IIB 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3534 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 26, 2006 

Received 

NOVEMBER 13, 2006 

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

AN ACT 

To designate the Piedras Blancas Light Station and the 

surrounding public land as an Outstanding Natural Area 

to be administered as a part of the National Landscape 

Conservation System, 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, 


ycherry on PROD1PC61 with BILLS
2 

HR 3534 RFS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; DEFINITIONS. 

2 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

3 ‘‘Piedras Blancas Historic Light Station Outstanding 

4 Natural Area Act of 2005’’. 

5 (b) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this Act, the 

6 following definitions apply: 

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

8 the Secretary of the Interior. 

9 (2) LIGHT STATION.—The term ‘‘Light Sta10 tion’’ means Piedras Blancas Light Station. 

11 (3) PUBLIC LANDS.—The term ‘‘public lands’’ 

12 has the meaning stated in section 103(e) of the Fed13 eral Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 

14 U.S.C. 1703(e)). 

15 (4) OUTSTANDING NATURAL AREA.—The term 

16 ‘‘Outstanding Natural Area’’ means the Piedras 

17 Blancas Historic Light Station Outstanding Natural 

18 Area established pursuant to section 3. 

19 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

20 Congress finds as follows: 

21 (1) The publicly owned Piedras Blancas Light 

22 Station has nationally recognized historical struc23 tures that should be preserved for present and fu24 ture generations. 

25 (2) The coastline adjacent to the Light Station 

26 is internationally recognized as having significant 


ycherry on PROD1PC61 with BILLS
3 

HR 3534 RFS

1 wildlife and marine habitat that provides critical in2 formation to research institutions throughout the 

3 world. 

4 (3) The Light Station tells an important story 

5 about California’s coastal prehistory and history in 

6 the context of the surrounding region and commu7 nities. 

8 (4) The coastal area surrounding the Light Sta9 tion was traditionally used by Indian people, includ10 ing the Chumash and Salinan Indian tribes. 

11 (5) The Light Station is historically associated 

12 with the nearby world-famous Hearst Castle (Hearst 

13 San Simeon State Historical Monument), now ad14 ministered by the State of California. 

15 (6) The Light Station represents a model part16 nership where future management can be success17 fully accomplished among the Federal Government, 

18 the State of California, San Luis Obispo County, 

19 local communities, and private groups. 

20 (7) Piedras Blancas Historic Light Station 

21 Outstanding Natural Area would make a significant 

22 addition to the National Landscape Conservation 

23 System administered by the Department of the Inte24 rior’s Bureau of Land Management. 


ycherry on PROD1PC61 with BILLS
4 

HR 3534 RFS

1 (8) Statutory protection is needed for the Light 

2 Station and its surrounding Federal lands to ensure 

3 that it remains a part of our historic, cultural, and 

4 natural heritage and to be a source of inspiration for 

5 the people of the United States. 

6 SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF THE PIEDRAS BLANCAS HISTORIC 

7 LIGHT STATION OUTSTANDING NATURAL 

8 AREA. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—In order to protect, conserve, and 

10 enhance for the benefit and enjoyment of present and fu11 ture generations the unique and nationally important his12 torical, natural, cultural, scientific, educational, scenic, 

13 and recreational values of certain lands in and around the 

14 Piedras Blancas Light Station, in San Luis Obispo Coun15 ty, California, while allowing certain recreational and re16 search activities to continue, there is established, subject 

17 to valid existing rights, the Piedras Blancas Historic Light 

18 Station Outstanding Natural Area. 

19 (b) MAPS AND LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS.—The bound20 aries of the Outstanding Natural Area as those shown on 

21 the map entitled ‘‘Piedras Blancas Historic Light Station: 

22 Outstanding Natural Area’’, dated May 5, 2004, which 

23 shall be on file and available for public inspection in the 

24 Office of the Director, Bureau of Land Management, 

25 United States Department of the Interior, and the State 


ycherry on PROD1PC61 with BILLS
5 

HR 3534 RFS

1 office of the Bureau of Land Management in the State 

2 of California. 

