I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1449
To provide for the establishment of the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
in Kansas, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 6, 1995
Mr. ROBERTS (for himself and Mrs. MEYERS of Kansas) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources
A BILL
To provide for the establishment of the Tallgrass Prairie
National Preserve in Kansas, 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 ‘‘Tallgrass Prairie Na-
tional Preserve Act of 1995’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
(1) Of the 400,000 square miles of tallgrass
prairie that once covered the North American Con-
tinent, less than 1 percent remains, primarily in the
Flint Hills of Kansas.
(2) In 1991, the National Park Service con-
ducted a special resource study of the Spring Hill
Ranch, located in the Flint Hills of Kansas.
(3) Such study concludes that the Spring Hill
Ranch—
(A) is a nationally significant example of
the once vast tallgrass ecosystem, and includes
buildings listed on the National Register of His-
toric Places pursuant to section 101 of the Na-
tional Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C.
470a) which represent outstanding examples of
Second Empire and other 19th Century archi-
tectural styles; and
(B) is suitable and feasible as a potential
addition to the National Park System.
(4) The National Park Trust, which owns the
Spring Hill Ranch, has agreed to permit the Na-
tional Park Service—
(A) to purchase a portion of the ranch, as
specified in this Act; and
(B) to manage the ranch in order to—
(i) conserve the scenery, natural and
historic objects, and wildlife of the ranch;
and
(ii) provide for the enjoyment of the
ranch in such manner, and by such means,
as will leave such scenery, natural and his-
toric objects, and wildlife unimpaired for
the enjoyment of future generations.
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are as fol-
lows:
(1) To preserve, protect, and interpret for the
public an example of a tallgrass prairie ecosystem on
the Spring Hill Ranch, located in the Flint Hills of
Kansas.
(2) To preserve and interpret for the public the
historic and cultural values represented on the
Spring Hill Ranch.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this Act:
(1) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The term ‘‘Advi-
sory Committee’’ means the Advisory Committee es-
tablished under section 7.
(2) PRESERVE.—The term ‘‘Preserve’’ means
the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve established
under section 4.
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of the Interior.
(4) TRUST.—The term ‘‘Trust’’ means the Na-
tional Park Trust, Inc. (which is a District of Co-
lumbia nonprofit corporation), or any successor-in-
interest, subsidiary, affiliate, trustee, or legal rep-
resentative of the National Park Trust, Inc. that
possesses legal or equitable ownership or manage-
ment rights with respect to land and improvements
on land that constitutes any portion of the Preserve.
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF TALLGRASS PRAIRIE NA-
TIONAL PRESERVE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—In order to provide for the preser-
vation, restoration, and interpretation of the Spring Hill
Ranch area of the Flint Hills of Kansas, for the benefit
and enjoyment of present and future generations, there
is hereby established the Tallgrass Prairie National
Preserve.
(b) DESCRIPTION.—The Preserve shall consist of the
lands, waters, and interests therein, including approxi-
mately 10,894 acres, generally depicted on the map enti-
tled ‘‘Boundary Map, Flint Hills Prairie National Monu-
ment’’ numbered NM–TGP 80,000 and dated June 1994,
more particularly described in the deed filed at 8:22 a.m.
of June 3, 1994, with the Office of the Register of Deeds