Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park Establishment Act

To establish the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, to dedicate the Park to John H. Chafee, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park Establishment Act 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) National heritage corridor The term National Heritage Corridor (2) Park The term Park (3) Secretary The term Secretary (4) States The term States (A) the State of Massachusetts; and (B) the State of Rhode Island. 3. Blackstone river valley national historical park (a) Establishment There is established in the States a unit of the National Park System, to be known as the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park (b) Historic sites and districts The Park may include— (1) Blackstone River State Park; and (2) the following resources, as described in Management Option 3 of the study entitled Blackstone River Valley Special Resource Study—Study Report 2011 (A) Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark District. (B) Slatersville Historic District. (C) Ashton Historic District. (D) Whitinsville Historic District. (E) Hopedale Village Historic District. (F) Blackstone River and the tributaries of Blackstone River. (G) Blackstone Canal. (c) Acquisition of land; park boundary (1) Land acquisition The Secretary may acquire land or interests in land in the historic sites and districts described in subsection (b)(2) for inclusion in the Park boundary by donation or exchange. (2) Park boundary On a determination by the Secretary that a sufficient quantity of land or interests in land has been acquired to constitute a manageable park unit, the Secretary may establish a boundary for the Park by publishing a boundary map in the Federal Register. (3) Boundary adjustment On the acquisition of additional land or interests in land under paragraph (1), the boundary of the Park shall be adjusted to reflect the acquisition by publishing a Park boundary map in the Federal Register. (4) Availability of map The maps referred to in this subsection shall be available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service. (5) Written consent of the owner No non-Federal property may be included in the Park without the written consent of the owner. (6) Limitation Land owned by the States or a political subdivision of the States may be acquired under this subsection only by donation. (d) Administration (1) In general The Secretary shall administer land within the boundary of the Park in accordance with— (A) this section; and (B) the laws generally applicable to units of the National Park System, including— (i) the National Park Service Organic Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1 et seq. (ii) the Act of August 21, 1935 ( 16 U.S.C. 461 et seq. (2) General management plan (A) In general Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds are made available to carry out this section, the Secretary shall prepare a general management plan for the Park— (i) in consultation with the States and other interested parties; and (ii) in accordance with section 12(b) of the National Park System General Authorities Act (16 U.S.C. 1a–7(b)). (B) Requirements The plan shall consider ways to use preexisting or planned visitor facilities and recreational opportunities developed in the National Heritage Corridor, including— (i) the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center, Pawtucket, Rhode Island; (ii) the Captain Wilbur Kelly House, Blackstone River State Park, Lincoln, Rhode Island; (iii) the Museum of Work and Culture, Woonsocket, Rhode Island; (iv) the River Bend Farm/Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park, Uxbridge, Massachusetts; (v) the Worcester Blackstone Visitor Center, located at the former Washburn & Moen wire mill facility, Worcester, Massachusetts; (vi) the Route 295 Visitor Center adjacent to Blackstone River State Park; and (vii) the Blackstone River Bikeway. (3) Technical assistance The Secretary may provide technical assistance to State, local, or tribal governments, organizations, or individuals for the management, interpretation, and historic preservation of historically significant Blackstone River Valley resources not included within the Park. (4) Cooperative agreements (A) In general The Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements to carry out this Act. (B) Matching requirement The Secretary shall require that any Federal funds made available under a cooperative agreement entered into under this paragraph are to be matched on a 1-to-1 basis by non-Federal funds. (C) Reimbursement Any payment made by the Secretary under subparagraph (A) shall be subject to an agreement that the conversion, use, or disposal of the project for purposes that are inconsistent with the purposes of this section, as determined by the Secretary, shall result in a right of the United States to reimbursement of the greater of— (i) the amount provided by the Secretary to the project under subparagraph (A); or (ii) an amount equal to the increase in the value of the project that is attributable to the funds, as determined by the Secretary at the time of the conversion, use, or disposal. (D) Public access Any cooperative agreement entered into under this paragraph shall provide for reasonable public access to the resources covered by the cooperative agreement. (e) Dedication; memorial (1) In general Congress dedicates the Park to John H. Chafee, the former United States Senator from Rhode Island, in recognition of— (A) the role of John H. Chafee in the preservation of the resources of the Blackstone River Valley and the heritage corridor that bears the name of John H. Chafee; and (B) the decades of the service of John H. Chafee to the people of Rhode Island and the United States. (2) Memorial The Secretary shall display a memorial at an appropriate location in the Park that recognizes the role of John H. Chafee in preserving the resources of the Blackstone River Valley for the people of the United States. (f) No use of condemnation The Secretary may not acquire by condemnation any land or interest in land under this Act for the purposes of this Act. (g) No buffer zone created Nothing in this Act, the establishment of the Park, or the management plan for the Park shall be construed to create buffer zones outside of the Park. That activities or uses can be seen, heard, or detected from areas within the Park shall not preclude, limit, control, regulate, or determine the conduct or management of activities or uses outside of the Park. December 22, 2014 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Summary: Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park Establishment Act - (Sec. 3) Establishes the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park in Massachusetts and Rhode Island as a unit of the National Park System. Requires the Secretary to prepare a general management plan for the Park that considers ways to use preexisting or planned visitor facilities and recreational opportunities developed in the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. Dedicates the Park to former Senator John H. Chafee from Rhode Island in recognition of: (1) his role in the preservation of the resources of the Blackstone River Valley and the heritage corridor that bears his name, and (2) his decades of service to the people of Rhode Island and the United States. Requires a memorial to be displayed at a location in the Park that recognizes Senator Chafee's role in the preservation of the resources of the Blackstone River Valley for the people of the United States. Prohibits the use of condemnation to acquire land or interests in land under this Act. Prohibits anything in this Act from: (1) creating buffer zones outside the Park; or (2) restricting an activity because it can be seen, heard, or detected within the Park from being conducted outside its boundaries.