3 (c) BASIS OF MANAGEMENT.—The Secretary shall 

4 manage the Outstanding Natural Area as part of the Na5 tional Landscape Conservation System to protect the re6 sources of the area, and shall allow only those uses that 

7 further the purposes for the establishment of the Out8 standing Natural Area, the Federal Land Policy and Man9 agement Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), and other 

10 applicable laws. 

11 (d) WITHDRAWAL.—Subject to valid existing rights, 

12 and in accordance with the existing withdrawal as set 

13 forth in Public Land Order 7501 (Oct. 12, 2001, Vol. 66, 

14 No. 198, Federal Register 52149), the Federal lands and 

15 interests in lands included within the Outstanding Natural 

16 Area are hereby withdrawn from— 

17 (1) all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal 

18 under the public land laws; 

19 (2) location, entry, and patent under the public 

20 land mining laws; and 

21 (3) operation of the mineral leasing and geo22 thermal leasing laws and the mineral materials laws. 


ycherry on PROD1PC61 with BILLS
6 

HR 3534 RFS

1 SEC. 4. MANAGEMENT OF THE PIEDRAS BLANCAS HIS2 TORIC LIGHT STATION OUTSTANDING NAT3 URAL AREA. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall manage the 

5 Outstanding Natural Area in a manner that conserves, 

6 protects, and enhances the unique and nationally impor7 tant historical, natural, cultural, scientific, educational, 

8 scenic, and recreational values of that area, including an 

9 emphasis on preserving and restoring the Light Station 

10 facilities, consistent with the requirements section 3(c). 

11 (b) USES.—Subject to valid existing rights, the Sec12 retary shall only allow such uses of the Outstanding Nat13 ural Area as the Secretary finds are likely to further the 

14 purposes for which the Outstanding Natural Area is estab15 lished as set forth in section 3(a). 

16 (c) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—Not later than 3 years 

17 after of the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec18 retary shall complete a comprehensive management plan 

19 consistent with the requirements of section 202 of the 

20 Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 

21 U.S.C. 1712) to provide long-term management guidance 

22 for the public lands within the Outstanding Natural Area 

23 and fulfill the purposes for which it is established, as set 

24 forth in section 3(a). The management plan shall be devel25 oped in consultation with appropriate Federal, State, and 


ycherry on PROD1PC61 with BILLS
7 

HR 3534 RFS

1 local government agencies, with full public participation, 

2 and the contents shall include— 

3 (1) provisions designed to ensure the protection 

4 of the resources and values described in section 3(a); 

5 (2) objectives to restore the historic Light Sta6 tion and ancillary buildings; 

7 (3) an implementation plan for a continuing 

8 program of interpretation and public education 

9 about the Light Station and its importance to the 

10 surrounding community; 

11 (4) a proposal for minimal administrative and 

12 public facilities to be developed or improved at a 

13 level compatible with achieving the resources objec14 tives for the Outstanding Natural Area as described 

15 in subsection (a) and with other proposed manage16 ment activities to accommodate visitors and re17 searchers to the Outstanding Natural Area; and 

18 (5) cultural resources management strategies 

19 for the Outstanding Natural Area, prepared in con20 sultation with appropriate departments of the State 

21 of California, with emphasis on the preservation of 

22 the resources of the Outstanding Natural Area and 

23 the interpretive, education, and long-term scientific 

24 uses of the resources, giving priority to the enforce25 ment of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act 


ycherry on PROD1PC61 with BILLS
8 

HR 3534 RFS

1 of 1979 (16 U.S.C. 470aa et seq.) and the National 

2 Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.) 

3 within the Outstanding Natural Area. 

4 (d) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—In order to better 

5 implement the management plan and to continue the suc6 cessful partnerships with the local communities and the 

7 Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument, adminis8 tered by the California Department of Parks and Recre9 ation, the Secretary may enter into cooperative agree10 ments with the appropriate Federal, State, and local agen11 cies pursuant to section 307(b) of the Federal Land Man12 agement Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 

13 1737(b)). 

