Indiana Dunes National Park Designation Act
This bill renames the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore as the Indiana Dunes National Park.
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 599 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 599
To redesignate the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore as the ``Indiana
Dunes National Park'', and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 9, 2017
Mr. Donnelly (for himself and Mr. Young) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To redesignate the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore as the ``Indiana
Dunes National Park'', 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 ``Indiana Dunes National Park
Designation Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) the Great Lakes form the largest freshwater system on
Earth;
(2) Lake Michigan is--
(A) the second largest Great Lake by volume; and
(B) the only Great Lake located wholly within the
United States;
(3) the southern shore of Lake Michigan includes some of
the most geologically and biologically diverse areas in the
United States;
(4) the unique features that comprise the southern shore of
Lake Michigan, also known as the ``Indiana Dunes'', were formed
over a period of 12,000 years by natural forces, including
glaciers, wind, and water;
(5) glacial melting and fluctuations in the water level
resulted in the formation of as many as 7 shorelines along the
southern shore of Lake Michigan;
(6) the process by which the southern shore of Lake
Michigan was formed resulted in the biologically diverse
beaches, sand dunes, and inter-dune wetlands that can be seen
in the southern shore of Lake Michigan today;
(7) Indian tribes, including the Miami and Potawatomi
Indian tribes, inhabited the Indiana Dunes region for over
10,000 years;
(8) local conservation efforts to preserve the Indiana
Dunes began as early as 1899 when Henry Cowles, a botanist from
the University of Chicago who is known for being one of the
founders of contemporary ecological study and thought,
published an article entitled ``Ecological Relations of the
Vegetation on Sand Dunes of Lake Michigan'' in the Botanical
Gazette, bringing international attention to the intricate
ecosystems on the Indiana Dunes;
(9) on October 30, 1916, 1 month after the establishment of
the National Park Service, Stephen Mather, the first Director
of the National Park Service, held hearings in Chicago,
Illinois, to gauge public sentiment on establishing a large
portion of the southern shore of Lake Michigan as one of the
first national parks in the United States, to be known as the
``Sand Dunes National Park'';
(10) over 400 people attended the hearings in Chicago,
Illinois, of which--
(A) 42 people, including Henry Cowles, spoke in
favor of the proposal to establish the national park;
and
(B) there were no opponents to the proposal to
establish the national park;
(11) plans for a Sand Dunes National Park were delayed
because the United States entered World War I and national
focus shifted away from national parks to national defense;
(12) local conservation efforts to preserve the Indiana
Dunes persisted after World War I and culminated in--
(A) the establishment of Indiana Dunes State Park
in 1925; and
(B) the enactment in 1966 of Public Law 89-761 (16
U.S.C. 460u et seq.), which established the Indiana
Dunes National Lakeshore;
(13) the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore was subsequently
expanded in 1976, 1980, 1986, and 1992;
(14) the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and the adjacent
Indiana Dunes State Park are comprised of over 15,000 acres of
dunes, oak savannas, swamps, bogs, marshes, prairies, rivers,
and forests that are preserved for public enjoyment, including
15 miles of shoreline along Lake Michigan that extend from
Gary, Indiana, to Michigan City, Indiana;
(15) the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is--
(A) one of the most biologically diverse units of
the National Park System, containing 2,336 unique
species, including 896 animal species and 1,407 plant
species;
(B) a cherished cultural landmark that attracts
millions of visitors each year; and
(C) an especially important feeding and resting
area for migrating land and water birds, including 350
unique species of birds; and
(16) institutions such as the Dunes Learning Center--
(A) attract youth and other community members to
the Indiana Dunes; and
(B) provide the youth and other community members
with insight on the biodiversity and historical
significance of the Indiana Dunes.
SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL PARK.
(a) Designation.--
(1) In general.--The first section of Public Law 89-761 (16
U.S.C. 460u) is amended--
(A) in the first sentence--
(i) by striking ``National Lakeshore'' and
inserting ``National Park''; and
(ii) by striking ``(hereinafter referred to
as the `lakeshore')'' and inserting ``(referred
to in this Act as the `Park')''; and
(B) in the second sentence, by striking
``lakeshore'' and inserting ``Park''.
(2) Conforming amendments.--Sections 2 through 24 of Public
Law 89-761 (16 U.S.C. 460u-1 through 460u-24) are amended--
(A) by striking ``Lakeshore'' each place it appears
and inserting ``Park''; and
(B) by striking ``lakeshore'' each place it appears
and inserting ``Park''.
(b) References.--Any reference in any law, regulation, document,
record, map, or other paper of the United States to the Indiana Dunes
National Lakeshore shall be considered to be a reference to the
``Indiana Dunes National Park''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 115-526.
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