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(4) SERVICE.—The term ‘‘Service’’ means the National Park Serv-
ice. 
(5) SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘System’’ means the National Park System. 
(6) SYSTEM UNIT.—The term ‘‘System unit’’ means one of the areas 
described in section 100501 of this title. 
Chapter 1003—Establishment, Directors, 
and Other Employees 
Sec. 
100301.
Establishment. 
100302.
Directors and other employees. 
100303.
Effect on other laws. 
§ 100301. Establishment 
There is in the Department of the Interior a service called the National 
Park Service. 
§ 100302. Directors and other employees 
(a) DIRECTOR.— 
(1) APPOINTMENT.—The Service shall be under the charge of a di-
rector who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice 
and consent of the Senate. 
(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—The Director shall have substantial experi-
ence and demonstrated competence in land management and natural or 
cultural resource conservation. 
(3) AUTHORITY.—Under the direction of the Secretary, the Director 
shall have the supervision, management, and control of System units. 
In the supervision, management, and control of System units contig-
uous to national forests the Secretary of Agriculture may cooperate 
with the Service to such extent as may be requested by the Secretary. 
(b) DEPUTY DIRECTORS.—The Director shall select 2 Deputy Directors. 
One Deputy Director shall have responsibility for Service operations, and 
the other Deputy Director shall have responsibility for other programs as-
signed to the Service. 
(c) OTHER EMPLOYEES.—The Service shall have such subordinate offi-
cers and employees as may be appropriated for by Congress. 
§ 100303. Effect on other laws 
This chapter and sections 100101(a), 100751(a), 100752, 100753, and 
102101 of this title do not affect or modify section 100902(a) of this title. 
Chapter 1005—Areas of National Park 
System 
Sec. 
100501.
Areas included in System. 
100502.
General management plans. 
100503.
Five-year strategic plans. 
100504.
Study and planning of park, parkway, and recreational-area facilities. 
100505.
Periodic review of System. 
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100506.
Boundary changes to System units. 
100507.
Additional areas for System. 
§ 100501. Areas included in System 
The System shall include any area of land and water administered by the 
Secretary, acting through the Director, for park, monument, historic, park-
way, recreational, or other purposes. 
§ 100502. General management plans 
General management plans for the preservation and use of each System 
unit, including areas within the national capital area, shall be prepared and 
revised in a timely manner by the Director. On January 1 of each year, 
the Secretary shall submit to Congress a list indicating the current status 
of completion or revision of general management plans for each System 
unit. General management plans for each System unit shall include— 
(1) measures for the preservation of the area’s resources; 
(2) indications of types and general intensities of development (in-
cluding visitor circulation and transportation patterns, systems, and 
modes) associated with public enjoyment and use of the area, including 
general locations, timing of implementation, and anticipated costs; 
(3) identification of and implementation commitments for visitor car-
rying capacities for all areas of the System unit; and 
(4) indications of potential modifications to the external boundaries 
of the System unit, and the reasons for the modifications. 
§ 100503. Five-year strategic plans 
(a) STRATEGIC AND PERFORMANCE PLANS.—Each System unit shall pre-
pare and make available to the public a 5-year strategic plan and an annual 
performance plan. The plans shall reflect the Service policies, goals, and 
outcomes represented in the Service-wide strategic plan prepared pursuant 
to section 306 of title 5. 
(b) ANNUAL BUDGET.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—As a part of the annual performance plan for a 
System unit prepared pursuant to subsection (a), following receipt of 
the appropriation for the unit from the Operations of the National 
Park System account (but not later than January 1 of each year), the 
superintendent of the System unit shall develop and make available to 
the public the budget for the current fiscal year for that System unit. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The budget shall include— 
(A) funding allocations for resource preservation (including re-
source management), visitor services (including maintenance, in-
terpretation, law enforcement, and search and rescue), and admin-
istration; and 
(B) allocations into each of the categories in subparagraph (A) 
of all funds retained from fees collected for that year, including 
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special use permits, concession franchise fees, and recreation use 
and entrance fees. 
§ 100504. Study and planning of park, parkway, and rec-
reational-area facilities 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘State’’ means a 
State, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Is-
lands. 
