I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1041 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility 
of designating sites in the Lower Mississippi River Area in the State 
of Louisiana as a unit of the National Park System, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 12, 2009 
Mr. MELANCON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability 
and feasibility of designating sites in the Lower Mis-
sissippi River Area in the State of Louisiana as a unit 
of the National Park System, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Lower Mississippi 
River National Historic Site Study Act of 2009’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
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(1) the Lower Mississippi area located south of 
New Orleans, Louisiana, which is known as 
‘‘Plaquemines Parish’’, has great historical signifi-
cance; 
(2) from the earliest Spanish explorers traveling 
along the banks of the Lower Mississippi River in 
the 1500s, to Robert de LaSalle claiming all of the 
land drained by the Lower Mississippi River in 
1682, to the petroleum, fisheries, and transportation 
industries of today, the area is one of the most 
unique areas in the continental United States; 
(3) while, in 1699, the area became the site of 
the first fortification on the Lower Mississippi River, 
known as ‘‘Fort Mississippi’’, it has since been home 
to 10 different fortifications, more than a dozen 
light houses, and several wildlife refuges, quarantine 
stations, and pilot stations; 
(4) of particular interest to the area are— 
(A) Fort St. Philip, originally built in 
1749, at which, during the Battle of New Orle-
ans, the British navy was blocked from going 
up river and a victory for the Colonial Army 
was ensured; and 
(B) Fort Jackson, built across from Fort 
St. Philip at the request of General Andrew 
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Jackson and partially constructed by famous 
local Civil War General P.G.T. Beauregard, 
which was the site of the famous Civil War bat-
tle known as the ‘‘Battle of the Forts’’, which 
is also referred to as the ‘‘night the war was 
lost’’; 
(5) the area is— 
(A) at the end of the longest continuous 
river road and levee system in the United 
States; and 
(B) a part of the River Road highway sys-
tem; 
(6) lower Plaquemines Parish is split down the 
middle by the Mississippi River, surrounded on 3 
sides by the Gulf of Mexico, and crossed by numer-
ous bayous, canals, and ditches; 
(7) Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip are lo-
cated on— 
(A) an ancient Head of Passes site; and 
(B) 1 of the most historic areas on the 
Lower 
Mississippi 
River 
known 
as 
‘‘Plaquemines Bend’’; 
(8) the modern Head of Passes is only 21 miles 
south of Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip where the 
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Mississippi River splits into a bird foot delta to trav-
el the last 20 miles to the Gulf of Mexico; 
(9) there are numerous geological features that 
are unique to a large river mouth or delta that could 
make a national park in the area a particularly in-
triguing attraction; 
(10) the coastal erosion, subsidence, river hy-
draulics, delta features, fresh, salt, and brackish 
water marshes, and other unique features of the 
area could be an effective classroom for the public 
on the challenges of protecting our river and coastal 
zones; 
(11) the area includes the beginning of the Mis-
sissippi River flyway, which is— 
(A) 1 of the most pristine eco-sites in the 
United States; and 
(B) the site of 2 national wildlife refuges 
and 1 State wildlife refuge; 
(12) the area is culturally diverse in history, 
population, industry, and politics; 
(13) many well-known characters lived or per-
formed deeds of great notoriety in the area; 
(14) in the area, Creoles, Europeans, Indians, 
Yugoslav, African-Americans, and Vietnamese all 
worked together to weave an interesting history of 
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survival and success in a very treacherous environ-
ment; 
(15) the area has tremendous tourism potential, 
particularly for historical tourism and eco-tourism, 
because of the location, pristine ecosystems, and 
past indifference of the local government to promote 
tourism in the area; and 
(16) since Hurricane Katrina, the local govern-
ment in the area has— 
(A) passed a resolution strongly supporting 
a national park study; and 
(B) shown an interest in developing tour-
ism in the area. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) STUDY AREA.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘Study 
Area’’ means the Lower Mississippi River area 
in the State of Louisiana. 
(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘Study Area’’ 
includes Fort St. Philip and Fort Jackson, the 
Head of Passes, and any related and supporting 
historical, natural, cultural, and recreational re-
sources located in Plaquemines Parish, Lou-
isiana. 
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(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ mean 
the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di-
rector of the National Park Service. 
SEC. 4. STUDY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after 
funds are made available for this Act, the Secretary, in 
consultation with the State of Louisiana and interested 
groups and organizations, shall complete a special re-
source study that— 
(1) evaluates— 
(A) the national significance of the Study 
Area; and 
(B) the suitability and feasibility of desig-
nating the Study Area as a unit of the National 
Park System, to be known as the ‘‘Lower Mis-
sissippi River National Park’’; 
(2) includes cost estimates for the acquisition, 
development, operation, and maintenance of the 
Study Area; and 
(3) identifies alternatives for management, ad-
ministration, and protection of the Study Area. 
(b) CRITERIA.—In conducting the study under sub-
section (a), the Secretary shall use the criteria for the 
study of areas for potential inclusion in the National Park 
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System under section 8(c) of Public Law 91–383 (16 
U.S.C. 1a–5(c)). 
SEC. 5. REPORT. 
On completion of the study under section 4, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Re-
sources of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate 
a report that describes— 
(1) the findings and conclusions of the study; 
and 
(2) any recommendations of the Secretary. 
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as are necessary to carry out this Act. 
Æ 
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