To designate the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Route, and for other purposes.

Summary: Ice Age Floods National Geologic Route Designation Act of 2006 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service (NPS), and with the concurrence of the agency having jurisdiction over such roads, to designate a vehicular tour route from Missoula, Montana, to the Pacific Ocean along existing public roads linking certain nationally significant natural and cultural sites associated with the Ice Age Floods, which shall be known as the "Ice Age Floods National Geologic Route."

Requires the Secretary to prepare and transmit to specified congressional committees a description of sites along the Route and a general plan, which shall include the location and description of unique geographic or geologic features and significant landforms and important cultural resources.

Requires the general plan to include proposals for a comprehensive interpretive program of the Route.

Requires the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the NPS Director, to administer a program for interpretation of the Route.

Authorizes the Secretary to provide other federal, state, tribal, and local nonprofit or private entities with technical assistance in developing interpretive devices and materials with respect to sites linked by segments of the Route administered by such entities.

Instructs the Secretary to ensure that the Route is marked with appropriate signs and other markers to guide the public.

Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to require any private property owner to allow public access (including federal, state, or local government access) to such private property, or to modify any provision of federal, state, or local law with regard to public access to or use of private lands.

Authorizes appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Ice Age Floods National Geologic 
Route Designation Act of 2006''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to designate the Ice Age Floods National 
Geologic Route in the States of Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon, 
enabling the public to view, experience, and learn about the Ice Age 
Floods' features and story through the collaborative efforts of public 
and private entities.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act:
            (1) Route.--The term ``Route'' means the Ice Age Floods 
        National Geologic Route designated in section 4.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (3) Floods.--The term ``Ice Age Floods'' or ``floods'' 
        means the cataclysmic floods that occurred in what is now the 
        northwestern United States during the last Ice Age primarily 
        from massive, rapid and recurring drainage of Glacial Lake 
        Missoula.

SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF THE ICE AGE FLOODS NATIONAL NATIONAL GEOLOGIC 
              ROUTE.

    (a) Designation.--In order to provide for the public appreciation, 
education, understanding, and enjoyment, through a coordinated 
interpretive program of certain nationally significant natural and 
cultural sites associated with Ice Age Floods that are accessible 
generally by public roads, the Secretary, acting through the Director 
of the National Park Service, with the concurrence of the agency having 
jurisdiction over such roads, is authorized to designate, by 
publication of a map or other description thereof in the Federal 
Register, a vehicular tour route along existing public roads linking 
such natural and cultural sites. Such route shall be known as the ``Ice 
Age Floods National Geologic Route''.
    (b) Location.--The location of the Route shall generally follow 
public roads and highways from the vicinity of Missoula in western 
Montana, across northern Idaho, through eastern and southern sections 
of Washington, and across northern Oregon in the vicinity of the 
Willamette Valley and the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean, as 
generally depicted on the map titled ``Ice Age Floods National Geologic 
Trial'', numbered P43/80,000, and dated June 2004.
    (c) Maps.--
            (1) Revisions.--The Secretary may revise the map by 
        publication in the Federal Register of a notice of availability 
        of a new map, as needed, in cooperation with Federal, State, 
        local, or tribal governments, and other public or private 
        entities.
            (2) Availability.--Any map referred to in paragraph (1) 
        shall be on file and available for public inspection in the 
        appropriate offices of the National Park Service.
    (d) Description of Sites; Plan; Interpretive Program.--
            (1) Description of sites; plan.--Not later than 3 years 
        after the date that funds become available for this Act, the 
        Secretary shall prepare a description of sites along the Route 
        and general plan which shall include the location and 
        description of each of the following:
                    (A) Unique geographic or geologic features and 
                significant landforms.
                    (B) Important cultural resources.
            (2) Interpretive program.--The general plan shall include 
        proposals for a comprehensive interpretive program of the 
        Route.
            (3) Transmission to congress.--The Secretary shall transmit 
        the description of sites and general plan to the Committee on 
        Resources of the United States House of Representative and the 
        Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States 
        Senate.
            (4) Consultation.--The description of sites and plan shall 
        be prepared in consultation with other Federal agencies, the 
        State of Montana, the State Idaho, the State of Washington, and 
        the State of Oregon, units of local governments, tribal 
        governments, interested private citizens, and nonprofit 
        organizations, and the Ice Age Floods Institute.

SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of the 
National Park Service, shall administer a program to interpret the 
Route in accordance with this Act.
    (b) Public Education.--With respect to sites linked by segments of 
the Route which are administered by other Federal, State, tribal, and 
local nonprofit or private entities, the Secretary is authorized to 
provide technical assistance in the development of interpretive devices 
and materials pursuant to cooperative agreements with such entities. 
The Secretary, in cooperation with Federal, State, tribal, or local 
governments or nonprofit or private entities, shall prepare and 
distribute information for the public appreciation of sites along the 
Route.
    (c) Markers.--The Secretary shall ensure that the Route is marked 
with appropriate markers to guide the public. With the concurrence and 
assistance of the State, tribal, or local entity having jurisdiction 
over the roads designated as part of the Route, the Secretary may erect 
thereon signs and other informational devices displaying the Ice Age 
Floods National Geologic Route marker. The Secretary is authorized to 
accept the donation of suitable signs and other informational devices 
for placement at appropriate locations.
    (d) Private Property Rights.--Nothing in this Act shall be 
construed to require any private property owner to allow public access 
(including Federal, State or local government access) to such private 
property or to modify any provision of Federal, State or local law with 
regard to public access to or use of private lands.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $250,000 
for each fiscal year to carry out this Act.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 25, 2006.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.