GENEVIEVE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK.

    (a) Establishment.--
          (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), there is 
        established the Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park in the 
        State as a unit of the National Park System to preserve, 
        protect, and interpret for the benefit of present and future 
        generations the themes of French settlement, vernacular 
        architecture, and community form and farming on the frontier 
        associated with Ste. Genevieve.
          (2) Conditions for establishment.--The Historical Park shall 
        not be established until the date on which the Secretary 
        determines that--
                  (A) sufficient land has been acquired for the 
                Historical Park to constitute a manageable unit; and
                  (B) the Secretary has entered into a written 
                agreement providing that land owned by the State, the 
                City of Ste. Genevieve, or other entity within the 
                Historic District shall be managed consistent with the 
                purposes of this Act.
    (b) Boundaries.--The boundaries of the Historical Park shall be the 
boundaries generally depicted on the Map.
    (c) Availability of Map.--The Map shall be on file and available 
for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park 
Service.
    (d) Acquisition Authority.--
          (1) In general.--The Secretary may acquire any land or 
        interest in land located within the boundary of the Historical 
        Park or any nationally significant property identified in the 
        special resource study within the Historic District by--
                  (A) donation;
                  (B) purchase with donated or appropriated funds; or
                  (C) exchange.
          (2) Boundary revision.--On the acquisition of any property 
        within the Historic District under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
        shall revise the boundary of the Historical Park to include the 
        property.
    (e) Administration.--
          (1) In general.--The Secretary shall administer the 
        Historical Park in accordance with--
                  (A) this Act; and
                  (B) the laws generally applicable to units of the 
                National Park System, including--
                          (i) section 100101(a), chapter 1003, and 
                        sections 100751(a), 100752, 100753, and 102101 
                        of title 54, United States Code; and
                          (ii) chapter 3201 of title 54, United States 
                        Code.
          (2) Management plan.--
                  (A) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the 
                date on which funds are made available to prepare a 
                general management plan for the Historical Park, the 
                Secretary shall prepare the general management plan in 
                accordance with section 100502 of title 54, United 
                States Code.
                  (B) Submission to congress.--On completion of the 
                general management plan under subparagraph (A), the 
                Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Natural 
                Resources of the House of Representatives and the 
                Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate 
                the general management plan.
          (3) Related sites.--The Secretary may provide interpretative 
        tours and educational programs at related historic and cultural 
        sites within the Historic District associated with the purposes 
        for which the Historical Park is established.
    (f) Cooperative Agreements.--
          (1) In general.--The Secretary may provide technical 
        assistance and enter into cooperative agreements with the owner 
        of a nationally significant property within the Historical Park 
        or the Historic District, to identify, mark, interpret, 
        improve, and restore the property.
          (2) Right of access.--A cooperative agreement entered into 
        under paragraph (1) shall provide that the Secretary, acting 
        through the Director of the National Park Service, shall have 
        the right of access at all reasonable times to all public 
        portions of the property covered by the agreement for the 
        purposes of--
                  (A) conducting visitors through the property; and
                  (B) interpreting the property for the public.
          (3) Cost-sharing requirement.--
                  (A) Federal share.--The Federal share of the total 
                cost of any activity carried out under a cooperative 
                agreement entered into under this subsection shall be 
                not more than 50 percent.
                  (B) Form of non-federal share.--The non-Federal share 
                of an activity carried out under a cooperative 
                agreement entered into under this subsection may be in 
                the form of donated property, goods, or services fairly 
                valued.
          (4) Changes or alterations.--No changes or alterations shall 
        be made to any property or project covered by a cooperative 
        agreement entered into under paragraph (1) unless the Secretary 
        and the other party to the agreement agree to the changes or 
        alterations.
          (5) Conversion, use, or disposal.--Any payment by the 
        Secretary under this subsection shall be subject to an 
        agreement that the conversion, use, or disposal of a property 
        or project for purposes contrary to the purposes of this 
        section, as determined by the Secretary, shall entitle the 
        United States to reimbursement in any amount equal to the 
        greater of--
                  (A) the amounts made available to the property or 
                project by the United States; or
                  (B) the portion of the increased value of the 
                property or project attributable to the amounts made 
                available under this subsection, as determined at the 
                time of the conversion, use, or disposal.
    (g) Limited Role of the Secretary.--Nothing in this Act authorizes 
the Secretary to assume overall financial responsibility for the 
operation, maintenance, or management of the Historic District.

                                PURPOSE

    The purpose of S. 2954 is to establish the Ste. Genevieve 
National Historical Park in the State of Missouri.

