I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2452 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to complete a special resource 

study of the Hudson River Valley in the State of New York, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 7, 2011 

Mr. HINCHEY (for himself, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. TONKO, and Mrs. LOWEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 

Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to complete a 

special resource study of the Hudson River Valley in 

the State of New York, 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 ‘‘Hudson River Valley 

5 Special Resource Study Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

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

9 the Secretary of the Interior. 


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1 (2) STUDY AREA.—The term ‘‘study area’’ 

2 means the counties in New York that abut the Hud3 son River that flows from Rogers Island at Fort Ed4 ward to the southernmost boundary of Westchester 

5 County, New York. 

6 SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds as follows: 

8 (1) The Hudson River Valley possesses nation9 ally significant and unique cultural, historical, nat10 ural, recreational, and scenic resources. 

11 (2) The Hudson River Valley is home to a ro12 bust and growing tourism and recreation industry 

13 that is an important component of the regional econ14 omy. 

15 (3) Throughout history, the Hudson River Val16 ley has played a crucial role in the development of 

17 our Nation, starting from the vibrant Native Amer18 ican communities that first inhabited the land, to 

19 Henry Hudson’s voyage up the river later named for 

20 him in the vessel Half Moon in 1609 and later with 

21 the American Revolution, the debate on our Con22 stitution, the first successful steamboat voyage by 

23 Robert Fulton in 1807, the Industrial Revolution, 

24 the establishment of the Erie Canal and growth of 


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1 metropolitan New York, and the inception of the 

2 modern labor and environmental movements. 

3 (4) The Hudson River Valley continues to serve 

4 as a vitally important corridor of commerce for the 

5 Nation, and it has contributed significantly to the 

6 development and innovation of new technologies and 

7 industries. 

8 (5) The Hudson River Valley gave birth to im9 portant movements in American art, architecture, 

10 and literature. 

11 (6) The Hudson River Valley encompasses a 

12 rich array of sensitive natural resources ranging 

13 from the river itself and its vast estuarine district, 

14 to its wetlands, refuges, parks, forests, farmlands, 

15 preserves, cliffs, valleys, and wildlife. 

16 (7) The depictions and descriptions of the Hud17 son River Valley’s renowned scenery and natural re18 sources played a central role in the recognition of 

19 the value of the landscape and the development of 

20 an American esthetic and environmental ideal. 

21 (8) A 1996 National Park Service study called 

22 the Hudson River Valley ‘‘the landscape that defined 

23 America.’’. 

24 (9) The Hudson River Valley has been the sub25 ject of multiple State and Federal inventories, studVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:11 Jul 08, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2452.IH H2452

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1 ies, and plans that should greatly assist a National 

2 Park Service special resource study. 

3 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF STUDY. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—As soon as funds are made avail5 able for this purpose, the Secretary shall commence a 

6 study of the Hudson River Valley in the State of New 

7 York to evaluate— 

8 (1) the national significance of the area; and 

9 (2) the suitability and feasibility of designating 

10 the area as a unit of the National Park System. 

11 (b) STUDY GUIDELINES.—In conducting the study 

12 under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— 

13 (1) use the criteria for the study of areas for 

14 potential inclusion in the National Park System in15 cluded in section 8 of Public Law 91–383, as 

16 amended by section 303 of the National Parks Om17 nibus Management Act of 1998 (Public Law 105– 

18 391; 112 Stat. 3501); and 

19 (2) closely examine park unit models, in par20 ticular national river and recreation areas, as well as 

21 other landscape protection models, that— 

22 (A) encompass large areas of non-Federal 

23 lands within their designated boundaries; 

24 (B) promote increased heritage tourism 

25 and economic development; 


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1 (C) foster public and private collaborative 

2 arrangements for achieving National Park Serv3 ice objectives; and 

4 (D) protect and respect the rights of pri5 vate landowners, as well as municipalities. 

6 SEC. 5. REPORT. 

7 Not later than 24 months after the date that funds 

8 are first made available for this purpose, the Secretary 

9 shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of 

10 the House of Representatives and the Committee on En11 ergy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report on the 

12 findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the study 

13 authorized by this Act. 

Æ 


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