A bill authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to preserve certain wetlands and historic and prehistoric sites in the St. Johns River Valley, Florida, and for other purposes.
PL 100-249 (H.R.1983), enacted 02/16/1988

PUBLIC LAW 100-249—FEB. 16, 1988 
102 STAT. 13 
Public Law 100-249 
100th Congress 
An Act 
Authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to preserve certain wetlands and historic 
and prehistoric sites in the St. Johns River Valley, Florida, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, 
TITLE I—FORT CAROLINE NATIONAL 
MEMORIAL 
SECTION 101. AMENDMENTS OF 1950 ACT. 
The Act entitled "An Act to provide for the acquisition, investiga-
tion, and preservation of lands to commemorate the historic Fort 
Caroline settlement, Saint Johns Bluff, Florida", approved Septem-
ber 21,1950 (64 Stat. 897), is amended as follows: 
(1) Section 2 is amended by adding the following after the 
final period: "Such historical park shall serve as the principal 
interpretive center and administrative facility for the eco-
logical, historic, and prehistoric resources made available under 
this legislation. In furtherance of the interpretive and adminis-
trative functions referred to in the preceding sentence, the 
Secretary shall construct and maintain appropriate museum 
facilities for the display of important artifacts and materials 
that illustrate the history and prehistory of the region.". 
(2) Section 3 is repealed, and sections 4 and 5 are redesignated 
as sections 3 and 4, respectively. 
(3) Section 4, as so redesignated, is amended by striking out 
the phrase ", not to exceed $40,000,". 
TITLE II—PRESERVATION OF ST. JOHNS 
RIVER 
VALLEY 
ECOLOGICAL 
AREA 
AND PROTECTION OF SIGNIFICANT HIS-
TORIC ASSETS 
Feb. 16,1988 
[H.R. 1983] 
National parks, 
monuments, etc. 
SEC. 201. TIMUCUAN ECOLOGICAL AND HISTORIC PRESERVE. 
16 USC 698n. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established in the St. Johns 
River Valley, Florida, where the Timucuan Indians lived in pre-
historic and historic times, the Timucuan Ecological and Historic 
Preserve (hereafter in this Act referred to as the "Preserve"). The 
Preserve shall comprise the lands, waters, and interests therein 
within the boundaries generally depicted on a map of Duval County, 
Florida, entitled "Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve" num-
bered NA-TEHP 80,003-A and dated July 1987. The map shall be on Public 
file and available for public inspection in the Office of the National 
information. 
Park Service, Department of the Interior. The Secretary of the 
102 STAT. 14 
PUBLIC LAW 100-249—FEB. 16, 1988 
Gifts and 
property. 
Boating. 
Hunting. 
Fish and fishing. 
Safety. 
Gifts and 
property. 
16 u s e 698o. 
Interior may make minor revisions in the boundary of the Preserve 
in accordance with section 7(c) of the Land and Water Conservation 
Fund Act of 1965. The Preserve shall also include within its bound-
aries all that land consisting of approximately 500 acres adjacent to 
Fort Caroline National Memorial and known as the Theodore Roo-
sevelt Preserve, being land formerly owned by one Willie Brown and 
donated by him to The Nature Conservancy. 
(b) LAND ACQUISITION.—The Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter 
in this Act referred to as the "Secretary") is authorized to acquire 
lands and interests therein within the Preserve by donation, pur-
chase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange, but no lands 
other than wetlands or interests therein may be acquired without 
the consent of the owner. For purposes of this subsection, the term 
"wetlands" has the same meaning as provided by section 3 of the 
Emergency Wetlands Resources Act of 1986. Lands, interests in 
lands, and improvements thereon within the boundaries of the 
Preserve which are owned by the State of Florida or any political 
subdivision thereof may be acquired only by donation or exchange. 
On lands acquired for inclusion within the Preserve, the Secretary 
shall not impair any legal riparian right of access nor shall he 
preclude the continued use of any legal right of way. 
(c) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary shall administer those lands 
acquired for inclusion within the Preserve in such a manner as to 
protect the natural ecology of such land and water areas in accord-
ance with this Act and the provisions of law generally applicable to 
units of the National Park System, including the Act of August 25, 
1916 (39 Stat. 535; 16 U.S.C. 1, 2-4). The Secretary shall permit 
boating, boating-related activities, hunting, and fishing within the 
Preserve in accordance with applicable Federal and State laws. The 
Secretary may designate zones where, and establish periods when, 
no hunting or fishing shall be permitted for reasons of public safety. 
(d) Nothing in this Act shall affect development of a multiunit 
residential/resort project currently proposed for Fort George Island, 
nor shall any provision of this Act be construed to affect any 
Federal, State or local law applicable to such project. 
SEC. 202. PROTECTION OF SIGNIFICANT HISTORIC ASSETS. 
The Secretary, with the consent of the owners thereof, may 
acquire by donation or purchase with donated funds the following 
properties or sites of significant historic interest in Duval County, 
Florida: 
(1) Spanish sixteenth century forts San Gabriel and San 
Estaban. 
(2) Spanish eighteenth century fort Dos Hermanas. 
(3) English eighteenth century forts at Saint Johns Bluff and 
Fort George Island. 
(4) Spanish sixteenth and seventeenth century mission San 
Juan del Puerto. 
(5) Site of the American Revolutionary War battle of Thomas 
Creek. 
(6) The Zephaniah Kingsley plantation, with its eighteenth 
and nineteenth century buildings. 
(7) The Spanish American War fortification on Saint Johns 
Bluff. 
(8) The confederate fort known as the Yellow Bluff Fort State 
Historic Site. 
PUBLIC LAW 100-249—FEB. 16,1988 
102 STAT. 15 
SEC. 203. INTEGRATED ADMINISTRATION AND INTERPRETATION. 
16 USC 698p. 
Any properties of historic interest acquired under section 202 
shall become part of the Preserve established under section 201. The 
Secretary shall administer such properties in accordance with a 
plan that integrates the administration and interpretation of the 
ecological values of the Preserve and the historical values of the 
sites so acquired and the historical features of Fort Caroline. Such 
administration and interpretation shall be conducted through the 
facilities and staff of Fort Caroline National Memorial consistent 
with section 2 of the Act of September 21, 1950 (64 Stat. 897). 
Approved February 16, 1988. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 1983: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 100-224 (Ck)mm. on Interior and Insular Affairs). 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 100-247 (Comm. on Energy and Natural Resources). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 
Vol. 133 (1987): July 21, considered and passed House. 
Dec. 11, considered and passed Senate, amended. 
Vol. 134 (1988): Feb. 2, House concurred in Senate amendments.