[House Report 113-687]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
113th Congress} { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 113-687
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BLACKSTONE RIVER VALLEY NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK ESTABLISHMENT ACT
_______
December 22, 2014.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Hastings of Washington, from the Committee on Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 706]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 706) to establish the Blackstone River Valley
National Historical Park, to dedicate the Park to John H.
Chafee, and for other purposes, having considered the same,
report favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that
the bill as amended do pass.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Blackstone River Valley National
Historical Park Establishment Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) National heritage corridor.--The term ``National Heritage
Corridor'' means the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley
National Heritage Corridor.
(2) Park.--The term ``Park'' means the Blackstone River
Valley National Historical Park established under section 3.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of
the Interior.
(4) States.--The term ``States'' means--
(A) the State of Massachusetts; and
(B) the State of Rhode Island.
SEC. 3. BLACKSTONE RIVER VALLEY NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK.
(a) Establishment.--There is established in the States a unit of the
National Park System, to be known as the ``Blackstone River Valley
National Historical Park''.
(b) Historic Sites and Districts.--The Park may include--
(1) Blackstone River State Park; and
(2) the following resources, as described in Management
Option 3 of the study entitled ``Blackstone River Valley
Special Resource Study--Study Report 2011'':
(A) Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark
District.
(B) Slatersville Historic District.
(C) Ashton Historic District.
(D) Whitinsville Historic District.
(E) Hopedale Village Historic District.
(F) Blackstone River and the tributaries of
Blackstone River.
(G) Blackstone Canal.
(c) Acquisition of Land; Park Boundary.--
(1) Land acquisition.--The Secretary may acquire land or
interests in land in the historic sites and districts described
in subsection (b)(2) for inclusion in the Park boundary by
donation or exchange.
(2) Park boundary.--On a determination by the Secretary that
a sufficient quantity of land or interests in land has been
acquired to constitute a manageable park unit, the Secretary
may establish a boundary for the Park by publishing a boundary
map in the Federal Register.
(3) Boundary adjustment.--On the acquisition of additional
land or interests in land under paragraph (1), the boundary of
the Park shall be adjusted to reflect the acquisition by
publishing a Park boundary map in the Federal Register.
(4) Availability of map.--The maps referred to in this
subsection shall be available for public inspection in the
appropriate offices of the National Park Service.
(5) Written consent of the owner.--No non-Federal property
may be included in the Park without the written consent of the
owner.
(6) Limitation.--Land owned by the States or a political
subdivision of the States may be acquired under this subsection
only by donation.
(d) Administration.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall administer land within
the boundary of the Park in accordance with--
(A) this section; and
(B) the laws generally applicable to units of the
National Park System, including--
(i) the National Park Service Organic Act (16
U.S.C. 1 et seq.); and
(ii) the Act of August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C.
461 et seq.).
(2) General management plan.--
(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 prepare a general
management plan for the Park--
(i) in consultation with the States and other
interested parties; and
(ii) in accordance with section 12(b) of the
National Park System General Authorities Act
(16 U.S.C. 1a-7(b)).
(B) Requirements.--The plan shall consider ways to
use preexisting or planned visitor facilities and
recreational opportunities developed in the National
Heritage Corridor, including--
(i) the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center,
Pawtucket, Rhode Island;
(ii) the Captain Wilbur Kelly House,
Blackstone River State Park, Lincoln, Rhode
Island;
(iii) the Museum of Work and Culture,
Woonsocket, Rhode Island;
(iv) the River Bend Farm/Blackstone River and
Canal Heritage State Park, Uxbridge,
Massachusetts;
(v) the Worcester Blackstone Visitor Center,
located at the former Washburn & Moen wire mill
facility, Worcester, Massachusetts;
(vi) the Route 295 Visitor Center adjacent to
Blackstone River State Park; and
(vii) the Blackstone River Bikeway.
(3) Technical assistance.--The Secretary may provide
technical assistance to State, local, or tribal governments,
organizations, or individuals for the management,
interpretation, and historic preservation of historically
significant Blackstone River Valley resources not included
within the Park.
(4) Cooperative agreements.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary may enter into
cooperative agreements to carry out this Act.
(B) Matching requirement.--The Secretary shall
require that any Federal funds made available under a
cooperative agreement entered into under this paragraph
are to be matched on a 1-to-1 basis by non-Federal
funds.
(C) Reimbursement.--Any payment made by the Secretary
under subparagraph (A) shall be subject to an agreement
that the conversion, use, or disposal of the project
for purposes that are inconsistent with the purposes of
this section, as determined by the Secretary, shall
result in a right of the United States to reimbursement
of the greater of--
(i) the amount provided by the Secretary to
the project under subparagraph (A); or
(ii) an amount equal to the increase in the
value of the project that is attributable to
the funds, as determined by the Secretary at
the time of the conversion, use, or disposal.
(D) Public access.--Any cooperative agreement entered
into under this paragraph shall provide for reasonable
public access to the resources covered by the
cooperative agreement.
(e) Dedication; Memorial.--
(1) In general.--Congress dedicates the Park to John H.
Chafee, the former United States Senator from Rhode Island, in
recognition of--
(A) the role of John H. Chafee in the preservation of
the resources of the Blackstone River Valley and the
heritage corridor that bears the name of John H.
