[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4525 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4525
To establish the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial National Historical
Park in the State of Illinois, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 13, 2022
Ms. Duckworth introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial National Historical
Park in the State of Illinois, 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 ``Prairie du Rocher French Colonial
National Historical Park Establishment Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) Prairie du Rocher and the French Colonial Historic
District are the finest historical and architectural examples
of French colonial heritage in the United States;
(2) in 1966, Fort de Chartres and the Modoc Rock Shelter
were each designated as a National Historic Landmark;
(3) in 1973, the Creole House in Prairie du Rocher was
added to the National Register of Historic Places;
(4) in 1974, the French Colonial Historic District, which
is an area of 22 square miles that includes the ancient Kolmer
Indian site, was added to the National Register of Historic
Places;
(5) Fort de Chartres, which was constructed in 1720--
(A) served as the French seat of government and
primary military station on the upper Mississippi
River; and
(B) was designated as a National Historic Landmark
in 1960;
(6) Pierre Laclede Liguest--
(A) quartered in the Prairie du Rocher French
Colonial District in the winter of 1763; and
(B) in February 1764, founded St. Louis, Missouri;
(7) in 1818, the village of Kaskaskia served as the first
State capital of Illinois;
(8) on July 4, 1778, General George Rogers Clark, with the
assistance of Father Pierre Gibault, captured Prairie du Rocher
and the village of Kaskaskia;
(9) on November 28, 1803, Meriwether Lewis and William
Clark visited the village of Kaskaskia seeking boatmen and
troops to accompany the Lewis and Clark expedition;
(10) in 1825, General Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert
du Montier de Lafayette visited the village of Kaskaskia; and
(11) the village of Kaskaskia, Fort de Chartres, and
Prairie du Rocher once served as the western boundary of the
United States.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to recognize the importance of Prairie du Rocher and
the French Colonial Historic District as a nationally
significant architectural village that embodies the cultural
heritage of the United States; and
(2) to establish the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial
National Historical Park--
(A) to serve as the focus of interpretive and
educational programs relating to the history of the
French Colonial Historic District; and
(B) to assist in the preservation of historic sites
within the French Colonial Historic District.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Historical park.--The term ``Historical Park'' means
the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial National Historical Park
established by section 4(a).
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(3) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Illinois.
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PRAIRIE DU ROCHER FRENCH COLONIAL NATIONAL
HISTORICAL PARK.
(a) In General.--To assist in the preservation, interpretation, and
education relating to Prairie du Rocher and the French Colonial
Historic District and to provide technical assistance to a broad range
of public and private landowners and preservation organizations, there
is established in the State the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial
National Historical Park.
(b) Area Included.--The Historical Park shall consist of the
following:
(1) Land and structures associated with the Creole House,
which was constructed in 1800, a French Creole vernacular post-
in-ground or ``poteaux-sur-sol'' structure that is 1 of 5
remaining such structures in the United States.
(2) Land and structures associated with the Pierre Menard
Home, which was constructed in 1803 and in which Pierre Menard
lived during his term as the first Lieutenant Governor of
Illinois.
(3) Land and structures associated with the Doiron
Bienvenue House, which is a post-in-ground or ``poteaux-sur-
sol'' structure constructed in 1860.
(4) A portion of the Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site,
which--
(A) is a 200-acre park that celebrates the vanished
frontier village of Kaskaskia;
(B) is home to the earthen remains of Fort
Kaskaskia; and
(C) preserves Garrison Hill Cemetery at which
Pierre Menard and dozens of veterans are interred.
(5) Not more than 1,000 acres of land that the Secretary
may designate for an interpretive center for the Historical
Park, in accordance with subsections (c) and (d) of section 5.
(c) Map.--
(1) In general.--As soon as practicable after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prepare a map
depicting the boundaries of the Historical Park.
(2) Availability.--The map prepared under paragraph (1)
shall be available for public inspection in the appropriate
offices of the National Park Service.
SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION OF THE PRAIRIE DU ROCHER FRENCH COLONIAL
NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall administer the Historical
Park--
(1) in accordance with--
(A) this Act; and
(B) the provisions of law generally applicable to
units of the National Park System, including chapter
3201 of title 54, United States Code; and
(2) in a manner that--
(A) preserves resources and cultural landscapes
relating to the history of the French Colonial Historic
District; and
(B) enhances public understanding of the important
cultural heritage of the French Colonial Historic
District.
(b) Donations.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary may accept donations of
funds, property, or services from individuals, foundations, or
other public or private entities for the purposes of providing
programs, services, facilities, and technical assistance that
further the purposes of the Historical Park.
(2) Expenditure.--Any funds donated to the Secretary under
paragraph (1) may be expended by the Secretary without further
appropriation.
(c) Interpretive Center.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary may construct or lease space
to operate and maintain on land identified to be appropriate by
the Secretary an interpretive center for the Historical Park.
(2) Consultation.--The Secretary shall consult with the
State, Randolph County, Illinois, the village of Prairie du
Rocher, Illinois, and the Illinois Department of Natural
Resources in the planning and development of the interpretive
center authorized under paragraph (1).
(d) Cooperative Agreements.--The Secretary may enter into
cooperative agreements with the State, Randolph County, Illinois, the
village of Prairie du Rocher, Illinois, the Illinois Department of
Natural Resources, and other public or private organizations for the
development of--
(1) the interpretive center authorized under subsection
(c)(1); and
(2) educational programs and other materials that would
facilitate public use of the Historical Park.
(e) Grants.--
(1) In general.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations, the Secretary may make grants to partners of
the Historical Park for eligible projects described in
paragraph (2).
(2) Eligible project.--A project eligible for a grant under
paragraph (1) is a project that--
(A) does not require Federal involvement other than
the provision of financial assistance;
(B) supports the purposes of the Historical Park;
(C) enhances public use and enjoyment of the
Historical Park; and
(D) may include financial assistance for
construction and development on non-Federal land within
the boundaries of the Historical Park.
(f) Acquisition of Land.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the
Secretary may acquire land and interests in land within the
boundaries of the Historical Park by--
(A) donation;
(B) purchase with donated or appropriated funds; or
(C) exchange.
(2) Exception.--Land and interests in land that are owned
by the State or any political subdivision of the State may be
acquired for the Historical Park under paragraph (1) only by
donation or exchange.
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