I
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4331
To provide for the establishment of an interpretive center and museum at
Fort Peck Dam, Montana, and to provide further protection for signifi-
cant fossil remains in the vicinity of Fort Peck Dam.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 24, 1998
Mr. HILL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Transportation and Infrastructure
A BILL
To provide for the establishment of an interpretive center
and museum at Fort Peck Dam, Montana, and to pro-
vide further protection for significant fossil remains in
the vicinity of Fort Peck Dam.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fort Peck Paleontolog-
ical Protection and Interpretation Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) It is in the national interest to preserve and
protect paleontological finds.
(2) The extensive paleontological finds near
Fort Peck Dam, Montana, including the recent dis-
covery of the remains of a tyrannosaurus rex, pro-
vide an opportunity to educate the public regarding
the cultural, historical, and paleontological resources
of the Fort Peck Dam area.
(3) The establishment of an interpretive center
and museum at Fort Peck Dam, which is the site
of the first major paleontological discovery in Mon-
tana, presents an opportunity to continue preserving
these paleontological finds while educating persons
nationwide and abroad.
(4) In support of this opportunity, the Fort
Peck Dam Interpretive Center and Museum, Inc.
has worked cooperatively with the appropriate Fed-
eral agencies in preserving important paleontological
finds such as the tyrannosaurus rex.
(5) The Fort Peck Dam Interpretive Center
and Museum, Inc., has entered into partnerships
with leading educational institutions and has taken
the lead in providing community support for such
preservation efforts.
(6) The Fort Peck Dam Interpretive Center
and Museum, Inc., would continue to work with the
Smithsonian Institution and accredited educational
institutions on preserving paleontological resources.
SEC. 3. FORT PECK DAM INTERPRETIVE CENTER AND MU-
SEUM.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTER AND MUSEUM.—
The Secretary of the Army shall design, construct, fur-
nish, and equip an interpretive center and museum, to be
located on project lands of the Army Corps of Engineers
at Fort Peck Dam, Montana, for the purpose of preserving
and interpreting the historical, cultural, and paleontolog-
ical resources of the Fort Peck Dam area.
(b) PROJECT PURPOSE.—To permit the carrying out
of subsection (a), the purpose of the Fort Peck Dam
project shall include paleontology in addition to the other
project purposes.
(c) TRANSFER OF JURISDICTION.—In order to en-
sure protection of significant fossil remains on Federal
lands in the vicinity of Fort Peck Dam, the Secretary of
Agriculture shall transfer, without reimbursement, a par-
cel of real property consisting of approximately 360 acres
located in section 22, township 25 north, range 43 east,
McCone County, Montana, to the administrative jurisdic-
tion of the Secretary of the Army. The transferred prop-
erty shall be administered by the Secretary of the Army
as part of the project lands of the Army Corps of Engi-
neers at Fort Peck Dam.
(d) COORDINATION.—In carrying out subsection (a),
the Secretary of the Army shall coordinate with the Fort
Peck Dam Interpretive Center and Museum, Inc., and the
Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service,
the Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Rec-
lamation. The Secretary of the Army shall seek to enter
into an agreement with the Directors of such agencies and
with the Corporation to provide for the operation, mainte-
nance, and management of the completed interpretive cen-
ter and museum.
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section a
total of $10,000,000. Funds appropriated shall be avail-
able until expended.
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