II 

Calendar No. 50 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 157 

[Report No. 113–19] 

To provide for certain improvements to the Denali National Park and 

Preserve in the State of Alaska, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 28, 2013 

Ms. MURKOWSKI (for herself and Mr. BEGICH) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

APRIL 22, 2013 

Reported by Mr. WYDEN, without amendment 

A BILL 

To provide for certain improvements to the Denali National 

Park and Preserve in the State of Alaska, 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 ‘‘Denali National Park 

5 Improvement Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. KANTISHNA HILLS MICROHYDRO PROJECT; LAND 

2 EXCHANGE. 

3 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 (1) APPURTENANCE.—The term ‘‘appur5 tenance’’ includes— 

6 (A) transmission lines; 

7 (B) distribution lines; 

8 (C) signs; 

9 (D) buried communication lines; 

10 (E) necessary access routes for microhydro 

11 project construction, operation, and mainte12 nance; and 

13 (F) electric cables. 

14 (2) KANTISHNA HILLS AREA.—The term 

15 ‘‘Kantishna Hills area’’ means the area of the Park 

16 located within 2 miles of Moose Creek, as depicted 

17 on the map. 

18 (3) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map en19 titled ‘‘Kantishna Hills Micro-Hydro Area’’, num20 bered 184/80,276, and dated August 27, 2010. 

21 (4) MICROHYDRO PROJECT.— 

22 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘microhydro 

23 project’’ means a hydroelectric power gener24 ating facility with a maximum power generation 

25 capability of 100 kilowatts. 


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1 (B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘microhydro 

2 project’’ includes— 

3 (i) intake pipelines, including the in4 take pipeline located on Eureka Creek, approximately 1 5 ⁄2 mile upstream from the 

6 Park Road, as depicted on the map; 

7 (ii) each system appurtenance of the 

8 microhydro projects; and 

9 (iii) any distribution or transmission 

10 lines required to serve the Kantishna Hills 

11 area. 

12 (5) PARK.—The term ‘‘Park’’ means the Denali 

13 National Park and Preserve. 

14 (6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

15 the Secretary of the Interior. 

16 (b) PERMITS FOR MICROHYDRO PROJECTS.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may issue 

18 permits for microhydro projects in the Kantishna 

19 Hills area. 

20 (2) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—Each permit 

21 under paragraph (1) shall be— 

22 (A) issued in accordance with such terms 

23 and conditions as are generally applicable to 

24 rights-of-way within units of the National Park 

25 System; and 


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1 (B) subject to such other terms and condi2 tions as the Secretary determines to be nec3 essary. 

4 (3) COMPLETION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ANAL5 YSIS.—Not later than 180 days after the date on 

6 which an applicant submits an application for the 

7 issuance of a permit under this subsection, the Sec8 retary shall complete any analysis required by the 

9 National Environment Policy Act of 1969 (42 

10 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) of any proposed or existing 

11 microhydro projects located in the Kantishna Hills 

12 area. 

13 (c) LAND EXCHANGE.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—For the purpose of consoli15 dating ownership of Park and Doyon Tourism, Inc. 

16 lands, including those lands affected solely by the 

17 Doyon Tourism microhydro project, and subject to 

18 paragraph (4), the Secretary may exchange Park 

19 land near or adjacent to land owned by Doyon Tour20 ism, Inc., located at the mouth of Eureka Creek in 

21 sec. 13, T.16 S., R. 18 W., Fairbanks Meridian, for 

22 approximately 18 acres of land owned by Doyon 

23 Tourism, Inc., within the Galena patented mining 

24 claim. 


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1 (2) MAP AVAILABILITY.—The map shall be on 

2 file and available for public inspection in the appro3 priate offices of the National Park Service. 

4 (3) TIMING.—The Secretary shall seek to com5 plete the exchange under this subsection by not later 

6 than February 1, 2015. 

7 (4) APPLICABLE LAWS; TERMS AND CONDI8 TIONS.—The exchange under this subsection shall be 

9 subject to— 

10 (A) the laws (including regulations) and 

11 policies applicable to exchanges of land adminis12 tered by the National Park Service, including 

13 the laws and policies concerning land apprais14 als, equalization of values, and environmental 

15 compliance; and 

16 (B) such terms and conditions as the Sec17 retary determines to be necessary. 

18 (5) EQUALIZATION OF VALUES.—If the tracts 

19 proposed for exchange under this subsection are de20 termined not to be equal in value, an equalization of 

21 values may be achieved by adjusting the quantity of 

22 acres described in paragraph (1). 

23 (6) ADMINISTRATION.—The land acquired by 

24 the Secretary pursuant to the exchange under this 

25 subsection shall be administered as part of the Park. 


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1 SEC. 3. DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE NATURAL 

2 GAS PIPELINE. 

3 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 (1) APPURTENANCE.— 

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘appur6 tenance’’ includes cathodic protection or test 

7 stations, valves, signage, and buried commu8 nication and electric cables relating to the oper9 ation of high-pressure natural gas transmission. 

10 (B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘appur11 tenance’’ does not include compressor stations. 

12 (2) PARK.—The term ‘‘Park’’ means the Denali 

13 National Park and Preserve in the State of Alaska. 

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

15 the Secretary of the Interior. 

16 (b) PERMIT.—The Secretary may issue right-of-way 

17 permits for— 

18 (1) a high-pressure natural gas transmission 

19 pipeline (including appurtenances) in nonwilderness 

20 areas within the boundary of Denali National Park 

21 within, along, or near the approximately 7-mile seg22 ment of the George Parks Highway that runs 

23 through the Park; and 

24 (2) any distribution and transmission pipelines 

25 and appurtenances that the Secretary determines to 


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1 be necessary to provide natural gas supply to the 

2 Park. 

3 (c) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—A permit authorized 

4 under subsection (b)— 

5 (1) may be issued only— 

6 (A) if the permit is consistent with the 

7 laws (including regulations) generally applicable 

8 to utility rights-of-way within units of the Na9 tional Park System; 

10 (B) in accordance with section 1106(a) of 

11 the Alaska National Interest Lands Conserva12 tion Act (16 U.S.C. 3166(a)); and 

13 (C) if, following an appropriate analysis 

14 prepared in compliance with the National Envi15 ronmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 

16 et seq.), the route of the right-of-way is the 

17 route through the Park with the least adverse 

18 environmental effects for the Park; and 

19 (2) shall be subject to such terms and condi20 tions as the Secretary determines to be necessary. 

21 SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF THE WALTER HARPER 

22 TALKEETNA RANGER STATION. 

23 (a) DESIGNATION.—The Talkeetna Ranger Station 

24 located on B Street in Talkeetna, Alaska, approximately 

25 100 miles south of the entrance to Denali National Park, 


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1 shall be known and designated as the ‘‘Walter Harper 

2 Talkeetna Ranger Station’’. 

3 (b) REFERENCES.—Any reference in a law, map, reg4 ulation, document, paper, or other record of the United 

5 States to the Talkeetna Ranger Station referred to in sub6 section (a) shall be deemed to be a reference to the ‘‘Wal7 ter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station’’. 


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Calendar No. 50 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 157 

[Report No. 113–19] 

A BILL 

To provide for certain improvements to the Denali 

ka, and for other purposes. National Park and Preserve in the State of AlasAPRIL 22, 2013 

Reported without amendment 


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