[House Report 117-100]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


117th Congress     }                                   {      Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session       }                                   {     117-100

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



 
                   AMACHE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE ACT

                                _______
                                

 July 22, 2021.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Grijalva, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 2497]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 2497) to establish the Amache National Historic 
Site in the State of Colorado as a unit of the National Park 
System, and for other purposes, having considered the same, 
reports favorably thereon with amendments and recommends that 
the bill as amended do pass.
    The amendments are as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``Amache National Historic Site Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

   In this Act:
          (1) Map.--The term ``Map'' means the map entitled ``Amache 
        National Historical Site Proposed Boundary'', numbered 100/
        175348 and dated July 2021.
          (2) National historic site.--The term ``National Historic 
        Site'' means the Amache National Historic Site established by 
        section 3(a).
          (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
        the Interior.

SEC. 3. AMACHE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE.

  (a) Establishment.--Subject to subsection (c), there is established 
the Amache National Historic Site in the State of Colorado as a unit of 
the National Park System.
  (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the National Historic Site is to 
preserve, protect, and interpret for the benefit of present and future 
generations resources associated with--
          (1) the incarceration of civilians of Japanese ancestry 
        during World War II at Amache, also known as the Granada 
        Relocation Center, and the military service of center 
        incarcerees;
          (2) public reaction in the State of Colorado to the 
        incarceration of Japanese Americans, including the position of 
        Governor Ralph Carr and the local community; and
          (3) the transition of the incarcerees and their descendants 
        following the closure of the center and resettlement in the 
        State of Colorado and other States.
  (c) Determination by the Secretary.--The National Historic Site shall 
not be established until the date on which the Secretary determines 
that a sufficient quantity of land or interests in land has been 
acquired to constitute a manageable park unit.
  (d) Notice.--Not later than 30 days after the Secretary makes a 
determination under subsection (c), the Secretary shall publish in the 
Federal Register notice of the establishment of the National Historic 
Site.
  (e) Boundary; Map.--
          (1) Boundary.--The boundary of the National Historic Site 
        shall be as generally depicted on the Map.
          (2) Availability of map.--The Map shall be on file and 
        available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of 
        the National Park Service.
  (f) Land Acquisition Authority.--The Secretary may acquire any land 
or interests in land located within the boundary of the Camp Amache 
National Historic Landmark, as generally depicted on the Map, by--
          (1) donation;
          (2) purchase from a willing seller with donated or 
        appropriated Funds; or
          (3) exchange.
  (g) Addition to Boundary.--Any lands or interests in land acquired 
under paragraph (1) shall be included within the boundary of the 
National Historic Site.
  (h) Administration.--
          (1) In general.--The Secretary shall administer the National 
        Historic Site in accordance with--
                  (A) this Act; and
                  (B) the laws generally applicable to units of the 
                National Park System.
          (2) Management plan.--
                  (A) Deadline for completion.--Not later than 3 years 
                after the date on which funds are first made available 
                to the Secretary for this purpose, the Secretary shall 
                prepare a general management plan for the National 
                Historic Site 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 Energy and 
                Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on 
                Natural Resources of the House of Representatives the 
                general management plan prepared under that 
                subparagraph.
  (i) Administrative Facilities.--For the purposes of ensuring the 
preservation, protection, and proper management of the site and 
associated resources, the Secretary may establish facilities for 
administration, visitor services, and curation of personal property, 
outside the boundary of, and in the vicinity of, the National Historic 
Site.
  (j) Cooperative Agreements.--The Secretary may enter into agreements 
with--
          (1) the public or private entities for the purpose of 
        establishing and operating facilities outside of the boundary 
        of the National Historic Site for administration, visitor 
        services and curation of personal property; and
          (2) other public or private entities for the purposes of 
        carrying out this Act.
  (k) Effect on Water Rights.--Except as provided for in subsection 
(l), nothing in this Act shall affect--
          (1) the use, allocation, ownership, or control, in existence 
        on the date of the enactment of any water, water right, or any 
        other valid existing right;
          (2) any vested absolute or decreed conditional water right in 
        existence on the date of the enactment;
          (3) any interstate water compact in existence on the date of 
        the enactment; or
          (4) State jurisdiction over any water law.
  (l) Operation and Maintenance of Water Infrastructure and 
Appurtenances.--
          (1) The town of Granada, Colorado, shall maintain 
        responsibility for the operation and maintenance of all water 
        infrastructure, systems and appurtenances located within the 
        boundary of the National Historic Site in existence on the date 
        of enactment of this Act, including but not limited to wells, 
        pumps, tanks, water lines, valves, and water treatment 
        facilities.
          (2) The Secretary shall provide the town of Granada, 
        Colorado, with access to those areas of the National Historic 
        Site determined as necessary for the operation and maintenance 
        of water infrastructure and appurtenances.
          (3) The Secretary may permit the city of Granada, Colorado, 
        to construct or install new water infrastructure, systems and 
        appurtenances consistent with applicable laws, limited only to 
        those areas determined in subsection (i)(2), and in a manner 
        that ensures the preservation, protection, and proper 
        management of the National Historic Site.
          (4) At such time that all water infrastructure, systems and 
        appurtenances located within the boundary of the National 
        Historic Site are no longer utilized by the city of Granada, 
        Colorado, associated improvements and associated water rights 
        may be acquired through donation to and made part of the 
        National Historic Site in a condition satisfactory to the 
        Secretary.

