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Union Calendar No. 48 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 674 

[Report No. 113–72] 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating prehistoric, historic, and limestone forest sites on 

Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as a unit of 

the National Park System. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 13, 2013 

Mr. SABLAN (for himself, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. BORDALLO, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, 

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, and Mr. MARKEY) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

MAY 17, 2013 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 

and ordered to be printed 

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A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating prehistoric, historic, 

and limestone forest sites on Rota, Commonwealth of 

the Northern Mariana Islands, as a unit of the National 

Park System. 

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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; FINDINGS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Rota Cultural and Natural Resources Study Act’’. 

6 (b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds as follows: 

7 (1) The island of Rota was the only major is8 land in the Mariana Islands to be spared the de9 struction and large scale land use changes brought 

10 about by World War II. 

11 (2) The island of Rota has been described by 

12 professional archeologists as having the most numer13 ous, most intact, and generally the most unique pre14 historic sites of any of the islands of the Mariana 

15 Archipelago. 

16 (3) The island of Rota contains remaining ex17 amples of what is known as the Latte Phase of the 

18 cultural tradition of the indigenous Chamorro people 

19 of the Mariana Islands. Latte stone houses are rem20 nants of the ancient Chamorro culture. 

21 (4) Four prehistoric sites are listed on the Na22 tional Register of Historic Places: Monchon Archeo23 logical District (also known locally as Monchon 

24 Latte Stone Village), Taga Latte Stone Quarry, the 

25 Dugi Archeological Site that contains latte stone 

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1 structures, and the Chugai Pictograph Cave that 

2 contains examples of ancient Chamorro rock art. 

3 Alaguan Bay Ancient Village is another latte stone 

4 prehistoric site that is surrounded by tall-canopy 

5 limestone forest. 

6 (5) In addition to prehistoric sites, the island of 

7 Rota boasts historic sites remaining from the Japa8 nese period (1914–1945). Several of these sites are 

9 on the National Register of Historic Places: Nanyo 

10 Kohatsu Kabushiki Kaisha Sugar Mill, Japanese 

11 Coastal Defense Gun, and the Japanese Hospital. 

12 (6) The island of Rota’s natural resources are 

13 significant because of the extent and intact condition 

14 of its native limestone forest that provides habitat 

15 for several federally endangered listed species, the 

16 Mariana crow, and the Rota bridled white-eye birds, 

17 that are also native to the island of Rota. Three en18 dangered plant species are also found on Rota and 

19 two are endemic to the island. 

20 (7) Because of the significant cultural and nat21 ural resources listed above, on September 2005, the 

22 National Park Service, Pacific West Region, com23 pleted a preliminary resource assessment on the is24 land of Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mar25 iana Islands, which determined that the ‘‘establishmstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

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1 ment of a unit of the national park system 

2 appear[ed] to be the best way to ensure the long 

3 term protection of Rota’s most important cultural 

4 resources and its best examples of its native lime5 stone forest.’’. 

6 SEC. 2. NPS STUDY OF SITES ON THE ISLAND OF ROTA, 

7 COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MAR8 IANA ISLANDS. 

9 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary of the Interior shall— 

10 (1) carry out a study regarding the suitability 

11 and feasibility of designating prehistoric, historic, 

12 and limestone forest sites on the island of Rota, 

13 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as 

14 a unit of the National Park System; and 

15 (2) consider management alternatives for the is16 land of Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mar17 iana Islands. 

18 (b) STUDY PROCESS AND COMPLETION.—Except as 

19 provided by subsection (c) of this section, section 8(c) of 

20 Public Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–5(c)) shall apply to the 

21 conduct and completion of the study required by this sec22 tion. 

23 (c) SUBMISSION OF STUDY RESULTS.—Not later 

24 than 3 years after the date that funds are made available 

25 for this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Commstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

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1 mittee on Natural Resources of the House of Representa2 tives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Re3 sources of the Senate a report describing the results of 

4 the study. 

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Union Calendar No. 48 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 674 

[Report No. 113–72] 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study 

Islands, as a unit of the National Park System. Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana historic, historic, and limestone forest sites on the suitability and feasibility of designating preMAY 17, 2013 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS