[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6730 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6730
To establish the Fort Presque Isle National Historic Site in the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 31, 2008
Mr. English of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania,
Mr. Fattah, Mr. Altmire, Mr. Peterson of Pennsylvania, Mr. Gerlach, Mr.
Sestak, Mr. Patrick J. Murphy of Pennsylvania, Mr. Shuster, Mr. Carney,
Mr. Kanjorski, Mr. Murtha, Ms. Schwartz, Mr. Doyle, Mr. Dent, Mr.
Pitts, Mr. Holden, Mr. Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania, Mr. Platts, and Mr.
Walsh of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Fort Presque Isle National Historic Site in the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FORT PRESQUE ISLE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, PENNSYLVANIA.
(a) Short Title; Findings and Purposes.--
(1) Short title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Fort
Presque Isle National Historic Site Act of 2008''.
(2) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
(A) Fort Presque Isle was a frontier outpost
located on Garrison Hill in the area of present-day
Erie, Pennsylvania, which was the site of the American
installations built in 1795 and 1796 and in the War of
1812.
(B) General Anthony Wayne was a Revolutionary War
hero who served under General George Washington and, at
one point, was commanding general of the United States
Army. He first arrived in the area of Presque Isle in
1786.
(C) Legend has it that General Wayne was nicknamed
``Mad'' by his troops, not for being rash or foolish,
but for his leadership and bravery on and off the
battlefield.
(D) The original blockhouse of Fort Presque Isle
was built in 1795 by 200 Federal troops from General
Wayne's army, under the direction of Captain John
Grubb. It was the first blockhouse used as part of a
defensive system established to counter Native American
uprisings. It was also used during the War of 1812.
(E) General Wayne was stricken ill at Fort Presque
Isle and died there in 1796. At his request, his body
was buried under the flagpole of the northwest
blockhouse of the fort.
(F) The original blockhouse of Fort Presque Isle
burned in 1852, and the existing structure was built by
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1880 as a memorial
to General Wayne.
(G) The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum
Commission has recognized the reconstructed blockhouse
as eligible for placement on the National Register of
Historic Places.
(3) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are the
following:
(A) To provide for reconstruction of the frontier
fort at Presque Isle for the benefit, inspiration, and
education of the people of the United States.
(B) To preserve the original grave site of General
``Mad'' Anthony Wayne at Fort Presque Isle.
(C) To broaden understanding of the historical
significance of Fort Presque Isle.
(b) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Historic site.--The term ``historic site'' means the
Fort Presque Isle National Historic Site established by
subsection (c).
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(c) Establishment of Fort Presque Isle National Historic Site.--
(1) Establishment.--There is established as a unit of the
National Park System the Fort Presque Isle National Historic
Site in Erie, Pennsylvania.
(2) Description.--
(A) In general.--The historic site shall consist of
land and improvements comprising the historic location
of Fort Presque Isle, including the existing blockhouse
replica at that location, as depicted on a map entitled
``____'', numbered ____ and dated ____, comprising
approximately ____ acres.
(B) Map and boundary description.--The map referred
to in subparagraph (A) and accompanying boundary
description shall be on file and available for public
inspection in the office of the Director of the
National Park Service and any other office of the
National Park Service that the Secretary determines to
be an appropriate location for filing the map and
boundary description.
(d) Administration of the Historic Site.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall administer the
historic site in accordance with this section and the
provisions of law generally applicable to units of the National
Park System, including the Act of August 25, 1916 (commonly
known as the National Park Service Organic Act; 16 U.S.C. 1 et
seq.), and the Act of August 21, 1935 (commonly known as the
Historic Sites, Buildings, and Antiquities Act; 16 U.S.C. 461
et seq.).
(2) Cooperative agreements.--To further the purposes of
this section, the Secretary may enter into a cooperative
agreement with any interested individual, public or private
agency, organization, or institution.
(3) Technical and preservation assistance.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary may provide to any
eligible person described in subparagraph (B) technical
assistance for the preservation of historic structures
of, the maintenance of the cultural landscape of, and
local preservation planning for, the historic site.
(B) Eligible persons.--The eligible persons
described in this subparagraph are--
(i) an owner of real property within the
boundary of the historic site, as described in
subsection (c)(2); and
(ii) any interested individual, agency,
organization, or institution that has entered
into an agreement with the Secretary pursuant
to paragraph (2) of this subsection.
(e) Acquisition of Real Property.--The Secretary may acquire by
donation, exchange, or purchase with funds made available by donation
or appropriation, such lands or interests in lands as may be necessary
to allow for the interpretation, preservation, or restoration of the
historic site.
(f) General Management Plan.--
(1) In general.--Not later than the last day of the third
full fiscal year beginning after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Secretary shall, in consultation with the officials
described in paragraph (2), prepare a general management plan
for the historic site.
(2) Consultation.--In preparing the general management
plan, the Secretary shall consult with an appropriate official
of each appropriate political subdivision of the State of
Pennsylvania that has jurisdiction over all or a portion of the
historic site.
(3) Submission of plan to congress.--Upon the completion of
the general management plan, the Secretary shall submit a copy
of the plan to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of
the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House
of Representatives.
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