IIB 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4003 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 22 (legislative day, MARCH 19), 2010 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources 

AN ACT 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special 

resource study to evaluate resources in the Hudson River 

Valley in the State of New York to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing the site as a unit 

of the National Park System, and for other purposes. 


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HR 4003 RFS 

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 ‘‘Hudson River Valley 

5 Special Resource Study Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

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

9 the Secretary of the Interior. 

10 (2) STUDY AREA.—The term ‘‘study area’’— 

11 (A) means the portion of the Hudson River 

12 that flows from Rodgers Island at Fort Edward 

13 to the southern-most boundary of Westchester 

14 County, New York; and 

15 (B) includes any relevant sites and land16 scapes within the counties in New York that 

17 abut the area described in subparagraph (A). 

18 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF STUDY. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—As soon as funds are made avail20 able for this purpose, the Secretary shall complete a spe21 cial resource study of the Hudson River Valley in the State 

22 of New York to evaluate— 

23 (1) the national significance of the area; and 

24 (2) the suitability and feasibility of designating 

25 the area as a unit of the National Park System. 


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HR 4003 RFS 

1 (b) STUDY GUIDELINES.—In conducting the study 

2 under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— 

3 (1) use the criteria for the study of areas for 

4 potential inclusion in the National Park System in 

5 accordance with section 8(c) of Public Law 91–383 

6 (16 U.S.C. 1a–5(c)); 

7 (2) determine the effect of the designation of 

8 the area as a unit of the National Park System on 

9 existing commercial and recreational activities, in10 cluding but not limited to hunting, fishing, trapping, 

11 recreational shooting, motor boat use, off-highway 

12 vehicle use, snowmobile use, and on the authoriza13 tion, construction, operation, maintenance, or im14 provement of energy production and transmission in15 frastructure, and the effect on the authority of State 

16 and local governments to manage those activities; 

17 (3) identify any authorities that will compel or 

18 permit the Secretary to influence local land use deci19 sions (such as zoning) or place restrictions on non20 Federal land if the area is designated a unit of the 

21 National Park System; and 

22 (4) closely examine park unit models, in par23 ticular national river and recreation areas, as well as 

24 other landscape protection models, that— 


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HR 4003 RFS 

1 (A) encompass large areas of non-Federal 

2 lands within their designated boundaries; 

3 (B) foster public and private collaborative 

4 arrangements for achieving National Park Serv5 ice objectives; and 

6 (C) protect and respect the rights of pri7 vate land owners. 

8 SEC. 4. REPORT. 

9 Not later than 36 months after the date that funds 

10 are first made available for this purpose, the Secretary 

11 shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of 

12 the House of Representatives and the Committee on En13 ergy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report on the 

14 findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the study 

15 authorized by this Act. 

Passed the House of Representatives March 19, 

2010. 

Attest: LORRAINE C. MILLER, 

Clerk. 


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