106TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 28 

AN ACT 

To authorize an interpretive center and related visitor facilities within the Four Corners Monument Tribal Park, 

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 ‘‘Four Corners Interpre5 tive Center Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 

2 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

3 (1) the Four Corners Monument is nationally 

4 significant as the only geographic location in the 

5 United States where 4 State boundaries meet; 

6 (2) the States with boundaries that meet at the 

7 Four Corners are Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, 

8 and Utah; 

9 (3) between 1868 and 1875 the boundary lines 

10 that created the Four Corners were drawn, and in 

11 1899 a monument was erected at the site; 

12 (4) a United States postal stamp will be issued 

13 in 1999 to commemorate the centennial of the origi14 nal boundary marker; 

15 (5) the Four Corners area is distinct in char16 acter and possesses important historical, cultural, 

17 and prehistoric values and resources within the sur18 rounding cultural landscape; 

19 (6) although there are no permanent facilities 

20 or utilities at the Four Corners Monument Tribal 

21 Park, each year the park attracts approximately 

22 250,000 visitors; 

23 (7) the area of the Four Corners Monument 

24 Tribal Park falls entirely within the Navajo Nation 

25 or Ute Mountain Ute Tribe reservations; 


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1 (8) the Navajo Nation and the Ute Mountain 

2 Ute Tribe have entered into a memorandum of un3 derstanding governing the planning and future de4 velopment of the Four Corners Monument Tribal 

5 Park; 

6 (9) in 1992, through agreements executed by 

7 the Governors of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, 

8 and Utah, the Four Corners Heritage Council was 

9 established as a coalition of State, Federal, tribal, 

10 and private interests; 

11 (10) the State of Arizona has obligated $45,000 

12 for planning efforts and $250,000 for construction 

13 of an interpretive center at the Four Corners Monu14 ment Tribal Park; 

15 (11) numerous studies and extensive consulta16 tion with American Indians have demonstrated that 

17 development at the Four Corners Monument Tribal 

18 Park would greatly benefit the people of the Navajo 

19 Nation and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe; 

20 (12) the Arizona Department of Transportation 

21 has completed preliminary cost estimates that are 

22 based on field experience with rest-area development 

23 for the construction of a Four Corners Interpretive 

24 Center and surrounding infrastructure, including 


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1 restrooms, roadways, parking areas, and water, elec2 trical, telephone, and sewage facilities; 

3 (13) an interpretive center would provide im4 portant educational and enrichment opportunities 

5 for all Americans; and 

6 (14) Federal financial assistance and technical 

7 expertise are needed for the construction of an inter8 pretive center. 

9 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 

10 (1) to recognize the importance of the Four 

11 Corners Monument and surrounding landscape as a 

12 distinct area in the heritage of the United States 

13 that is worthy of interpretation and preservation; 

14 (2) to assist the Navajo Nation and the Ute 

15 Mountain Ute Tribe in establishing the Four Cor16 ners Interpretive Center and related facilities to 

17 meet the needs of the general public; 

18 (3) to highlight and showcase the collaborative 

19 resource stewardship of private individuals, Indian 

20 tribes, universities, Federal agencies, and the gov21 ernments of States and political subdivisions thereof 

22 (including counties); and 

23 (4) to promote knowledge of the life, art, cul24 ture, politics, and history of the culturally diverse 

25 groups of the Four Corners region. 


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1 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

2 As used in this Act: 

3 (1) CENTER.—The term ‘‘Center’’ means the 

4 Four Corners Interpretive Center established under 

5 section 4, including restrooms, parking areas, vendor 

6 facilities, sidewalks, utilities, exhibits, and other vis7 itor facilities. 

8 (2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti9 ty’’ means the State of Arizona, Colorado, New Mex10 ico, or Utah, or any consortium of 2 or more of 

11 those States. 

