IC 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 157 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 20, 2013 

Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

AN ACT 

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, 

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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Denali National Park 

3 Improvement Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. KANTISHNA HILLS MICROHYDRO PROJECT; LAND 

5 EXCHANGE. 

6 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

7 (1) APPURTENANCE.—The term ‘‘appur8 tenance’’ includes— 

9 (A) transmission lines; 

10 (B) distribution lines; 

11 (C) signs; 

12 (D) buried communication lines; 

13 (E) necessary access routes for microhydro 

14 project construction, operation, and mainte15 nance; and 

16 (F) electric cables. 

17 (2) KANTISHNA HILLS AREA.—The term 

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

19 located within 2 miles of Moose Creek, as depicted 

20 on the map. 

21 (3) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map en22 titled ‘‘Kantishna Hills Micro-Hydro Area’’, num23 bered 184/80,276, and dated August 27, 2010. 

24 (4) MICROHYDRO PROJECT.— 

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

26 project’’ means a hydroelectric power genermstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

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1 ating facility with a maximum power generation 

2 capability of 100 kilowatts. 

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

4 project’’ includes— 

5 (i) intake pipelines, including the in6 take pipeline located on Eureka Creek, approximately 1 7 ⁄2 mile upstream from the 

8 Park Road, as depicted on the map; 

9 (ii) each system appurtenance of the 

10 microhydro projects; and 

11 (iii) any distribution or transmission 

12 lines required to serve the Kantishna Hills 

13 area. 

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

15 National Park and Preserve. 

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

17 the Secretary of the Interior. 

18 (b) PERMITS FOR MICROHYDRO PROJECTS.— 

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

20 permits for microhydro projects in the Kantishna 

21 Hills area. 

22 (2) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—Each permit 

23 under paragraph (1) shall be— 

24 (A) issued in accordance with such terms 

25 and conditions as are generally applicable to 

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

2 System; and 

3 (B) subject to such other terms and condi4 tions as the Secretary determines to be nec5 essary. 

6 (3) COMPLETION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ANAL7 YSIS.—Not later than 180 days after the date on 

8 which an applicant submits an application for the 

9 issuance of a permit under this subsection, the Sec10 retary shall complete any analysis required by the 

11 National Environment Policy Act of 1969 (42 

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

13 microhydro projects located in the Kantishna Hills 

14 area. 

15 (c) LAND EXCHANGE.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—For the purpose of consoli17 dating ownership of Park and Doyon Tourism, Inc. 

18 lands, including those lands affected solely by the 

19 Doyon Tourism microhydro project, and subject to 

20 paragraph (4), the Secretary may exchange Park 

21 land near or adjacent to land owned by Doyon Tour22 ism, Inc., located at the mouth of Eureka Creek in 

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

24 approximately 18 acres of land owned by Doyon 

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1 Tourism, Inc., within the Galena patented mining 

2 claim. 

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

4 file and available for public inspection in the appro5 priate offices of the National Park Service. 

6 (3) TIMING.—The Secretary shall seek to com7 plete the exchange under this subsection by not later 

8 than February 1, 2015. 

9 (4) APPLICABLE LAWS; TERMS AND CONDI10 TIONS.—The exchange under this subsection shall be 

11 subject to— 

12 (A) the laws (including regulations) and 

13 policies applicable to exchanges of land adminis14 tered by the National Park Service, including 

15 the laws and policies concerning land apprais16 als, equalization of values, and environmental 

17 compliance; and 

18 (B) such terms and conditions as the Sec19 retary determines to be necessary. 

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

21 proposed for exchange under this subsection are de22 termined not to be equal in value, an equalization of 

23 values may be achieved by adjusting the quantity of 

24 acres described in paragraph (1). 

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1 (6) ADMINISTRATION.—The land acquired by 

2 the Secretary pursuant to the exchange under this 

3 subsection shall be administered as part of the Park. 

4 SEC. 3. DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE NATURAL 

5 GAS PIPELINE. 

6 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

7 (1) APPURTENANCE.— 

8 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘appur9 tenance’’ includes cathodic protection or test 

10 stations, valves, signage, and buried commu11 nication and electric cables relating to the oper12 ation of high-pressure natural gas transmission. 

13 (B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘appur14 tenance’’ does not include compressor stations. 

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

16 National Park and Preserve in the State of Alaska. 

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

18 the Secretary of the Interior. 

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

20 permits for— 

21 (1) a high-pressure natural gas transmission 

22 pipeline (including appurtenances) in nonwilderness 

23 areas within the boundary of Denali National Park 

24 within, along, or near the approximately 7-mile segmstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

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1 ment of the George Parks Highway that runs 

2 through the Park; and 

3 (2) any distribution and transmission pipelines 

4 and appurtenances that the Secretary determines to 

5 be necessary to provide natural gas supply to the 

6 Park. 

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

8 under subsection (b)— 

9 (1) may be issued only— 

10 (A) if the permit is consistent with the 

11 laws (including regulations) generally applicable 

12 to utility rights-of-way within units of the Na13 tional Park System; 

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

15 the Alaska National Interest Lands Conserva16 tion Act (16 U.S.C. 3166(a)); and 

17 (C) if, following an appropriate analysis 

18 prepared in compliance with the National Envi19 ronmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 

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

21 route through the Park with the least adverse 

22 environmental effects for the Park; and 

23 (2) shall be subject to such terms and condi24 tions as the Secretary determines to be necessary. 

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1 SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF THE WALTER HARPER 

2 TALKEETNA RANGER STATION. 

3 (a) DESIGNATION.—The Talkeetna Ranger Station 

4 located on B Street in Talkeetna, Alaska, approximately 

5 100 miles south of the entrance to Denali National Park, 

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

7 Talkeetna Ranger Station’’. 

8 (b) REFERENCES.—Any reference in a law, map, reg9 ulation, document, paper, or other record of the United 

10 States to the Talkeetna Ranger Station referred to in sub11 section (a) shall be deemed to be a reference to the ‘‘Wal12 ter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station’’. 

Passed the Senate June 19, 2013. 

Attest: NANCY ERICKSON, 

Secretary. 

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