[106th Congress Public Law 271]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
<DOC>
[DOCID: f:publ271.106]
CORINTH BATTLEFIELD PRESERVATION ACT OF 2000
Public Law 106-271
106th Congress
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. <<NOTE: Sept. 22, 2000 - [S.
1117]>>
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress <<NOTE: Corinth Battlefield
Preservation Act of 2000.>> assembled,
SECTION 1. <<NOTE: 16 USC 430f-6 note.>> SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Corinth Battlefield Preservation Act
of 2000''.
SEC. 2. <<NOTE: 16 USC 430f-6.>> 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;
(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. <<NOTE: 16 USC 430f-7.>> DEFINITIONS.
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. <<NOTE: 16 USC 430f-8.>> ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIT.
(a) In General.--There is established in the States of Mississippi
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
nonprofit 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 available for
public inspection in the office of the Director of the National Park
Service.
SEC. 5. <<NOTE: 16 USC 430f-9.>> LAND ACQUISITION.
(a) In General.--The Secretary may acquire land and interests in
land within the boundary of the Park as depicted on the Map, by--
(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);
(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''.
SEC. 6. <<NOTE: 16 USC 430f-10.>> 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 operations 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
conservation 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 historically significant Civil War resources in
the area in and around the city of Corinth, to--
(A) the State of Mississippi (including a political
subdivision of the State);
(B) the State of Tennessee (including a political
subdivision of the State);
(C) a governmental entity;
(D) a nonprofit organization; and
(E) a private property owner.
(d) Resources Outside the Unit.--Nothing in subsection (c)(2)
authorizes the Secretary to own or manage any resource outside the Unit.
SEC. 7. <<NOTE: 16 USC 430f-11.>> AUTHORIZATION OF SPECIAL RESOURCE
STUDY.
(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 Tennessee 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
subdivision of the State);
(B) the State of Tennessee (including a political
subdivision 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
associated with the alternatives identified under this
subsection, including--
(A) acquisition;
(B) development;
(C) interpretation;
(D) operation; and
(E) maintenance.
(c) Report.--Not <<NOTE: Deadline.>> later than 1 year and 180 days
after the 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
Representatives.
SEC. 8. <<NOTE: 16 USC 430f-12.>> 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 Resources).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
Vol. 145 (1999):
Nov. 19, considered and passed
Senate.
Vol. 146 (2000):
Sept. 12, considered and passed
House.
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