To establish the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial National Historical Park in the State of Illinois, and for other purposes.
Bill: H.R.8375 | Sponsor: Rep. Bost, Mike (R-IL)
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
This bill establishes the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial National Historical Park in Illinois. The park is established in order to assist in the preservation and interpretation of and education concerning Prairie du Rocher and the French Colonial Historic District.
The historical park shall consist of certain lands and specified structures.
The Department of the Interior shall manage the park in such a manner as will preserve resources and cultural landscapes related to the history of the historic district and to enhance public understanding of the cultural heritage of the historic district.
The bill authorizes Interior to

To establish the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial National Historical 
         Park in the State of Illinois, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS; PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Prairie du Rocher and the French Colonial Historic 
        District are the finest historical and architectural examples 
        of French Colonial Heritage in the United States.
            (2) Kaskaskia, Fort de Chartres and Prairie du Rocher once 
        served as the western boundary of the United States.
            (3) In 1763, Pierre Laclede Liguest quartered in the 
        Prairie du Rocher French Colonial District in the Winter of and 
        founded St. Louis in February of 1764.
            (4) On July 4, 1778, General George Rogers Clark, with the 
        assistance of Father Pierre Gibault, captured Prairie du Rocher 
        and the Village of Kaskaskia.
            (5) On November 28, 1803, Meriwether Lewis and William 
        Clark visited the Village of Kaskaskia, seeking Engages and 
        troops to accompany them on the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
            (6) In 1818, Kaskaskia served as the first State Capital of 
        Illinois.
            (7) In 1825, General Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du 
        Montier de Lafayette visited the Village of Kaskaskia.
            (8) In 1960, Fort de Chartres, the French seat of 
        government and primary military station on the upper 
        Mississippi River, erected in 1720, was declared a National 
        Historic Landmark.
            (9) In 1966, Fort de Chartres and the Modoc Rock Shelter 
        were declared National Historic Landmarks.
            (10) In 1973, the Creole House in Prairie du Rocher was 
        added to the National Registry of Historic Places.
            (11) In 1974, Prairie du Rocher and the French Colonial 
        Historic District, an area of 22 square miles, was created and 
        added to the National Registry of Historic Places, along with 
        the ancient Kolmer Indian site.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are to--
            (1) recognize the importance of Prairie du Rocher and the 
        French Colonial Historic District as a nationally significant 
        architectural village of the cultural heritage of the United 
        States; and
            (2) establish a Prairie du Rocher French Colonial National 
        Historical Park to serve as the focus of interpretive and 
        educational programs on the history of the French Colonial 
        Historic District, and to assist in the preservation of 
        historic sites within the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial 
        Historic District.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PRAIRIE DU ROCHER FRENCH COLONIAL NATIONAL 
              HISTORICAL PARK.

    (a) In General.--In order to assist in the preservation and 
interpretation of, and education concerning, of Prairie du Rocher and 
the French Colonial Historic District, and to provide technical 
assistance to a broad range of public and private landowners and 
preservation organizations, there is hereby established the Prairie du 
Rocher French Colonial National Historical Park in the State of 
Illinois.
    (b) Area Included.--The historical park shall consist of lands and 
interests therein as follows:
            (1) Lands and structures associated with--
                    (A) the Creole House (1800), a French creole 
                vernacular post in ground (poteaux-sur-sol) 
                construction--one of only five remaining in the United 
                States;
                    (B) the Pierre Menard Home (1803) Menard was the 
                first Lieutenant Governor of Illinois; and
                    (C) the Doiron Bienvenue House, post in ground 
                (poteaux-sur-sol) construction (1860).
            (2) A portion of the Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site, a 
        200-acre park, which celebrates the vanished frontier Village 
        of Kaskaskia, is home to the earthen remains of Fort Kaskaskia, 
        and preserves Garrison Hill Cemetery, where Pierre Menard and 
        dozens of veterans are interred.
            (3) Any Federal land acquired under section 5 and used as 
        in interpretive visitor center complex for the historical park.

SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATION; MANAGEMENT.

    (a) Administration.--The Secretary shall administer the historical 
park in accordance with this title and with provisions of law generally 
applicable to units of the National Park System, including--
            (1) section 100502 of title 54, United States Code; and
            (2) chapter 3201 of title 54, United States Code.
    (b) Management.--The Secretary shall manage the historical park in 
such a manner as will preserve resources and cultural landscapes 
relating to the history of the historic district and to enhance public 
understanding of the important cultural heritage of the historic 
district.

SEC. 4. INTERPRETIVE VISITOR CENTER COMPLEX.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Construction; lease.--The Secretary is authorized to 
        construct on Federal land or lease space to operate and to 
        maintain an interpretive visitor center complex to provide for 
        the general information and orientation needs of the historical 
        park and the historic district and serve the needs of the 
        historical park.
            (2) Consultation.--When the planning and development of the 
        interpretive visitor center complex, the Secretary shall 
        consult with--
                    (A) the State of Illinois;
                    (B) Randolph County;
                    (C) the Village of Prairie du Rocher; and
                    (D) the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
    (b) Cooperative Agreements.--The Secretary is authorized to enter 
into cooperative agreements for the development of the interpretive 
visitor center complex, educational programs, and other materials to 
facilitate public use of the historical park and historic district 
with--
            (1) the State of Illinois;
            (2) Randolph County;
            (3) the Village of Prairie du Rocher; and
            (4) the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

SEC. 5. ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY.

    (a) General Authority.--Except as otherwise provided in this 
section, the Secretary is authorized to acquire lands and interests 
therein within the boundaries of the historical park by donation, 
purchase with donated or appropriated funds, and exchange.
    (b) State and Local Properties.--Lands and interests therein that 
are owned by the State of Illinois, or any political subdivision 
thereof, may be acquired only by donation or exchange.

SEC. 6. DONATIONS.

    The Secretary may accept and retain donations of funds, property, 
or services from individuals, foundations, or other public or private 
entities for the purposes of providing programs, services, facilities, 
or technical assistance that further the purposes of this Act. Any 
funds donated to the Secretary pursuant to this section may be expended 
without further appropriation.

SEC. 7. GRANT ASSISTANCE.

    The Secretary is authorized to make grants to park partners for 
projects not requiring Federal involvement other than providing 
financial assistance, subject to the availability of appropriations in 
advance identifying the specific grantee and the specific project. 
Projects funded through grants under this section shall--
            (1) be used only for construction and development on non-
        Federal property within the boundaries of the historic 
        district;
            (2) support the purposes of the historical park; and
            (3) enhance public use and enjoyment of the historical 
        park.

SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Historic district.--The term ``historic district'' 
        means the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial Historic District 
        listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
            (2) Historical park.--The term ``historical park'' means 
        the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial National Historical Park 
        established by section 2(a).
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
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