II 

Calendar No. 286 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1325 

[Report No. 112–125] 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility 

of designating sites in the Lower Mississippi River Area in the State 

of Louisiana as a unit of the National Park System, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 5, 2011 

Ms. LANDRIEU introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

JANUARY 13, 2012 

Reported under authority of the order of the Senate of December 17, 2011, 

by Mr. BINGAMAN, with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability 

and feasibility of designating sites in the Lower Mississippi River Area in the State of Louisiana as a unit 

of the National Park System, 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 ‘‘Lower Mississippi 

3 River National Historic Site Study Act of 2011’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds that— 

6 (1) the Lower Mississippi area located south of 

7 New Orleans, Louisiana, which is known as 

8 ‘‘Plaquemines Parish’’, has great historical signifi9 cance; 

10 (2) from the earliest Spanish explorers traveling 

11 along the banks of the Lower Mississippi River in 

12 the 1500s, to Robert de LaSalle claiming all of the 

13 land drained by the Lower Mississippi River in 

14 1682, to the petroleum, fisheries, and transportation 

15 industries of today, the area is one of the most 

16 unique areas in the continental United States; 

17 (3) while, in 1699, the area became the site of 

18 the first fortification on the Lower Mississippi River, 

19 known as ‘‘Fort Mississippi’’, it has since been home 

20 to 10 different fortifications, more than a dozen 

21 light houses, and several wildlife refuges, quarantine 

22 stations, and pilot stations; 

23 (4) of particular interest to the area are— 

24 (A) Fort St. Philip, originally built in 

25 1749, at which, during the Battle of New Orle26 ans, the British navy was blocked from going 


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1 up river and a victory for the Colonial Army 

2 was ensured; and 

3 (B) Fort Jackson, built across from Fort 

4 St. Philip at the request of General Andrew 

5 Jackson and partially constructed by famous 

6 local Civil War General P.G.T. Beauregard, 

7 which was the site of the famous Civil War bat8 tle known as the ‘‘Battle of the Forts’’, which 

9 is also referred to as the ‘‘night the war was 

10 lost’’; 

11 (5) the area is— 

12 (A) at the end of the longest continuous 

13 river road and levee system in the United 

14 States; and 

15 (B) a part of the River Road highway sys16 tem; 

17 (6) lower Plaquemines Parish is split down the 

18 middle by the Mississippi River, surrounded on 3 

19 sides by the Gulf of Mexico, and crossed by numer20 ous bayous, canals, and ditches; 

21 (7) Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip are lo22 cated on— 

23 (A) an ancient Head of Passes site; and 


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1 (B) 1 of the most historic areas on the 

2 Lower Mississippi River known as 

3 ‘‘Plaquemines Bend’’; 

4 (8) the modern Head of Passes is only 21 miles 

5 south of Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip where the 

6 Mississippi River splits into a bird foot delta to trav7 el the last 20 miles to the Gulf of Mexico; 

8 (9) there are numerous geological features that 

9 are unique to a large river mouth or delta that could 

10 make a national park in the area a particularly in11 triguing attraction; 

12 (10) the coastal erosion, subsidence, river hy13 draulics, delta features, fresh, salt, and brackish 

14 water marshes, and other unique features of the 

15 area could be an effective classroom for the public 

16 on the challenges of protecting our river and coastal 

17 zones; 

18 (11) the area includes the beginning of the Mis19 sissippi River flyway, which is— 

20 (A) 1 of the most pristine eco-sites in the 

21 United States; and 

22 (B) the site of 2 national wildlife refuges 

23 and 1 State wildlife refuge; 

24 (12) the area is culturally diverse in history, 

25 population, industry, and politics; 


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1 (13) many well-known characters lived or per2 formed deeds of great notoriety in the area; 

3 (14) in the area, Creoles, Europeans, Indians, 

4 Yugoslav, African-Americans, and Vietnamese all 

5 worked together to weave an interesting history of 

6 survival and success in a very treacherous environ7 ment; 

8 (15) the area has tremendous tourism potential, 

9 particularly for historical tourism and eco-tourism, 

10 because of the location, pristine ecosystems, and 

11 past indifference of the local government to promote 

12 tourism in the area; and 

13 (16) since Hurricane Katrina, the local govern14 ment in the area has— 

15 (A) passed a resolution strongly supporting 

16 a national park study; and 

17 (B) shown an interest in developing tour18 ism in the area. 