Chafee; and
(B) the decades of the service of John H. Chafee to
the people of Rhode Island and the United States.
(2) Memorial.--The Secretary shall display a memorial at an
appropriate location in the Park that recognizes the role of
John H. Chafee in preserving the resources of the Blackstone
River Valley for the people of the United States.
(f) No Use of Condemnation.--The Secretary may not acquire by
condemnation any land or interest in land under this Act for the
purposes of this Act.
(g) No Buffer Zone Created.--Nothing in this Act, the establishment
of the Park, or the management plan for the Park shall be construed to
create buffer zones outside of the Park. That activities or uses can be
seen, heard, or detected from areas within the Park shall not preclude,
limit, control, regulate, or determine the conduct or management of
activities or uses outside of the Park.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 706 is to establish the Blackstone
River Valley National Historical Park and to dedicate the Park
to John H. Chafee.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor was
established by Public Law 99-647 in 1986 to preserve and
interpret the unique and significant contributions to our
national heritage of historic and cultural lands, waterways,
and structures within the Blackstone River Valley in
Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The Corridor is considered the
origin of America's textile industry and influenced the course
of the American industrial revolution.
In 2011, the National Park Service completed a special
resource study which identified the industrial heritage
resources of the Blackstone River Valley and determined that
the Corridor contained nationally significant resources which
were suitable and feasible for inclusion in the National Park
System. H.R. 706 establishes the Blackstone River Valley
National Historical Park.
The Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park would
encompass much of the area within the Corridor in both Rhode
Island and Massachusetts, including the Blackstone River and
its tributaries; the Blackstone Canal; the non-contiguous
historic districts of Old Slater Mill in Pawtucket, the
villages of Slatersville (in North Smithfield) and Ashton (in
Cumberland), Rhode Island; and Whitinsville (in Northbridge)
and Hopedale in Massachusetts.
During Full Committee markup of the bill, an amendment was
adopted to remove language that would reauthorize and expand
the existing heritage area. The amendment also added private
property right protections, which include requiring written
consent from property owners before their land could be
included in the park boundaries and prohibiting the creation of
buffer zones. Land acquisition is limited to donation or
exchange only and condemnation is specifically prohibited.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 706 was introduced on February 14, 2013, by
Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI). The bill was referred to
the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to
the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation.
On July 23, 2013, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill.
On September 18, 2014, the Full Natural Resources Committee met
to consider the bill. The Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Environmental Regulation was discharged by unanimous consent.
Congressman Doc Hastings (R-WA) offered an amendment designated
#1 to the bill; the amendment was adopted by unanimous consent.
The bill, as amended, was then adopted and ordered favorably
reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous consent.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII
1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the
Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and
a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be
incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(2)(B)
of that rule provides that this requirement does not apply when
the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted
cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Under clause 3(c)(3) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section
403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has
received the following cost estimate for this bill from the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office:
H.R. 706--Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park
Establishment Act
H.R. 706 would establish the Blackstone River Valley
National Historical Park in and around the existing Blackstone
River Valley National Heritage Corridor in the states of
Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Under the legislation, land for
the proposed park unit could only be acquired through donation
or exchange.
Based on information provided by the National Park Service
(NPS), CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $8
million over the 2015-2019 period, assuming appropriation of
the necessary amounts. That estimate includes costs to
rehabilitate sites and operate the new historical park and
assumes the park would consist of approximately 1,400 acres.
Those costs would vary depending on the acreage acquired for
the park. Pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply to this
legislation because it would not affect direct spending or
revenues.
H.R. 706 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act; any
costs incurred by state, local, or tribal governments,
including matching contributions, would result from
participation in a voluntary federal program.
On June 20, 2013, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S.
371, the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park
Establishment Act, as ordered reported by the Senate Committee
on Energy and Natural Resources on May 16, 2013. The two bills
have one major difference: H.R. 706 would authorize NPS to
acquire land only through donation or exchange, while S. 371
would authorize NPS to use appropriated funds to acquire land.
Therefore, CBO estimates that the land acquired under H.R. 706
would be roughly half the size of the land acquired under S.
371. CBO estimated that implementing S. 371 would cost about
$26 million over the 2015-2019 period because the NPS would
purchase more land for the park and the larger size of the park
would require more operating and rehabilitation spending than
under H.R. 706.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Martin von
Gnechten. The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
2. Section 308(a) of Congressional Budget Act. As required
by clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives and section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget
Act of 1974, this bill does not contain any new budget
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in
revenues or tax expenditures. CBO estimates that implementing
the bill would cost $8 million over the 2015-2019 period,
assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts.
3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or
objective of this bill is to establish the Blackstone River
Valley National Historical Park and to dedicate the Park to
John H. Chafee.
EARMARK STATEMENT
This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of
the House of Representatives.
COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4
This bill contains no unfunded mandates.
COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5
Directed Rule Making. The Chairman does not believe that
this bill directs any executive branch official to conduct any
specific rule-making proceedings.
Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not
establish or reauthorize a program of the federal government
known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was
not included in any report from the Government Accountability
Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139
or identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program
Information Act (Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law
98-169) as relating to other programs.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW
This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or
tribal law.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing
law.