II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2780 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study 

to evaluate the significance of the Mill Springs Battlefield located in 

Pulaski and Wayne Counties, Kentucky, and the feasibility of its inclusion in the National Park System, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 9, 2014 

Mr. MCCONNELL introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special 

resource study to evaluate the significance of the Mill 

Springs Battlefield located in Pulaski and Wayne Counties, Kentucky, and the feasibility of its 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. BATTLE OF MILL SPRINGS STUDY. 

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

5 (1) In 1994, the Mills Springs Battlefield in 

6 Pulaski and Wayne Counties in Kentucky was desVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:53 Sep 10, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2780.IS S2780

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1 ignated as a National Historic Landmark by the De2 partment of the Interior. 

3 (2) The Battle of Mill Springs was the first sig4 nificant Union victory in the western theater of the 

5 Civil War. 

6 (3) The outcome of the Battle of Mill Springs, 

7 along with Union victories at Fort Henry and Fort 

8 Donelson paved the way for a major battle at Shiloh, 

9 Tennessee. 

10 (4) In 1991, the National Park Service placed 

11 the Mill Springs Battlefield on a list of endangered 

12 battlefields, noting the impact of this battle to the 

13 course of the Civil War. 

14 (5) In 1992, the Mill Springs Battlefield Asso15 ciation formed, and utilizing Federal, State, and 

16 local support has managed to preserve important 

17 tracts of the battlefield, construct an interactive vis18 itor center, and educate the public about this his19 toric event. 

20 (6) There is strong community interest in incor21 porating the Mill Springs Battlefield into the Na22 tional Park Service. 

23 (7) The Mill Springs Battlefield Association has 

24 expressed its desire to give the preserved battlefield 

25 as a gift to the United States. 


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1 (b) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this Act: 

2 (1) MILL SPRINGS BATTLEFIELD.—The term 

3 ‘‘Mill Springs Battlefield’’ means the area encom4 passed by the National Historic Landmark designa5 tions relating to the 1862 Battle of Mill Springs lo6 cated in the counties of Pulaski and Wayne in Ken7 tucky. 

8 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

9 the Secretary of the Interior. 

10 (c) STUDY.—Not later than 3 years from the date 

11 funds are made available, the Secretary shall conduct a 

12 special resource study to evaluate the significance of the 

13 Mill Springs Battlefield in Kentucky, and the feasibility 

14 of its inclusion in the National Park System. 

15 (d) CRITERIA FOR STUDY.—The Secretary shall con16 duct the study authorized by this Act in accordance with 

17 section 8(b) of Public Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–5(b)). 

18 (e) CONTENT OF STUDY.—The study shall include an 

19 analysis of the following: 

20 (1) The significance of the Battle of Mill 

21 Springs to the outcome of the Civil War. 

22 (2) Opportunities for public education about the 

23 Civil War in Kentucky. 


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1 (3) Operational issues that should be considered 

2 if the National Park System were to incorporate the 

3 Mill Springs Battlefield. 

4 (4) The feasibility of administering the Mill 

5 Springs Battlefield considering its size, configura6 tion, and other factors, to include an annual cost es7 timate. 

8 (5) The economic, educational, and other im9 pacts the inclusion of Mill Springs Battlefield into 

10 the National Park System would have on the sur11 rounding communities in Pulaski and Wayne Coun12 ties. 

13 (6) The effect of the designation of the Mill 

14 Springs Battlefield as a unit of the National Park 

15 System on— 

16 (A) existing commercial and recreational 

17 activities, including but not limited to hunting, 

18 fishing, and recreational shooting, and on the 

19 authorization, construction, operation, mainte20 nance, or improvement of energy production 

21 and transmission infrastructure; and 

22 (B) the authority of State and local gov23 ernments to manage those activities. 

24 (7) The identification of any authorities, includ25 ing condemnation, that will compel or permit the 


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1 Secretary to influence or participate in local land use 

2 decisions (such as zoning) or place restrictions on 

3 non-Federal lands if the Mill Springs Battlefield is 

4 designated as a unit of the National Park System. 

5 (f) NOTIFICATION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY OWN6 ERS.—Upon commencement of the study, owners of pri7 vate property adjacent to the battlefield will be notified 

8 of the study’s commencement and scope. 

9 (g) SUBMISSION OF REPORT.—Upon completion of 

10 the study, the Secretary shall submit a report on the find11 ings of the study to the Committee on Natural Resources 

12 of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on 

13 Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate. 

Æ 


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