    Amend the title so as to read:
    A bill to establish the Amache National Historic Site in 
the State of Colorado as a Unit of the National Park System, 
and for other purposes.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 2497 is to establish the Amache 
National Historic Site in the State of Colorado as a Unit of 
the National Park System.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    Following the United States' entry into World War II after 
the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt 
issued Executive Order 9066,\1\ forcibly removing more than 
120,000 people, primarily of Japanese descent, mostly from the 
West Coast, to ten remote internment centers across the nation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\Exec. Order No. 9066 (Feb. 19, 1942), available at https://
catalog.archives.gov/id/5730250.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Granada Relocation Center, commonly known as Camp 
Amache, covered approximately 10,500 acres around the Town of 
Granada in Southeastern Colorado and was the only center 
located in the State of Colorado. Although Amache was the 
smallest of the relocation centers, it became the tenth largest 
city in Colorado with more than 10,000 people passing through 
the camp between 1942 and 1945, nearly two-thirds of whom were 
American citizens. Unlike the other Western governors, who 
largely adopted the popular anti-Japanese sentiment of the 
time, Governor Ralph Carr of Colorado opposed interning 
American citizens and welcomed evacuees in his state, urging 
acceptance and respectful treatment for Japanese Americans.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\See, e.g., Ralph Carr Memorial Highway, Hist. Marker Database 
(last revised July 17, 2020), https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=152979; 
Ralph Carr: Defender of Japanese Americans, Colo. Virtual Library, 
https://www.coloradovirtuallibrary.org/digital-colorado/colorado-
histories/20th-century/ralph-carr-defender-of-japanese-americans/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    As the majority of Amache internees were seasoned farm 
workers from California's central valleys, agriculture was the 
main industry, and Amache became a productive agricultural 
center that produced significant amounts of crops such as 
potatoes, corn, and wheat. In addition, more than ten percent 
of Amache internees served in the military in the highly 
decorated 442nd Regimental Combat Team, in the Women's Army 
Corps, and as nurses and instructors.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\Dep't of the Interior, Report to the President, Japanese-
American Internment Sites Preservation (2001), available at http://
npshistory.com/publications/manz/internment/index.htm (last updated 
Jan. 19, 2001).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    H.R. 2497 establishes the Amache National Historic Site to 
preserve and protect the site, and interpret resources 
associated with the incarceration of Japanese Americans at 
Amache. The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to 
acquire lands for inclusion in the National Historic Site, as 
well as personal property associated with the incarceration of 
Japanese Americans at the site.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 2497 was introduced on April 14, 2021, by 
Representative Joe Neguse (D-CO). The bill was referred solely 
to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee 
to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public 
Lands. On April 21, 2021, the Subcommittee held a hearing on 
the bill. On July 14, 2021, the Natural Resources Committee met 
to consider the bill. The Subcommittee was discharged by 
unanimous consent. Rep. Neguse offered an amendment designated 
Neguse #49. The amendment was agreed to by unanimous consent. 
The bill, as amended, was adopted and ordered favorably 
reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous consent.

                                HEARINGS

    For the purposes of clause 3(c)(6) of House rule XIII, the 
following hearing was used to develop or consider this measure: 
hearing by the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and 
Public Lands held on April 21, 2021.

            COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

    Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and 
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.

      COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT

    1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act. 
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII 
of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a) 
of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and with respect to 
requirements of clause (3)(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives and section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has requested 
but not received a cost estimate for this bill from the 
Director of Congressional Budget Office. The Committee adopts 
as its own cost estimate the forthcoming cost estimate of the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office, should such cost 
estimate be made available before House passage of the bill.
    The Committee has requested but not received from the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office a statement as to 
whether this bill contains any new budget authority, spending 
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in 
revenues or tax expenditures.
    Congressional Budget Office staff have informed the 
Committee on a preliminary, informal, nonbinding basis that the 
bill will likely have no direct spending or revenue effects.
    2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goals and 
objectives of this bill are to establish the Amache National 
Historic Site in the State of Colorado as a Unit of the 
National Park System.

                           EARMARK STATEMENT

    This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, 
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives.

                 UNFUNDED MANDATES REFORM ACT STATEMENT

    An estimate of Federal mandates prepared by the Director of 
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 423 of the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act was not made available to the 
Committee in time for the filing of this report. The Chair of 
the Committee shall cause such estimate to be printed in the 
Congressional Record upon its receipt by the Committee.

                           EXISTING PROGRAMS

    This bill does not establish or reauthorize a program of 
the federal government known to be duplicative of another 
program.

                  APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.

               PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL, OR TRIBAL LAW

    Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or 
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's 
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the 
U.S. Constitution.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    If enacted, this bill would make no changes to existing 
law.

        SUPPLEMENTAL, MINORITY, ADDITIONAL, OR DISSENTING VIEWS

    None.

                                  [all]