Union Calendar No. 60
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 260
[Report No. 104–133]
A BILL
To provide for the development of a plan and a
management review of the National Park System
and to reform the process by which areas are
considered for addition to the National Park Sys-
tem, and for other purposes.
JUNE 7, 1995
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Commit-
tee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and
ordered to be printed
IB
Union Calendar No. 60
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 260
[Report No. 104–133]
To provide for the development of a plan and a management review of
the National Park System and to reform the process by which areas
are considered for addition to the National Park System, and for other
purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 4, 1995
Mr. HEFLEY (for himself, Mr. HANSEN, and Mr. VENTO) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources
JUNE 7, 1995
Reported with an amendment, 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 January 4, 1995]
A BILL
To provide for the development of a plan and a management
review of the National Park System and to reform the
process by which areas are considered for addition to
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 ‘‘National Park System
Reform Act of 1995’’.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this Act:
(1) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of
the Interior.
(2) The term ‘‘Plan’’ means the National Park
System Plan developed under section 101.
(3) The term ‘‘Commission’’ means the National
Park System Review Commission established pursu-
ant to section 103.
(4) The term ‘‘Congressional resources commit-
tees’’ means the Committee on Resources of the House
of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources of the Senate.
TITLE I—NATIONAL PARK
SYSTEM PLAN
SEC. 101. PREPARATION OF NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM PLAN.
(a) PREPARATION OF PLAN.—The Secretary of the In-
terior, acting through the Director of the National Park
Service, shall prepare a National Park System Plan to
guide the direction of the National Park System into the
next century. The Plan shall include each of the following:
(1) Identification of goals and objectives for use
in defining the mission and role of the National Park
Service and the National Park System in preserving
our Nation’s heritage, relative to other efforts at the
Federal, State, local, and private levels. This state-
ment shall include a refinement for the definition of
‘‘nationally significant’’ for purposes of inclusion in
the National Park System.
(2) Criteria to be used in determining which
themes and types of resources are appropriate for rep-
resentation in the National Park System, as well as
criteria for judging individual sites, areas, and
themes that are appropriate for inclusion as units of
the National Park System.
(3) Identification of what constitutes adequate
representation of a particular resource type or theme
in the National Park System.
(4) Identification of which aspects of the Na-
tion’s heritage are adequately represented in the exist-
ing National Park System.
(5) Identification of appropriate aspects of the
Nation’s heritage not currently or adequately rep-
resented in the National Park System.
(6) Priorities of the themes and types of re-
sources which should be added to the National Park
System in order to provide more complete representa-
tion of our Nation’s heritage.
(7) A thorough analysis of the role of the Na-
tional Park System and the National Park Service
with respect to (but not limited to) conservation of
natural areas and ecosystems; preservation of indus-
trial America; preservation of intangible cultural her-
itage such as arts, music, and folklife; presidential
sites; open space protection; and provision of outdoor
recreation opportunities.
(8) A comprehensive financial management plan
for the National Park System which identifies all
funding available to the agency, how funds will be al-
located to support various programs, and the level of
service to be provided.
(b) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
AND CONSULTATION.—
During the preparation of the Plan under subsection (a),
the Secretary shall ensure broad public participation in a
manner which, at a minimum, consists of the following two
elements:
(1) Solicitation of the views of the American
public with regard to the future of the National Park
System. Opportunities for public participation shall
be made available throughout the planning process
and shall include specific regional public meetings.
(2) Consultation with other Federal land man-
agement agencies, State and local officials, resource
management, recreation and scholarly organizations,
and other interested parties as the Secretary deems
advisable.
(c) TRANSMITTAL OF REPORT.—Prior to the end of the
second complete fiscal year commencing after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit the Plan
developed under this section to the Congressional resources
committees.
(d) CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL.—Unless Congress en-
acts a joint resolution rejecting all or modifying part of
the Plan within 180 calendar days after the date of its
transmittal to Congress, the Plan shall be deemed approved.
(e) IDENTIFICATION
OF UNITS
OF
THE NATIONAL
PARK SYSTEM.—The Secretary shall submit to the Congres-
sional resources committees an official list of areas or units
of the National Park System within 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act. The Secretary shall establish
a set of criteria for the purpose of developing such list and
shall transmit those criteria to the Congressional resources
committees.
(f) AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH UNITS OF THE NA-
TIONAL PARK SYSTEM.—After the enactment of this Act,
units or areas of the National Park System may only be
established pursuant to an Act of Congress or by Presi-
dential action in accordance with the Act entitled ‘‘An Act
for the preservation of American antiquities’’ (16 U.S.C.
431 et seq.).
SEC. 102. MANAGEMENT REVIEW OF NATIONAL PARK
SYSTEM.
(a) SELECTION CRITERIA.—(1) The Secretary shall,
not later than 45 days after transmittal of the Plan under
section 101(c), publish in the Federal Register and transmit
to the Congressional resources committees the criteria pro-
posed to be used by the Department of the Interior in re-
viewing existing units of the National Park System under
this section. The Secretary shall provide an opportunity for
public comment on the proposed criteria for a period of at
least 30 days.
(2)(A) The Secretary shall, within 60 days of the
transmittal of proposed criteria under paragraph (1), pub-
lish in the Federal Register and transmit to the Congres-
sional resources committees the final criteria to be used in
carrying out this section. Except as provided in subpara-
graph (B), such criteria shall be the final criteria to be used
unless disapproved by a joint resolution of Congress enacted
not more than 30 legislative days after receipt of the final
criteria. For the purpose of the preceding sentence, the term
‘‘legislative day’’ means a day on which both Houses of
Congress are in session.