I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3131 

To authorize studies of certain areas for possible inclusion in the National 

Park System, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 18, 2013 

Mr. SABLAN (for himself, Ms. GABBARD, Ms. HANABUSA, Mr. BEN RAY

LUJA ́N of New Mexico, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. GRIJALVA, 

Ms. NORTON, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. SPEIER, 

Mr. LEWIS, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. HONDA, and Mr. HOLT) introduced 

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

A BILL 

To authorize studies of certain areas for possible inclusion 

in the National Park System, 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 ‘‘National Park Service 

5 Study Act of 2013’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDIES. 

7 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary of the Interior shall con8 duct special resource studies of— 


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1 (1) the Kau coast, on the island of Hawaii; 

2 (2) the prehistoric, historic, and limestone for3 est sites on the island of Rota in the Commonwealth 

4 of the Northern Mariana Islands; 

5 (3) sites in the State of Alaska associated with 

6 the forced abandonment of the Aleut villages of 

7 Makushin, Kashega, and Biorka around Unalaska 

8 Island, and Attu on Attu Island during World War 

9 II, and the 5 relocation sites at Funter Bay, Burnett 

10 Inlet, Killisnoo, Ward Lake, and the Wrangell Insti11 tute; 

12 (4) World War II Japanese American Reloca13 tion Center sites including Gila River and Poston 

14 sites, State of Arizona; Granada, State of Colorado; 

15 Heart Mountain, State of Wyoming; Jerome and 

16 Rohwer sites, State of Arkansas; and Topaz, State 

17 of Utah; 

18 (5) Mahaulepu, on the island of Kauai, State of 

19 Hawaii; 

20 (6) the town of Goldfield and outlying mining 

21 sites in the State of Nevada; 

22 (7) the Hudson River Valley in the State of 

23 New York; 


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1 (8) the Norman Studios, within Jacksonville, 

2 Florida, where African-American casts and crews 

3 were used in the production of silent films; 

4 (9) the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta in the State 

5 of Alabama; 

6 (10) the Galveston Bay in the State of Texas; 

7 (11) the Pullman site, State of Illinois; 

8 (12) the northern coast of Maui, Hawaii; and 

9 (13) historic sites on Midway Atoll. 

10 (b) CONTENTS.—In conducting the studies required 

11 under subsection (a) of the sites identified under such sub12 section, the Secretary shall— 

13 (1) evaluate the national significance of the 

14 sites and the areas surrounding such sites; 

15 (2) determine the suitability and feasibility of 

16 designating one or more sites as units of the Na17 tional Park System; 

18 (3) consider other alternatives for preservation, 

19 protection, and interpretation of the sites 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; and 


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1 (5) identify cost estimates for any Federal ac2 quisition, development, interpretation, operation, and 

3 maintenance associated with the alternatives. 

4 (c) APPLICABLE LAW.—The studies required under 

5 subsection (a) shall be conducted in accordance with sec6 tion 8 of the National Park System General Authorities 

7 Act (16 U.S.C. 1a–5). 

8 SEC. 3. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY UPDATES. 

9 (a) STUDIES.—The Secretary of the Interior shall up10 date the study, ‘‘World War II Sites, Republic of Palau 

11 (upon the request of the Government of the Republic of 

12 Palau)’’ as authorized by section 326(b)(3)(N) of the De13 partment of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropria14 tions Act, 2000, and the 1979 study ‘‘Vermejo Ranch, 

15 New Mexico/Colorado: Study of Management Options’’. 

16 (b) CONTENTS.—In updating the studies under sub17 section (a), the Secretary shall— 

18 (1) determine whether conditions have changed 

19 to warrant that the site be designated as a unit of 

20 the National Park System; 

21 (2) consider other alternatives for the preserva22 tion, protection, and interpretation of the site by 

23 Federal, State, or local governmental entities or pri24 vate and nonprofit organizations; 


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1 (3) consult with other interested Federal, State, 

2 or local governmental entities, private and nonprofit 

3 organizations, or any other interested individuals; 

4 and 

5 (4) identify cost estimates for any Federal ac6 quisition, development, interpretation, operation, and 

7 maintenance associated with the alternatives consid8 ered under paragraph (2). 

9 SEC. 4. BUFFALO SOLDIERS IN THE NATIONAL PARKS 

10 STUDY. 

11 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary of the Interior shall con12 duct a study of alternatives for commemorating and inter13 preting the role of the Buffalo Soldiers in the early years 

14 of the national parks. 

15 (b) CONTENTS.—In conducting the study under sub16 section (a), the Secretary shall— 

17 (1) complete a historical assessment of the Buf18 falo Soldiers who served in national parks in the 

19 years that preceded the establishment of the Na20 tional Park Service; 

21 (2) evaluate the suitability and feasibility of es22 tablishing a national historic trail commemorating 

23 the route traveled by the Buffalo Soldiers from their 

24 post in the Presidio of San Francisco to Sequoia and 


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1 Yosemite National Parks and to any other national 

2 parks where they may have served; 

3 (3) identify properties that could meet criteria 

4 for listing in the National Register of Historic 

5 Places or criteria for designation as national historic 

6 landmarks; and 

7 (4) evaluate appropriate ways to enhance the 

8 historical research, education, interpretation, and 

9 public awareness of the story of the Buffalo Soldiers’ 

10 stewardship role in the national parks, including 

11 ways to link the story to both the development of the 

12 national parks and the story of African-American 

13 military service following the Civil War. 

14 SEC. 5. RECONSTRUCTION IN THE SOUTH STUDY. 

15 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary of the Interior shall con16 duct a national historic landmark study to identify sites 

17 and resources in the Southern United States that are sig18 nificant to the Reconstruction era. 

19 (b) CONTENTS.—The study conducted under sub20 section (a) shall include recommendations for commemo21 rating and interpreting sites and resources identified by 

22 the study, including— 

23 (1) sites for which new national historic land24 marks should be nominated; and 


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1 (2) sites for which further study for potential 

2 inclusion in the National Park System is needed. 

3 SEC. 6. CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER BOUNDARY EXPANSION 

4 STUDY. 

5 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary of the Interior shall con6 duct a study to determine the suitability and feasibility 

7 of including in the boundary of the Chattahoochee River 

8 National Recreation Area approximately 45 miles of the 

9 Chattahoochee River and lands along the river corridor 

10 from the southern boundary of the Recreation Area south 

11 to the junction of Coweta, Heard, and Carroll Counties. 

12 (b) CONTENTS.—The study conducted under sub13 section (a) shall include an analysis of— 

14 (1) significant resources or opportunities for 

15 public enjoyment within the study area related to 

16 purposes of the Chattahoochee River National 

17 Recreation Area; 

18 (2) operational and management issues that 

19 need to be considered if the study area is included 

20 within the Recreation Area; 

21 (3) protection of resources within the study 

22 area critical to fulfilling the Recreation Area’s pur23 poses; 

24 (4) the feasibility of administering the study 

25 area as part of the Recreation Area considering the 


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1 study area’s size, configuration, ownership, costs, 

2 and other factors; and 

3 (5) the adequacy of other alternatives for man4 agement and protection of resources within the 

5 study area. 

6 SEC. 7. REPORT. 

7 Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds 

8 are first made available to conduct each study under this 

9 Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall submit to the Com10 mittee on Natural Resources of the House of Representa11 tives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Re12 sources of the Senate a report containing— 

13 (1) the results of each such study; and 

14 (2) any conclusions and recommendations of the 

15 Secretary based on such results. 

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