IB 
Union Calendar No. 301 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4686 
[Report No. 111–528] 
To authorize the Secretary of Interior to study the suitability and feasibility 
of designating prehistoric, historic, and limestone forest sites on Rota, 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as a unit of the Na-
tional Park System. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 24, 2010 
Mr. SABLAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
JULY 13, 2010 
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 
on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on February 24, 2010] 
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A BILL 
To authorize the Secretary of Interior to study the suitability 
and feasibility of designating prehistoric, historic, and 
limestone forest sites on Rota, Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, as a unit of the National 
Park System. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Rota Cultural and Natural Resources Study Act’’. 
(b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds as follows: 
(1) The island of Rota was the only major island 
in the Mariana Islands to be spared the destruction 
and large scale land use changes brought about by 
World War II. 
(2) The island of Rota has been described by pro-
fessional archeologists as having the most numerous, 
most intact, and generally the most unique pre-
historic sites of any of the islands of the Mariana Ar-
chipelago. 
(3) The island of Rota contains remaining exam-
ples of what is known as the Latte Phase of the cul-
tural tradition of the indigenous Chamorro people of 
the Mariana Islands. Latte stone houses are remnants 
of the ancient Chamorro culture. 
(4) Four prehistoric sites are listed on the Na-
tional Register of Historic Places: Monchon Archeo-
logical District (also known locally as Monchon Latte 
Stone Village), Taga Latte Stone Quarry, the Dugi 
Archeological Site that contains, latte stone struc-
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tures, and the Chugai Pictograph Cave that contains 
examples of ancient Chamorro rock art. Alaguan Bay 
Ancient Village is another latte stone prehistoric site 
that is surrounded by tall-canopy limestone forest. 
(5) In addition to prehistoric sites, the island of 
Rota boasts historic sites remaining from the Japa-
nese period (1914–1945). Several of these sites are on 
the National Register of Historic Places: Nanyo 
Kohatsu Kabushiki Kaisha Sugar Mill, Japanese 
Coastal Defense Gun, and the Japanese Hospital. 
(6) The island of Rota’s natural resources are 
significant because of the extent and intact condition 
of its native limestone forest that provides habitat for 
several federally endangered listed species, the Mar-
iana crow, and the Rota bridled white-eye birds, that 
are also native to the island of Rota. Three endan-
gered plant species are also found on Rota and two 
are endemic to the island. 
(7) Because of the significant cultural and nat-
ural resources listed above, on September 2005, the 
National Park Service, Pacific West Region, com-
pleted a preliminary resource assessment on the is-
land of Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mar-
iana Islands, which determined that the ‘‘establish-
ment of a unit of the national park system 
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appear[ed] to be the best way to ensure the long term 
protection of Rota’s most important cultural resources 
and its best examples of its native limestone forest.’’. 
SEC. 2. NPS STUDY OF SITES ON THE ISLAND OF ROTA, 
COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MAR-
IANA ISLANDS. 
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of the Interior shall— 
(1) carry out a study regarding the suitability 
and feasibility of designating prehistoric, historic, 
and limestone forest sites on the island of Rota, Com-
monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as a 
unit of the National Park System; and 
(2) consider management alternatives for the is-
land of Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mar-
iana Islands. 
(b) STUDY PROCESS AND COMPLETION.—Except as 
provided by subsection (c) of this section, section 8(c) of 
Public Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–5(c)) shall apply to the 
conduct and completion of the study required by this sec-
tion. 
(c) SUBMISSION OF STUDY RESULTS.—Not later than 
3 years after the date that funds are made available for 
this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee 
on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and 
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the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Sen-
ate a report describing the results of the study. 
Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to authorize 
the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and 
feasibility of designating prehistoric, historic, and lime-
stone forest sites on Rota, Commonwealth of the North-
ern Mariana Islands, as a unit of the National Park Sys-
tem.’’. 
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