I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2520

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire by donation certain 

property in Alabama to provide for the protection and preservation of 

certain rare paleontological resources on that property, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 19, 2003

Mr. ADERHOLT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Resources 

A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire by 

donation certain property in Alabama to provide for the 

protection and preservation of certain rare paleontological resources on that property, and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. UNION CHAPEL FOSSIL FOOTPRINT SITE PRES4 ERVATION ACT. 

5 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the 

6 ‘‘Union Chapel Fossil Footprint Site Preservation Act’’. 

7 (b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
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1 (1) Fossils have scientific and educational value 

2 and it is in the national interest to preserve and pro3 tect sites of paleontological significance. 

4 (2) The Union Chapel Mine is a 

5 paleontologically significant site that has been the 

6 focus of an extensive collaborative effort over the 

7 past 2 1/2 years by amateur collectors and profes8 sional paleontologists from the Geological Survey of 

9 Alabama, the University of Alabama, Emory Univer10 sity, the University of Florida, and the University of 

11 South Alabama. 

12 (3) The site is significant because it has yielded 

13 an unusually large quantity of rare pre-dinosaur fos14 sil trackways dating from the early Pennsylvanian 

15 Period (approximately 310 million years ago, about 

16 100 million years before the first dinosaurs). 

17 (4) Material obtained from spoil piles at the 

18 site includes over 1,300 vertebrate and invertebrate 

19 tracks, some new to science, as well as a wide array 

20 of fossil plants. The trackways are due mainly to 

21 primitive amphibians, horseshoe crabs, and other ar22 thropods. These tracks now comprise the largest col23 lection of specimens documenting the existence of 

24 these animals in north central Alabama during the 

25 Coal Age. 
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1 (5) An extensive photographic database of over 

2 1,800 digital images has been compiled using mate3 rial from the site. 

4 (6) At least 4 presentations at scientific meet5 ings have been delivered relating to findings at the 

6 site and a monograph and 2 manuscripts for publi7 cation in scientific journals are being prepared. 

8 (7) It is estimated by geologists working at the 

9 Union Chapel Mine that far more fossil material ex10 ists within the remaining spoil piles at the site and 

11 that undisturbed tracks and other trace fossils with12 in the adjoining high wall may constitute an unpar13 alleled resource for scientific exploration of this an14 cient ecosystem. 

15 (8) The Union Chapel Mine has now been rec16 ognized by international experts in the field as the 

17 most important Coal Age footprint site in the world. 

18 (c) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act include the 

19 following: 

20 (1) To authorize the Secretary to acquire by do21 nation from the New Acton Coal Mining Company, 

22 Inc., the Union Chapel Paleozoic Footprint Preserve 

23 to preserve and develop it for further paleontological 

24 research. 
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1 (2) To grant an exemption from the require2 ments of the Surface Mining Control and Reclama3 tion Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.), for fur4 ther reclamation of the site to the owner of the 

5 Union Chapel Mine, the New Acton Coal Mining 

6 Company, Inc. of Cordova, Alabama. 

7 (3) To authorize the complete restoration of 

8 funds held in escrow pending further reclamation of 

9 the Union Chapel Mine by the Director of the Sur10 face Coal Mining Commission of the State of Ala11 bama to the New Acton Coal Mining Company, Inc. 

12 (d) AUTHORIZATION TO ACQUIRE THE UNION CHAP13 EL PALEOZOIC FOOTPRINT PRESERVE.—If offered by a 

14 willing owner, the Secretary shall accept, by donation only, 

15 the 35 acres of land (and all related facilities and other 

16 appurtenances thereon) generally depicted on the map en17 titled ‘‘Union Chapel Mine’’, ASMC permit number 3778, 

18 for permanent preservation of that property. 

19 (e) APPLICATION OF CERTAIN LAW.—The require20 ments of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act 

21 of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.), shall not apply to the 

22 New Acton Coal Mining Company, Inc. regarding further 

23 reclamation of the Union Chapel Paleozoic Footprint Pre24 serve. 
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1 (f) RETURN OF FUNDS IN ESCROW.—All funds held 

2 in escrow on the date of the enactment of this Act pending 

3 further reclamation of the Union Chapel Mine by the Di4 rector of the Surface Coal Mining Commission of the State 

5 of Alabama may be returned to the New Acton Coal Min6 ing Company, Inc. 

7 (g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

8 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $500,000 

9 for the following: 

10 (1) To preserve and protect the paleontological 

11 resources located within the exterior boundaries of 

12 the Union Chapel Paleozoic Footprint Preserve. 

13 (2) To provide opportunities for scientific re14 search in a manner compatible with paragraph (1). 

15 (3) To provide the public with opportunities for 

16 educational activities in a manner compatible with 

17 paragraph (1). 

18 (h) MAP ON FILE.—The map referred to in sub19 section (d) shall be on file and available for public inspec20 tion in the appropriate office of the Department of the 

21 Interior. 

22 (i) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this section, 

23 the following definitions apply: 

24 (1) UNION CHAPEL PALEOZOIC FOOTPRINT

25 PRESERVE.—The term ‘‘Union Chapel Paleozoic 
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1 Footprint Preserve’’ means the property (and all fa2 cilities and other appurtenances thereon) described 

3 in subsection (d). 

4 (2) UNION CHAPEL MINE.—The term ‘‘Union 

5 Chapel Mine’’ means the surface coal mine in Union 

6 Chapel, Alabama. 

7 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

8 the Secretary of the Interior.

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