[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 152 (Wednesday, August 11, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44043-44045]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-17125]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-NERO-BLRV-NPS0031853; ACCT Number: PPNEBLRV00/PPMPSPD1Z.YM0000]


Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: As authorized by Section 3031 of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, the National Park Service (NPS) 
announces that the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) has 
established the park boundary for Blackstone River Valley National 
Historical Park in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of 
Rhode Island.

DATES: The effective date of the establishment of the boundary is 
August 11, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Celeste Bernardo, Acting Deputy 
Regional Director, NPS, Interior Region 1 at (978) 275-1703.

ADDRESSES: A color version and more detailed area maps depicting the 
boundary are available here: https://www.nps.gov/blrv/planyourvisit/maps.htm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3031 of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, Public Law 113-291 includes a 
specific provision relating to establishment of a Park boundary for 
Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park. To establish the 
boundary, the Secretary must determine that a sufficient quantity of 
land, or interests in land, has been acquired to constitute a 
manageable park unit and must publish a boundary map in the Federal 
Register.
    The NPS acquired by Donation Deed the fee simple interests in the 
3.06 acres at 67 Roosevelt Avenue in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, on March 
31, 2021. This property contains the historic Old Slater Mill (ca. 
1793), the Wilkinson Mill (ca. 1810) and the Sylvanus Brown House (ca. 
1753) and associated lands.
    In addition, on March 27, 2021, the NPS accepted the conveyance of 
an 85-acre conservation and preservation easement from the State of 
Rhode Island for the protection of portions of the Blackstone River 
State Park including the historic canal and the Captain Wilbur Kelly 
House Museum.
    Further, the enabling legislation provides that the Secretary may 
include in the park boundary any resources that are the subject of an 
agreement with the States or a subdivision of the States entered into 
under paragraph (c)(4)(D) of the Act. The park has entered into such 
agreements with the following subdivisions:

<bullet> Town of Northbridge, Massachusetts for Whitinsville Historic 
District (April 11, 2018)
<bullet> Town of Hopedale, Massachusetts for Little Red Shop Local 
Historic District (August 8, 2019)
<bullet> Town of Cumberland, Rhode Island for Ashton Historic District 
(October 11, 2018)
<bullet> Town of North Smithfield, Rhode Island for Slatersville Local 
Historic District (March 20, 2018)

    Each of these communities has a local historic district in place 
within its defined historic district that has the benefit of local 
regulatory oversight and protection. These areas are considered to be 
within the boundary of the park.
    On July 27, 2021, the Secretary of the Interior signed a Decision 
Memorandum determining that a sufficient quantity of land, or interests 
in land, had been acquired to constitute a manageable park unit. With 
the signing of this Decision Memorandum by the Secretary and the 
publication of the boundary map in the Federal Register, the boundary 
of the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park is established.
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Shawn Benge,
Deputy Director, Operations, Exercising the Delegated Authority of the 
Director, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-17125 Filed 8-10-21; 8:45 am]
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