I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1992 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study 

of the site of the Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park in Jessamine 

County, Kentucky, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 6, 2017 

Mr. BARR (for himself and Ms. FUDGE) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special 

resource study of the site of the Camp Nelson Civil 

War Heritage Park in Jessamine County, Kentucky, 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 ‘‘Camp Nelson Heritage 

5 Park Study Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds as follows: 


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1 (1) In June 1863, Camp Nelson was founded 

2 and constructed by Major General Ambrose 

3 Burnside and the unit under his command, the 9th 

4 Corps of the Army of Ohio. 

5 (2) Camp Nelson was established as a supply 

6 depot for the Union Army during the Civil War and 

7 helped support the Union Army’s campaigns in Ken8 tucky, Tennessee, and Alabama. 

9 (3) Camp Nelson was one of the Nation’s larg10 est recruitment and training centers for African 

11 American soldiers during the Civil War, as well as 

12 a refugee camp for the wives and children of many 

13 of those soldiers. 

14 (4) Because of its proximity to Confederate 

15 States, thousands of slaves fled to Camp Nelson 

16 with their families to escape enslavement and to en17 list in the Union Army, thereby gaining their free18 dom. 

19 (5) Eight regiments of ‘‘U.S. Colored Troops’’, 

20 the designation of African American regiments at 

21 that time, were founded at Camp Nelson, and three 

22 other regiments were trained at the site. 

23 (6) Camp Nelson established a refugee camp 

24 for enlisted African American soldiers’ families, 

25 housing over 3,000 people, primarily women and 


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1 children, and included a school house, hospital, mess 

2 hall, and other accommodations. 

3 (7) Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park was 

4 designated as part of the National Park Service’s 

5 National Underground Railroad Network to Free6 dom in 2008 and designated a National Historic 

7 Landmark in 2013. 

8 (8) In 1998, Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage 

9 Park was created by Jessamine County Fiscal Court 

10 using Federal, State, and local support, and has pre11 served large tracts of this site, constructed a visitor 

12 center, constructed a replica barracks, recreated a 

13 fort, developed interpretive trails, and educated the 

14 public about this historic site. 

15 (9) There is strong community interest in mak16 ing Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park a unit of 

17 the National Park System. 

18 (10) Jessamine County Fiscal Court has ex19 pressed its desire to donate the preserved historic 

20 site as a gift to the United States. 

21 SEC. 3. STUDY. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior (re23 ferred to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall conduct a 

24 special resource study of the site of the Camp Nelson Civil 


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1 War Heritage Park in Jessamine County, Kentucky, and 

2 adjacent property (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘site’’). 

3 (b) CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall conduct the 

4 study under subsection (a) in accordance with section 

5 100507 of title 54, United States Code. 

6 (c) CONTENTS.—In conducting the study under sub7 section (a), the Secretary shall— 

8 (1) evaluate the national significance of the 

9 site; 

10 (2) determine the suitability and feasibility of 

11 designating the site as a unit of the National Park 

12 System; 

13 (3) include cost estimates for any necessary ac14 quisition, development, operation, and maintenance 

15 of the site; and 

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

17 local governmental entities, private and nonprofit or18 ganizations, or other interested individuals. 

19 SEC. 4. REPORT. 

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

21 are made available to carry out the study under subsection 

22 (a), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Nat23 ural Resources of the House of Representatives and the 

24 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Sen25 ate a report that describes— 


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1 (1) the findings and conclusions of the study; 

2 and 

3 (2) any recommendations of the Secretary. 

Æ 


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