(2) STUDY.—The Secretary shall cause the Service to make a com-
prehensive study, other than on land under the jurisdiction of the Sec-
retary of Agriculture, of the public park, parkway, and recreational 
area programs of the United States, States, and political subdivisions 
of States and of areas of land throughout the United States that are 
or may be chiefly valuable as public park, parkway, or recreational 
areas. A study shall not be made in any State without the consent and 
approval of the State officials, boards, or departments having jurisdic-
tion over the land. The study shall be such as, in the judgment of the 
Secretary, will provide data helpful in developing a plan for coordinated 
and adequate public park, parkway, and recreational-area facilities for 
the people of the United States. 
(3) COOPERATION AND AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER ENTITIES.—In 
making the study and to accomplish the purposes of this section, the 
Secretary, acting through the Director— 
(A) shall seek and accept the cooperation and assistance of Fed-
eral departments or agencies having jurisdiction of land belonging 
to the United States; and 
(B) may cooperate and make agreements with and seek and ac-
cept the assistance of— 
(i) other Federal agencies and instrumentalities; and 
(ii) States, political subdivisions of States, and agencies 
and instrumentalities of either of them. 
(4) STATE PLANNING.—For the purpose of developing coordinated 
and adequate public park, parkway, and recreational-area facilities for 
the people of the United States, the Secretary may aid States and po-
litical subdivisions of States in planning public park, parkway, and rec-
reational areas and in cooperating with one another to accomplish these 
ends. Aid shall be made available through the Service acting in co-
operation with such State agencies or agencies of political subdivisions 
of States as the Secretary considers best. 
(b) CONSENT OF CONGRESS TO AGREEMENTS BETWEEN STATES.—The 
consent of Congress is given to any 2 or more States to negotiate and enter 
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into compacts or agreements with one another with reference to planning, 
establishing, developing, improving, and maintaining any park, parkway, or 
recreational area. No compact or agreement shall be effective until approved 
by the legislatures of the States that are parties to the compact or agree-
ment and by Congress. 
§ 100505. Periodic review of System 
(a) AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY TO CONDUCT REVIEW.—The Secretary 
shall conduct a systematic and comprehensive review of certain aspects of 
the System and on a periodic basis (but not less often than every 3 years) 
submit to the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Ap-
propriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy 
and Natural Resources and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate 
a report on the findings of the review, together with recommendations as 
the Secretary determines to be necessary. 
(b) CONSULTATION.—In conducting and preparing the report, the Sec-
retary shall consult with appropriate officials of affected Federal, State, and 
local agencies and national, regional, and local organizations. The consulta-
tion shall include holding public hearings that the Secretary determines to 
be appropriate to provide a full opportunity for public comment. 
(c) CONTENTS OF REPORT.—The report shall contain the following: 
(1) A comprehensive listing of all authorized but unacquired parcels 
of land within the exterior boundaries of each System unit as of No-
vember 28, 1990. 
(2) A priority listing of all those unacquired parcels by System unit 
and for the System as a whole. The list shall describe the acreage and 
ownership of each parcel, the estimated cost of acquisition for each par-
cel (subject to any statutory acquisition limitations for the land), and 
the basis for the estimate. 
(3) An analysis and evaluation of the current and future needs of 
each System unit for resource management, interpretation, construc-
tion, operation and maintenance, personnel, and housing, together with 
an estimate of the costs. 
§ 100506. Boundary changes to System units 
(a) CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall maintain criteria 
to evaluate any proposed changes to the boundaries of System units, includ-
ing— 
(1) analysis of whether or not an existing boundary provides for the 
adequate protection and preservation of the natural, historic, cultural, 
scenic and recreational resources integral to the System unit; 
(2) an evaluation of each parcel proposed for addition or deletion to 
a System unit based on the analysis under paragraph (1); and 
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(3) an assessment of the impact of potential boundary adjustments 
taking into consideration the factors in section 100505(c)(3) of this 
title and the effect of the adjustments on the local communities and 
surrounding area. 
(b) PROPOSAL OF SECRETARY.—In proposing a boundary change to a 
System unit, the Secretary shall— 
(1) consult with affected agencies of State and local governments, 
surrounding communities, affected landowners, and private national, 
regional, and local organizations; 
(2) apply the criteria developed pursuant to subsection (a) and ac-
company the proposal with a statement reflecting the results of the ap-
plication of the criteria; and 
(3) include with the proposal an estimate of the cost for acquiring 
any parcels proposed for acquisition, the basis for the estimate, and a 
statement on the relative priority for the acquisition of each parcel 
within the priorities for acquisition of other parcels for the System unit 
and for the System. 