                          BACKGROUND AND NEED

    Ste. Genevieve was founded circa 1750 by French Canadian 
settlers, most of whom came from earlier settlements just 
across the Mississippi in present-day Illinois. Though 
resources such as salt and lead attracted settlers to the west 
side of the Mississippi, the rich soil was the greatest draw. 
Ste. Genevieve was primarily an agricultural settlement, with 
free and enslaved residents working in the Grand Champ, or 
Common Field, a large area of privately held, long agricultural 
lots surrounded by one large fence.
    After a series of floods, the most severe of which occurred 
in 1785, the town was moved inland approximately three miles, 
to where it stands today. Residents continued to work the 
Common Field, which though smaller, is still cultivated today. 
Ste. Genevieve became a hub of trade. Following the 
Revolutionary War, there was an influx of British Americans 
that intensified following the Louisiana Purchase, expanding 
the village. Ste. Genevieve retains many of its historic 
buildings, landscapes, and community characteristics.
    Ste. Genevieve is one of the oldest National Historic 
Landmark districts in the country. When a portion of the 
district was initially designated as such in 1960, it was 
recognized for the unique concentration of French vertical log 
architecture--the largest extant collection of this 
architecture in North America. The most notable feature of 
French vernacular log architecture is the use of logs 
vertically, rather than horizontally, as seen in buildings in 
the frontier settlements of people of other ethnic European 
extractions. With new research and an expanded understanding of 
French settlement in the mid-Mississippi ``Illinois Country,'' 
new resources have been identified and the nationally 
significant district encompasses much of the City of Ste. 
Genevieve and agricultural landscapes and archeological sites 
in Ste. Genevieve County.

                          LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

    S. 2954 was introduced by Senators Blunt and McCaskill on 
May 19, 2016. The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing 
on S. 2954 on June 15, 2016.
    Representative Smith introduced similar legislation, H.R. 
5305, in the House of Representatives on May 23, 2016, which 
was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources met in open 
business session on July 13, 2016, and ordered S. 2954 
favorably reported as amended.

                        COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

    The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in 
open business session on July 13, 2016, by a majority voice 
vote of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 
2954, if amended as described herein.

                          COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

    During its consideration of S. 2954, the Committee adopted 
an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to 
the title. The substitute amendment designates the site as a 
national historical park and makes other clarifying and 
conforming changes.
    The substitute amendment is explained in detail in the 
section-by-section analysis, below.

                      SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title

    Section 1 contains the short title.

Section 2. Definitions

    Section 2 defines key terms.

Section 3. Establishment of the Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park

    Section 3(a) establishes the Ste. Genevieve National 
Historical Park in the State of Missouri as a unit of the 
National Park System. The establishment of the Ste. Genevieve 
Historical Park is conditioned on the Secretary determining 
that sufficient land has been acquired for the Historical Park 
to constitute a manageable unit and entering into a written 
agreement providing that land owned by the State, the City of 
Ste. Genevieve, or other entity within the Historic District 
shall be managed consistent with the purposes of the Act.
    Subsection (b) establishes the boundaries of the Historical 
Park as generally depicted on the referenced map.
    Subsection (c) requires that the map be on file and 
available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of 
the National Park Service.
    Subsection (d) authorizes the Secretary to acquire any land 
or interest in land within the boundary of the Historical Park 
or any nationally significant property identified in the 
special resource study within the Historic District by 
donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or 
exchange. Upon acquisition of any property within the Historic 
District, the Secretary is directed to revise the boundary of 
the Historical Park to include the property.
    Subsection (e) requires the Secretary to administer the 
Historical Park in accordance with this Act and applicable law. 
The Secretary is further directed to prepare the general 
management plan within three years of receiving funding and to 
submit the general management plan to the Committee on Natural 
Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate.
    Subsection (f) authorizes the Secretary to provide 
technical assistance and enter into cooperative agreements with 
the owner of a nationally significant property within the 
Historical Park or the Historical District to identify, mark, 
interpret, improve, and restore the property. Cooperative 
agreements shall provide access, at reasonable times, to public 
portions of the property, for the purposes of conducting 
visitors through the property and interpreting the property for 
the public. The Federal cost share of this agreement is limited 
to 50 percent. The non-Federal share of an activity carried out 
under a cooperative agreement may be in the form of donated 
property, goods, or services rendered. No changes or 
alterations shall be made to any property or project covered by 
a cooperative agreement entered into unless the Secretary and 
the other party to the agreement concur with the changes or 
alterations.
    Subsection (g) states that nothing in the Act authorizes 
the Secretary to assume overall financial responsibility for 
the operation, maintenance, or management of the Historic 
District.

                   COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

    The Congressional Budget Office estimate of the costs of 
this measure has been requested but was not received at the 
time the report was filed. When the Congressional Budget Office 
completes the cost estimate, it will be posted on the internet 
at www.cbo.gov.

                      REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION

    In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following 
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in 
carrying out S. 2954. The bill is not a regulatory measure in 
the sense of imposing Government-established standards or 
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals 
and businesses.
    No personal information would be collected in administering 
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal 
privacy.
    Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the 
enactment of S. 2954, as ordered reported.