19 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

20 In this Act: 

21 (1) STUDY AREA.— 

22 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘Study 

23 Area’’ means the Lower Mississippi River area 

24 in the State of Louisiana. 


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1 (B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘Study Area’’ 

2 includes Fort St. Philip and Fort Jackson, the 

3 Head of Passes, and any related and supporting 

4 historical, natural, cultural, and recreational re5 sources located in Plaquemines Parish, Lou6 isiana. 

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

8 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di9 rector of the National Park Service. 

10 SEC. 4. STUDY. 

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

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

13 this Act under section 6 or from non-Federal sources, the 

14 Secretary, in consultation with the State of Louisiana and 

15 interested groups and organizations, shall complete a spe16 cial resource study that— 

17 (1) evaluates— 

18 (A) the national significance of the Study 

19 Area; and 

20 (B) the suitability and feasibility of desig21 nating the Study Area as a unit of the National 

22 Park System, to be known as the ‘‘Lower Mis23 sissippi River National Park’’; 


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1 (2) includes cost estimates for the acquisition, 

2 development, operation, and maintenance of the 

3 Study Area; and 

4 (3) identifies alternatives for management, ad5 ministration, and protection of the Study Area. 

6 (b) CRITERIA.—In conducting the study under sub7 section (a), the Secretary shall use the criteria for the 

8 study of areas for potential inclusion in the National Park 

9 System under section 8(c) of Public Law 91–383 (16 

10 U.S.C. 1a–5(c)). 

11 SEC. 5. REPORT. 

12 On completion of the study under section 4, the Sec13 retary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Re14 sources of the House of Representatives and the Com15 mittee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate 

16 a report that describes— 

17 (1) the findings and conclusions of the study; 

18 and 

19 (2) any recommendations of the Secretary. 

20 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

21 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

22 as are necessary to carry out this Act. 

23 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

24 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Lower Mississippi River 

25 Area Study Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

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

4 the Secretary of the Interior. 

5 (2) STUDY AREA.—The term ‘‘study area’’ in6 cludes Fort St. Philip, Fort Jackson, the Head of 

7 Passes, and any related and supporting historical, 

8 cultural, and recreational resources located in 

9 Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. 

10 SEC. 3. STUDY. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after the 

12 date on which funds are made available to carry out this 

13 Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the State of Lou14 isiana and other interested organizations, shall complete a 

15 special resource study that evaluates— 

16 (1) the national significance of the study area; 

17 and 

18 (2) the suitability and feasibility of designating 

19 the study area as a unit of the National Park System. 

20 (b) CRITERIA.—In conducting the study under sub21 section (a), the Secretary shall use the criteria for the study 

22 of areas for potential inclusion in the National Park Sys23 tem in section 8(c) of National Park System General Au24 thorities Act (16 U.S.C. 1a-5(c)). 

25 (c) CONTENT.—The study described in subsection (a) 

26 shall— 


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1 (1) include cost estimates for the potential acqui2 sition, development, operation, and maintenance of 

3 the study area; and 

4 (2) identify alternatives for the management, ad5 ministration, and protection of the study area. 

6 SEC. 4. DONATIONS. 

7 The Secretary may accept the donation of funds to 

8 carry out this Act. 

9 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION. 

10 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as 

11 are necessary to carry out this Act. 


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Calendar No. 286 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1325 

[Report No. 112–125] 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the 

and for other purposes. Louisiana as a unit of the National Park System, the Lower Mississippi River Area in the State of suitability and feasibility of designating sites in 

JANUARY 13, 2012 

Reported with an amendment 


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