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III. NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARKS

1. Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

An Act to establish and develop the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, and for other purposes. (84 Stat. 1978)

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act shall be known as the "Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Development Act".

DEFINITIONS

SEC. 2. As used in this Act

(a) "Park means the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, as herein established.

(b) "Canal" means the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, including its towpath.

(c) "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Interior. (d) "State" means any State, and includes the District of Columbia.

(e) "Local government" means any political subdivision of a State, including a county, municipality, city, town, township, or a school or other special district created pursuant to State law.

(f) "Person" means any individual, partnership, corporation, private nonprofit organization, or club.

(g) "Landowner" means any person, local government, or State owning, or on reasonable grounds professing to own, lands or interests in lands adjacent to or in the vicinity of the park.

ESTABLISHMENT OF PARK

SEC. 3. (a) In order to preserve and interpret the historic and scenic features of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and to develop the potential of the canal for public recreation, including such restoration as may be needed, there is hereby established the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, in the States of Maryland and West Virginia and in the District of Columbia. The park as initially established shall comprise those particular properties in Federal ownership, containing approximately five thousand two hundred and fifty acres, including those properties along the line of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in the State of Maryland and appurtenances in the State of West Virginia designated as the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Monument, and those properties along the line of the Chesapeake and

Ohio Canal between Rock Creek in the District of Columbia and the terminus of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Monument near the mouth of Seneca Creek in the State of Maryland. The boundaries of the park shall be as generally depicted on the drawing entitled "Boundary Map, Proposed Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park," in five sheets, numbered CHOH 91,000, and dated October 1969, which is on file and available for public inspection in the offices of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior: Provided, That no lands owned by any State shall be included in the boundaries of the park

or

(1) unless they are donated to the United States,

(2) until a written cooperative agreement is negotiated by the Secretary which assures the administration of such lands in accordance with established administrative policies for national parks, and

(3) until the terms and conditions of such donation or cooperative agreement have been forwarded to the Committees on Interior and Insular Affairs of the United States House of Representatives and Senate at least sixty days prior to being executed. The exact boundaries of the park shall be established, published, and otherwise publicized within eighteen months after the date of this Act and the owners of property other than property lying between the canal and the Potomac River shall be notified within said period as to the extent of their property included in the park.

(b) Within the boundaries of the park, the Secretary is authorized to acquire lands and interests therein by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange, but he shall refrain from acquiring, for two years from the date of the enactment of this Act, any lands designated on the boundary map for acquisition by any State if he has negotiated and consummated a written cooperative agreement with such State pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS

SEC. 4. The Secretary shall take into account comprehensive local or State development, land use, or recreational plans effecting or relating to areas in the vicinity of the canal, and shall, wherever practicable, consistent with the purposes of this Act, exercise the authority granted by this Act in a manner which he finds will not conflict with such local or State plans.

ACCESS

SEC. 5. (a) The enactment of this Act shall not affect adversely any valid rights heretofore existing, or any

valid permits heretofore issued, within or relating to areas authorized for inclusion in the park.

(b) Other uses of park lands, and utility, highway, and railway crossings, may be authorized under permit by the Secretary, if such uses and crossings are not in conflict with the purposes of the park and are in accord with any requirements found necessary to preserve park values.

(c) Authority is hereby granted for individuals to cross the park by foot at locations designated by the Secretary for the purpose of gaining access to the Potomac River or to non-Federal lands for hunting purposes: Provided, That while such individuals are within the boundaries of the park firearms shall be unloaded, bows unstrung, and dogs on leash.

ADVISORY COMMISSION

SEC. 6. (a) There is hereby established a Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission (hereafter in this section referred to as the "Commission").

(b) The Commission shall be composed of nineteen members appointed by the Secretary for terms of five years each, as follows:"

(1) Eight members to be appointed from recommendations submitted by the boards of commissioners or the county councils, as the case may be, of Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, and Allegany Counties, Maryland, of which two members shall be appointed from recommendations submitted by each such board or council, as the case may be;

(2) Eight members to be appointed from recommendations submitted by the Governor of the State of Maryland, the Governor of the State of West Virginia, the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the Commissioner of the District of Columbia, of which two members shall be appointed from recommendations submitted by each such Governor or Commissioner, as the case may be; and

(3) Three members to be appointed by the Secretary, one of whom shall be designated Chairman of the Commission and two of whom shall be members of regularly constituted conservation organizations. (c) Any vacancy in the Commission shall be filed in the same manner in which the original appointment was made.

(d) Members of the Commission shall serve without compensation, as such, but the Secretary is authorized to pay, upon vouchers signed by the Chairman, the expenses reasonably incurred by the Commission and its members in carrying out their responsibilities under this Act.

(e) The Secretary, or his designee, shall from time to time but at least annually, meet and consult with the Commission on general policies and specific matters related to the administration and development of the park. (f) The Commission shall act and advise by affirmative vote of a majority of the members thereof.

(g) The Commission shall cease to exist ten years from the effective date of this Act.

ADMINISTRATION AND APPROPRIATIONS

SEC. 7. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park shall be administered by the Secretary of the Interior in accordance with the Act of August 25, 1916 (30 Stat. 535; 16 U.S.C. 1, 2-4), as amended and supplemented.

SEC. 8. (a) Any funds that may be available for purposes of administration of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal property may hereafter be used by the Secretary for the purposes of the park.

(b) There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act, not to exceed $20,400,000 for land acquisition and not to exceed $17,000,000 (1970 prices) for development, plus or minus such amounts, if any, as may be justified by reason of ordinary fluctuations in construction costs as indicated by engineering cost indices applicable to the types of construction involved herein.

Approved January 8, 1971.

Legislative History

House Report No. 91-1553 (Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs). Senate Report No. 91-1512 (Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs). Congressional Record, Vol. 116 (1970):

Oct. 5, considered and passed House.

Dec. 22, considered and passed Senate.

2. Colonial

An Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire certain properties within the Colonial National Historical Park, in Yorktown, Virginia, and for other purposes. (81 Stat. 176)

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, in order to permit acquisition of the Thomas Nelson House, the Edmund Smith House, the John Ballard House, and the Thomas Pate House, all of which are located within the boundaries of the Colonial National Historical Park on lots numbered 42A, 44 through 55, 84, 85, and 120 through 129, and known as the George Waller Blow Estate, the appropriation authorization in section 4 of the Act of July 3, 1930, as amended (46 Stat. 1490), is amended by deleting "$2,000,000" and substituting "$2,777,000".

Approved August 29, 1967.

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