Calendar No. 643

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 1683

A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to prolands Region, and for other purposes. Forest area of the New York/New Jersey High- mission for acquisition of land in the Sterling vide funds to the Palisades Interstate Park ComSEPTEMBER 27 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 12), 1994

Reported with an amendment
II

Calendar No. 643

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 1683

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide funds to the Palisades

Interstate Park Commission for acquisition of land in the Sterling Forest

area of the New York/New Jersey Highlands Region, and for other

purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

NOVEMBER 18 (legislative day, NOVEMBER 2), 1993

Mr. BRADLEY (for himself and Mr. LAUTENBERG) introduced the following

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and

Natural Resources

SEPTEMBER 27 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 12), 1994

Reported by Mr. JOHNSTON, with an amendment

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]

A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide funds

to the Palisades Interstate Park Commission for acquisition of land in the Sterling Forest area of the New

York/New Jersey Highlands Region, 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,
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Sterling Forest and

3 New Jersey Watershed Protection Act of 1993’’.

4 SEC. 2. LAND ACQUISITION.

5 (a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Palisades Park Commis6 sion (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Commission’’) is au7 thorized to acquire from the Sterling Forest Corporation

8 an open space tract of land comprising the Sterling Forest

9 area of the New York/New Jersey Highlands Region.

10 (b) MANAGEMENT.—The Commission shall manage

11 the land acquired pursuant to subsection (a) to enhance

12 protection of watershed, outdoor recreational, wildlife

13 habitat, and Appalachian Trail values in the Sterling For14 est area of the New York/New Jersey Highlands Region.

15 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro17 priated to the Secretary of the Interior $35,000,000 for

18 the purposes of acquiring the land described in section 2.

19 (b) TRANSFER OF FUNDS.—Of the sums made avail20 able pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary of the Inte21 rior shall transfer to the Commission such sums as are

22 necessary to carry out this Act.

23 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

24 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Sterling Forest Protec25 tion Act of 1994’’.
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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

2 The Congress finds that—

3 (1) the Palisades Interstate Park Commission

4 was established pursuant to a joint resolution of the

5 75th Congress approved in 1937 (Public Resolution

6 No. 65; ch. 706; 50 Stat. 719), and chapter 170 of the

7 Laws of 1937 of the State of New York and chapter

8 148 of the Laws of 1937 of the State of New Jersey;

9 (2) the Palisades Interstate Park Commission is

10 responsible for the management of 23 parks and his11 toric sites in New York and New Jersey, comprising

12 over 82,000 acres;

13 (3) over 8 million visitors annually seek outdoor

14 recreational opportunities within the Palisades Park

15 System;

16 (4) Sterling Forest is a biologically diverse open

17 space on the New Jersey border comprising approxi18 mately 17,500 acres, and is a highly significant wa19 tershed area for the State of New Jersey, providing

20 the source for clean drinking water for 25 percent of

21 the State;

22 (5) Sterling Forest is an important outdoor rec23 reational asset in the northeastern United States,

24 within the most densely populated metropolitan re25 gion in the Nation;
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1 (6) Sterling Forest supports a mixture of hard2 wood forests, wetlands, lakes, glaciated valleys, is

3 strategically located on a wildlife migratory route,

4 and provides important habitat for 27 rare or endan5 gered species;

6 (7) the protection of Sterling Forest would great7 ly enhance the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, a

8 portion of which passes through Sterling Forest, and

9 would provide for enhanced recreational opportunities

10 through the protection of lands which are an integral

11 element of the trail and which would protect impor12 tant trail viewsheds;

13 (8) stewardship and management costs for units

14 of the Palisades Park System are paid for by the

15 States of New York and New Jersey; thus, the protec16 tion of Sterling Forest through the Palisades Inter17 state Park Commission will involve a minimum of

18 Federal funds; and

19 (9) given the nationally significant watershed,

20 outdoor recreational, and wildlife qualities of Sterling

21 Forest; the demand for open space in the northeastern

22 United States; the lack of open space in the densely

23 populated Tri-State region; there is a clear Federal

24 interest in acquiring the Sterling Forest for perma25 nent protection of the watershed, outdoor recreational,
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1 flora and fauna, and open space; which is a cost effec2 tive investment compared to the costs which would be

3 required to protect drinking water for the region

4 should the Sterling Forest be developed.

