Bill Details
HR.986 - 119th Congress
Status
Latest action
2025-02-05 - Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Introduced Date
2025-02-05
Policy Area
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Committees
View committees (1)
Sponsors
7
0
0
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would expand the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Vermont, update its official boundaries and land rules, and create a new National Park Service Stewardship Institute at the park. It would add more land to the park’s historic and protection areas, allow the government to acquire certain land in more flexible ways, and set rules for how the King Farm area can be used if it is acquired. The bill also directs the park to host a stewardship institute focused on conservation, learning, and sharing good practices across the National Park Service.
- The park boundary would be updated to match a new 2023 map, and the park would include the mansion, nearby buildings, part of Mt. Tom, the Billings Farm and Museum area, and the King Farm.
- The Secretary of the Interior could acquire land inside the park boundary by donation, purchase from a willing seller, transfer from another federal agency, or exchange.
- If the King Farm is acquired, the land must include access rights both to and from the park, and it could be used for farming, forestry, conservation, and education.
- The new National Park Service Stewardship Institute would be based at the park to support workshops, public programs, research, and sharing of best practices in conservation and resource stewardship.
Official Summaries
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Establishment Act Amendments Act of 2025
This bill expands the boundaries of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock, Vermont, allows the National Park Service (NPS) to acquire land within the boundaries through a variety of means, and provides statutory authority for the National Park Service Stewardship Institute, which is a program of the park.
Specifically, the bill expands the boundary of the park to include the King Farm.
The bill also allows the NPS to acquire lands within the park by purchasing, transferring, or exchanging land in addition to the current authorization to acquire land by donation.
The acquired King Farm land must include rights of access between the acquired land and the park. The acquired King Farm land may be used for certain agricultural, forestry, conservation, and educational purposes.
The bill also outlines the purposes of the National Park Service Stewardship Institute.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 986 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 986
To amend the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park
Establishment Act to expand the boundary of the Marsh-Billings-
Rockefeller National Historical Park in the State of Vermont, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 5, 2025
Ms. Balint introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park
Establishment Act to expand the boundary of the Marsh-Billings-
Rockefeller National Historical Park in the State of Vermont, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National
Historical Park Establishment Act Amendments Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. BOUNDARY EXPANSION.
Section 3 of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical
Park Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 410vv-1) is amended by striking
subsection (b) and inserting the following:
``(b) Boundaries; Map.--
``(1) Boundaries.--
``(A) In general.--The boundaries of the park shall
be as generally depicted on the map entitled `Marsh-
Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, Proposed
Boundary Revision', numbered 456/190,048, and dated
August 2023.
``(B) Inclusions.--The park shall include the
following:
``(i) A historic zone, including--
``(I) the Marsh-Billings-
Rockefeller Mansion;
``(II) surrounding buildings; and
``(III) a portion of the area known
as `Mt. Tom'.
``(ii) A protection zone, including the
area occupied by the Billings Farm and Museum.
``(iii) The King Farm, which shall be
divided between the historic zone described in
clause (i) and the protection zone described in
clause (ii), as determined by the Secretary to
be appropriate.
``(2) Availability of map.--The map described in paragraph
(1)(A) shall be on file and available for public inspection in
the appropriate offices of the National Park Service.''.
SEC. 3. ACQUISITION OF LAND.
Section 4 of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical
Park Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 410vv-2) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) by striking paragraphs (1) and (2) and
inserting the following:
``(1) In general.--The Secretary may acquire land or an
interest in land within the boundary of the park by--
``(A) donation;
``(B) purchase from a willing seller with donated
or appropriated funds;
``(C) transfer from a Federal agency; or
``(D) exchange.
``(2) King farm.--Acquisition by the Secretary of the land
described in section 3(b)(1)(B)(iii) shall include--
``(A) a right of access from the land acquired to
the park; and
``(B) a right of access to the land acquired from
the park.''; and
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``(3) The
Secretary'' and inserting the following:
``(3) Commercial operation.--The Secretary''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(e) King Farm.--On acquisition by the Secretary of the land
described in section 3(b)(1)(B)(iii), the acquired land may be used
for--
``(1) agricultural and forestry purposes, including the
growing and harvesting of crops and trees, animal husbandry,
and other agricultural operations customary in the State of
Vermont;
``(2) conservation purposes in a manner that preserves the
historic character of a working farm and forest; and
``(3) educational purposes relating to agriculture,
forestry, and conservation activities, including the study of
natural history.''.
SEC. 4. SCENIC ZONE.
Section 5(a) of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical
Park Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 410vv-3(a)) is amended by striking
```Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Scenic Zone Map'
and dated November 19, 1991'' and inserting ```Marsh-Billings-
Rockefeller National Historical Park, Proposed Boundary Revision',
numbered 456/190,048, and dated August 2023''.
SEC. 5. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE STEWARDSHIP INSTITUTE.
The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park
Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 410vv et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating sections 6 through 10 as sections 7
through 11, respectively; and
(2) by inserting after section 5 the following:
``SEC. 6. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE STEWARDSHIP INSTITUTE.
``(a) In General.--There is established at the park the National
Park Service Stewardship Institute (referred to in this Act as the
`Institute').
``(b) Purposes.--The purposes of the Institute are--
``(1) to highlight and encourage the advancement of
stewardship practices through workshops, public programs,
learning opportunities, and similar programming;
``(2) to create opportunities within the National Park
Service to identify and share innovation through research,
evaluation, and dialogue; and
``(3) to identify and exchange best practices and enhance
leadership capacity, partnership development, and community
engagement in the fields of conservation and resource
stewardship.
``(c) Administration.--The Institute shall be managed as a program
of the park.''.
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