I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 659

To authorize appropriations for the protection of Paoli and Brandywine Battlefields in Pennsylvania, to direct the National Park Service to conduct

a special resource study of Paoli and Brandywine Battlefields, to authorize the Valley Forge Museum of the American Revolution at Valley

Forge National Historical Park, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 9, 1999

Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. PITTS, Mr. ENGLISH, Mr.

HOEFFEL, Mr. MASCARA, Mr. GEKAS, Mr. GREENWOOD, Mr. HOLDEN,

Mr. SHUSTER, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. SHERWOOD,

Mr. COYNE, Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. TOOMEY,

Mr. KLINK, Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. KANJORSKI, Mr. BORSKI, Mr. MURTHA,

Mr. CASTLE, and Mr. GOODLING) introduced the following bill; which was

referred to the Committee on Resources

A BILL

To authorize appropriations for the protection of Paoli and

Brandywine Battlefields in Pennsylvania, to direct the

National Park Service to conduct a special resource

study of Paoli and Brandywine Battlefields, to authorize

the Valley Forge Museum of the American Revolution

at Valley Forge National Historical Park, 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,
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protect America’s

3 Treasures of the Revolution for Independence for Our To4 morrow Act’’ or the ‘‘PATRIOT Act’’.

5 TITLE I—PAOLI AND

6 BRANDYWINE BATTLEFIELDS

7 SEC. 101. PAOLI BATTLEFIELD PROTECTION.

8 (a) PAOLI BATTLEFIELD.—The Secretary of the In9 terior (hereinafter referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) is au10 thorized to provide funds to the borough of Malvern,

11 Pennsylvania, for the protection and preservation of the

12 area known as the ‘‘Paoli Battlefield’’, located in the bor13 ough of Malvern, Pennsylvania, as generally depicted on

14 the map entitled ‘‘Paoli Battlefield’’ numbered ll and

15 dated ll (referred to in this title as the ‘‘Paoli Battle16 field’’). The map shall be on file in the appropriate offices

17 of the National Park Service.

18 (b) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AND TECHNICAL AS19 SISTANCE.—The Secretary shall enter into a cooperative

20 agreement with the borough of Malvern, Pennsylvania, for

21 the management by the borough of the Paoli Battlefield.

22 The Secretary may provide technical assistance to the bor23 ough of Malvern to assure the preservation and interpreta24 tion of the battlefield’s resources.

25 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

26 are authorized to be appropriated $2,500,000 to carry out
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1 this section. Such funds shall be expended in the ratio of

2 $1 of Federal funds for each dollar of funds contributed

3 by non-Federal sources. Any funds provided by the Sec4 retary shall be subject to an agreement that provides for

5 the protection of the land’s resources.

6 SEC. 102. BRANDYWINE BATTLEFIELD PROTECTION.

7 (a) BRANDYWINE BATTLEFIELD.—The Secretary is

8 authorized to provide funds to the Commonwealth of

9 Pennsylvania, a political subdivision of the Common10 wealth, or the Brandywine Conservancy, for the protection

11 and preservation of land in an area generally known as

12 the Meetinghouse Road Corridor, located in Chester Coun13 ty, Pennsylvania, as depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Brandy14 wine Battlefield—Meetinghouse Road Corridor’’, num15 bered ll and dated ll (referred to in this title as

16 the ‘‘Brandywine Battlefield’’). The map shall be on file

17 in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service.

18 (b) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AND TECHNICAL AS19 SISTANCE.—The Secretary shall enter into a cooperative

20 agreement with the same entity that is provided funds

21 under subsection (a) for the management by the entity

22 of the Brandywine Battlefield. The Secretary may also

23 provide technical assistance to the entity to assure the

24 preservation and interpretation of the battlefield’s re25 sources.
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1 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

2 are authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 to carry out

3 this section. Such funds shall be expended in the ratio of

4 $1 of Federal funds for each dollar of funds contributed

5 by non-Federal sources. Any funds provided by the Sec6 retary shall be subject to an agreement that provides for

7 the protection of the land’s resources.

8 SEC. 103. STUDY OF BATTLEFIELDS.

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after

10 the date on which funds are made available to carry out

11 this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee

12 on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the

13 Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives

14 a resource study of the property described in sections 101

15 and 102.

16 (b) CONTENTS.—The study shall—

17 (1) identify the full range of resources and his18 toric themes associated with the Paoli Battlefield

19 and the Brandywine Battlefield, including their rela20 tionship to the American Revolutionary War and the

21 Valley Forge National Historical Park; and

22 (2) identify alternatives for National Park Serv23 ice involvement at the sites and include cost esti24 mates for any necessary acquisition, development,
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1 interpretation, operation, and maintenance associ2 ated with the alternatives identified.

3 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

4 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be

5 necessary to carry out this section.

6 TITLE II—VALLEY FORGE

7 NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

8 SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.

9 This title may be cited as the ‘‘Valley Forge Museum

10 of the American Revolution Act of 1999’’.

