President John F. Kennedy (seated at desk) signs a bill to establish the Padre Island National Seashore in Texas. Standing (L-R): Senator Frank E. Moss (Utah); unidentified (in back, mostly hidden); Representative J. T. Rutherford, Senator Ralph W. Yarborough, and Representative John Young, all of Texas; Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson; Senator Alan Bible (Nevada); unidentified; Representative John Kyl (Iowa); unidentified; Representative Joe M. Kilgore (Texas).
Robert Knudsen. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston
In 1962, Public Law 87-712 provided for the establishment of Padre Island National Seashore. The text of that law, which is referred to as the park's Enabling Legislation, can be read below. It can also be accessed in its original formatting from the United States Congress.
Public Law 87-712
AN ACT
To provide for the establishment of the Padre Island National Seashore.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in order to save and preserve, for purposes of public recreation, benefit, and inspiration, a portion of the diminishing seashore of the United States that remains undeveloped, the Secretary of the Interior shall take appropriate action in the public interest toward the establishment of the following described lands and waters as the Padre Island National Seashore: Beginning at a point one statute mile northerly of North Bird Island on the easterly line of the Intracoastal Waterway; thence due east to a point on Padre Island one statute mile west of the mean high water line of the Gulf of Mexico; thence southwesterly paralleling the said mean high water line of the Gulf of Mexico a distance of about three and five-tenths statute miles; thence due east to the two-fathom line on the east side of Padre Island as depicted on United States Coast and Geodetic Survey chart numbered 1286; thence along the said two-fathom line on the east side of Padre Island as depicted on United States Coast and Geodetic Survey charts numbered 1286, 1287, and 1288 to the Willacy-Cameron County line extended; thence westerly along said county line to a point 1,500 feet west of the mean high water line of the Gulf of Mexico as that line was determined by the survey of J. S. Boyles and is depicted on sections 9 and 10 of the map entitled "Survey of Padre Island made for the office of the Attorney General of the State of Texas", dated August 7 to 11,1941, and August 11,13, and 14, 1941, respectively; thence northerly along a line parallel to said survey line of J . S. Boyles and distant therefrom 1,500 feet west to a point on the centerline of the Port Mansfield Channel; thence westerly along said centerline to a point three statute miles west of the said two-fathom line; thence northerly parallel with said two-fathom line to 27 degrees 20 minutes north latitude; thence westerly along said latitude to the easterly line of the Intracoastal Waterway; thence northerly following the easterly line of the Intracoastal Waterway as indicated by channel markers in the Laguna Madre to the point of beginning.
SEC. 2. (a) The Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter referred to as the "Secretary") is authorized to acquire by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, condemnation, transfer from any Federal agency, exchange, or otherwise, the land, waters, and other property, and improvements thereon and any interest therein, within the areas described in the first section of this Act or which lie within the boundaries of the seashore as established under section 3 of this Act (hereinafter referred to as "such area"). Any property, or interest therein, owned by the State of Texas or political subdivision thereof may be acquired only with the concurrence of such owner. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any Federal property located within such area may, with the concurrence of the agency having custody thereof, be transferred without consideration to the administrative jurisdiction of the Secretary for use by him in carrying out the provisions of this Act.
(b) The Secretary is authorized to pay for any acquisitions which he makes by purchase under this Act their fair market value, as determined by the Secretary, who may in his discretion base his determination on an independent appraisal obtained by him.
(c) In exercising his authority to acquire property by exchange, the Secretary may accept title to any non-Federal property located within such area and convey to the grantor of such property any federally owned property under the jurisdiction of the Secretary within such area. The properties so exchanged shall be approximately equal in fair market value: Provided, That the Secretary may accept cash from or pay cash to the grantor in such an exchange in order to equalize the values of the properties exchanged.
SEC. 3. (a) As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act and following the acquisition by the Secretary of an acreage in the area described in section 1 of this Act, that is in the opinion of the Secretary efficiently administrable to carry out the purposes of this Act, the Secretary shall establish the area as a national seashore by the publication of notice thereof in the Federal Register.
(b) Such notice referred to in subsection (a) of this section shall contain a detailed description of the boundaries of the seashore which shall encompass an area as nearly as practicable identical to the area described in section 1 of this Act. The Secretary shall forthwith after the date of publication of such notice in the Federal Register (1) send a copy of such notice, together with a map showing such boundaries, by registered or certified mail to the Governor of the State and to the governing body of each of the political subdivisions involved; (2) cause a copy of such notice and map to be published in one or more newspapers which circulate in each of the localities; and (3) cause a certified copy of such notice, a copy of such map, and a copy of this Act to be recorded at the registry of deeds for the county involved.
SEC. 4. (a) When acquiring land, waters, or interests therein, the Secretary shall permit a reservation by the grantor of all or any part of the oil and gas minerals in such land or waters and of other minerals therein which can be removed by similar means, with the right of occupation and use of so much of the surface of the land or waters as may be required for all purposes reasonably incident to the mining or removal of such from beneath the surface of these lands and waters and the lands and waters adjacent thereto, under such regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary with respect to such mining or removal.
(b) Any acquisition hereunder shall exclude and shall not diminish any right of occupation or use of the surface under grants, leases, or easements existing on April 11, 1961, which are reasonably necessary for the exploration, development, production, storing, processing, or transporting of oil and gas minerals that are removed from outside the boundaries of the national seashore and the Secretary may grant additional rights of occupation or use of the surface for the purposes aforesaid upon the terms and under such regulations as may be prescribed by him.
