I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 46 

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

study of Fort Ontario in the State of New York. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 3, 2017 

Mr. KATKO (for himself, Ms. SLAUGHTER, and Ms. TENNEY) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 

special resource study of Fort Ontario in the State of 

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 ‘‘Fort Ontario Study 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 

8 (1) From 1755 until 1814, Fort Ontario and 

9 three previous fortifications built on the site of the 

10 Fort in Oswego, New York, on the shore of Lake 


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1 Ontario were used as military installations during 

2 the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, 

3 and the War of 1812. 

4 (2) The original fort, erected by the British in 

5 1755, was destroyed by French forces in 1756. The 

6 fort was rebuilt and subsequently destroyed during 

7 both the American Revolution and the War of 1812. 

8 The star-shaped fort was constructed on the site of 

9 the original fortifications in the 1840s, with im10 provements made from 1863 through 1872. 

11 (3) The United States Armed Forces began ex12 panding Fort Ontario in the early 20th century and 

13 by 1941, approximately 125 buildings stood at the 

14 fort. 

15 (4) On June 9, 1944, President Franklin D. 

16 Roosevelt announced that Fort Ontario would serve 

17 as the Nation’s only Emergency Refugee Camp dur18 ing World War II. From August of 1944 until Feb19 ruary 1946, nearly 1,000 refugees were sheltered at 

20 Fort Ontario. 

21 (5) Fort Ontario was conveyed from the Fed22 eral Government to the State of New York in 1946; 

23 it was used to house World War II veterans and 

24 their families and then converted to a State historic 

25 site in 1953. 


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1 (6) A post cemetery containing the graves of 77 

2 officers, soldiers, women, and children who served at 

3 Fort Ontario in war and peace is situated on the 

4 grounds of the fort. 

5 (7) In 1970, Fort Ontario was placed on the 

6 National Register of Historic Places. 

7 SEC. 3. FORT ONTARIO SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY. 

8 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary of the Interior (referred 

9 to in this section as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall conduct a spe10 cial resource study of Fort Ontario in Oswego, New York. 

11 (b) CONTENTS.—In conducting the study under sub12 section (a), the Secretary shall— 

13 (1) evaluate the national significance of the 

14 site; 

15 (2) determine the suitability and feasibility of 

16 designating the site as a unit of the National Park 

17 System; 

18 (3) consider other alternatives for preservation, 

19 protection, and interpretation of the lands by Fed20 eral, State, or local governmental entities, or private 

21 and nonprofit organizations; 

22 (4) consult with interested Federal, State, or 

23 local governmental entities, private and nonprofit or24 ganizations or any other interested individuals; 


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1 (5) determine the effect of the designation of 

2 the site as a unit of the National Park System on 

3 existing commercial and recreational uses and the 

4 effect on State and local governments to manage 

5 those activities; 

6 (6) identify any authorities, including con7 demnation, that may compel or allow the Secretary 

8 to influence or participate in local land use decisions 

9 (such as zoning) or place restrictions on non-Federal 

10 land if the site is designated a unit of the National 

11 Park System; and 

12 (7) identify cost estimates for any Federal ac13 quisition, development, interpretation, operation, and 

14 maintenance associated with the alternatives. 

15 (c) APPLICABLE LAW.—The study authorized under 

16 subsection (a) shall be conducted in accordance with sec17 tion 100507 of title 54, United States Code. 

18 (d) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the date 

19 on which funds are first made available for the study 

20 under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the 

21 Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Rep22 resentatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 

23 Resources of the Senate a report that describes— 

24 (1) the findings of the study; and 


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1 (2) any conclusions and recommendations of the 

2 Secretary. 

Æ 


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