PUBLIC LAW 106–271—SEPT. 22, 2000

CORINTH BATTLEFIELD PRESERVATION ACT

OF 2000

114 STAT. 792 PUBLIC LAW 106–271—SEPT. 22, 2000

Public Law 106–271

106th Congress

An Act

To establish the Corinth Unit of Shiloh National Military Park, in the vicinity

of the city of Corinth, Mississippi, and in the State of Tennessee, and for other

purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of

the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Corinth Battlefield Preservation

Act of 2000’’.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—

(1) in 1996, Congress authorized the establishment and

construction of a center—

(A) to facilitate the interpretation of the Siege and

Battle of Corinth and other Civil War actions in the area

in and around the city of Corinth, Mississippi; and

(B) to enhance public understanding of the significance

of the Corinth campaign and the Civil War relative to

the western theater of operations, in cooperation with—

(i) State or local governmental entities;

(ii) private organizations; and

(iii) individuals;

(2) the Corinth Battlefield was ranked as a priority 1

battlefield having critical need for coordinated nationwide

action by the year 2000 by the Civil War Sites Advisory

Commission in its report on Civil War Battlefields of the United

States;

(3) there is a national interest in protecting and preserving

sites of historic significance associated with the Civil War;

and

(4) the States of Mississippi and Tennessee and their

respective local units of government—

(A) have the authority to prevent or minimize adverse

uses of these historic resources; and

(B) can play a significant role in the protection of

the historic resources related to the Civil War battles

fought in the area in and around the city of Corinth.

(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—

(1) to establish the Corinth Unit of the Shiloh National

Military Park—

(A) in the city of Corinth, Mississippi; and

(B) in the State of Tennessee;

16 USC 430f–6.

16 USC 430f–6

note.

Corinth

Battlefield

Preservation Act

of 2000.

Sept. 22, 2000

[S. 1117]

PUBLIC LAW 106–271—SEPT. 22, 2000 114 STAT. 793

(2) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to manage, protect,

and interpret the resources associated with the Civil War Siege

and the Battle of Corinth that occurred in and around the

city of Corinth, in cooperation with—

(A) the State of Mississippi;

(B) the State of Tennessee;

(C) the city of Corinth, Mississippi;

(D) other public entities; and

(E) the private sector; and

(3) to authorize a special resource study to identify other

Civil War sites in and around the city of Corinth that—

(A) are consistent with the themes of the Siege and

Battle of Corinth;

(B) meet the criteria for designation as a unit of the

National Park System; and

(C) are considered appropriate for inclusion in the Unit.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) MAP.—The term ‘‘Map’’ means the map entitled ‘‘Park

Boundary-Corinth Unit’’, numbered 304/80,007, and dated

October 1998.

(2) PARK.—The term ‘‘Park’’ means the Shiloh National

Military Park.

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

of the Interior.

(4) UNIT.—The term ‘‘Unit’’ means the Corinth Unit of

Shiloh National Military Park established under section 4.

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIT.

(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the States of Mississippi and Tennessee the Corinth Unit of the Shiloh National

Military Park.

(b) COMPOSITION OF UNIT.—The Unit shall be comprised of—

(1) the tract consisting of approximately 20 acres generally

depicted as ‘‘Battery Robinett Boundary’’ on the Map; and

(2) any additional land that the Secretary determines to

be suitable for inclusion in the Unit that—

(A) is under the ownership of a public entity or nonprofit organization; and

(B) has been identified by the Siege and Battle of

Corinth National Historic Landmark Study, dated January

8, 1991.

(c) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The Map shall be on file and available for public inspection in the office of the Director of the National

Park Service.

SEC. 5. LAND ACQUISITION.

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may acquire land and interests

in land within the boundary of the Park as depicted on the Map,

by—

(1) donation;

(2) purchase with donated or appropriated funds; or

(3) exchange.

(b) EXCEPTION.—Land may be acquired only by donation from—

(1) the State of Mississippi (including a political subdivision

of the State);

16 USC 430f–9.

16 USC 430f–8.

16 USC 430f–7.

114 STAT. 794 PUBLIC LAW 106–271—SEPT. 22, 2000

(2) the State of Tennessee (including a political subdivision

of the State); or

(3) the organization known as ‘‘Friends of the Siege and

Battle of Corinth’’.

SEC. 6. PARK MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION.

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall administer the Unit in

accordance with this Act and the laws generally applicable to units

of the National Park System, including—

(1) the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to establish a National Park

Service, and for other purposes’’, approved August 25, 1916

(16 U.S.C. 1 et seq.); and

(2) the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to provide for the preservation

of historic American sites, buildings, objects, and antiquities

of national significance, and for other purposes’’, approved

August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 461 et seq.).

(b) DUTIES.—In accordance with section 602 of the Omnibus

Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 (16 U.S.C. 430f–

5), the Secretary shall—

(1) commemorate and interpret, for the benefit of visitors

and the general public, the Siege and Battle of Corinth and

other Civil War actions in the area in and around the city

of Corinth within the larger context of the Civil War and

American history, including the significance of the Civil War

Siege and Battle of Corinth in 1862 in relation to other operations in the western theater of the Civil War; and

(2) identify and preserve surviving features from the Civil

War era in the area in and around the city of Corinth, including

both military and civilian themes that include—

(A) the role of railroads in the Civil War;

(B) the story of the Corinth contraband camp; and

(C) the development of field fortifications as a tactic

of war.

(c) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—To carry out this Act, the Secretary may

enter into cooperative agreements with entities in the public

and private sectors, including—

(A) colleges and universities;

(B) historical societies;

(C) State and local agencies; and

(D) nonprofit organizations.

(2) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—To develop cooperative land

use strategies and conduct activities that facilitate the conservation of the historic, cultural, natural, and scenic resources of

the Unit, the Secretary may provide technical assistance, to

the extent that a recipient of technical assistance is engaged

in the protection, interpretation, or commemoration of historically significant Civil War resources in the area in and around

the city of Corinth, to—

(A) the State of Mississippi (including a political subdivision of the State);

(B) the State of Tennessee (including a political subdivision of the State);

(C) a governmental entity;

(D) a nonprofit organization; and

(E) a private property owner.

16 USC 430f–10.

PUBLIC LAW 106–271—SEPT. 22, 2000 114 STAT. 795

(d) RESOURCES OUTSIDE THE UNIT.—Nothing in subsection (c)(2)

authorizes the Secretary to own or manage any resource outside

the Unit.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.

(a) IN GENERAL.—To determine whether certain additional

properties are appropriate for inclusion in the Unit, the Secretary

shall conduct a special resource study of land in and around the

city of Corinth, Mississippi, and nearby areas in the State of Tennessee that—

(1) have a relationship to the Civil War Siege and Battle

of Corinth in 1862; and

(2) are under the ownership of—

(A) the State of Mississippi (including a political subdivision of the State);

(B) the State of Tennessee (including a political subdivision of the State);

(C) a nonprofit organization; or

(D) a private person.

(b) CONTENTS OF STUDY.—The study shall—

(1) identify the full range of resources and historic themes

associated with the Civil War Siege and Battle of Corinth

in 1862, including the relationship of the campaign to other

operations in the western theater of the Civil War that occurred

in—

(A) the area in and around the city of Corinth; and

(B) the State of Tennessee;

(2) identify alternatives for preserving features from the

Civil War era in the area in and around the city of Corinth,

including both military and civilian themes involving—

(A) the role of the railroad in the Civil War;

(B) the story of the Corinth contraband camp; and

(C) the development of field fortifications as a tactic

of war;

(3) identify potential partners that might support efforts

by the Secretary to carry out this Act, including—

(A) State entities and their political subdivisions;

(B) historical societies and commissions;

(C) civic groups; and

(D) nonprofit organizations;

(4) identify alternatives to avoid land use conflicts; and

(5) include cost estimates for any necessary activity associated with the alternatives identified under this subsection,

including—

(A) acquisition;

(B) development;

(C) interpretation;

(D) operation; and

(E) maintenance.

(c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year and 180 days after the

date on which funds are made available to carry out this section,

the Secretary shall submit a report describing the findings of the

study under subsection (a) to—

(1) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of

the Senate; and

(2) the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives.

Deadline.

16 USC 430f–11.

114 STAT. 796 PUBLIC LAW 106–271—SEPT. 22, 2000

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 1117:

SENATE REPORTS: No. 106–186 (Comm. on Energy and Natural Resources).

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:

Vol. 145 (1999): Nov. 19, considered and passed Senate.

Vol. 146 (2000): Sept. 12, considered and passed House.

Æ

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are

necessary to carry out this Act, including $3,000,000 for the

construction of an interpretive center under section 602(d) of title

VI of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of

1996 (16 U.S.C. 430f–5(d)).

Approved September 22, 2000.

16 USC 430f–12.