I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 646

To expand the boundaries of the Fort Donelson National Battlefield to authorize the acquisition and interpretation of lands associated with the 

campaign that resulted in the capture of the fort in 1862, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 5, 2003

Mr. WHITFIELD (for himself and Mr. TANNER) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Resources 

A BILL

To expand the boundaries of the Fort Donelson National 

Battlefield to authorize the acquisition and interpretation 

of lands associated with the campaign that resulted in 

the capture of the fort in 1862, 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. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fort Donelson Na5 tional Battlefield Act of 2003’’. 
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1 SEC. 2. FORT DONELSON NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD. 

2 (a) DESIGNATION; PURPOSE.—There exists as a unit 

3 of the National Park System the Fort Donelson National 

4 Battlefield to commemorate—

5 (1) the Battle of Fort Donelson in February 

6 1862; and 

7 (2) the campaign conducted by General Ulysses 

8 S. Grant and Admiral Andrew H. Foote that re9 sulted in the capture of Fort Donelson by Union 

10 forces. 

11 (b) BOUNDARIES.—The Fort Donelson National Bat12 tlefield shall consist of the site of Fort Donelson and asso13 ciated land that has been acquired by the Secretary of the 

14 Interior for administration by the National Park Service, 

15 including Fort Donelson National Cemetery, in Stewart 

16 County, Tennessee and the site of Fort Heiman and asso17 ciated land in Calloway County, Kentucky, as generally 

18 depicted on the map entitled ‘‘lllllllll’’ 

19 numbered lllllllll, and dated 

20 llllllll. The map shall be on file and available 

21 for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the Na22 tional Park Service. 

23 (c) EXPANSION OF BOUNDARIES.—The Fort 

24 Donelson National Battlefield shall also include any land 

25 acquired pursuant to section 3. 
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1 SEC. 3. LAND ACQUISITION RELATED TO FORT DONELSON 

2 NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD. 

3 (a) ACQUISITION AUTHORITY.—Subject to sub4 sections (b) and (c), the Secretary of the Interior may ac5 quire land, interests in land, and improvements thereon 

6 for inclusion in the Fort Donelson National Battlefield. 

7 Such land, interests in land, and improvements may be 

8 acquired by the Secretary only by purchase from willing 

9 sellers with appropriated or donated funds, by donation, 

10 or by exchange with willing owners. 

11 (b) LAND ELIGIBLE FOR ACQUISITION.—The Sec12 retary of the Interior may acquire land, interests in land, 

13 and improvements thereon under subsection (a)—

14 (1) within the boundaries of the Fort Donelson 

15 National Battlefield described in section 2(b); and 

16 (2) outside such boundaries if—

17 (A) the land has been identified by the 

18 American Battlefield Protection Program as 

19 part of the battlefield associated with Fort 

20 Donelson; or 

21 (B) the Secretary otherwise determines 

22 that acquisition under subsection (a) will pro23 tect critical resources associated with the Battle 

24 of Fort Donelson in 1862 and the Union cam25 paign that resulted in the capture of Fort 

26 Donelson. 
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1 (c) BOUNDARY REVISION.—Upon acquisition of land 

2 or interests in land described in subsection (b)(2), the Sec3 retary of the Interior shall revise the boundaries of the 

4 Fort Donelson National Battlefield to include the acquired 

5 property. 

6 (d) LIMITATION ON TOTAL ACREAGE OF PARK.—The 

7 total area encompassed by the Fort Donelson National 

8 Battlefield may not exceed 2,000 acres. 

9 SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION OF FORT DONELSON NATIONAL 

10 BATTLEFIELD. 

11 The Secretary of the Interior shall administer the 

12 Fort Donelson National Battlefield in accordance with this 

13 Act and the laws generally applicable to units of the Na14 tional Park System, including the Act of August 25, 1916 

15 (commonly known as the National Park Service Organic 

16 Act; 16 U.S.C. 1 et seq.), and the Act of August 21, 1935 

17 (commonly known as the Historic Sites, Buildings, and 

18 Antiquities Act; 16 U.S.C. 461 et seq.). 

19 SEC. 5. RELATION TO LAND BETWEEN THE LAKES NA20 TIONAL RECREATION AREA. 

21 The Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the 

22 Interior shall enter into a memorandum of understanding 

23 to facilitate cooperative protection and interpretation of 

24 the remaining vestiges of Fort Henry and other existing 

25 Civil War resources affiliated with the Fort Donelson cam-
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1 paign and located in the Land Between the Lakes Na2 tional Recreation Area. 

3 SEC. 6. REPEAL OF OBSOLETE PROVISIONS AND CON4 FORMING AMENDMENTS. 

5 (a) Repeals.—

6 (1) 1928 LAW.—The first section and sections 

7 2 through 7 of the Act of March 26, 1928 (16 

8 U.S.C. 428a–428f), are repealed. 

9 (2) 1937 LAW.—Section 3 of the Act of August 

10 30, 1937 (16 U.S.C. 428d–3), is repealed. 

11 (3) 1960 LAW.—Sections 4 and 5 of Public 

12 Law 86–738 (16 U.S.C. 428n, 428o) are repealed. 

13 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—

14 (1) 1928 LAW.—The Act of March 26, 1928, is 

15 amended—

16 (A) in section 8 (16 U.S.C. 428g), by 

17 striking ‘‘Secretary of War’’ and inserting ‘‘Sec18 retary of the Interior’’; 

19 (B) in section 9 (16 U.S.C. 428h)—

20 (i) by striking ‘‘Fort Donelson Na21 tional Park’’ and inserting ‘‘Fort Donelson 

22 National Battlefield’’; and 

23 (ii) by striking ‘‘Secretary of War’’ 

24 and inserting ‘‘Secretary of the Interior’’; 

25 and 
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1 (C) in section 10 (16 U.S.C. 428i), by 

2 striking ‘‘Secretary of War’’ and inserting ‘‘Sec3 retary of the Interior’’. 

4 (2) 1937 LAW.—The Act of August 30, 1937, 

5 is amended—

6 (A) in the first section (16 U.S.C. 428d–

7 1)—

8 (i) by striking ‘‘Fort Donelson Na9 tional Military Park’’ and inserting ‘‘Fort 

10 Donelson National Battlefield’’; and 

11 (ii) by striking ‘‘War Department’’ 

12 and inserting ‘‘Department of the Army’’; 

13 and 

14 (B) in section 2 (16 U.S.C. 428d–2)—

15 (i) by striking ‘‘Fort Donelson Na16 tional Military Park’’ and inserting ‘‘Fort 

17 Donelson National Battlefield’’; 

18 (ii) by striking ‘‘said national military 

19 park’’ and inserting ‘‘Fort Donelson Na20 tional Battlefield’’; and 

21 (iii) by striking the last sentence. 

22 (3) 1960 LAW.—The first section of Public Law 

23 86–738 (16 U.S.C. 428k) is amended—
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1 (A) by striking ‘‘Fort Donelson National 

2 Military Park’’ and inserting ‘‘Fort Donelson 

3 National Battlefield’’; and 

4 (B) by striking ‘‘, but the total area com5 memorating the battle of Fort Donelson shall 

6 not exceed 600 acres’’.

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