(c) MINOR BOUNDARY CHANGES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—When the Secretary determines that to do so will 
contribute to, and is necessary for, the proper preservation, protection, 
interpretation, or management of a System unit, the Secretary may, 
following timely notice in writing to the Committee on Natural Re-
sources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy 
and Natural Resources of the Senate of the Secretary’s intention to do 
so, and by publication of a revised boundary map or other description 
in the Federal Register— 
(A) make minor changes to the boundary of the System unit, 
and amounts appropriated from the Fund shall be available for ac-
quisition of any land, water, and interests in land or water added 
to the System unit by the boundary change subject to such statu-
tory limitations, if any, on methods of acquisition and appropria-
tions thereof as may be specifically applicable to the System unit; 
and 
(B) acquire by donation, purchase with donated funds, transfer 
from any other Federal agency, or exchange, land, water, or inter-
ests in land or water adjacent to the System unit, except that in 
exercising the Secretary’s authority under this subparagraph the 
Secretary— 
(i) shall not alienate property administered as part of the 
System to acquire land by exchange; 
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(ii) shall not acquire property without the consent of the 
owner; and 
(iii) may acquire property owned by a State or political 
subdivision of a State only by donation. 
(2) CONSULTATION.—Prior to making a determination under this 
subsection, the Secretary shall consult with the governing body of the 
county, city, town, or other jurisdiction or jurisdictions having primary 
taxing authority over the land or interest to be acquired as to the im-
pacts of the proposed action. 
(3) ACTION TO ADVANCE LOCAL PUBLIC AWARENESS.—The Sec-
retary shall take such steps as the Secretary considers appropriate to 
advance local public awareness of the proposed action. 
(4) ADMINISTRATION OF ACQUISITIONS.—Land, water, and interests 
in land or water acquired in accordance with this subsection shall be 
administered as part of the System unit to which they are added, sub-
ject to the laws and regulations applicable to the System unit. 
(5) WHEN AUTHORITY APPLIES.—For the purposes of paragraph 
(1)(A), in all cases except the case of technical boundary changes (re-
sulting from such causes as survey error or changed road alignments), 
the authority of the Secretary under paragraph (1)(A) shall apply only 
if each of the following conditions is met: 
(A) The sum of the total acreage of the land, water, and inter-
ests in land or water to be added to the System unit and the total 
acreage of the land, water, and interests in land or water to be 
deleted from the System unit is not more than 5 percent of the 
total Federal acreage authorized to be included in the System unit 
and is less than 200 acres. 
(B) The acquisition, if any, is not a major Federal action sig-
nificantly affecting the quality of the human environment, as de-
termined by the Secretary. 
(C) The sum of the total appraised value of the land, water, and 
interests in land or water to be added to the System unit and the 
total appraised value of the land, water, and interests in land or 
water to be deleted from the System unit does not exceed 
$750,000. 
(D) The proposed boundary change is not an element of a more 
comprehensive boundary change proposal. 
(E) The proposed boundary has been subject to a public review 
and comment period. 
(F) The Director obtains written consent for the boundary 
change from all property owners whose land, water, or interests 
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in land or water, or a portion of whose land, water, or interests 
in land or water, will be added to or deleted from the System unit 
by the boundary change. 
(G) The land abuts other Federal land administered by the Di-
rector. 
(6) ACT OF CONGRESS REQUIRED.—Minor boundary changes involv-
ing only deletions of acreage owned by the Federal Government and ad-
ministered by the Service may be made only by Act of Congress. 
§ 100507. Additional areas for System 
(a) MONITORING AREAS FOR INCLUSION IN SYSTEM.—The Secretary 
shall investigate, study, and continually monitor the welfare of areas whose 
resources exhibit qualities of national significance and that may have poten-
tial for inclusion in the System. 
(b) SUBMISSION OF LIST OF AREAS RECOMMENDED FOR STUDY FOR PO-
TENTIAL INCLUSION.— 
(1) WHEN LIST IS TO BE SUBMITTED.—At the beginning of each cal-
endar year, with the annual budget submission, the Secretary shall sub-
mit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Represent-
atives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
Senate a list of areas recommended for study for potential inclusion in 
the System. 
(2) FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED.—In developing the list to be sub-
mitted under this subsection, the Secretary shall consider— 
(A) the areas that have the greatest potential to meet the estab-
lished criteria of national significance, suitability, and feasibility; 
(B) themes, sites, and resources not already adequately rep-
resented in the System; and 
(C) public petitions and Congressional resolutions. 
