I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4708
To establish the California Trail Interpretive Center in Elko, Nevada, to
facilitate the interpretation of the history of development and use of
trails in the settling of the western portion of the United States.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 21, 2000
Mr. GIBBONS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Resources
A BILL
To establish the California Trail Interpretive Center in Elko,
Nevada, to facilitate the interpretation of the history
of development and use of trails in the settling of the
western portion of the United States.
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 ‘‘California Trail Inter-
pretive Center Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—
(1) the nineteenth century westward movement
in the United States over the California National
Historic Trail, which occurred from 1840 until the
completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869,
was an important cultural and historical event in—
(A) the development of the western land of
the United States; and
(B) the prevention of colonization of the
west coast by Russia and the British Empire;
(2) the movement over the California Trail was
completed by over 300,000 settlers, many of whom
left records or stories of their journeys; and
(3) additional recognition and interpretation of
the movement over the California Trail is appro-
priate in light of—
(A) the national scope of nineteenth cen-
tury westward movement in the United States;
and
(B) the strong interest expressed by people
of the United States in understanding their his-
tory and heritage.
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—
(1) to recognize the California Trail, including
the Hastings Cutoff and the trail of the ill-fated
Donner-Reed Party, for its national, historical, and
cultural significance; and
(2) to provide the public with an interpretive fa-
cility devoted to the vital role of the California Trail
and other trails in the West in the development of
the United States.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) CALIFORNIA TRAIL.—The term ‘‘California
Trail’’ means the California National Historic Trail,
established under section 5(a)(18) of the National
Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(a)(18)).
(2) CENTER.—The term ‘‘Center’’ means the
California Trail Interpretive Center established
under section 4(a).
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di-
rector of the Bureau of Land Management.
(4) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State
of Nevada.
SEC. 4. CALIFORNIA TRAIL INTERPRETIVE CENTER.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION.—In further-
ance of the purposes of section 7(c) of the National Trails
System Act (16 U.S.C. 1246(c)), the Secretary may estab-
lish and operate an interpretive center, to be known as
the ‘‘California Trail Interpretive Center’’, near the city
of Elko, Nevada, to preserve and interpret the history of
development and use of the California Trail in the settling
of the American West.
(b) DEVELOPMENT PLAN.—The Secretary shall pre-
pare a plan for the establishment and operation of the
Center that includes—
(1) a detailed description of the design of the
Center;
(2) a description of the site on which the Center
is to be located;
(3) a description of the method and estimated
cost of acquisition of the site on which the Center
is to be located;
(4) an estimate of the cost of construction of
the Center;
(5) an estimate of the cost of operation and
maintenance of the Center; and
(6) a description of the manner and extent to
which non-Federal entities will participate in the ac-
quisition, construction, and operation of the Center.
(c) SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS.—
(1) MASTER PLAN STUDY.—In preparing the
development plan required by subsection (b) and es-
tablishing the Center, the Secretary shall consider