An act to establish the Biscayne National Park, to improve the administration of the Fort Jefferson National Monument, to enlarge the Valley Forge National Historical Park, and for other purposes.
PL 96-287 (H.R.5926), enacted 06/28/1980

PUBLIC LAW 96-287—JUNE 28, 1980 
94 STAT. 599 
Public Law 96-287 
96th Congress 
An Act 
To establish the Biscayne National Park, to improve the administration of the Fort 
June 28, 1980 
Jefferson National Monument, to enlarge the Valley Forge National Historical 
[H.R. 5926] 
Park, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representative of the 
United States of 
America in Congress assembled, 
Biscayne 
National Park. 
TITLE I—BISCAYNE NATIONAL PARK 
Establishment. 
SEC. 101. In order to preserve and protect for the education, 
inspiration, recreation, and enjo3niient of present and future genera-
tions a rare combination of terrestrial, marine, and amphibious Ufa 
in a tropical setting of great natursd beauty, there is hereby estab-
lished the Bisca3ntie National Park (hereinafter referred to in this 
title as the "park") in the State of Florida. The boundary of the park 
shall include the lands, waters, and interests therein as generally 
depicted on the map entitled "Boundary Map, Biscayne National 
Park", numbered 169-90,003, and dated April 1980, which map shall 
be on file and available for public inspection in the offices of the 
National Park Service, Department of the Interior. The Secretary of 
the Interior (hereinafter referred to £is the "Secretary") shall publish 
in the Federal Register, not more than one year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, a detailed description of the boundary estab-
lished pursuant to this section. Following reasonable notice in writ-
ing to the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the United 
States House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources of the United States Senate of his intention to do 
so, the Secretary may make minor revisions in the boundary of the 
park by publication of a revised boundary map or other description in 
the Federal Register. 
SEC. 102. (a) Within the boundary of the park the Secretary is 
authorized to acquire lands, waters, and interests therein by dona-
tion, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange, 
except that property owned by the State of Florida or any political 
subdivision thereof may be acquired only by donation, and subject to 
such reservations and restrictions as may be provided by Florida law. 
Lands, waters, and interests therein within such boundary which are 
owned by the United States and under the control of the Secretary 
are hereby transferred to the administrative jurisdiction of the 
National Park Service to be managed for the purposes of the park. 
Any federally owned lands within the park which are not under the 
control of the Secretary shall be transferred to his control for 
purposes of the park at such time as said lands cease to be needed by 
the agencies which currently control them. 
(b) It is the express intent of the Congress that the Secretary shall 
substantially complete the land acquisition program authorized 
herein within three complete fiscal years from the effective date of 
this Act. Any owner of property within the park may notify the 
16 u s e 410gg. 
Boundary map, 
availability for 
public 
inspection. 
Boundary 
description, 
publication in 
Federal 
Register. 
Minor boundary 
revisions, notice 
to congressional 
committees and 
publication in 
Federal 
Register. 
Property 
acquisition; 
donation by 
Florida. 
16 u s e 410gg-l. 
U.S. property, 
transfer to 
National Park 
Service. 
Time limitation 
on land 
acquisition. 
Notification to 
Secretary. 
94 STAT. 600 
PUBLIC LAW 96-287—JUNE 28, 1980 
Preservation 
and 
administration. 
16 u s e 410gg-2. 
Fishing. 
Biscayne 
National 
Monument, 
abolition. 
Designation of 
wilderness areas, 
report to 
President and 
Congress. 
16 u s e 410gg-3. 
16 u s e 1132. 
Management 
plan, submittal 
to congressional 
committees. 
16 u s e 410gg-4. 
16 u s e la-7. 
Appropriation 
authorization. 
16 u s e 410gg-5. 
Findings and 
establishment. 
Secretary of the desire of such owner that his property be promptly 
acquired, and the Secretary shall give immediate and careful consid-
eration, subject to the availability of funds, to the prompt acquisition 
of such property. 
SEC. 103. (a) The Secretary shsdl preserve and administer the park 
in accordance with the provisions of the Act of August 25,1916 (39 
Stat, 535; 16 U.S.C. 1-4), as amended and supplemented. The waters 
within the park shall continue to be open to fishing in conformity 
with the laws of the State of Florida except as the Secretary, after 
consultation with appropriate officials of said State, designates spe-
cies for which, areas and times within which, and methods by which 
fishing is prohibited, limited, or otherwise regulated in the interest of 
sound conservation to achieve the purposes for which the park is 
established: Provided, That with respect to lands donated by the State 
after the effective date- of this Act, fishing shall be in conformance 
with State law. 
03) The Biscayne National Monument, as authorized by the Act of 
October 18, 1968 (82 Stat. 1188; 16 U.S.C. 450qq), as amended, is 
abolished as such, and all lands, waters, and interests therein 
acquired or reserved for such monument are hereby incorporated 
within and made a part of the park. Any funds available for the 
purposes of such monument are hereby made available for the 
purposes of the park, and authorizations of funds for the monument 
shall continue to be available for the park. 
SEC. 104. Within three complete fiscal years from the effective date 
of this Act, the Secretary shall review the area within the park and 
shall report to the President and the Congress, in accordance with 
subsections 3 (c) and (d) of the Wilderness Act (78 Stat. 890), his 
recommendations as to the suitability or nonsuitability of any area 
within the park for designation as wilderness. Any designation of any 
such areas as wilderness shall be accomplished in accordance with 
said subsections of the Wilderness Act. 
