A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating sites in the Lower Mississippi River Area in the State of Louisiana as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Lower Mississippi River National 
Historic Site Study Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the Lower Mississippi area located south of New 
        Orleans, Louisiana, which is known as ``Plaquemines Parish'', 
        has great historical significance;
            (2) from the earliest Spanish explorers traveling along the 
        banks of the Lower Mississippi River in the 1500s, to Robert de 
        LaSalle claiming all of the land drained by the Lower 
        Mississippi River in 1682, to the petroleum, fisheries, and 
        transportation industries of today, the area is one of the most 
        unique areas in the continental United States;
            (3) while, in 1699, the area became the site of the first 
        fortification on the Lower Mississippi River, known as ``Fort 
        Mississippi'', it has since been home to 10 different 
        fortifications, more than a dozen lighthouses, and several 
        wildlife refuges, quarantine stations, and pilot stations;
            (4) of particular interest to the area are--
                    (A) Fort St. Philip, originally built in 1749, at 
                which, during the Battle of New Orleans, the British 
                navy was blocked from going up river and a victory for 
                the Colonial Army was ensured; and
                    (B) Fort Jackson, built across from Fort St. Philip 
                at the request of General Andrew Jackson and partially 
                constructed by famous local Civil War General P.G.T. 
                Beauregard, which was the site of the famous Civil War 
                battle known as the ``Battle of the Forts'', which is 
                also referred to as the ``night the war was lost'';
            (5) the area is--
                    (A) at the end of the longest continuous river road 
                and levee system in the United States; and
                    (B) a part of the River Road highway system;
            (6) lower Plaquemines Parish is split down the middle by 
        the Mississippi River, surrounded on 3 sides by the Gulf of 
        Mexico, and crossed by numerous bayous, canals, and ditches;
            (7) Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip are located on--
                    (A) an ancient Head of Passes site; and
                    (B) 1 of the most historic areas on the Lower 
                Mississippi River known as ``Plaquemines Bend'';
            (8) the modern Head of Passes is only 21 miles south of 
        Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip where the Mississippi River 
        splits into a bird foot delta to travel the last 20 miles to 
        the Gulf of Mexico;
            (9) there are numerous geological features that are unique 
        to a large river mouth or delta that could make a national park 
        in the area a particularly intriguing attraction;
            (10) the coastal erosion, subsidence, river hydraulics, 
        delta features, fresh, salt, and brackish water marshes, and 
        other unique features of the area could be an effective 
        classroom for the public on the challenges of protecting our 
        river and coastal zones;
            (11) the area includes the beginning of the Mississippi 
        River flyway, which is--
                    (A) 1 of the most pristine eco-sites in the United 
                States; and
                    (B) the site of 2 national wildlife refuges and 1 
                state wildlife refuge;
            (12) the area is culturally diverse in history, population, 
        industry, and politics;
            (13) many well-known characters lived or performed deeds of 
        great notoriety in the area;
            (14) in the area, Creoles, Europeans, Indians, Yugoslav, 
        African-Americans, and Vietnamese all worked together to weave 
        an interesting history of survival and success in a very 
        treacherous environment;
            (15) the area has tremendous tourism potential, 
        particularly for historical tourism and eco-tourism, because of 
        the location, pristine ecosystems, and past indifference of the 
        local government to promote tourism in the area; and
            (16) since Hurricane Katrina, the local government in the 
        area has--
                    (A) passed a resolution strongly supporting a 
                national park study; and
                    (B) shown an interest in developing tourism in the 
                area.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Study area.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``Study Area'' means the 
                Lower Mississippi River area in the State of Louisiana.
                    (B) Inclusions.--The term ``Study Area'' includes 
                Fort St. Philip and Fort Jackson, the Head of Passes, 
                and any related and supporting historical, natural, 
                cultural, and recreational resources located in 
                Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National 
        Park Service.

SEC. 4. STUDY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the State of 
Louisiana and interested groups and organizations, shall complete a 
special resource study that--
            (1) evaluates--
                    (A) the national significance of the Study Area; 
                and
                    (B) the suitability and feasibility of designating 
                the Study Area as a unit of the National Park System, 
                to be known as the ``Lower Mississippi River National 
                Park'';
            (2) includes cost estimates for the acquisition, 
        development, operation, and maintenance of the Study Area; and
            (3) identifies alternatives for management, administration, 
        and protection of the Study Area.
    (b) Criteria.--In conducting the study under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall use the criteria for the study of areas for potential 
inclusion in the National Park System under section 8(c) of Public Law 
91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5(c)).

SEC. 5. REPORT.

    On completion of the study under section 4, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate a report that describes--
            (1) the findings and conclusions of the study; and
            (2) any recommendations of the Secretary.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary 
to carry out this Act.

Summary: Lower Mississippi River National Historic Site Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, through the Director of the National Park Service (NPS), to complete a special resource study that evaluates the national significance of the Lower Mississippi River area in Louisiana and the suitability and feasibility of designating such area as a unit of the National Park System, which shall be known as the "Lower Mississippi River National Park."