                   CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

    S. 2954, as ordered reported, does not contain any 
congressionally directed spending items, limited tax benefits, 
or limited tariff benefits as defined in rule XLIV of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate.

                        EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

    The testimony received from the National Park Service on 
the June 15, 2016, Subcommittee on National Parks hearing on S. 
2954 follows:

   Statement of Dr. Stephanie Toothman, Associate Director, Cultural 
   Resources, Partnerships and Science, National Park Service, U.S. 
                       Department of the Interior

    Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank you for 
the opportunity to present the views of the Department of the 
Interior on S. 2954, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior to establish the Ste. Genevieve National Historic Site 
in the State of Missouri, and for other purposes.
    The Department supports S. 2954 with amendments.
    This legislation would establish the Ste. Genevieve 
National Historic Site as a unit of the National Park System to 
preserve, protect, and interpret for the benefit of present and 
future generations the themes of French settlement, vernacular 
architecture, and community form and farming on the frontier 
associated with Ste. Genevieve. It would authorize the 
Secretary of the Interior to acquire approximately thirteen 
acres of land for the historic site and other significant 
related sites within the surrounding historic district. This 
bill also authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide 
interpretive tours and education programs within the historic 
district. Finally, it would also authorize the secretary to 
provide technical assistance and to enter into cooperative 
agreements to preserve significant sites related to the 
purposes of the park.
    Ste. Genevieve is one of the oldest National Historic 
Landmark districts in the country. When initially designated it 
was recognized for the unique concentration of French vertical 
log architecture. Since then, research has identified the 
national significance of not only the large and rare collection 
of French vernacular vertical log houses, but also the 
contemporaneous examples of British American and German 
American architecture that contribute to the compelling 
historical associations with French exploration and settlement 
of the United States' interior in the late 18th and early 19th 
century. There is no comparably protected or managed area 
interpreting these themes.
    The boundary of the Historic Site is encompassed by the 
Ste. Genevieve Historic District and National Historic 
Landmark, which includes lands between State Highways 61 and 31 
and the Mississippi River. The National Historic Landmark, one 
of the oldest, was established on October 9, 1960. The proposed 
historic site includes a mix of privately and publicly-owned 
parcels. The State of Missouri owns many of those properties 
and could transfer them to NPS ownership by donation. Private 
properties may be acquired over time through donation or 
purchase from willing sellers as funding allows.
    The Ste. Genevieve Special Resource Study and Environmental 
Assessment estimated the annual cost to operate the site would 
be $800,000 to $1.2 million per year, which is comparable to 
other national historic sites. This operational budget would 
primarily fund a NPS staff of 6-12 FTE, for interpretive and 
educational programs, and outreach. The additional facilities 
and properties will increase park operational and maintenance 
costs, but the amount will depend on the number of facilities 
acquired and their condition. Additional funds for maintenance, 
repairs and capital improvements would be awarded through the 
NPS competitive process, subject to service-wide priorities and 
the availability of appropriations.
    There is widespread support for the establishment of the 
historic site. The National Park Service received letters of 
support for the establishment of Ste. Genevieve National 
Historic Site from the City of Ste. Genevieve, the County 
Commission of Ste. Genevieve, the Foundation for the 
Restoration of Ste. Genevieve, Les Amis, the Missouri Parks 
Association, the National Society Colonial Dames of America in 
the State of Missouri, the New Bourbon Regional Port Authority, 
the Sierra Club (Eastern Missouri Group), the State Historical 
Society of Missouri, Ste. Genevieve Chamber of Commerce, the 
Ste. Genevieve Downtown Renewal Project, the Ste. Genevieve 
Museum, and the Ste. Genevieve Tourism Tax Commission.
    We recommend two amendments to the bill. First, we 
recommend that the language for cooperative agreements in 
Sec. 3(f) of the bill be revised to authorize the Secretary to 
enter into an agreement for a project related to the management 
of the historic site in addition to an agreement to identify, 
mark, interpret, improve, or restore a ``property'' within the 
historic district or site. Cooperative agreements may include 
the expenditure of federal funds to help maintain a property, 
but also may be provided for projects such as interpretive 
signage or other informational materials found in wayside 
exhibits. The reference to a ``project'' assures that the 
interests of the federal government are protected in all 
instances where federal funds are provided.
    Second, we recommend adding a definition for the special 
resource study referred to in the bill. This definition is 
important to determine which nationally properties are being 
considered for acquisition to the national historic site. The 
special resource study has an inventory of the properties 
contributing to the national significance of the study area in 
Chapter 6. We would be happy to provide the committee with 
language for our recommended amendments.
    Mr. Chairman, this concludes my testimony. I would be happy 
to answer any questions you or other members of the 
subcommittee may have.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no 
changes in existing law are made by the bill as ordered 
reported.

                                  [all]