II 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3399 

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

Park System, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 18, 2012 

Mr. BINGAMAN (by request) introduced the following bill; which was read 

twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 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 2012’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDIES. 

7 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary of the Interior (referred 

8 to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall conduct special 

9 resource studies of— 

10 (1) the Kau Coast, on the island of Hawaii; 


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1 (2) on request of the Government of the Com2 monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the is3 land of Rota in the Commonwealth of the Northern 

4 Mariana Islands; 

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

6 with 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 

10 (B) the 5 relocation sites in the State of Alaska 

11 at Funter Bay, Burnett Inlet, Killisnoo, Ward Lake, 

12 and the Wrangell Institute; 

13 (4) World War II Japanese American Reloca14 tion Center sites, including— 

15 (A) Gila River and Poston sites in the 

16 State of Arizona; 

17 (B) Grenada in the State of Colorado; 

18 (C) Heart Mountain in the State of Wyo19 ming; 

20 (D) Jerome and Rohwer sites in the State 

21 of Arkansas; and 

22 (E) Topaz in the State of Utah; 

23 (5) American Latino Sites in the San Luis Val24 ley and Central Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the 

25 States of Colorado and New Mexico; 


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1 (6) the town of Goldfield and outlying mining 

2 sites in the State of Nevada; 

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

4 New York; 

5 (8) the Norman Studios in Jacksonville, Flor6 ida, at which African-American casts and crews were 

7 used in the production of silent films; 

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

9 of Alabama; and 

10 (10) Galveston Bay in the State of Texas. 

11 (b) CONTENTS.—In conducting the studies under 

12 subsection (a), the Secretary shall— 

13 (1) evaluate the national significance of— 

14 (A) the sites; and 

15 (B) the areas surrounding the sites; 

16 (2) determine the suitability and feasibility of 

17 designating 1 or more of the sites as units of the 

18 National Park System; 

19 (3) consider other alternatives for preservation, 

20 protection, and interpretation of the sites by the 

21 Federal, State or local governmental entities or pri22 vate and nonprofit organizations; 

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

24 local governmental entities, private and nonprofit or25 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 consid4 ered under paragraph (3). 

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

6 subsection (a) shall be conducted in accordance with sec7 tion 8 of the National Park System General Authorities 

8 Act (16 U.S.C. 1a–5). 

9 SEC. 3. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY UPDATES. 

10 (a) STUDIES.—The Secretary shall update the fol11 lowing studies: 

12 (1) The study authorized by section 

13 326(b)(3)(N) of the National Park Service Studies 

14 Act of 1999 (as enacted in title III of Appendix C 

15 of Public Law 106–113; 113 Stat. 1501A–195) re16 lating to World War II Sites, Republic of Palau. 

17 (2) The 1979 study entitled ‘‘Vermejo Ranch, 

18 New Mexico/Colorado: Study of Management Op19 tions’’. 

20 (b) CONTENTS.—In updating the studies under sub21 section (a), the Secretary shall— 

22 (1) determine whether conditions have changed 

23 to justify designation of the site as a unit of the Na24 tional Park System; 


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1 (2) consider other alternatives for preservation, 

2 protection, and interpretation of the site by Federal, 

3 State, or local governmental entities or private and 

4 nonprofit organizations; 

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

6 or local governmental entities, private and nonprofit 

7 organizations, or any other interested individuals; 

8 and 

9 (4) identify cost estimates for any Federal ac10 quisition, development, interpretation, operation, and 

11 maintenance associated with the alternatives consid12 ered under paragraph (2). 

13 SEC. 4. BUFFALO SOLDIERS IN THE NATIONAL PARKS 

14 STUDY. 

15 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary shall conduct a study of 

16 alternatives for commemorating and interpreting the role 

17 of the Buffalo Soldiers in the early years of the National 

18 Parks. 

19 (b) CONTENTS.—In conducting the study under sub20 section (a), the Secretary shall— 

21 (1) complete a historical assessment of the Buf22 falo Soldiers that served in National Parks in the 

23 years before the establishment of the National Park 

24 Service; 


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1 (2) evaluate the suitability and feasibility of es2 tablishing a national historic trail commemorating 

3 the route traveled by the Buffalo Soldiers from the 

4 post of the Buffalo Soldiers in the Presidio of San 

5 Francisco to Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks 

6 and any other National Parks at which the Buffalo 

7 Soldiers may have served; 

8 (3) identify properties relating to the Buffalo 

9 Soldiers that could satisfy— 

10 (A) the criteria for listing in the National 

11 Register of Historic Places; or 

12 (B) the criteria for designation as a Na13 tional Historic Landmark; and 

14 (4) evaluate appropriate ways to enhance his15 torical research, education, interpretation, and pub16 lic awareness of the story of the stewardship role of 

17 the Buffalo Soldiers in the National Parks, including 

18 ways to link the story to the development of Na19 tional Parks and the story of African-American mili20 tary service following the Civil War. 

21 SEC. 5. RECONSTRUCTION IN THE SOUTH STUDY THEME 

22 STUDY. 

23 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary shall conduct a national 

24 historic landmark theme study (referred to in this section 

25 as the ‘‘theme study’’) to identify sites and resources in 


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1 the southern United States that are significant to the Re2 construction era. 

3 (b) CONTENTS.—The theme study shall include rec4 ommendations for commemorating and interpreting sites 

5 and resources identified by the theme study, including rec6 ommendations for— 

7 (1) sites for which new national historic land8 marks should be nominated; and 

9 (2) sites for which further study for potential 

10 inclusion in the National Park System is needed. 

11 SEC. 6. CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER BOUNDARY EXPANSION 

12 STUDY. 

13 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary shall conduct a study to 

14 determine the suitability and feasibility of including in the 

15 boundary of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation 

16 Area (referred to in this section as the ‘‘recreation area’’) 

17 approximately 45 miles of the Chattahoochee River and 

18 land along the river corridor from the southern boundary 

19 of the recreation area south to the junction of Coweta, 

20 Heard, and Carroll Counties (referred to in this section 

21 as the ‘‘study area’’). 

22 (b) CONTENTS.—The study authorized under this 

23 section shall include an analysis of— 


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1 (1) significant resources or opportunities for 

2 public enjoyment within the study area relating to 

3 the purposes of the recreation area; 

4 (2) operational and management issues that 

5 need to be considered if the study area is included 

6 within the recreation area; 

7 (3) protection of resources within the study 

8 area critical to fulfilling the purposes of the recre9 ation area; 

10 (4) the feasibility of administering the study 

11 area as part of the recreation area, taking into ac12 count— 

13 (A) the size, configuration, and ownership 

14 of the study area; 

15 (B) costs relating to the administration of 

16 the study area; and 

17 (C) any other factors that the Secretary 

18 determines to be appropriate; and 

19 (5) the adequacy of other alternatives for man20 agement and protection of resources within the 

21 study area. 

22 SEC. 7. REPORT. 

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

24 are first made available for each study authorized under 

25 this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 


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1 Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and 

2 the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 

3 Senate a report that describes— 

4 (1) the results of the applicable study; and 

5 (2) any conclusions and recommendations of the 

6 Secretary with respect to the area studied. 

7 SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

8 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

9 as are necessary to carry out this Act. 

Æ 


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