11 SEC. 202. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

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

13 (1) Valley Forge National Historical Park, for14 merly a State park, was established as a unit of the

15 National Park System in 1976. The National Park

16 Service acquired various lands and structures associ17 ated with the park, including a visitor center, from

18 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

19 (2) Valley Forge National Historical Park

20 maintains an extensive collection of artifacts, books,

21 and other documents associated with the Continental

22 Army’s winter encampment of 1777–1778 at Valley

23 Forge, Revolutionary War-era artifacts of military

24 life, important archaeological resources, and numer25 ous structures and associated artifacts.
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1 (3) Between 1982 and 1997 the National Park

2 Service completed a general management plan, long3 range interpretive plan, and strategic business plan

4 for Valley Forge National Historical Park that es5 tablish goals and priorities for management of the

6 park.

7 (4) These plans identify inadequacies in the

8 park’s current visitor center and interpretive pro9 grams. The plans call for the development of a new

10 or significantly renovated visitor center that would

11 make the collection accessible to the public through

12 exhibits and research facilities. Plans also call for

13 improving the interpretation of the landscape and

14 improving the circulation into and through the park.

15 (5) The Valley Forge Historical Society was es16 tablished in 1918 as a nonprofit organization to pre17 serve and interpret for future generations the sig18 nificant history and artifacts of the American Revo19 lution in their historic setting at Valley Forge. The

20 Valley Forge Historical Society has amassed valu21 able holdings of artifacts, art, books, and other doc22 uments relating to the 1777–1778 encampment of

23 Washington’s Continental Army at Valley Forge, the

24 American Revolution, and the American colonial era.

25 The Society continues to pursue additional impor-
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1 tant collections through bequests, exchanges, and ac2 quisitions.

3 (6) The Society’s collection is currently housed

4 in a facility inadequate to properly maintain, pre5 serve, and display their ever-growing collection. The

6 Society is interested in developing an up-to-date mu7 seum and education facility.

8 (7) The Society and the National Park Service

9 have discussed the idea of a joint museum and edu10 cation and visitor facility. Such a collaborative

11 project would directly support the historical, edu12 cational, and interpretive activities and needs of Val13 ley Forge National Historical Park and those of the

14 Valley Forge Historical Society. A joint facility

15 would combine 2 outstanding museum collections

16 and provide an enhanced experience at Valley Forge

17 for visitors, scholars, and researchers.

18 (8) The Society has proposed to raise funds to

19 construct a new museum and education and visitor

20 center on park property at Valley Forge National

21 Historical Park that would be planned, developed,

22 and operated jointly with Valley Forge National His23 torical Park.

24 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this title is to author25 ize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into an agree-
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1 ment with the Valley Forge Historical Society to construct

2 and operate a museum within the boundary of Valley

3 Forge National Historical Park in cooperation with the

4 Secretary.

5 SEC. 203. VALLEY FORGE MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN REV6 OLUTION AUTHORIZATION.

7 (a) AGREEMENT AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of

8 the Interior, in administering the Valley Forge National

9 Historical Park, is authorized to enter into an agreement

10 under appropriate terms and conditions with the Valley

11 Forge Historical Society to facilitate the planning, con12 struction, and operation of the Valley Forge Museum of

13 the American Revolution on Federal land within the

14 boundary of Valley Forge National Historical Park.

15 (b) CONTENTS OF AGREEMENT.—An agreement en16 tered into under subsection (a) shall—

17 (1) authorize the Society to operate the mu18 seum in cooperation with the Secretary and to pro19 vide at the museum programs and services to visi20 tors to Valley Forge National Historical Park, relat21 ed to the story of Valley Forge and the American

22 Revolution;

23 (2) authorize the Secretary to undertake at the

24 museum activities related to the management of Val25 ley Forge National Historical Park, including, but
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1 not limited to, provision of appropriate visitor infor2 mation and interpretive facilities and programs re3 lated to Valley Forge National Historical Park;

4 (3) authorize the Society, acting as a private

5 nonprofit organization, to engage in activities appro6 priate for operation of a museum that may include,

7 but are not limited to, charging fees, conducting

8 events, and selling merchandise, tickets, and food to

9 visitors to the museum;

10 (4) provide that the Society’s revenues from the

11 museum’s facilities and services shall be used to off12 set the expenses of the museum’s operation; and

13 (5) authorize the Society to occupy the struc14 ture(s) so constructed for the term specified in the

15 Agreement and subject to the following terms and

16 conditions:

17 (A) The conveyance by the Society to the

18 United States of America of all right, title, and

19 interest in the structure(s) to be constructed at

20 Valley Forge National Historical Park.

21 (B) The Society’s right to occupy and use

22 the structure(s) shall be for the exhibition, pres23 ervation, and interpretation of artifacts associ24 ated with the Valley Forge story and the Amer25 ican Revolution, to enhance the visitor experi-
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1 ence of Valley Forge National Historical Park,

2 and to conduct appropriately related activities

3 of the Society consistent with its mission. Such

4 right shall not be transferred or conveyed with5 out the express consent of the Secretary.

6 (C) Any other terms and conditions as may

7 be determined by the Secretary.

8 SEC. 204. PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION.

9 Nothing in this Act shall authorize the Secretary or

10 the Society to take any actions in derogation of the preser11 vation and protection of the values and resources of Valley

12 Forge National Historical Park.

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