SEC. 5. Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the property acquired by the Secretary under this Act shall be administered by the Secretary, subject to the provisions of the Act entitled "An Act to establish a National Park Service and for other purposes", approved August 25,1916 (39 Stat. 535), as amended and supplemented, and in accordance with other laws of general application relating to the areas administered and supervised by the Secretary through the National Park Service; except that authority otherwise available to the Secretary for the conservation and management of natural resources may be utilized to the extent he finds such authority will further the purposes of this Act.
SEC. 6. The Secretary may provide for roadways from the north and south boundaries or such public recreation area to the access highways from the mainland to Padre Island.
SEC. 7. The Secretary of the Interior shall enter into such administrative agreements with the Secretary of the Navy as the Secretary of the Navy may deem necessary to assure that the Secretary of the Interior will not exercise any authority granted by this Act so as to interfere with the use by the Department of the Navy of any aerial gunnery or bombing range located in the vicinity of Padre Island.
SEC. 8. There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act; except that no more than $5,000,000 shall be appropriated for the acquisition of land and waters and improvements thereon, and interests therein, and incidental costs relating thereto, in accordance with the provisions of this Act.
Approved September 28, 1962, 12:40 p.m.
Timeline of Legislative History
Hearings held in Corpus Christi before the Subcommittee on Public Lands of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, U. S. Senate First Session on S. 4. A bill to provide for the Establishment of the Padre Island National Park in the State of Texas.
National Park Service Summary of Hearings at Corpus Christi with statements on the proposal.
Senate S. 2010 Amendment (in the nature of a substitute) authorizing the Secretary of Interior to take appropriate action in the public interest toward the establishment of three National Seashores set forth in Section 2 of this Act. Then following in this bill narrates the limits and boundaries set to Padre Island.
Senate S. 4 legislation establishing authority to the Secretary of the Interior to establish Padre Island National Seashore, its boundaries, payment, present or made facilities, and other particulars involved. (This is the complete package covering legislation and Act.)
Hearing by Senate Subcommittee of Public Lands of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs in Washington. Submission of final official bill with official report of Department of the Interior concerning the provision for the establishment of Padre Island National Seashore.
Second Session S. 4 - a Bill to provide for the Establishment of the Padre Island National Park in the State of Texas, Part 2.
Report together with Minority Views to accompany S.4. Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, to whom was referred the Bill (S. 4) to provide for the Establishment of the Padre Island National Seashore, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with Amendments and recommend that the Bill as amended does pass.
Hearing on Senate Subcommittee of Public Lands of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. Submission of final official bill with official report of Department of the Interior concerning the provision of the Establishment of Padre Island National Seashore.
Whole Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the House of Representatives submitted Bill S. 4 to provide for Establishment of the Padre Island National Seashore report favorably thereon with Amendment and recommend that the Bill pass, Amendment follows.
Congressional Record, Remarks from Congressman Kyle from Iowa. He presents a picture of the Natural History of the Island, its possibilities for use and the need to put on record that roads not be built the length of the Island as they would destroy the significance of area as recreational and ecological study area and area of significance for most of the people.
Public Law 87-712, 87th Congress, by both Senate and House of Representatives, S. 4 an Act to provide for the Establishment follows...
Authorizing the appropriation of funds for Padre Island National Seashore, Texas. Report on H. R. 17787. The House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs authorized the appropriation of funds for Padre Island National Seashore which reacted favorably thereon with an Amendment.
Authorizing the appropriation of funds for Padre Island National Seashore, Texas, by Senate Committee of Interior and Insular Affairs. Purpose of H.R. 17787 is to authorize the appropriation of funds sufficient to satisfy a Judgment against the United States in a Condemnation Action (Civil No. 60-0-54) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. The action was instituted to acquire land needed for the Padre Island National Seashore.
Public Law 90-5911 of 90th Congress, H.R. 17788 - An Act to authorize the appropriation of funds for Padre Island National Seashore in the State of Texas. This includes all figures exclusive of amounts of Tract No. 7 rendered against the U.S. in civil action, No. 65-C-54, approved and passed.
Letter sent to the Speaker of the House for authorization of appropriation of funds for Padre Island National Seashore. Letter lists the particulars with all costs, submitted by the Under Secretary of the Interior.
Letter sent to the President of the United States with a draft of the proposed bill to authorize the appropriation of funds for Padre Island National Seashore in the State of Texas. This recommends that the bill be referred to appropriate committee for consideration. Sent by the Secretary of the Interior.
Bill authorizing the appropriation of funds for Padre Island National Seashore in the State of Texas and for other purposes. The House Committee of Interior and Insular Affairs to whom Bill H.R. 11069 was referred acted favorably with Amendments and recommended the Bill pass. H. R. 11069 is to authorize appropriation of funds to satisfy a Judgement against the United States in a Condemnation Action (Civil No. 66-B-1).
Authorizing the appropriation of funds for Padre Island National Seashore in the State of Texas, and for other purposes. The Senate Committee acted favorably with Amendment and recommended the Bill pass. This was in regard to Civil No. 66-B-1.
Wilderness Hearings at Brownsville, Texas, Transcript and Statements.
Wilderness Hearings at Corpus Christi, Texas, with Transcript and Statements.
Last updated: February 9, 2024
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Contact Info
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 181300
Corpus Christi,
TX
78480
Phone:
(361) 949-8068
Malaquite Visitor Center information line.
