Vicksburg National Military Park Expansion: Grant's Canal

Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2437) to authorize the acquisition of certain lands in the States of Louisiana and Mississippi for inclusion in the Vicksburg National Military Park, and for other purposes, as amended.

The Clerk read as follows:

S. 2437

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

TITLE I - VICKSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK

SEC 101. ADDITION OF LANDS TO VICKSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK

(a) GRANT'S CANAL, LOUISIANA.-The Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter in this title referred to as the "Secretary") is authorized to acquire by donation, exchange, or purchase with donated or appropriated funds, approximately two and five-tenths acres of land in Madison Parish, Louisiana, known generally as the Grant's Canal property.

(b) WARREN COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI.-

 

(1) The Secretary is authorized to acquire by donation approximately two and eighty-two one-hundredths acres of land adjacent to the entrance of Vicksburg National Military Park owned by Warren County, Mississippi.

(2) The Secretary may contribute, in cash or services, to the relocation and construction of a maintenance facility to replace the facility located on the land to be donated, all in accordance with an agreement between the Secretary and the Board of Supervisors.

(3) The Secretary is authorized to restore and landscape the property acquired pursuant to this subsection.

 

(c) BOUNDARY REVISION.-Upon acquisition of the properties referred to in subsections (a) and (b), the Secretary shall, after the publication of notice in the Federal Register, revise the boundary of Vicksburg National Military Park (hereinafter in this title referred to as the "park") to reflect the inclusion of such properties within the park.

SEC. 102. EXCLUSION OF LANDS FROM PARK

(a) EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN LANDS.- The park boundary is hereby revised to exclude those lands depicted as "Proposed Deletions" on the map entitled "Vicksburg National Military Park" numbered 306-80,007 and dated May 1990, which map shall be on file and available for public inspection In the Office of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Exclusive jurisdiction over the lands excluded from the park is hereby retroceded to the State of Mississippi.

(b) TRANSFER To ADJACENT OWNERS.-

 

(1) For a period ending four years after the date of enactment of this title and subject to the provisions of paragraph (2), the Secretary is authorized to convey title to all or part of the lands referred to in subsection (a) to an owner of property adjacent to such lands, upon the application of such owner.

(2) No property shall be conveyed unless the application referred to in paragraph (1) is accompanied by a payment in an amount equal to

 

(A) the fair market value of the land to be conveyed; and

(B) the administrative costs of such transfer incurred by the Secretary, including the costs of surveys, appraisals and filing and recording fees.

 

(c) EXCESS PROPERTY.- Any lands not conveyed pursuant to subsection (b) shall be reported to the Administrator of General Services as excess to the needs of the Department of the Interior and shall be subject to transfer or disposition in accordance with the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended.

SEC. 103. PARK INTERPRETATION

In administering Vicksburg National Military Park, the Secretary shall interpret the campaign and siege of Vicksburg from April 1862 to July 4, 1863, and the history of Vicksburg under Union occupation during the Civil War and Reconstruction.

SEC. 104. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS

There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this title.