(3) ACCOMPANYING SYNOPSIS.—Accompanying the annual listing of 
areas shall be a synopsis, for each report previously submitted, of the 
current and changed condition of the resource integrity of the area and 
other relevant factors, compiled as a result of continual periodic moni-
toring and embracing the period since the previous submission or initial 
report submission one year earlier. 
(4) CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED.—No study of the 
potential of an area for inclusion in the System may be initiated except 
as provided by specific authorization of an Act of Congress. 
(5) AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT CERTAIN ACTIVITIES NOT LIMITED.— 
This section and sections 100901(b), 101702(b) and (c), and 102102 
of this title do not limit the authority of the Service to conduct prelimi-
nary resource assessments, gather data on potential study areas, pro-
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vide technical and planning assistance, prepare or process nominations 
for administrative designations, update previous studies, or complete 
reconnaissance surveys of individual areas requiring a total expenditure 
of less than $25,000. 
(6) STUDY OF RIVERS OR TRAILS NOT AFFECTED.—This section 
does not apply to or affect or alter the study of— 
(A) any river segment for potential addition to the national wild 
and scenic rivers system; or 
(B) any trail for potential addition to the national trails system. 
(c) STUDY OF AREAS FOR POTENTIAL INCLUSION.— 
(1) STUDY TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN 3 YEARS.—The Secretary 
shall complete the study for each area for potential inclusion in the 
System within 3 complete fiscal years following the date on which 
funds are first made available for that purpose. 
(2) OPPORTUNITY
FOR
PUBLIC
INVOLVEMENT
REQUIRED.—Each 
study under this section shall be prepared with appropriate opportunity 
for public involvement, including at least one public meeting in the vi-
cinity of the area under study, and after reasonable efforts to notify 
potentially affected landowners and State and local governments. 
(3) CONSIDERATIONS.—In conducting the study, the Secretary shall 
consider whether the area under study— 
(A) possesses nationally significant natural or cultural resources 
and represents one of the most important examples of a particular 
resource type in the country; and 
(B) is a suitable and feasible addition to the System. 
(4) SCOPE OF STUDY.—Each study— 
(A) with regard to the area being studied, shall consider— 
(i) the rarity and integrity of the resources; 
(ii) the threats to those resources; 
(iii) whether similar resources are already protected in the 
System or in other public or private ownership; 
(iv) the public use potential; 
(v) the interpretive and educational potential; 
(vi) costs associated with acquisition, development, and op-
eration; 
(vii) the socioeconomic impacts of any designation; 
(viii) the level of local and general public support; and 
(ix) whether the area is of appropriate configuration to en-
sure long-term resource protection and visitor use; 
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(B) shall consider whether direct Service management or alter-
native protection by other public agencies or the private sector is 
appropriate for the area; 
(C) shall identify what alternative or combination of alternatives 
would in the professional judgment of the Director be most effec-
tive and efficient in protecting significant resources and providing 
for public enjoyment; and 
(D) may include any other information that the Secretary con-
siders to be relevant. 
(5) COMPLIANCE WITH NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT OF 
1969.—Each study shall be completed in compliance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). 
(6) RECOMMENDATION OF PREFERRED MANAGEMENT OPTION.—The 
letter transmitting each completed study to Congress shall contain a 
recommendation regarding the Secretary’s preferred management op-
tion for the area. 
(d) LIST OF AREAS PREVIOUSLY STUDIED.— 
(1) SUBMISSION OF LIST.—At the beginning of each calendar year, 
with the annual budget submission, the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, in nu-
merical order of priority for addition to the System— 
(A) a list of areas that have been previously studied that con-
tain primarily historical resources; and 
(B) a list of areas that have been previously studied that con-
tain primarily natural resources. 
(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing the lists, the Secretary should 
consider threats to resource values, cost escalation factors, and other 
factors listed in subsection (c). 
(3) AREAS ELIGIBLE FOR INCLUSION.—The Secretary should include 
on the lists only areas for which the supporting data are current and 
accurate. 
(e) LIST OF AREAS THAT EXHIBIT DANGER OR THREATS TO THE IN-
TEGRITY OF THEIR RESOURCES.—At the beginning of each fiscal year, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and 
the President of the Senate a complete and current list of all areas listed 
on the Registry of Natural Landmarks, and areas of national significance 
listed on the National Register of Historic places, that exhibit known or an-
ticipated damage or threats to the integrity of their resources, with nota-
tions as to the nature and severity of the damage or threats. 
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