Opinion ID: 2194614
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Transfer of Jurisdiction

Text: The National Park Service signed the Transfer of Jurisdiction in February 1993. The Council approved the Lease on July 13, 1993, and accepted the Transfer of Jurisdiction from the National Park Service on August 9, 1993. The Transfer of Jurisdiction was subject to twelve conditions to which the District of Columbia agreed. The first condition mandated that the Islands only be used for the purposes of constructing and operating a cultural, educational and family-oriented recreational park. The remaining conditions limited construction on, and use of, the Islands; some of them related to any environmental hazards created or discovered during the course of completing the park. Section 9 provided that [t]his transfer of jurisdiction will automatically revert to the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service upon the passage of sixty (60) days from the date of written notice of reversion from said Department to the District of Columbia based on the occurrence of any of the following: (i) failure to commence [development of the recreation park] within 3 years of this transfer of jurisdiction; (ii) failure to commence operation of the Recreation Park . . . within 5 years of this transfer of jurisdiction; (iii) after completion of construction and commencement of operation, the abandonment or non-use of the Recreation Park for a period of 2 years; or (iv) after completion of construction, and commencement of operation, conversion of the Property to a use other than that specified in [this transfer of jurisdiction], or conversion to a parking use not in accord with the provisions of [this transfer of jurisdiction]. The 1993 Lease specifically referred to this portion of the Transfer of Jurisdiction: This [Lease] shall automatically terminate upon (i) the occurrence of any event of reversion described in Section 9 of [the Transfer of Jurisdiction] and (ii) the actual reversion of jurisdiction over the [Islands] from the District to the National Park Service. . . .