Corinth Battlefield Preservation Act of 2000
PL 106-271 (S.1117), enacted 09/22/2000

114 STAT. 792 
PUBLIC LAW 106-271—SEPT. 22, 2000 
Public Law 106-271 
106th Congress 
Sept. 22, 2000 
[S. 1117] 
Corinth 
Battlefield 
Preservation Act 
of2000. 
16 u s e 430f-6 
note. 
16 u s e 430f-6. 
An Act 
To establish the Corinth Unit of Shiloh National Military Park, in the vicinity 
of the city of Corinth, Mississippi, and in the State of Tennessee, 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. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the "Corinth Battlefield Preservation 
Act of 2000". 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 
(1) in 1996, Congress authorized the establishment and 
construction of a center— 
(A) to facilitate the interpretation of the Siege and 
Battle of Corinth and other Civil War actions in the area 
in and around the city of Corinth, Mississippi; and 
(B) to enhance public understanding of the significance 
of the Corinth campaign and the Civil War relative to 
the western theater of operations, in cooperation with— 
(i) State or local governmental entities; 
(ii) private organizations; and 
(iii) individuals; 
(2) the Corinth Battlefield was ranked as a priority 1 
battlefield having critical need for coordinated nationwide 
action by the year 2000 by the Civil War Sites Advisory 
Commission in its report on Civil War Battlefields of the United 
States; 
(3) there is a national interest in protecting and preserving 
sites of historic significance associated with the Civil War; 
and 
(4) the States of Mississippi and Tennessee and their 
respective local units of government— 
(A) have the authority to prevent or minimize adverse 
uses of these historic resources; and 
(B) can play a significant role in the protection of 
the historic resources related to the Civil War battles 
fought in the area in and around the city of Corinth. 
(b) PURPOSES.—^The purposes of this Act are— 
(1) to establish the Corinth Unit of the Shiloh National 
Military Park— 
(A) in the city of Corinth, Mississippi; and 
(B) in the State of Tennessee; 
PUBLIC LAW 106-271—SEPT. 22, 2000 
114 STAT. 793 
(2) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to manage, protect, 
and interpret the resources associated with the Civil War Siege 
and the Battle of Corinth that occurred in and around the 
city of Corinth, in cooperation with— 
(A) the State of Mississippi; 
(B) the State of Tennessee; 
(C) the city of Corinth, Mississippi; 
(D) other public entities; and 
(E) the private sector; and 
(3) to authorize a special resource study to identify other 
Civil War sites in and around the city of Corinth that— 
(A) are consistent with the themes of the Siege and 
Battle of Corinth; 
(B) meet the criteria for designation as a unit of the 
National Park System; and 
(C) are considered appropriate for inclusion in the Unit. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
16 USC 430f-7. 
In this Act: 
(1) MAP.—The term "Map" means the map entitled "Park 
Boundary-Corinth Unit", numbered 304/80,007, and dated 
October 1998. 
(2) PARK.—The term "Park" means the Shiloh National 
Military Park. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term "Secretary" means the Secretary 
of the Interior. 
(4) UNIT.—^The term "Unit" means the Corinth Unit of 
Shiloh National Military Park established under section 4. 
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIT. 
16 USC 430f-8. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the States of Mis-
sissippi and Tennessee the Corinth Unit of the Shiloh National 
Military Park. 
(b) COMPOSITION OF UNIT.—^The Unit shall be comprised of— 
(1) the tract consisting of approximately 20 acres generally 
depicted as "Battery Robinett Boundary" on the Map; and 
(2) any additional land that the Secretary determines to 
be suitable for inclusion in the Unit that— 
(A) is under the ownership of a public entity or non-
profit organization; and 
(B) has been identified by the Siege and Battle of 
Corinth National Historic Landmark Study, dated January 
8, 1991. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The Map shall be on file and avail-
able for public inspection in the office of the Director of the National 
Park Service. 
SEC. 5. LAND ACQUISITION. 
16 USC 430f-9. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may acquire land and interests 
in land within the boundary of the Park as depicted on the Map, 
b y -
(1) donation; 
(2) purchase with donated or appropriated funds; or 
(3) exchange. 
(b) EXCEPTION.—Land may be acquired only by donation from— 
(1) the State of Mississippi (including a political subdivision 
of the State); 
114 STAT. 794 
PUBLIC LAW 106-271—SEPT. 22, 2000 
(2) the State of Tennessee (including a political subdivision 
of the State); or 
(3) the organization known as "Friends of the Siege and 
Battle of Corinth". 
16 use 430f-10. 
