First State National Historical Park Act - Establishes the First State National Historical Park in Delaware, to be administered as a unit of the National Park System.
Specifies that the purpose of the Park is the preservation, protection, and interpretation of the nationally significant cultural and historic resources associated with early Dutch, Swedish, and English settlement of the colony of Delaware and parts of the colony of Pennsylvania and Delaware's role in the birth of the United States and as the first state to ratify the Constitution.
Requires the completion of a management plan for the Park.
Requires completion of a study assessing the historical significance of additional properties in Delaware associated with the Park.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 703 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 703
To establish the First State National Historical Park in the State of
Delaware, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 14, 2013
Mr. Carney (for himself and Mr. Meehan) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the First State National Historical Park in the State of
Delaware, 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 ``First State National Historical Park
Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Historical park.--The term ``historical park'' means
the First State National Historical Park established by section
3(a)(1).
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(3) State.--The term ``State'' means--
(A) the State of Delaware; and
(B) in the case of the property described in
section 3(b)(8), the States of Delaware and
Pennsylvania.
SEC. 3. FIRST STATE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (3), there is
established the First State National Historical Park, to be
administered as a unit of the National Park System.
(2) Purposes.--The purposes of the historical park are to
preserve, protect, and interpret the nationally significant
cultural and historic resources in the State that are
associated with--
(A) early Dutch, Swedish, and English settlement of
the Colony of Delaware and portions of the Colony of
Pennsylvania; and
(B) the role of Delaware--
(i) in the birth of the United States; and
(ii) as the first State to ratify the
Constitution.
(3) Determination by secretary.--
(A) In general.--The historical park shall not be
established until the date on which the Secretary
determines that sufficient land or interests in land
have been acquired from among the sites described in
subsection (b) to constitute a manageable park unit.
(B) Notice.--Not later than 30 days after making a
determination under subparagraph (A), the Secretary
shall publish a notice in the Federal Register of the
establishment of the historical park, including an
official boundary map for the historical park.
(C) Availability of map.--The map published under
subparagraph (B) shall be on file and available for
public inspection in the appropriate offices of the
National Park Service.
(b) Historic Sites.--The Secretary may include the following sites
within the boundary of the historical park as generally depicted on the
maps numbered 1 through 6, entitled ``First State National Historical
Park, New Castle, Kent, Sussex Counties, DE and Delaware County, PA''
and ``First State National Historical Park, Woodlawn'', numbered T19/
80,000G, and dated February 2013:
(1) The Old Sherriff's House in New Castle County,
Delaware, as depicted on map 4 of 6.
(2) Fort Christina National Historic Landmark in New Castle
County, Delaware, as depicted on map 3 of 6.
(3) Old Swedes Church National Historic Landmark in New
Castle County, Delaware, as depicted on map 3 of 6.
(4) Old New Castle Courthouse in New Castle, Delaware, as
depicted on map 4 of 6.
(5) John Dickinson Plantation National Historic Landmark in
Kent County, Delaware, as depicted on map 5 of 6.
(6) Dover Green in Kent County, Delaware, as depicted on
map 5 of 6.
(7) Ryves Holt House in Sussex County, Delaware, as
depicted on map 6 of 6.
(8) The Woodlawn property in New Castle County, Delaware,
and Delaware County, Pennsylvania, as depicted on map 2 of 6.
(9) Old New Castle Green, in New Castle, Delaware, as
depicted on map 4 of 6.
SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall administer the historical park
in accordance with--
(1) this Act; and
(2) the laws generally applicable to units of the National
Park System, including--
(A) the National Park System Organic Act (16 U.S.C.
1 et seq.); and
(B) the Act of August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 461 et
seq.).
(b) Land Acquisition.--
(1) Methods.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph
(B), the Secretary may acquire all or a portion of any
of the sites described in section 3(b), including
easements or other interests in land, by purchase from
a willing seller, donation, or exchange.
(B) Donation only.--
(i) Proposed nps site.--The Secretary may
acquire only by donation all or a portion of
the property identified as ``Proposed NPS
Site'' on map 2 of 6 entitled ``First State
National Historical Park, Woodlawn'', numbered
T19/80,000G, and dated February 2013, including
easements or other interests in land.
(ii) Area for potential addition by
donation.--The Secretary may acquire only by
donation all or a portion of the property
identified as ``Area for Potential Addition by
Donation'' on map 2 of 6 entitled ``First State
National Historical Park, Woodlawn'', numbered
T19/80,000G, and dated February 2013.
(2) Boundary adjustment.--On acquisition of land or an
interest in land under paragraph (1), the boundary of the
historical park shall be adjusted to reflect the acquisition.
(c) Interpretive Tours.--The Secretary may provide interpretive
tours to sites and resources in the State that are located outside the
boundary of the historical park and associated with the purposes for
which the historical park is established, including--
(1) Fort Casimir;
(2) DeVries Monument;
(3) Amstel House;
(4) Dutch House; and
(5) Zwaanendael Museum.
(d) Cooperative Agreements.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary may enter into a cooperative
agreement with the State, political subdivisions of the State,
institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and
individuals to mark, interpret, and restore nationally
significant historic or cultural resources within the
boundaries of the historical park, if the cooperative agreement
provides for reasonable public access to the resources.
(2) Cost-sharing requirement.--
(A) Federal share.--The Federal share of the total
cost of any activity carried out under a cooperative
agreement entered into under paragraph (1) shall be not
more than 50 percent.
(B) Form of non-federal share.--The non-Federal
share may be in the form of in-kind contributions or
goods or services fairly valued.
(e) Management Plan.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 3 fiscal years after the
date on which funds are made available to carry out this
subsection, the Secretary shall complete a management plan for
the historical park.
(2) Applicable law.--The management plan shall be prepared
in accordance with section 12(b) of Public Law 91-383 (16
U.S.C. 1a-7(b)) and other applicable laws.
SEC. 5. NATIONAL LANDMARK STUDY.
(a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which
funds are made available to carry out this section, the Secretary shall
complete a study assessing the historical significance of additional
properties in the State that are associated with the purposes of
historical park.
(b) Requirements.--The study prepared under subsection (a) shall
include an assessment of the potential for designating the additional
properties as National Historic Landmarks.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary
to carry out this Act.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation.
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