14 (e) RESEARCH ACTIVITIES.—In order to continue the 

15 successful partnership with research organizations and 

16 agencies and to assist in the development and implementa17 tion of the management plan, the Secretary may authorize 

18 within the Outstanding Natural Area appropriate research 

19 activities for the purposes identified in section 3(a) and 

20 pursuant to section 307(a) of the Federal Land Policy and 

21 Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1737(a)). 

22 (f) ACQUISITION.—State and privately held lands or 

23 interests in lands adjacent to the Outstanding Natural 

24 Area and identified as appropriate for acquisition in the 


ycherry on PROD1PC61 with BILLS
9 

HR 3534 RFS

1 management plan may be acquired by the Secretary as 

2 part of the Outstanding Natural Area only by— 

3 (1) donation; 

4 (2) exchange with a willing party; or 

5 (3) purchase from a willing seller. 

6 (g) ADDITIONS TO THE OUTSTANDING NATURAL

7 AREA.—Any lands or interest in lands adjacent to the 

8 Outstanding Natural Area acquired by the United States 

9 after the date of the enactment of this Act shall be added 

10 to and administered as part of the Outstanding Natural 

11 Area. 

12 (h) OVERFLIGHTS.—Nothing in this Act or the man13 agement plan shall be construed to— 

14 (1) restrict or preclude overflights, including 

15 low level overflights, military, commercial, and gen16 eral aviation overflights that can be seen or heard 

17 within the Outstanding Natural Area; 

18 (2) restrict or preclude the designation or cre19 ation of new units of special use airspace or the es20 tablishment of military flight training routes over 

21 the Outstanding Natural Area; or 

22 (3) modify regulations governing low-level over23 flights above the adjacent Monterey Bay National 

24 Marine Sanctuary. 


ycherry on PROD1PC61 with BILLS
10 

HR 3534 RFS

1 (i) LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES.—Nothing in 

2 this Act shall be construed to preclude or otherwise affect 

3 coastal border security operations or other law enforce4 ment activities by the Coast Guard or other agencies with5 in the Department of Homeland Security, the Department 

6 of Justice, or any other Federal, State, and local law en7 forcement agencies within the Outstanding Natural Area. 

8 (j) NATIVE AMERICAN USES AND INTERESTS.—In 

9 recognition of the past use of the Outstanding Natural 

10 Area by Indians and Indian tribes for traditional cultural 

11 and religious purposes, the Secretary shall ensure access 

12 to the Outstanding Natural Area by Indians and Indian 

13 tribes for such traditional cultural and religious purposes. 

14 In implementing this section, the Secretary, upon the re15 quest of an Indian tribe or Indian religious community, 

16 shall temporarily close to the general public use of one 

17 or more specific portions of the Outstanding Natural Area 

18 in order to protect the privacy of traditional cultural and 

19 religious activities in such areas by the Indian tribe or In20 dian religious community. Any such closure shall be made 

21 to affect the smallest practicable area for the minimum 

22 period necessary for such purposes. Such access shall be 

23 consistent with the purpose and intent of Public Law 95– 

24 341 (42 U.S.C. 1996 et seq.; commonly referred to as the 

25 ‘‘American Indian Religious Freedom Act’’). 


ycherry on PROD1PC61 with BILLS
11 

HR 3534 RFS

1 (k) NO BUFFER ZONES.—The designation of the 

2 Outstanding Natural Area is not intended to lead to the 

3 creation of protective perimeters or buffer zones around 

4 area. The fact that activities outside the Outstanding Nat5 ural Area and not consistent with the purposes of this Act 

6 can be seen or heard within the Outstanding Natural Area 

7 shall not, of itself, preclude such activities or uses up to 

8 the boundary of the Outstanding Natural Area. 

9 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

10 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

11 as are necessary to carry out this Act. 

Passed the House of Representatives September 25, 

2006. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


ycherry on PROD1PC61 with BILLS