I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5653 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the Gold Hill Ranch 

in Coloma, California. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 30, 2010 

Mr. MCCLINTOCK (for himself and Ms. MATSUI) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the 

Gold Hill Ranch in Coloma, California. 

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 ‘‘Gold Hill-Wakamatsu 

5 Preservation Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds that— 

8 (1) the Gold Hill Ranch in Coloma, California, 

9 was the location of the founding of the Wakamatsu 

10 Tea and Silk Farm Colony in 1869; 


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1 (2) the Ranch is— 

2 (A) the oldest property in North America 

3 to be associated with Japanese immigration; 

4 and 

5 (B) the only property associated with the 

6 immigration of samurai following the Meiji Res7 toration; 

8 (3) the Ranch includes— 

9 (A) an 1860s home that was occupied by 

10 the Wakamatsu settlers; 

11 (B) mulberry trees planted by the silk 

12 farmers; and 

13 (C) the grave stone of Okei Ito, which is 

14 the oldest Japanese immigrant grave in the 

15 United States; and 

16 (4) a variety of non-Federal funds have been 

17 obligated with respect to the acquisition and restora18 tion of the Ranch, including— 

19 (A) to be applied toward acquisition of the 

20 Ranch, $1,000,000 from the Sierra Nevada 

21 Conservancy, $485,000 from the Farm and 

22 Ranchland Protection Program, and $530,000 

23 from private donations; and 


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1 (B) to be applied toward restoration of the 

2 Graner farmhouse, $483,750 from the Cali3 fornia Cultural and Historical Endowment. 

4 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

5 In this Act: 

6 (1) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map en7 titled ‘‘Gold Hill-Wakamatsu Site’’ and dated May 

8 7, 2009. 

9 (2) RANCH.— 

10 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘Ranch’’ 

11 means the Gold Hill Ranch in Coloma, Cali12 fornia (El Dorado County Assessor’s Parcel No. 

13 089–010–06), comprising approximately 272 

14 acres, which is more particularly described as 

the SW1⁄4 and the SW 1⁄2 of the SE 1 15 ⁄4 of Sec. 

29 and the N1⁄2NE1 16 ⁄4 of Sec. 32, T. 11 N., R. 

17 10 E., of El Dorado County, California. 

18 (B) EXCLUSION.—The term ‘‘Ranch’’ ex19 cludes the small inholding of the Gold Trail 

20 School District, as depicted on the map. 

21 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

22 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di23 rector of the Bureau of Land Management. 


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1 SEC. 4. ACQUISITION OF GOLD HILL RANCH, COLOMA, 

2 CALIFORNIA. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may acquire by do4 nation or by purchase with donated or appropriated funds, 

5 from willing owners only, the lands or interests in lands 

6 described in section 3(2). 

7 (b) ADMINISTRATION OF ACQUIRED LANDS.—Lands 

8 and interests in lands acquired under this section shall be 

9 administered by the Secretary in accordance with applica10 ble laws and regulations. 

Æ 


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