I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1728
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
MAY 22, 1997
Mr. HEFLEY (for himself and Mr. VENTO) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Resources
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 Service
Administrative Amendment of 1997’’.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this Act:
(1) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(2) The term ‘‘Congressional resources commit-
tees’’ means the Committee on Resources of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on En-
ergy and Natural Resources of the Senate.
TITLE I—NEW AREA
ESTABLISHMENT
SEC. 101. STUDY OF NEW PARK SYSTEM AREAS.
Section 8 of the Act of August 18, 1970, entitled ‘‘An
Act to improve the Administration of the National Park
System by the Secretary of the Interior, and to clarify the
authorities applicable to the system, and for other pur-
poses’’ (16 U.S.C. 1a–1 and following) is amended as fol-
lows:
(1) By inserting ‘‘GENERAL AUTHORITY.—’’
after ‘‘(a)’’.
(2) By striking the second through the sixth
sentences of subsection (a).
(3) By redesignating the last two sentences of
subsection (a) as subsection (f) and inserting in the
first of such sentences before the words ‘‘For the
purposes of carrying’’ the following: ‘‘(f) AUTHOR-
IZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—’’.
(4) By striking subsection (b).
(5) By inserting the following after subsection
(a):
‘‘(b) STUDIES
OF AREAS
FOR POTENTIAL ADDI-
TION.—(1) At the beginning of each calendar year, along
with the annual budget submission, the Secretary shall
submit to the Committee on Resources of the House of
Representatives and to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources of the United States Senate a list of
areas recommended for study for potential inclusion in the
National Park System.
‘‘(2) In developing the list to be submitted under this
subsection, the Secretary shall give consideration to those
areas that have the greatest potential to meet the estab-
lished criteria of national significance, suitability, and fea-
sibility. The Secretary shall give special consideration to
themes, sites, and resources not already adequately rep-
resented in the National Park System as identified in the
National Park System Plan to be developed under section
101 of the National Park System Reform Act of 1995.
‘‘(3) No study of the potential of an area for inclusion
in the National Park System may be initiated after the
date of enactment of this subsection, except as provided
by specific authorization of an Act of Congress.
‘‘(4) Nothing in this Act shall limit the authority of
the National Park Service to conduct preliminary resource
assessments, gather data on potential study areas, provide
technical and planning assistance, prepare or process
nominations for administrative designations, update pre-
vious studies, or complete reconnaissance surveys of indi-
vidual areas requiring a total expenditure of less than
$25,000.
‘‘(5) Nothing in this section shall be construed to
apply to or to affect or alter the study of any river segment
for potential addition to the national wild and scenic rivers
system or to apply to or to affect or alter the study of
any trail for potential addition to the national trails sys-
tem.
‘‘(c) REPORT.—(1) The Secretary shall complete the
study for each area for potential inclusion in the National
Park System within 3 complete fiscal years following the
date of enactment of specific legislation providing for the
study of such area. Each study under this section shall
be prepared with appropriate opportunity for public in-
volvement, including at least one public meeting in the vi-
cinity of the area under study, and after reasonable efforts
to notify potentially affected landowners and State and
local governments.
‘‘(2) In conducting the study, the Secretary shall con-
sider whether the area under study—
‘‘(A) possesses nationally significant natural or
cultural resources, or outstanding, and that the area
represents one of the most important examples of a
particular resource type in the country; and
‘‘(B) is a suitable and feasible addition to the
system.
‘‘(3) Each study—
‘‘(A) shall consider the following factors with
regard to the area being studied—
(i) the rarity and integrity of the re-
sources;
(ii) the threats to those resources;
(iii) similar resources are already protected
in the National Park System or in other public
or private ownership;
(iv) the public use potential;
(v) the interpretive and educational poten-
tial;
(vi) costs associated with acquisition, devel-
opment and operation;
(vii) the socioeconomic impacts of any des-
ignation;
(viii) the level of local and general public
support, and
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Resources of
the House of Representatives and to the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Sen-
ate a list of areas which have been previously studied
which contain primarily historical resources, and a list of
areas which have been previously studied which contain
primarily natural resources, in numerical order of priority
for addition to the National Park System. In developing
the lists, the Secretary should consider threats to resource
values, cost escalation factors, and other factors listed in
subsection (c) of this section. The Secretary should only
include on the lists areas for which the supporting data
is current and accurate.’’.
SEC. 102. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are hereby authorized to be appropriated
$2,000,000 to carry out the purposes of this title.
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