109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 206

AN ACT

To designate the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail,

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,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ice Age Floods Na5 tional Geologic Trail Designation Act’’.
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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

2 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—

3 (1) at the end of the last Ice Age, some 12,000

4 to 17,000 years ago, a series of cataclysmic floods

5 occurred in what is now the northwest region of the

6 United States, leaving a lasting mark of dramatic

7 and distinguishing features on the landscape of

8 parts of the States of Montana, Idaho, Washington

9 and Oregon;

10 (2) geological features that have exceptional

11 value and quality to illustrate and interpret this ex12 traordinary natural phenomenon are present on Fed13 eral, State, tribal, county, municipal, and private

14 land in the region; and

15 (3) in 2001, a joint study team headed by the

16 National Park Service that included about 70 mem17 bers from public and private entities completed a

18 study endorsing the establishment of an Ice Age

19 Floods National Geologic Trail—

20 (A) to recognize the national significance

21 of this phenomenon; and

22 (B) to coordinate public and private sector

23 entities in the presentation of the story of the

24 Ice Age floods.

25 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to des26 ignate the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail in the
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1 States of Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon, ena2 bling the public to view, experience, and learn about the

3 features and story of the Ice Age floods through the col4 laborative efforts of public and private entities.

5 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

6 In this Act:

7 (1) ICE AGE FLOODS; FLOODS.—The term ‘‘Ice

8 Age floods’’ or ‘‘floods’’ means the cataclysmic floods

9 that occurred in what is now the northwestern

10 United States during the last Ice Age from massive,

11 rapid and recurring drainage of Glacial Lake in Mis12 soula, Montana.

13 (2) PLAN.—The term ‘‘plan’’ means the cooper14 ative management and interpretation plan author15 ized under section 5(e).

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

17 the Secretary of the Interior.

18 (4) TRAIL.—The term ‘‘Trail’’ means the Ice

19 Age Floods National Geologic Trail designated by

20 section 4(a).

21 SEC. 4. ICE AGE FLOODS NATIONAL GEOLOGIC TRAIL.

22 (a) DESIGNATION.—In order to provide for public ap23 preciation, understanding, and enjoyment of the nationally

24 significant natural and cultural features of the Ice Age

25 floods and to promote collaborative efforts for interpreta-
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1 tion and education among public and private entities lo2 cated along the pathways of the floods, there is designated

3 the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail.

4 (b) LOCATION.—

5 (1) MAP.—The route of the Trail shall be gen6 erally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Ice Age Floods

7 National Geologic Trail,’’ numbered P43/80,000 and

8 dated June 2004.

9 (2) ROUTE.—The route shall generally follow

10 public roads and highways.

11 (3) REVISION.—The Secretary may revise the

12 map by publication in the Federal Register of a no13 tice of availability of a new map as part of the plan.

14 (c) MAP AVAILABILITY.—The map referred to in sub15 section (b) shall be on file and available for public inspec16 tion in the appropriate offices of the National Park Serv17 ice.

18 SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION.

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through the

20 Director of the National Park Service, shall administer the

21 Trail in accordance with this Act.

22 (b) LIMITATION.—Except as provided in subsection

23 (f)(2), the Trail shall not be considered to be a unit of

24 the National Park System.
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1 (c) TRAIL MANAGEMENT OFFICE.—To improve man2 agement of the Trail and coordinate Trail activities with

3 other public agencies and private entities, the Secretary

4 may establish and operate a trail management office at

5 a central location within the vicinity of the Trail.

6 (d) INTERPRETIVE FACILITIES.—The Secretary may

7 plan, design, and construct interpretive facilities for sites

8 associated with the Trail if the facilities are constructed

9 in partnership with State, local, tribal, or non-profit enti10 ties and are consistent with the plan.

11 (e) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after

13 funds are made available to carry out this Act, the

14 Secretary shall prepare a cooperative management

15 and interpretation plan for the Trail.

16 (2) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall pre17 pare the plan in consultation with—

18 (A) State, local, and tribal governments;

19 (B) the Ice Age Floods Institute;

20 (C) private property owners; and

21 (D) other interested parties.

22 (3) CONTENTS.—The plan shall—

23 (A) confirm and, if appropriate, expand on

24 the inventory of features of the floods contained

25 in the National Park Service study entitled ‘‘Ice
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1 Age Floods, Study of Alternatives and Environ2 mental Assessment’’ (February 2001) by—

3 (i) locating features more accurately;

4 (ii) improving the description of fea5 tures; and

6 (iii) reevaluating the features in terms

7 of their interpretive potential;

8 (B) review and, if appropriate, modify the

9 map of the Trail referred to in section 4(b);

10 (C) describe strategies for the coordinated

11 development of the Trail, including an interpre12 tive plan for facilities, waysides, roadside pull13 outs, exhibits, media, and programs that

14 present the story of the floods to the public ef15 fectively; and

16 (D) identify potential partnering opportu17 nities in the development of interpretive facili18 ties and educational programs to educate the

19 public about the story of the floods.

20 (f) COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT.—

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—In order to facilitate the de22 velopment of coordinated interpretation, education,

23 resource stewardship, visitor facility development

24 and operation, and scientific research associated

25 with the Trail and to promote more efficient admin-
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1 istration of the sites associated with the Trail, the

2 Secretary may enter into cooperative management

3 agreements with appropriate officials in the States

4 of Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon in ac5 cordance with the authority provided for units of the

6 National Park System under section 3(l) of Public

7 Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–2(l)).

8 (2) AUTHORITY.—For purposes of this sub9 section only, the Trail shall be considered a unit of

10 the National Park System.

11 (g) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary

12 may enter into cooperative agreements with public or pri13 vate entities to carry out this Act.

14 (h) EFFECT ON PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS.—

15 Nothing in this Act—

16 (1) requires any private property owner to allow

17 public access (including Federal, State, or local gov18 ernment access) to private property; or

19 (2) modifies any provision of Federal, State, or

20 local law with respect to public access to or use of

21 private land.

22 (i) LIABILITY.—Designation of the Trail by section

23 4(a) does not create any liability for, or affect any liability

24 under any law of, any private property owner with respect

25 to any person injured on the private property.
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1 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

2 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums

3 as are necessary to carry out this Act, of which not more

4 than $12,000,000 may be used for development of the

5 Trail.

Passed the Senate November 16, 2005.

Attest:

Secretary.
109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 206

AN ACT

To designate the Ice Age Floods National Geologic

Trail, and for other purposes.