12 (3) FOUR CORNERS HERITAGE COUNCIL.—The 

13 term ‘‘Four Corners Heritage Council’’ means the 

14 nonprofit coalition of Federal, State, tribal, and pri15 vate entities established in 1992 by agreements of 

16 the Governors of the States of Arizona, Colorado, 

17 New Mexico, and Utah. 

18 (4) FOUR CORNERS MONUMENT.—The term 

19 ‘‘Four Corners Monument’’ means the physical 

20 monument where the boundaries of the States of Ar21 izona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. 

22 (5) FOUR CORNERS MONUMENT TRIBAL

23 PARK.—The term ‘‘Four Corners Monument Tribal 

24 Park’’ means lands within the legally defined bound25 aries of the Four Corners Monument Tribal Park. 


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

2 the Secretary of the Interior. 

3 SEC. 4. FOUR CORNERS INTERPRETIVE CENTER. 

4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subject to the availability of 

5 appropriations, the Secretary is authorized to establish 

6 within the boundaries of the Four Corners Monument 

7 Tribal Park a center for the interpretation and commemo8 ration of the Four Corners Monument, to be known as 

9 the ‘‘Four Corners Interpretive Center’’. 

10 (b) LAND DESIGNATED AND MADE AVAILABLE.— 

11 Land for the Center shall be designated and made avail12 able by the Navajo Nation or the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe 

13 within the boundaries of the Four Corners Monument 

14 Tribal Park in consultation with the Four Corners Herit15 age Council and in accordance with— 

16 (1) the memorandum of understanding between 

17 the Navajo Nation and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe 

18 that was entered into on October 22, 1996; and 

19 (2) applicable supplemental agreements with 

20 the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park 

21 Service, and the United States Forest Service. 

22 (c) CONCURRENCE.—Notwithstanding any other pro23 vision of this Act, no such center shall be established with24 out the consent of the Navajo Nation and the Ute Moun25 tain Ute Tribe. 


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1 (d) COMPONENTS OF CENTER.—The Center shall in2 clude— 

3 (1) a location for permanent and temporary ex4 hibits depicting the archaeological, cultural, and nat5 ural heritage of the Four Corners region; 

6 (2) a venue for public education programs; 

7 (3) a location to highlight the importance of ef8 forts to preserve southwestern archaeological sites 

9 and museum collections; 

10 (4) a location to provide information to the gen11 eral public about cultural and natural resources, 

12 parks, museums, and travel in the Four Corners re13 gion; and 

14 (5) visitor amenities including restrooms, public 

15 telephones, and other basic facilities. 

16 SEC. 5. CONSTRUCTION GRANT. 

17 (a) GRANT.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized 

19 to award a grant to an eligible entity for the con20 struction of the Center in an amount not to exceed 

21 50 percent of the cost of construction of the Center. 

22 (2) ASSURANCES.—To be eligible for the grant, 

23 the eligible entity that is selected to receive the 

24 grant shall provide assurances that— 


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1 (A) the non-Federal share of the costs of 

2 construction is paid from non-Federal sources 

3 (which may include contributions made by 

4 States, private sources, the Navajo Nation, and 

5 the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe for planning, de6 sign, construction, furnishing, startup, and 

7 operational expenses); and 

8 (B) the aggregate amount of non-Federal 

9 funds contributed by the States used to carry 

10 out the activities specified in subparagraph (A) 

11 will not be less than $2,000,000, of which each 

12 of the States that is party to the grant will con13 tribute equally in cash or in kind. 

14 (3) FUNDS FROM PRIVATE SOURCES.—A State 

15 may use funds from private sources to meet the re16 quirements of paragraph (2)(B). 

