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[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 658 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.658

                       One Hundred Sixth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America

                          AT THE FIRST SESSION

         Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
   the sixth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine

                                 An Act

 
To establish the Thomas Cole National Historic Site in the State of New 
         York as an affiliated area of the National Park System.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Thomas Cole 
National Historic Site Act''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as 
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.
Sec. 3. Findings and purposes.
Sec. 4. Establishment of Thomas Cole National Historic Site.
Sec. 5. Retention of ownership and management of historic site by Greene 
          County Historical Society.
Sec. 6. Administration of historic site.
Sec. 7. Authorization of appropriations.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act:
        (1) The term ``historic site'' means the Thomas Cole National 
    Historic Site established by section 4 of this Act.
        (2) The term ``Hudson River artists'' means artists who were 
    associated with the Hudson River school of landscape painting.
        (3) The term ``plan'' means the general management plan 
    developed pursuant to section 6(d).
        (4) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior.
        (5) The term ``Society'' means the Greene County Historical 
    Society of Greene County, New York, which owns the Thomas Cole 
    home, studio, and other property comprising the historic site.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
        (1) The Hudson River school of landscape painting was inspired 
    by Thomas Cole and was characterized by a group of 19th century 
    landscape artists who recorded and celebrated the landscape and 
    wilderness of America, particularly in the Hudson River Valley 
    region in the State of New York.
        (2) Thomas Cole is recognized as America's most prominent 
    landscape and allegorical painter of the mid-19th century.
        (3) Located in Greene County, New York, the Thomas Cole House, 
    also known as Thomas Cole's Cedar Grove, is listed on the National 
    Register of Historic Places and has been designated as a National 
    Historic Landmark.
        (4) Within a 15 mile radius of the Thomas Cole House, an area 
    that forms a key part of the rich cultural and natural heritage of 
    the Hudson River Valley region, significant landscapes and scenes 
    painted by Thomas Cole and other Hudson River artists, such as 
    Frederic Church, survive intact.
        (5) The State of New York has established the Hudson River 
    Valley Greenway to promote the preservation, public use, and 
    enjoyment of the natural and cultural resources of the Hudson River 
    Valley region.
        (6) Establishment of the Thomas Cole National Historic Site 
    will provide opportunities for the illustration and interpretation 
    of cultural themes of the heritage of the United States and unique 
    opportunities for education, public use, and enjoyment.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
        (1) to preserve and interpret the home and studio of Thomas 
    Cole for the benefit, inspiration, and education of the people of 
    the United States;
        (2) to help maintain the integrity of the setting in the Hudson 
    River Valley region that inspired artistic expression;
        (3) to coordinate the interpretive, preservation, and 
    recreational efforts of Federal, State, and other entities in the 
    Hudson Valley region in order to enhance opportunities for 
    education, public use, and enjoyment; and
        (4) to broaden understanding of the Hudson River Valley region 
    and its role in American history and culture.

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF THOMAS COLE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established, as an affiliated area of 
the National Park System, the Thomas Cole National Historic Site in the 
State of New York.
    (b) Description.--The historic site shall consist of the home and 
studio of Thomas Cole, comprising approximately 3.4 acres, located at 
218 Spring Street, in the village of Catskill, New York, as generally 
depicted on the boundary map numbered TCH/80002, and dated March 1992.

SEC. 5. RETENTION OF OWNERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT OF HISTORIC SITE BY 
              GREENE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

    The Greene County Historical Society of Greene County, New York, 
shall continue to own, administer, manage, and operate the historic 
site.

SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATION OF HISTORIC SITE.

    (a) Applicability of National Park System Laws.--The historic site 
shall be administered in a manner consistent with this Act and all laws 
generally applicable to units of the National Park System, including 
the Act of August 25, 1916 (16 U.S.C. 1 et seq.; commonly known as the 
National Park Service Organic Act), and the Act of August 21, 1935 (16 
U.S.C. 461 et seq.; commonly known as the Historic Sites, Buildings, 
and Antiquities Act).
    (b) Cooperative Agreements.--
        (1) Assistance to society.--The Secretary may enter into 
    cooperative agreements with the Society to preserve the Thomas Cole 
    House and other structures in the historic site and to assist with 
    education programs and research and interpretation of the Thomas 
    Cole House and associated landscapes.
        (2) Other assistance.--To further the purposes of this Act, the 
    Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with the State of 
    New York, the Society, the Thomas Cole Foundation, and other public 
    and private entities to facilitate public understanding and 
    enjoyment of the lives and works of the Hudson River artists 
    through the provision of assistance to develop, present, and fund 
    art exhibits, resident artist programs, and other appropriate 
    activities related to the preservation, interpretation, and use of 
    the historic site.
    (c) Artifacts and Property.--The Secretary may acquire personal 
property associated with, and appropriate for, the interpretation of 
the historic site.
    (d) General Management Plan.--Within two complete fiscal years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
develop a general management plan for the historic site with the 
cooperation of the Society. Upon the completion of the plan, the 
Secretary shall provide a copy of the plan to the Committee on Energy 
and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Resources of 
the House of Representatives. The plan shall include recommendations 
for regional wayside exhibits, to be carried out through cooperative 
agreements with the State of New York and other public and private 
entities. The plan shall be prepared in accordance with section 12(b) 
of Public Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-1 et seq.; commonly known as the 
National Park System General Authorities Act).

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary 
to carry out this Act.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.
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