Findings
Congress finds that—
of the 400,000 square miles of tallgrass prairie that once covered the North American Continent, less than 1 percent remains, primarily in the Flint Hills of Kansas;
in 1991, the National Park Service conducted a special resource study of the Spring Hill Ranch, located in the Flint Hills of Kansas;
the study concludes that the Spring Hill Ranch—
16 U.S.C. 470a1 1 See References in Text note below. is a nationally significant example of the once vast tallgrass ecosystem, and includes buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places pursuant to section 101 of the National Historic Preservation Act () that represent outstanding examples of Second Empire and other 19th Century architectural styles; and
is suitable and feasible as a potential addition to the National Park System; and
the National Park Trust, which owns the Spring Hill Ranch, has agreed to permit the National Park Service—
to acquire a portion of the ranch, as specified in sections 698u to 698u–7 of this title; and
to manage the ranch in order to—
conserve the scenery, natural and historic objects, and wildlife of the ranch; and
provide for the enjoyment of the ranch in such a manner and by such means as will leave the scenery, natural and historic objects, and wildlife unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.
Purposes
The purposes of sections 698u to 698u–7 of this title are—
to preserve, protect, and interpret for the public an example of a tallgrass prairie ecosystem on the Spring Hill Ranch, located in the Flint Hills of Kansas; and
to preserve and interpret for the public the historic and cultural values represented on the Spring Hill Ranch.
Pub. L. 104–333, div. I, title X, § 1002110 Stat. 4204 Pub. L. 106–176, title I, § 122(1)114 Stat. 29 (, , ; , , .)
Editorial Notes
References in Text
16 U.S.C. 470asection 101 of Pub. L. 89–665Pub. L. 113–287128 Stat. 3094 Section 101 of the National Historic Preservation Act (), referred to in subsec. (a)(3)(A), is , which was repealed and restated as chapters 3021 to 3027 and sections 302902(a), 302903(a), 302904 to 302909, 303902, 303903, and 306101(b) and (c) of Title 54, National Park Service and Related Programs, by , §§ 3, 7, , , 3272.
Amendments
Pub. L. 106–1762000—Subsec. (a)(4)(A). substituted “to acquire” for “to purchase”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Short Title
Pub. L. 104–333, div. I, title X, § 1001110 Stat. 4204
Pub. L. 104–333“This subtitle [subtitle A (§§ 1001–1009) of title X of div. I of , enacting this section and sections 698u–1 to 698u–7 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Act of 1996’.”
, , , provided that: