106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 5225

AN ACT

To revise the boundaries of the Richmond National

Battlefield Park based on the findings of theCivil War Sites Advisory Committee and the National Park Service and to encourage cooperativemanagement, protection, and interpretation ofthe resources associated with the Civil War andthe Civil War battles in and around the city ofRichmond, Virginia.

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 5225

AN ACT

To revise the boundaries of the Richmond National Battlefield Park based on the findings of the Civil War Sites

Advisory Committee and the National Park Service and

to encourage cooperative management, protection, and

interpretation of the resources associated with the Civil

War and the Civil War battles in and around the city

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; DEFINITIONS.

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

5 ‘‘Richmond National Battlefield Park Act of 2000’’.

6 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act:

7 (1) BATTLEFIELD PARK.—The term ‘‘battle8 field park’’ means the Richmond National Battle9 field Park.

10 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means

11 the Secretary of the Interior.

12 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

13 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following:

14 (1) In the Act of March 2, 1936 (Chapter 113;

15 49 Stat. 1155; 16 U.S.C. 423j), Congress authorized

16 the establishment of the Richmond National Battle17 field Park, and the boundaries of the battlefield park

18 were established to permit the inclusion of all mili19 tary battlefield areas related to the battles fought

20 during the Civil War in the vicinity of the city of

21 Richmond, Virginia. The battlefield park originally

22 included the area then known as the Richmond Bat23 tlefield State Park.

24 (2) The total acreage identified in 1936 for

25 consideration for inclusion in the battlefield park
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1 consisted of approximately 225,000 acres in and

2 around the city of Richmond. A study undertaken by

3 the congressionally authorized Civil War Sites Advi4 sory Committee determined that of these 225,000

5 acres, the historically significant areas relating to

6 the campaigns against and in defense of Richmond

7 encompass approximately 38,000 acres.

8 (3) In a 1996 general management plan, the

9 National Park Service identified approximately

10 7,121 acres in and around the city of Richmond that

11 satisfy the National Park Service criteria of signifi12 cance, integrity, feasibility, and suitability for inclu13 sion in the battlefield park. The National Park Serv14 ice later identified an additional 186 acres for inclu15 sion in the battlefield park.

16 (4) There is a national interest in protecting

17 and preserving sites of historical significance associ18 ated with the Civil War and the city of Richmond.

19 (5) The Commonwealth of Virginia and its local

20 units of government have authority to prevent or

21 minimize adverse uses of these historic resources

22 and can play a significant role in the protection of

23 the historic resources related to the campaigns

24 against and in defense of Richmond.
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1 (6) The preservation of the New Market

2 Heights Battlefield in the vicinity of the city of

3 Richmond is an important aspect of American his4 tory that can be interpreted to the public. The Bat5 tle of New Market Heights represents a premier

6 landmark in black military history as 14 black

7 Union soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor in

8 recognition of their valor during the battle. Accord9 ing to National Park Service historians, the sac10 rifices of the United States Colored Troops in this

11 battle helped to ensure the passage of the Thirteenth

12 Amendment to the United States Constitution to

13 abolish slavery.

14 (b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act—

15 (1) to revise the boundaries for the Richmond

16 National Battlefield Park based on the findings of

17 the Civil War Sites Advisory Committee and the Na18 tional Park Service; and

19 (2) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to

20 work in cooperation with the Commonwealth of Vir21 ginia, the city of Richmond, other political subdivi22 sions of the Commonwealth, other public entities,

23 and the private sector in the management, protec24 tion, and interpretation of the resources associated
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1 with the Civil War and the Civil War battles in and

2 around the city of Richmond, Virginia.

3 SEC. 3. RICHMOND NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD PARK; BOUND4 ARIES.

5 (a) ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE.—For the pur6 pose of protecting, managing, and interpreting the re7 sources associated with the Civil War battles in and

8 around the city of Richmond, Virginia, there is established

9 the Richmond National Battlefield Park consisting of ap10 proximately 7,307 acres of land, as generally depicted on

11 the map entitled ‘‘Richmond National Battlefield Park

12 Boundary Revision’’, numbered 367N.E.F.A.80026A, and

13 dated September 2000. The map shall be on file in the

14 appropriate offices of the National Park Service.

15 (b) BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS.—The Secretary may

16 make minor adjustments in the boundaries of the battle17 field park consistent with section 7(c) of the Land and

18 Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l–

19 9(c)).

20 SEC. 4. LAND ACQUISITION.

21 (a) ACQUISITION AUTHORITY.—

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may acquire

23 lands, waters, and interests in lands within the

24 boundaries of the battlefield park from willing land25 owners by donation, purchase with donated or ap-
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1 propriated funds, or exchange. In acquiring lands

2 and interests in lands under this Act, the Secretary

3 shall acquire the minimum interest necessary to

4 achieve the purposes for which the battlefield is es5 tablished.

6 (2) SPECIAL RULE FOR PRIVATE LANDS.—Pri7 vately owned lands or interests in lands may be ac8 quired under this Act only with the consent of the

9 owner.

10 (b) EASEMENTS.—

11 (1) OUTSIDE BOUNDARIES.—The Secretary

12 may acquire an easement on property outside the

13 boundaries of the battlefield park and around the

14 city of Richmond, with the consent of the owner, if

15 the Secretary determines that the easement is nec16 essary to protect core Civil War resources as identi17 fied by the Civil War Sites Advisory Committee.

18 Upon acquisition of the easement, the Secretary

19 shall revise the boundaries of the battlefield park to

20 include the property subject to the easement.

21 (2) INSIDE BOUNDARIES.—To the extent prac22 ticable, and if preferred by a willing landowner, the

23 Secretary shall use permanent conservation ease24 ments to acquire interests in land in lieu of acquir-
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1 ing land in fee simple and thereby removing land

2 from non-Federal ownership.

3 (c) VISITOR CENTER.—The Secretary may acquire

4 the Tredegar Iron Works buildings and associated land

5 in the city of Richmond for use as a visitor center for the

6 battlefield park.

7 SEC. 5. PARK ADMINISTRATION.

8 (a) APPLICABLE LAWS.—The Secretary, acting

9 through the Director of the National Park Service, shall

10 administer the battlefield park in accordance with this Act

11 and laws generally applicable to units of the National Park

12 System, including the Act of August 25, 1916 (16 U.S.C.

13 1 et. seq.) and the Act of August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C.

14 461 et. seq.).

15 (b) NEW MARKET HEIGHTS BATTLEFIELD.—The

16 Secretary shall provide for the establishment of a monu17 ment or memorial suitable to honor the 14 Medal of Honor

18 recipients from the United States Colored Troops who

19 fought in the Battle of New Market Heights. The Sec20 retary shall include the Battle of New Market Heights and

21 the role of black Union soldiers in the battle in historical

22 interpretations provided to the public at the battlefield

23 park.

24 (c) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary

25 may enter into cooperative agreements with the Common-
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1 wealth of Virginia, its political subdivisions (including the

2 city of Richmond), private property owners, and other

3 members of the private sector to develop mechanisms to

4 protect and interpret the historical resources within the

5 battlefield park in a manner that would allow for contin6 ued private ownership and use where compatible with the

7 purposes for which the battlefield is established.

8 (d) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary may

9 provide technical assistance to the Commonwealth of Vir10 ginia, its political subdivisions, nonprofit entities, and pri11 vate property owners for the development of comprehen12 sive plans, land use guidelines, special studies, and other

13 activities that are consistent with the identification, pro14 tection, interpretation, and commemoration of historically

15 significant Civil War resources located inside and outside

16 of the boundaries of the battlefield park. The technical as17 sistance does not authorize the Secretary to own or man18 age any of the resources outside the battlefield park

19 boundaries.

20 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

21 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums

22 as are necessary to carry out this Act.
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1 SEC. 7. REPEAL OF SUPERSEDED LAW.

2 The Act of March 2, 1936 (Chapter 113; 16 U.S.C.

3 423j–423l) is repealed.

Passed the House of Representatives October 17,

2000.

Attest:

Clerk.