IIB 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4686 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 14, 2010 

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

Resources 

AN ACT 

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. 

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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HR 4686 RFS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS. 

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

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

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

5 (1) The island of Rota was the only major is6 land in the Mariana Islands to be spared the de7 struction and large scale land use changes brought 

8 about by World War II. 

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

10 professional archeologists as having the most numer11 ous, most intact, and generally the most unique pre12 historic sites of any of the islands of the Mariana 

13 Archipelago. 

14 (3) The island of Rota contains remaining ex15 amples of what is known as the Latte Phase of the 

16 cultural tradition of the indigenous Chamorro people 

17 of the Mariana Islands. Latte stone houses are rem18 nants of the ancient Chamorro culture. 

19 (4) Four prehistoric sites are listed on the Na20 tional Register of Historic Places: Monchon Archeo21 logical District (also known locally as Monchon 

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

23 Dugi Archeological Site that contains, latte stone 

24 structures, and the Chugai Pictograph Cave that 

25 contains examples of ancient Chamorro rock art. 

26 Alaguan Bay Ancient Village is another latte stone 


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1 prehistoric site that is surrounded by tall-canopy 

2 limestone forest. 

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

4 Rota boasts historic sites remaining from the Japa5 nese period (1914–1945). Several of these sites are 

6 on the National Register of Historic Places: Nanyo 

7 Kohatsu Kabushiki Kaisha Sugar Mill, Japanese 

8 Coastal Defense Gun, and the Japanese Hospital. 

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

10 significant because of the extent and intact condition 

11 of its native limestone forest that provides habitat 

12 for several federally endangered listed species, the 

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

14 that are also native to the island of Rota. Three en15 dangered plant species are also found on Rota and 

16 two are endemic to the island. 

17 (7) Because of the significant cultural and nat18 ural resources listed above, on September 2005, the 

19 National Park Service, Pacific West Region, com20 pleted a preliminary resource assessment on the is21 land of Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mar22 iana Islands, which determined that the ‘‘establish23 ment of a unit of the national park system 

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

25 term protection of Rota’s most important cultural 


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1 resources and its best examples of its native lime2 stone forest.’’. 

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

4 COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MAR5 IANA ISLANDS. 

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

7 (1) carry out a study regarding the suitability 

8 and feasibility of designating prehistoric, historic, 

9 and limestone forest sites on the island of Rota, 

10 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as 

11 a unit of the National Park System; and 

12 (2) consider management alternatives for the is13 land of Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mar14 iana Islands. 

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

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

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

18 conduct and completion of the study required by this sec19 tion. 

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

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

22 for this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Com23 mittee on Natural Resources of the House of Representa24 tives and the Committee on Energy and Natural ReVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:53 Jul 14, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4686.RFS H4686

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1 sources of the Senate a report describing the results of 

2 the study. 

Passed the House of Representatives July 13, 2010. 

Attest: LORRAINE C. MILLER, 

Clerk. 


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