17 (4) FUNDS OF STATE OF ARIZONA.—The State 

18 of Arizona may apply $45,000 authorized by the 

19 State of Arizona during fiscal year 1998 for plan20 ning and $250,000 that is held in reserve by the 

21 State for construction toward the Arizona share. 

22 (b) GRANT REQUIREMENTS.—In order to receive a 

23 grant under this Act, the eligible entity selected to receive 

24 the grant shall— 

25 (1) submit to the Secretary a proposal that— 


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1 (A) meets all applicable— 

2 (i) laws, including building codes and 

3 regulations; and 

4 (ii) requirements under the memo5 randum of understanding described in 

6 paragraph (2); and 

7 (B) provides such information and assur8 ances as the Secretary may require; and 

9 (2) enter into a memorandum of understanding 

10 with the Secretary providing— 

11 (A) a timetable for completion of construc12 tion and opening of the Center; 

13 (B) assurances that design, architectural, 

14 and construction contracts will be competitively 

15 awarded; 

16 (C) specifications meeting all applicable 

17 Federal, State, and local building codes and 

18 laws; 

19 (D) arrangements for operations and 

20 maintenance upon completion of construction; 

21 (E) a description of the Center collections 

22 and educational programming; 

23 (F) a plan for design of exhibits including, 

24 but not limited to, the selection of collections to 

25 be exhibited, and the providing of security, 


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1 preservation, protection, environmental controls, 

2 and presentations in accordance with profes3 sional museum standards; 

4 (G) an agreement with the Navajo Nation 

5 and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe relative to site 

6 selection and public access to the facilities; and 

7 (H) a financing plan developed jointly by 

8 the Navajo Nation and the Ute Mountain Ute 

9 Tribe outlining the long-term management of 

10 the Center, including— 

11 (i) the acceptance and use of funds 

12 derived from public and private sources to 

13 minimize the use of appropriated or bor14 rowed funds; 

15 (ii) the payment of the operating costs 

16 of the Center through the assessment of 

17 fees or other income generated by the Cen18 ter; 

19 (iii) a strategy for achieving financial 

20 self-sufficiency with respect to the Center 

21 by not later than 5 years after the date of 

22 enactment of this Act; and 

23 (iv) appropriate vendor standards and 

24 business activities at the Four Corners 

25 Monument Tribal Park. 


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1 SEC. 6. SELECTION OF GRANT RECIPIENT. 

2 The Four Corners Heritage Council may make rec3 ommendations to the Secretary on grant proposals regard4 ing the design of facilities at the Four Corners Monument 

5 Tribal Park. 

6 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

7 (a) AUTHORIZATIONS.—There are authorized to be 

8 appropriated to the Department of the Interior to carry 

9 out this Act— 

10 (1) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2000; and 

11 (2) $50,000 for each of fiscal years 2001 

12 through 2005 for maintenance and operation of the 

13 Center, program development, or staffing in a man14 ner consistent with the requirements of section 5(b). 

15 (b) CARRYOVER.—Funds made available under sub16 section (a)(1) that are unexpended at the end of the fiscal 

17 year for which those funds are appropriated, may be used 

18 by the Secretary through fiscal year 2002 for the purposes 

19 for which those funds are made available. 

20 (c) RESERVATION OF FUNDS.—The Secretary may 

21 reserve funds appropriated pursuant to this Act until a 

22 grant proposal meeting the requirements of this Act is 

23 submitted, but no later than September 30, 2001. 

24 SEC. 8. DONATIONS. 

25 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for pur26 poses of the planning, construction, and operation of the 


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1 Center, the Secretary may accept, retain, and expend do2 nations of funds, and use property or services donated, 

3 from private persons and entities or from public entities. 

4 SEC. 9. STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION. 

5 Nothing in this Act is intended to abrogate, modify, 

6 or impair any right or claim of the Navajo Nation or the 

7 Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, that is based on any law (includ8 ing any treaty, Executive order, agreement, or Act of Con9 gress). 

Passed the Senate September 9, 1999. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 


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106TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 28 

AN ACT 

To authorize an interpretive center and related visTribal Park, and for other purposes. itor facilities within the Four Corners Monument 


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