5 SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

6 Subject to the requirements of this Act, the purposes

7 of this Act are—

8 (1) to establish the Sterling Forest Reserve in the

9 State of New York to protect the significant water10 shed, wildlife, and recreational resources within the

11 New York-New Jersey highlands region;

12 (2) to authorize Federal funding, through the De13 partment of the Interior, for a portion of the acquisi14 tion costs for the Sterling Forest Reserve;

15 (3) to direct the Palisades Interstate Park Com16 mission to convey to the Secretary of the Interior cer17 tain interests in lands acquired within the Reserve;

18 and

19 (4) to provide for the management of the Sterling

20 Forest Reserve by the Palisades Interstate Park Com21 mission.

22 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

23 As used in this Act, the term—

24 (1) ‘‘Commission’’ means the Palisades Interstate

25 Park Commission established pursuant to Public Res-
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1 olution No. 65 approved August 19, 1937 (ch. 707; 50

2 Stat. 719);

3 (2) ‘‘Reserve’’ means the Sterling Forest Reserve;

4 and

5 (3) ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of the Inte6 rior.

7 SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE STERLING FOREST

8 RESERVE.

9 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Upon the certification by the

10 Commission to the Secretary that the Commission has ac11 quired sufficient lands or interests therein to constitute a

12 manageable unit, there is hereby established the Sterling

13 Forest Reserve in the State of New York.

14 (b) MAP.—(1) The Reserve shall consist of lands and

15 interests therein acquired by the Commission within the ap16 proximately 17,500 acres of lands as generally depicted on

17 the map entitled ‘‘Boundary Map, Sterling Forest Reserve,

18 numbered SFR–60,001 and dated July 1, 1994.

19 (2) The map referred to in paragraph (1) shall be on

20 file and available for public inspection in the offices of the

21 Commission and the appropriate offices of the National

22 Park Service, Department of the Interior.

23 (c) TRANSFER OF FUNDS.—Subject to the conditions

24 set forth in subsection (d), the Secretary shall transfer to
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1 the Commission such funds as are appropriated for the ac2 quisition of lands and interests therein within the Reserve.

3 (d) CONDITIONS OF FUNDING.—(1) Prior to the receipt

4 of any Federal funds authorized by this Act, the Commis5 sion shall agree to the following terms and conditions:

6 (A) If the Commission fails to manage the lands

7 acquired within the Reserve in a manner consistent

8 with this Act, the Commission shall convey fee title to

9 such lands to the United States. Such agreement to

10 convey to the United States shall be recorded at the

11 time of purchase.

12 (B) No lands or interests therein may be ac13 quired with any Federal funds authorized or trans14 ferred pursuant to this Act except with the consent of

15 the owner thereof.

16 (C) If the Commission is unable to acquire all

17 of the lands within the Reserve, to the extent Federal

18 funds are utilized pursuant to this Act, the Commis19 sion shall acquire all or a portion of the lands identi20 fied as ‘‘National Park Service Wilderness Easement

21 Lands’’ and ‘‘National Park Service Conservation

22 Easement Lands’’ on the map referred to in section

23 5(b) before proceeding with the acquisition of any

24 other lands within the Reserve.
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1 (D) Within 30 days after acquiring the lands

2 identified as ‘‘National Park Service Wilderness Ease3 ment Lands’’ and ‘‘National Park Service Conserva4 tion Easement Lands’’ on the map referred to in sec5 tion 5(b), the Commission shall convey to the United

6 States the following:

7 (i) Conservation easement(s) on those lands

8 described as ‘‘National Park Service Wilderness

9 Easement Lands’’ on the map referred to in sec10 tion 5(b). Such easement(s) shall provide that the

11 lands shall be managed to protect their wilder12 ness character.

13 (ii) Conservation easement(s) on those lands

14 described as ‘‘National Park Service Conserva15 tion Easement Lands’’ on the map referred to in

16 section 5(b). Such easement(s) shall restrict and

17 limit development and use of the property to that

18 compatible with the protection of the Appalach19 ian National Scenic Trail. Any such develop20 ment and use shall be consistent with the general

21 management plan prepared pursuant to section

22 6(b).

23 (2) Funds may be transferred to the Commission only

24 to the extent that they are matched from funds contributed

25 by non-Federal sources.
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1 SEC. 6. MANAGEMENT OF THE RESERVE.

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall manage the

3 lands acquired within the Reserve in a manner consistent

4 with the Commission’s authorities and with the purposes

5 of this Act.

6 (b) GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN.—Within 3 years

7 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall

8 prepare a general management plan for the Reserve, and

9 shall submit such plan to the Secretary for approval.

10 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection

12 (b), there is authorized to be appropriated such sums as

13 may be necessary to carry out this Act, to remain available

14 until expended.

15 (b) LAND ACQUISITION.—Not more than $17,500,000

16 may be appropriated to the Secretary for transfer to the

17 Commission for the acquisition of lands and interests there18 in within the Reserve.