SEC. 6. PARK MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—^The Secretary shall administer the Unit in 
accordance with this Act and the laws generally applicable to units 
of the National Park System, including— 
(1) the Act entitled "An Act to establish a National Park 
Service, and for other purposes", approved August 25, 1916 
(16 U.S.C. 1 et seq.); and 
(2) the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the preservation 
of historic American sites, buildings, objects, and antiquities 
of national significance, and for other purposes", approved 
August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 461 et seq.). 
(b) DUTIES.—In accordance with section 602 of the Omnibus 
Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 (16 U.S.C. 430f-
5), the Secretary shall— 
(1) commemorate and interpret, for the benefit of visitors 
and the general public, the Siege and Battle of Corinth and 
other Civil War actions in the area in and around the city 
of Corinth within the larger context of the Civil War and 
American history, including the significance of the Civil War 
Siege and Battle of Corinth in 1862 in relation to other oper-
ations in the western theater of the Civil War; and 
(2) identify and preserve surviving features from the Civil 
War era in the area in and around the city of Corinth, including 
both military and civilian themes that include— 
(A) the role of railroads in the Civil War; 
(B) the story of the Corinth contraband camp; and 
(C) the development of field fortifications as a tactic 
of war. 
(c) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—To carry out this Act, the Secretary may 
enter into cooperative agreements with entities in the public 
and private sectors, including— 
(A) colleges and universities; 
(B) historical societies; 
(C) State and local agencies; and 
(D) nonprofit organizations. 
(2) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—^To develop cooperative land 
use strategies and conduct activities that facilitate the conserva-
tion of the historic, cultural, natural, and scenic resources of 
the Unit, the Secretary may provide technical assistance, to 
the extent that a recipient of technical assistance is engaged 
in the protection, interpretation, or commemoration of histori-
cally significant Civil War resources in the area in and around 
the city of Corinth, to— 
(A) the State of Mississippi (including a political sub-
division of the State); 
(B) the State of Tennessee (including a political sub-
division of the State); 
(C) a governmental entity; 
(D) a nonprofit organization; and 
(E) a private property owner. 
PUBLIC LAW 106-271—SEPT. 22, 2000 
114 STAT. 795 
(d) RESOURCES OUTSIDE THE UNIT.—^Nothing in subsection (c)(2) 
authorizes the Secretary to own or manage any resource outside 
the Unit. 
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY. 
16 USC 430f-ll. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—^To determine whether certain additional 
properties are appropriate for inclusion in the Unit, the Secretary 
shall conduct a special resource study of land in and around the 
city of Corinth, Mississippi, and nearby areas in the State of Ten-
nessee that— 
(1) have a relationship to the Civil War Siege and Battle 
of Corinth in 1862; and 
(2) are under the ownership of— 
(A) the State of Mississippi (including a political sub-
division of the State); 
(B) the State of Tennessee (including a political sub-
division of the State); 
(C) a nonprofit organization; or 
(D) a private person. 
(b) CONTENTS OF STUDY.—^The study shall— 
(1) identify the full range of resources and historic themes 
associated with the Civil War Siege and Battle of Corinth 
in 1862, including the relationship of the campaign to other 
operations in the western theater of the Civil War that occurred 
in— 
(A) the area in and around the city of Corinth; and 
(B) the State of Tennessee; 
(2) identify alternatives for preserving features from the 
Civil War era in the area in and around the city of Corinth, 
including both military and civilian themes involving— 
(A) the role of the railroad in the Civil War; 
(B) the story of the Corinth contraband camp; and 
(C) the development of field fortifications as a tactic 
of war; 
(3) identify potential partners that might support efforts 
by the Secretary to carry out this Act, including— 
(A) State entities and their political subdivisions; 
(B) historical societies and commissions; 
(C) civic groups; and 
(D) nonprofit organizations; 
(4) identify alternatives to avoid land use conflicts; and 
(5) include cost estimates for any necessary activity associ-
ated with the alternatives identified under this subsection, 
including— 
(A) acquisition; 
(B) development; 
(C) interpretation; 
(D) operation; and 
(E) maintenance. 
(c) REPORT.—^Not later than 1 year and 180 days after the Deadline, 
date on which funds are made available to carry out this section, 
the Secretary shall submit a report describing the findings of the 
study under subsection (a) to— 
(1) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate; and 
(2) the Committee on Resources of the House of Representa-
tives. 
114 STAT. 796 
PUBLIC LAW 106-271—SEPT. 22, 2000 
16 u s e 430f-12. 
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
necessary to carry out this Act, including $3,000,000 for the 
construction of an interpretive center under section 602(d) of title 
VI of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 
1996 (16 U.S.C. 430f-5(d)). 
Approved September 22, 2000. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 1117: 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 106-186 (Comm. on Energy and Natural Resoiirces). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 
Vol. 145 (1999): Nov. 19, considered and passed Senate. 
Vol. 146 (2000): Sept. 12, considered and passed House.