preserve the finest remaining example of an old-
growth southern hardwood forest in North America. 
(2) Congaree Swamp contains a variety of rare 
ecological, geological, archaeological, scenic, histor-
ical, and wildlife components, including—
(A) the largest remaining tract of old-
growth bottomland hardwood forest in the 
United States, the remnant of an ecosystem 
that once covered more than 24,000,000 acres 
of river bottom from Maryland to Texas; 
(B) extensive stands of old-growth bottom-
land hardwoods and rare examples of the glob-
ally endangered longleaf pine forest; 
(C) important habitat for more than 700 
species of plants, 173 species of birds, 51 kinds 
of reptiles and amphibians, and 53 species of 
fish (including rare, threatened, and endan-
gered species), and 10 species of rare plants; 
and 
(D) a natural setting of national and inter-
national significance. 
(3) The Monument—
(A) provides opportunities for educational 
and recreational activities and research; and
(B) is used for hiking, camping, fishing, 
and unconfined wilderness experiences (includ-
ing opportunities for solitude). 
(4) Certain private land adjacent to the Monu-
ment—
(A) has been determined by the State of 
South Carolina to contain outstanding rec-
reational areas and wildlife habitat; 
(B) provides essential habitat for declining 
species of fish, wildlife, and plants, including 
colonial waterbirds and neotropical migratory 
songbirds; and 
(C) contains a variety of archaeological 
and historical resources dating from 10,000 
years ago to the 19th century. 
(5) The Monument and adjacent private land 
contain cultural resources important for interpreting 
life during the Colonial and Antebellum periods, in-
cluding Buycke’s levee, which—
(A) served as a cattle mound and a refuge 
for livestock; and 
(B) has a doughnut-shaped construction, 
making it the only example of that type of con-
struction known to exist.
(6) Land in and adjacent to the Monument is 
recognized—
(A) as playing an important role in the 
history of the United States from the explo-
rations of Hernando de Soto to the fall of Co-
lumbia, South Carolina in the Civil War; 
(B) for offering natural, ecological, wild-
life, cultural, scenic, historic, wilderness, and 
recreational resources; and 
(C) as being a fragile and irreplaceable ec-
ological system that could be destroyed if not 
carefully protected. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—
(1) to expand the boundary of the Monument 
by approximately 4,576 acres and redesignate the 
Monument as a national park to—
(A) protect and interpret an intact bottom-
land hardwood ecosystem; 
(B) promote the recovery of longleaf pine 
in upland habitats; 
(C) restore ecological functions; and 
(D) protect native populations of fish, 
wildlife, and plants; 
(2) to protect and interpret the site of 
McCord’s Ferry and other cultural features that il-
lustrate the evolving agricultural and commercial 
practices in the South during the Colonial and Ante-
bellum periods; and 
(3) to provide opportunities for scientific re-
search and to enhance visitor opportunities at the 
Monument. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map en-
titled ‘‘Congaree National Park Boundary Map’’, 
numbered 178/80015, and dated April 2003. 
(2) PARK.—The term ‘‘Park’’ means the Con-
garee National Park established by section 4(a). 
(3) PLAN.—The term ‘‘plan’’ means the general 
management plan developed under section 5(b). 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 
of South Carolina. 
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF CONGAREE NATIONAL PARK. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 
State the Congaree National Park. 
(b) COMPOSITION.—The Park shall be composed of—
(1) the Congaree Swamp National Monument; 
and
(2) approximately 4,576 acres of land adjacent 
to the Congaree Swamp National Monument, as de-
picted on the map. 
(c) BOUNDARY SURVEY.—As soon as practicable 
after the date of enactment of this Act and subject to the 
availability of funds, the Secretary shall complete an offi-
cial survey of the Park. 
(d) MAP AND LEGAL DESCRIPTION.—
(1) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The map shall be 
on file and available for public inspection in the ap-
propriate offices of the National Park Service. 
(2) SUBMISSION
TO
CONGRESS.—As soon as 
practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on En-
ergy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the 
Committee on Resources of the House of Represent-
atives the map and a legal description of the Park. 
(3) EFFECT.—The map and legal description 
shall have the same force and effect as if included 
in this Act, except that the Secretary may correct 
any errors in the map or legal description. 
(e) ACQUISITION OF LAND.—The Secretary may ac-
quire by donation, purchase from a willing seller with do-
nated or appropriated funds, transfer, or exchange, land 
or an interest in land for inclusion in the Park.
(f) BOUNDARY REVISION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
the Secretary may make minor revisions to the 
boundary of the Park by publishing in the Federal 
Register a revised map or boundary description. 
(2) LIMITATION.—The total area of the Park 
shall not exceed 30,000 acres. 
SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall administer 
the Park in accordance with this Act and the laws gen-
erally applicable to units of the National Park System, in-
cluding—
(1) the Act of August 25, 1916 (16 U.S.C. 1 
et seq.); and 
(2) the Act of August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 461 
et seq.). 
(b) GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than the end of 
the third fiscal year after the date on which funds 
are made available to carry out this Act, the Sec-
retary shall prepare a general management plan for 
the Park. 
(2) INCLUSIONS.—The plan shall include a rec-
ommendation on whether the boundary of the Con-
garee National Park Wilderness should be expanded.
(3) APPLICABLE
LAW.—The Secretary shall 
prepare the plan in accordance with—
(A) section 12(b) of the Act of August 18, 
1970 (16 U.S.C. 1a–7(b)); and 
(B) any other applicable law. 
(4) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—On completion 
of the plan, the Secretary shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Sen-
ate and the Committee on Resources of the House 
of Representatives the plan. 
(c) FISHING.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall permit 
sport fishing on land and water within the Park in 
accordance with applicable Federal and State laws. 
(2) LIMITATIONS.—
(A) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary may 
designate by regulation areas in which, and pe-
riods during which, no fishing shall be per-
mitted for reasons of public safety, administra-
tion, fish or wildlife management, or public use 
and enjoyment of the Park. 
(B) CONSULTATION.—Except in an emer-
gency, the Secretary shall consult with the ap-
propriate State agency before promulgating reg-
ulations under subparagraph (A).
SEC. 6. DESIGNATION OF CONGAREE NATIONAL PARK WIL-
DERNESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Congaree Swamp National 
Monument Wilderness in the State shall be designated as 
the ‘‘Congaree National Park Wilderness’’. 
(b) REFERENCES.—Any reference to the Congaree 
Swamp National Monument Wilderness in a law (includ-
ing regulations), map, document, paper, or other record 
of the United States shall be considered to be a reference 
to the Congaree National Park Wilderness. 
SEC. 7. EFFECT. 
Nothing in this Act—
(1) affects the use of private land adjacent to 
the Park; or 
(2) preempts the authority of the State with re-
spect to the regulation of hunting, fishing, boating, 
and wildlife management on private land or water 
outside the boundaries of the Park. 
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as are necessary to carry out this Act.
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