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109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2384 
To adjust the boundary of Martin Van Buren National Historic Site, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 16, 2005 
Mr. SWEENEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Resources 
A BILL 
To adjust the boundary of Martin Van Buren National 
Historic Site, 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 ‘‘Martin Van Buren Na-
tional Historic Site Boundary Adjustment Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
As used in this Act: 
(1) HISTORIC SITE.—The term ‘‘historic site’’ 
means the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site
in the State of New York, as authorized by Public 
Law 93–486 on October 26, 1974. 
(2) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map en-
titled ‘‘Boundary Map, Martin Van Buren National 
Historic Site,’’ numbered ‘‘460/80801’’ and dated 
‘‘January 2005’’. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
SEC. 3. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 
(1) the historic site was established to preserve 
and interpret the landscape, structures, and collec-
tions of ‘‘Lindenwald,’’ in Kinderhook, New York, 
owned by Martin Van Buren, the eighth President 
of the United States (1837–1841) from 1839 to his 
death in 1862; 
(2) the current boundary, encompassing about 
39 acres of land, does not adequately protect natural 
and cultural resources that contribute to the signifi-
cance of the historic site; 
(3) the conservation easements acquired to pre-
serve the historic site’s key agricultural views no 
longer offer adequate protection for those views; 
(4) administrative buildings and facilities re-
quired for future operations of the historic site may
not be suitable to be developed within its boundaries 
due to impacts on historic or scenic resources; and 
(5) a boundary study prepared by the National 
Park Service in 2003 identifies about 331 acres of 
lands that, if acquired, would help protect the agri-
cultural character and the quality of the historic set-
ting of the historic site and increase opportunities 
for interpretation and education there. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 
(1) to protect the remaining contributing re-
sources significant to the historic site; 
(2) to preserve a more accurate portrayal of 
Van Buren’s Lindenwald by reuniting remaining ag-
ricultural lands associated with the house through 
their acquisition from willing sellers; 
(3) to enhance the interpretation of Van 
Buren’s broader political and agrarian beliefs by en-
abling public access to key historic agricultural re-
sources and to protect scenic values associated with 
the historic site; and 
(4) to enable the National Park Service to es-
tablish administrative facilities to serve the historic 
site that do not intrude upon the historic site’s re-
sources or scenic values.
SEC. 4. BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS TO THE HISTORIC SITE. 
(a) BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT.—Effective on the date 
of enactment of this Act, the boundary of the historic site 
is adjusted to include approximately 261 acres of land 
identified as the ‘‘Proposed Park Additions,’’ as generally 
depicted on the map. 
(b) FUTURE ACQUISITIONS.—The Secretary may ac-
quire approximately 70 acres of land and interests in land 
outside the boundary of the historic site identified as ‘‘53– 
1–17.2’’ and ‘‘53–1-19.111,’’ which are the Columbia 
County, New York, tax map numbers for those lands, as 
generally depicted on the map. 
(c) LANDS
FOR ADMINISTRATIVE PURPOSES.—In 
order to preserve the historic site’s resources and scenic 
values, the Secretary may acquire land or interests in land 
outside the boundary of the historic site necessary for ad-
ministrative, maintenance, curatorial, or other park pur-
poses. 
(d) ACQUISITION AUTHORITY.—The Secretary may 
acquire the lands and interests in lands referred to this 
section from a willing seller by donation, purchase with 
donated or appropriated funds, or exchange. 
(e) REVISION OF BOUNDARY.—Upon acquisition of 
any land referred to in subsections (b) and (c), the bound-
ary of the historic site shall be revised to include the ac-
quired land.
(f) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The map shall be on file 
and available for public inspection in the appropriate of-
fices of the National Park Service. 
(g) ADMINISTRATION.—Land acquired for the his-
toric site by this section shall be administered as part of 
the historic site in accordance with applicable laws and 
regulations. 
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION. 
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as may be necessary to carry out this Act. 
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