I

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 5225

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.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 20, 2000

Mr. BLILEY (for himself and Mr. SCOTT) introduced the following bill; which

was referred to the Committee on Resources

A BILL

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.

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’’.
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1 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act:

2 (1) BATTLEFIELD PARK.—The term ‘‘battle3 field park’’ means the Richmond National Battle4 field Park.

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

6 the Secretary of the Interior.

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

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

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

10 49 Stat. 1155; 16 U.S.C. 423j), Congress authorized

11 the establishment of the Richmond National Battle12 field Park, and the boundaries of the battlefield park

13 were established to permit the inclusion of all mili14 tary battlefield areas related to the battles fought

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

16 Richmond, Virginia. The battlefield park originally

17 included the area then known as the Richmond Bat18 tlefield State Park.

19 (2) The total acreage identified in 1936 for

20 consideration for inclusion in the battlefield park

21 consisted of approximately 225,000 acres in and

22 around the city of Richmond. A study undertaken by

23 the congressionally authorized Civil War Sites Advi24 sory Committee determined that of these 225,000

25 acres, the historically significant areas relating to
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1 the campaigns against and in defense of Richmond

2 encompass approximately 38,000 acres.

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

4 National Park Service identified approximately

5 7,121 acres in and around the city of Richmond that

6 satisfy the National Park Service criteria of signifi7 cance, integrity, feasibility, and suitability for inclu8 sion in the battlefield park. The National Park Serv9 ice later identified an additional 186 acres for inclu10 sion in the battlefield park.

11 (4) There is a national interest in protecting

12 and preserving sites of historical significance associ13 ated with the Civil War and the city of Richmond.

14 (5) The Commonwealth of Virginia and its local

15 units of government have authority to prevent or

16 minimize adverse uses of these historic resources

17 and can play a significant role in the protection of

18 the historic resources related to the campaigns

19 against and in defense of Richmond.

20 (6) The preservation of the New Market

21 Heights Battlefield in the vicinity of the city of

22 Richmond is an important aspect of American his23 tory that can be interpreted to the public. The Bat24 tle of New Market Heights represents a premier

25 landmark in black military history as 14 black
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1 Union soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor in

2 recognition of their valor during the battle. Accord3 ing to National Park Service historians, the sac4 rifices of the United States Colored Troops in this

5 battle helped to ensure the passage of the Thirteenth

6 Amendment to the United States Constitution to

7 abolish slavery.

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

9 (1) to revise the boundaries for the Richmond

10 National Battlefield Park based on the findings of

11 the Civil War Sites Advisory Committee and the Na12 tional Park Service; and

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

14 work in cooperation with the Commonwealth of Vir15 ginia, the city of Richmond, other political subdivi16 sions of the Commonwealth, other public entities,

17 and the private sector in the management, protec18 tion, and interpretation of the resources associated

19 with the Civil War and the Civil War battles in

20 around the city of Richmond, Virginia.

21 SEC. 3. RICHMOND NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD PARK; BOUND22 ARIES.

23 (a) ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE.—For the pur24 pose of protecting, managing, and interpreting the re25 sources associated with the Civil War battles in and
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1 around the city of Richmond, Virginia, there is established

2 the Richmond National Battlefield Park consisting of ap3 proximately 7,307 acres of land, as generally depicted on

4 the map entitled ‘‘Richmond National Battlefield Park

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

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

7 appropriate offices of the National Park Service.

8 (b) BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS.—The Secretary may

9 make minor adjustments in the boundaries of the battle10 field park consistent with section 7(c) of the Land and

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

12 9(c)).

13 SEC. 4. LAND ACQUISITION.

14 (a) ACQUISITION AUTHORITY.—

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

16 lands, waters, and interests in lands within the

17 boundaries of the battlefield park by donation, pur18 chase with donated or appropriated funds, or ex19 change. In acquiring lands and interests in lands

20 under this Act, the Secretary shall acquire the min21 imum interest necessary to achieve the purposes for

22 which the battlefield is established.

23 (2) SPECIAL RULE FOR PRIVATE LANDS.—Pri24 vately owned lands or interests in lands may be ac-
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1 quired under this Act only with the consent of the

2 owner.

3 (b) EASEMENTS OUTSIDE BOUNDARIES.—The Sec4 retary may acquire an easement on property outside the

5 boundaries of the battlefield park and around the city of

6 Richmond, with the consent of the owner, if the Secretary

7 determines that the easement is necessary to protect core

8 Civil War resources as identified by the Civil War Sites

9 Advisory Committee. Upon acquisition of the easement,

10 the Secretary shall revise the boundaries of the battlefield

11 park to include the property subject to the easement.

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

13 the Tredegar Iron Works buildings and associated land

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

15 battlefield park.

16 SEC. 5. PARK ADMINISTRATION.

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

18 through the Director of the National Park Service, shall

19 administer the battlefield park in accordance with this Act

20 and laws generally applicable to units of the National Park

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

22 1 et seq.) and the Act of August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C.

23 461 et seq.).

24 (b) INTERPRETATION.—
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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—In administering the battle2 field park, the Secretary shall interpret, for the ben3 efit of visitors to the battlefield park and the general

4 public, the battles of Richmond in the larger context

5 of the Civil War and American history, including the

6 causes and consequences of the Civil War and the

7 effects of the war on all the American people.

8 (2) NEW MARKET HEIGHTS BATTLEFIELD.—

9 The Secretary shall provide for the establishment of

10 a monument or memorial suitable to honor the 14

11 Medal of Honor recipients from the United States

12 Colored Troops who fought in the Battle of New

13 Market Heights. The Secretary shall include the

14 Battle of New Market Heights and the role of black

15 Union soldiers in the battle in historical interpreta16 tions provided to the public at the battlefield park.

17 (c) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary

18 may enter into cooperative agreements with the Common19 wealth of Virginia, its political subdivisions (including the

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

21 members of the private sector to develop mechanisms to

22 protect and interpret the historical resources within the

23 battlefield park in a manner that would allow for contin24 ued private ownership and use where compatible with the

25 purposes for which the battlefield is established.
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1 (d) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary may

2 provide technical assistance to the Commonwealth of Vir3 ginia, its political subdivisions, nonprofit entities, and pri4 vate property owners for the development of comprehen5 sive plans, land use guidelines, special studies, and other

6 activities that are consistent with the identification, pro7 tection, interpretation, and commemoration of historically

8 significant Civil War resources located inside and outside

9 of the boundaries of the battlefield park. The technical as10 sistance does not authorize the Secretary to own or man11 age any of the resources outside the battlefield park

12 boundaries.

13 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

14 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums

15 as are necessary to carry out this Act.

16 SEC. 7. REPEAL OF SUPERSEDED LAW.

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

18 423j–423l) is repealed.

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