SEC. 105. Within two complete fiscal years from the effective date of 
this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Interior and 
Insular Affairs of the United States House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States 
Senate, a revised comprehensive general management plan for the 
park consistent with the provisions of this title and pursuant to the 
provisions of section V2.Qo) of the Act of August 18,1970 (84 Stat. 825), 
as amended (16 U.S.C. la-1 et seq.). 
SEC. 106. In addition to the sums previously authorized to be 
appropriated for Biscayne National Monument, there are authorized 
to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for the administra-
tion of the park, and not to exceed $8,500,000 for the acquisition of 
lands and interests therein, as provided in this title. Notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, no fees shall be charged for entrance or 
admission to the park. 
TITLE II—FORT JEFFERSON NATIONAL MONUMENT 
SEC. 201. The Congress recognizes the need for stabilizing and 
protecting the masonry fortifications at Fort Jefferson and for 
protecting and interpreting a pristine natural environment including 
the entire Dry Tortugas group of islands and their associated marine 
environments, significant coral formations, fish and other marine 
animal populations, and populations of nesting and migrating birds, 
all of which are located within Fort Jefferson National Monument, 
PUBLIC LAW 96-287—JUNE 28, 1980 
94 STAT. 601 
Florida (hereinafter referred to in this title as the "monument"). The 
monument shall consist of the lands, waters, and interests therein 
generally depicted on a map entitled "Boundary Map, Fort Jefferson 
National Monument", numbered 364-90,001, and dated April 1980. 
Any Federal lands excluded from the Fort Jefferson National Monu-
ment pursuant to this section shall be administered by the Secretary 
in accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976. Any Federal lands added to the Fort Jefferson National 
Monument pursuant to this section shall be administered by the 
Secretary in accordance with the purposes for which the monument 
was established. In furtherance of the purposes of the monument the 
Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter referred to £is the "Secretary") 
is authorized to accept gifts of funds which may be donated for any 
purpose, but particularly for stabilizing the historic structures within 
the monument. 
SEC. 202. Within three complete fiscal years from the effective date 
of this Act, the Secretary shall, after consultation with the Governor 
of the State of Florida, develop and transmit to the Committee on 
Interior and Insular Affairs of the United States House of Repre-
sentatives and to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the United States Senate a comprehensive general management plan 
for the monument consistent with the provisions of this title and 
pursuant to the provisions of section 12(b) of the Act of August 18, 
1970 (84 Stat. 825), as amended (16 U.S.C. la-1 et seq.). 
SEC. 203. Within three complete fiscal years from the effective date 
of this Act, the Secretary shall review the area within the monument 
and shall report to the President and the Congress, in accordance 
with subsections 3 (c) and (d) of the Wilderness Act (78 Stat. 890), his 
recommendations as to the suitability or nonsuitability of any area 
within the monument for designation as wilderness. Any designation 
of any such areas as wilderness shall be accomplished in accordance 
with s£dd subsections of 
the Wilderness Act. 
SEC. 204. There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as 
may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this title. Notwith-
standing any other provisions of law, no fees shall be charged for 
entrance or admission to the monument. 
Boundary map. 
Excluded 
Federal lands. 
43 u s e 1701 
note. 
Added Federal 
lands. 
Gifts of funds. 
Management 
plan, submittal 
to congressional 
committees. 
16 u s e la-7. 
Designation of 
wilderness areas, 
report to 
President and 
eongress. 
16 u s e 1132. 
Appropriation 
authorization. 
Entrance fees, 
prohibition. 
TITLE m—VALLEY FORGE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK 
SEC. 301. The Act entitled "An Act to authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior to establish the Valley Forge National Historical Park in the 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and for other purposes", approved 
July 4, 1976 (90 Stat. 796), is amended (1) in subsection 2(a) by I6use4i0aa-i 
changing "dated February 1976, and numbered VF-91,000," to 
"dated June 1979, and numbered VF-91,001,"; (2) in section 3 by 
adding the following sentence at the end thereof: "In furtherance of 
the purposes of this Act, the Secretary is authorized to provide 
technical assistance to public and private nonprofit entities in quali-
fying for appropriate historical designation and for such grants, other 
financial assistance, and other forms of aid as are available under 
Federal, State, or local law for the protection, rehabilitation, or 
preservation of properties in the vicinity of the park which are 
historically related to the purposes of the park."; and (3) in subsection 
4(a) by changing "$8,622,000" to "$13,895,000". 
1
6 use 400aa-3. 
16 u s e 410aa-2. 
Technical 
assistance to 
grant applicants. 
94 STAT. 602 
PUBLIC LAW 96-287—JUNE 28, 1980 
TITLE IV 
Effective date. 
SEC. 401, Authorizations of moneys to be appropriated under this 
16 use 4i0gg-5 
Act shall be effective on October 1,1980. Notwithstanding any other 
"° ® 
provision of this Act, authority to enter into contracts, to incur 
obligations, or to make payments under this Act shall be effective 
only to the extent, and in such amounts, as are provided in advance in 
appropriation Acts. 
Approved June 28, 1980. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 96-693 (Comm. on Interior and Insular Affairs). 
SENATE REPORT No. 96-665 (Comm. on Energy and Natural Resources). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 
Vol. 125 (1979): Dec. 10, considered and passed House. 
Vol. 126 (1980): June 5, considered and passed Senate, amended. 
June 17, House concurred in Senate amendments.