[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3641 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3641
To establish Pinnacles National Park in the State of California as a
unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 13, 2011
Mr. Farr (for himself and Mr. Denham) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish Pinnacles National Park in the State of California as a
unit of the National Park System, 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 ``Pinnacles National Park Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Pinnacles National Monument was established by
Presidential Proclamation 796 on January 16, 1908, for the
purposes of protecting its rock formations, and expanded by
Presidential Proclamation 1660 of May 7, 1923; Presidential
Proclamation 1704 of July 2, 1924; Presidential Proclamation
1948 of April 13, 1931; Presidential Proclamation 2050 of July
11, 1933; Presidential Proclamation 2528 of December 5, 1941;
Public Law 94-567; and Presidential Proclamation 7266 of
January 11, 2000.
(2) While the extraordinary geology of Pinnacles National
Monument has attracted and enthralled visitors for well over a
century, the expanded Monument now serves a critical role in
protecting other important natural and cultural resources and
ecological processes. This expanded role merits recognition
through legislation.
(3) Pinnacles National Monument provides the best remaining
refuge for floral and fauna species representative of the
central California coast and Pacific coast range, including 32
species holding special Federal or State status, not only
because of its multiple ecological niches but also because of
its long-term protected status with 14,500 acres of
Congressionally designated wilderness.
(4) Pinnacles National Monument encompasses a unique blend
of California heritage from prehistoric and historic Native
Americans to the arrival of the Spanish, followed by 18th and
19th century settlers, including miners, cowboys, vaqueros,
ranchers, farmers, and homesteaders.
(5) Pinnacles National Monument is the only National Park
System site within the ancestral home range of the California
Condor. The reintroduction of the condor to its traditional
range in California is important to the survival of the
species, and as a result, the scientific community with centers
at the Los Angeles Zoo and San Diego Zoo in California and
Buenos Aires Zoo in Argentina looks to Pinnacles National
Monument as a leader in California Condor recovery, and as an
international partner for condor recovery in South America.
(6) The preservation, enhancement, economic and tourism
potential and management of the central California coast and
Pacific coast range's important natural and cultural resources
requires cooperation and partnerships among local property
owners, Federal, State, and local government entities and the
private sector.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF PINNACLES NATIONAL PARK.
(a) Establishment and Purpose.--There is hereby established
Pinnacles National Park in the State of California for the purposes
of--
(1) preserving and interpreting for the benefit of future
generations the chaparral, grasslands, blue oak woodlands, and
majestic valley oak savanna ecosystems of the area, the area's
geomorphology, riparian watersheds, unique flora and fauna, and
the ancestral and cultural history of native Americans,
settlers and explorers; and
(2) interpreting the recovery program for the California
Condor and the international significance of the program.
(b) Boundaries.--The boundaries of Pinnacles National Park are as
generally depicted on the map entitled ``Pinnacles National Park
Proposed Designation Change'', numbered 114/111,724, and dated December
2011. The map shall be on file and available for public inspection in
the appropriate offices of the National Park Service.
(c) Abolishment of Current Pinnacles National Monument.--
(1) In general.--In light of the establishment of Pinnacles
National Park, Pinnacles National Monument is hereby abolished
and the lands and interests therein are incorporated within and
made part of Pinnacles National Park. Any funds available for
purposes of the monument shall be available for purposes of the
park.
(2) References.--Any references in law (other than in this
Act), regulation, document, record, map or other paper of the
United States to Pinnacles National Monument shall be
considered a reference to Pinnacles National Park.
(d) Administration.--The Secretary of the Interior shall administer
Pinnacles National Park in accordance with this Act and laws generally
applicable to units of the National Park System, including the National
Park Service Organic Act (16 U.S.C. 1, 2-4).
(e) Land Acquisition.--The Secretary of the Interior may acquire
land or interests in land within the boundaries of Pinnacles National
Park by donation, transfer, purchase with donated or appropriated
funds, or exchange.
SEC. 4. REDESIGNATION OF PINNACLES WILDERNESS AS HAIN WILDERNESS AND
EXPANSION OF WILDERNESS.
(a) Redesignation.--Subsection (i) of the first section of Public
Law 94-567 (90 Stat. 2693; 16 U.S.C. 1132 note) is amended by striking
``Pinnacles Wilderness'' and inserting ``Hain Wilderness''. Any
reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record
of the United States to the Pinnacles Wilderness shall be deemed to be
a reference to the Hain Wilderness.
(b) Expansion.--Certain lands comprising approximately 2,905 acres,
as generally depicted on a map entitled ``Proposed Wilderness Additions
to the Proposed Pinnacles National Park'', numbered 114/106, 106, and
dated November 2010, are hereby designated as wilderness and,
therefore, as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation
System and are hereby incorporated in and shall be deemed to be a part
of the Hain Wilderness, as redesignated by subsection (a).
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be
necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.
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