II 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 157 

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 introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

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’’. 

6 SEC. 2. KANTISHNA HILLS MICROHYDRO PROJECT; LAND 

7 EXCHANGE. 

8 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

9 (1) APPURTENANCE.—The term ‘‘appur10 tenance’’ includes— 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

2 

•S 157 IS

1 (A) transmission lines; 

2 (B) distribution lines; 

3 (C) signs; 

4 (D) buried communication lines; 

5 (E) necessary access routes for microhydro 

6 project construction, operation, and mainte7 nance; and 

8 (F) electric cables. 

9 (2) KANTISHNA HILLS AREA.—The term 

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

11 located within 2 miles of Moose Creek, as depicted 

12 on the map. 

13 (3) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map en14 titled ‘‘Kantishna Hills Micro-Hydro Area’’, num15 bered 184/80,276, and dated August 27, 2010. 

16 (4) MICROHYDRO PROJECT.— 

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

18 project’’ means a hydroelectric power gener19 ating facility with a maximum power generation 

20 capability of 100 kilowatts. 

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

22 project’’ includes— 

23 (i) intake pipelines, including the in24 take pipeline located on Eureka Creek, apmstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

3 

•S 157 IS

proximately 1 1 ⁄2 mile upstream from the 

2 Park Road, as depicted on the map; 

3 (ii) each system appurtenance of the 

4 microhydro projects; and 

5 (iii) any distribution or transmission 

6 lines required to serve the Kantishna Hills 

7 area. 

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

9 National Park and Preserve. 

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

11 the Secretary of the Interior. 

12 (b) PERMITS FOR MICROHYDRO PROJECTS.— 

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

14 permits for microhydro projects in the Kantishna 

15 Hills area. 

16 (2) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—Each permit 

17 under paragraph (1) shall be— 

18 (A) issued in accordance with such terms 

19 and conditions as are generally applicable to 

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

21 System; and 

22 (B) subject to such other terms and condi23 tions as the Secretary determines to be nec24 essary. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

4 

•S 157 IS

1 (3) COMPLETION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ANAL2 YSIS.—Not later than 180 days after the date on 

3 which an applicant submits an application for the 

4 issuance of a permit under this subsection, the Sec5 retary shall complete any analysis required by the 

6 National Environment Policy Act of 1969 (42 

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

8 microhydro projects located in the Kantishna Hills 

9 area. 

10 (c) LAND EXCHANGE.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—For the purpose of consoli12 dating ownership of Park and Doyon Tourism, Inc. 

13 lands, including those lands affected solely by the 

14 Doyon Tourism microhydro project, and subject to 

15 paragraph (4), the Secretary may exchange Park 

16 land near or adjacent to land owned by Doyon Tour17 ism, Inc., located at the mouth of Eureka Creek in 

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

19 approximately 18 acres of land owned by Doyon 

20 Tourism, Inc., within the Galena patented mining 

21 claim. 

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

23 file and available for public inspection in the appro24 priate offices of the National Park Service. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

5 

•S 157 IS

1 (3) TIMING.—The Secretary shall seek to com2 plete the exchange under this subsection by not later 

3 than February 1, 2015. 

4 (4) APPLICABLE LAWS; TERMS AND CONDI5 TIONS.—The exchange under this subsection shall be 

6 subject to— 

7 (A) the laws (including regulations) and 

8 policies applicable to exchanges of land adminis9 tered by the National Park Service, including 

10 the laws and policies concerning land apprais11 als, equalization of values, and environmental 

12 compliance; and 

13 (B) such terms and conditions as the Sec14 retary determines to be necessary. 

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

16 proposed for exchange under this subsection are de17 termined not to be equal in value, an equalization of 

18 values may be achieved by adjusting the quantity of 

19 acres described in paragraph (1). 

20 (6) ADMINISTRATION.—The land acquired by 

21 the Secretary pursuant to the exchange under this 

22 subsection shall be administered as part of the Park. 

23 SEC. 3. DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE NATURAL 

24 GAS PIPELINE. 

25 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

6 

•S 157 IS

1 (1) APPURTENANCE.— 

2 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘appur3 tenance’’ includes cathodic protection or test 

4 stations, valves, signage, and buried commu5 nication and electric cables relating to the oper6 ation of high-pressure natural gas transmission. 

7 (B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘appur8 tenance’’ does not include compressor stations. 

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

10 National Park and Preserve in the State of Alaska. 

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

12 the Secretary of the Interior. 

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

14 permits for— 

15 (1) a high-pressure natural gas transmission 

16 pipeline (including appurtenances) in nonwilderness 

17 areas within the boundary of Denali National Park 

18 within, along, or near the approximately 7-mile seg19 ment of the George Parks Highway that runs 

20 through the Park; and 

21 (2) any distribution and transmission pipelines 

22 and appurtenances that the Secretary determines to 

23 be necessary to provide natural gas supply to the 

24 Park. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

7 

•S 157 IS

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

2 under subsection (b)— 

3 (1) may be issued only— 

4 (A) if the permit is consistent with the 

5 laws (including regulations) generally applicable 

6 to utility rights-of-way within units of the Na7 tional Park System; 

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

9 the Alaska National Interest Lands Conserva10 tion Act (16 U.S.C. 3166(a)); and 

11 (C) if, following an appropriate analysis 

12 prepared in compliance with the National Envi13 ronmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 

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

15 route through the Park with the least adverse 

16 environmental effects for the Park; and 

17 (2) shall be subject to such terms and condi18 tions as the Secretary determines to be necessary. 

19 SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF THE WALTER HARPER 

20 TALKEETNA RANGER STATION. 

21 (a) DESIGNATION.—The Talkeetna Ranger Station 

22 located on B Street in Talkeetna, Alaska, approximately 

23 100 miles south of the entrance to Denali National Park, 

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

25 Talkeetna Ranger Station’’. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

8 

•S 157 IS

1 (b) REFERENCES.—Any reference in a law, map, reg2 ulation, document, paper, or other record of the United 

3 States to the Talkeetna Ranger Station referred to in sub4 section (a) shall be deemed to be a reference to the ‘‘Wal5 ter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station’’. 

Æ 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS