II 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1332 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource 

study of the Hudson River Valley, New York. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 6, 2011 

Mrs. GILLIBRAND introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 

special resource study of the Hudson River Valley, New 

York. 

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. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Hudson River Valley 

5 Special Resource Study Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

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

9 the Secretary of the Interior. 


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1 (2) STUDY AREA.—The term ‘‘study area’’ 

2 means the counties in New York that abut the Hud3 son River that flows from Rogers Island at Fort Ed4 ward to the southern-most boundary of Westchester 

5 County, New York. 

6 SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds as follows: 

8 (1) The Hudson River Valley possesses nation9 ally significant and unique cultural, historical, nat10 ural, recreational and scenic resources. 

11 (2) The Hudson River Valley is home to a ro12 bust and growing tourism and recreation industry 

13 that is an important component of the regional econ14 omy. 

15 (3) Throughout history, the Hudson River Val16 ley has played a crucial role in the development of 

17 our Nation, starting from the vibrant Native Amer18 ican communities that first inhabited the land, to 

19 Henry Hudson’s voyage up the river later named for 

20 him in the vessel Half Moon in 1609 and later with 

21 the American Revolution, the debate on our Con22 stitution, the first successful steamboat voyage by 

23 Robert Fulton in 1807, the Industrial Revolution, 

24 the establishment of the Erie Canal and growth of 


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1 metropolitan New York, and the inception of the 

2 modern labor and environmental movements. 

3 (4) The Hudson River Valley gave birth to im4 portant movements in American art, architecture 

5 and literature. 

6 (5) The Hudson River Valley encompasses a 

7 rich array of sensitive natural resources ranging 

8 from the River itself and its vast estuarine district, 

9 to its wetlands, refuges, parks, forests, farmlands, 

10 preserves, cliffs, valleys, and wildlife. 

11 (6) The depictions and descriptions of the Hud12 son River Valley’s renowned scenery and natural re13 sources played a central role in the recognition of 

14 the value of the landscape and the development of 

15 an American esthetic and environmental ideal. 

16 (7) A 1996 National Park Service study called 

17 the Hudson River Valley ‘‘the landscape that defined 

18 America’’. 

19 (8) The Hudson River Valley has been the sub20 ject of multiple State and Federal inventories, stud21 ies, and plans that should greatly assist a National 

22 Park Service special resource study. 

23 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF STUDY. 

24 (a) IN GENERAL.—As soon as funds are made avail25 able for this purpose, the Secretary shall complete a study 


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1 of the Hudson River Valley in the State of New York to 

2 evaluate— 

3 (1) the national significance of the area; and 

4 (2) the suitability and feasibility of designating 

5 the area as a unit of the National Park System. 

6 (b) STUDY GUIDELINES.—In conducting the study 

7 under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— 

8 (1) use the criteria for the study of areas for 

9 potential inclusion in the National Park System in10 cluded in section 8 of Public Law 91–383, as 

11 amended by section 303 of the National Parks Om12 nibus Management Act of 1998 (Public Law 105– 

13 391; 112 Stat. 3501); and 

14 (2) closely examine park unit models, in par15 ticular national river and recreation areas, as well as 

16 other landscape protection models, that— 

17 (A) encompass large areas of non-Federal 

18 lands within their designated boundaries; 

19 (B) promote increased heritage tourism 

20 and economic development; 

21 (C) foster public and private collaborative 

22 arrangements for achieving National Park Serv23 ice objectives; and 

24 (D) protect and respect the rights of pri25 vate land owners, as well as municipalities. 


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1 SEC. 5. REPORT. 

2 Not later than 24 months after the date that funds 

3 are first made available for this purpose, the Secretary 

4 shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of 

5 the House of Representatives and the Committee on En6 ergy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report on the 

7 findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the study 

8 authorized by this Act. 

Æ 


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