[Pages H6627-H6628]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

MILL SPRINGS BATTLEFIELD NATIONAL MONUMENT ACT

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5979) to establish the Mill Springs Battlefield National
Monument in the State of Kentucky as a unit of the National Park
System, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 5979

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 ``Mill Springs Battlefield
National Monument Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Map.--The term ``Map'' means the map entitled ``Mill
Springs Battlefield National Monument, Nancy, Kentucky''
numbered 297/145513, and dated June 2018.
(2) Monument.--The term ``Monument'' means the Mill Springs
Battlefield National Monument established by section 3(a).
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National
Park Service.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF MILL SPRINGS BATTLEFIELD NATIONAL
MONUMENT.

(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), there is
established, as a unit of the National Park System, the Mill
Springs Battlefield National Monument in the State of
Kentucky, to preserve, protect, and interpret for the benefit
of present and future generations the nationally significant
historic resources of the Mill Springs Battlefield and its
role in the American Civil War.
(2) Conditions.--The Monument shall not be established
until the Secretary--
(A) has entered into a written agreement with the owner of
any private or non-Federal land within the Mill Springs
Battlefield National Monument boundary as depicted on the
Map, providing that such property shall be donated to the
United States for inclusion in the Monument to be managed
consistently with the purposes of the Monument; and
(B) has determined that sufficient land or interests in
land have been acquired within the boundary of the Monument
to constitute a manageable unit.
(b) Boundaries.--The boundaries of the Monument shall be
the boundaries generally depicted on the Map.
(c) Availability of Map.--The Map shall be on file and
available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of
the National Park Service.
(d) Acquisition Authority.--The Secretary may only acquire
land or an interest in land located within the boundary of
the Monument by--
(1) donation;
(2) purchase with donated funds; or
(3) exchange.
(e) Administration.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall administer the
Monument in accordance with--
(A) this Act; and
(B) the laws generally applicable to units of the National
Park System, including--
(i) section 100101(a), chapter 1003, and sections
100751(a), 100752, 100753, and 102101 of title 54, United
States Code; and
(ii) chapter 3201 of title 54, United States Code.
(2) Management plan.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date on
which funds are first made available to the Secretary for
this purpose, the Secretary shall prepare a general
management plan for the Monument in accordance with section
100502 of title 54, United States Code.
(B) Submit to congress.--On completion of the general
management plan, the Secretary shall submit it to the
Committee on Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate.
(f) Private Property Protection.--No private property or
non-Federal public property shall be managed as part of the
Monument without the written consent of the owner of such
property.
(g) No Buffer Zones.--Nothing in this Act, the
establishment of the Monument, or the management of the
Monument shall be construed to create buffer zones outside of
the Monument. The fact that an activity or use can be seen,
heard, or detected from within the Monument shall not
preclude the conduct of that activity or use outside of the
Monument.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. McClintock) and the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms.
Bordallo) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.

General Leave

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California.
There was no objection.
Mr. McCLINTOCK. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5979, introduced by Representative Hal Rogers of
Kentucky, establishes the Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument in
Kentucky as a unit of the National Park System.
The Battle of Mill Springs was one of Kentucky's largest Civil War
battles and played a crucial role in the Union's success by securing
the Cumberland Gap and providing the gateway into Tennessee.
The Battle of Mill Springs bolstered the Union's morale, as it was
the first major victory of the war following the disastrous defeat at
First Manassas. Winning the battle enabled the Union to push all
Confederate powers out of Kentucky and allowed them to advance into
Confederate strongholds in Middle Tennessee.
Mill Springs Battlefield was designated as a National Historic
Landmark in 1994. The boundary was expanded in 2008 and now encompasses
over 1,500 acres. The nonprofit Mill Springs Battlefield Association
currently owns 900 acres of battlefield land and operates a visitors
center at the site.
H.R. 5979 establishes the Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument
as a unit of the National Park System. The proposed monument would be
approximately 1,500 acres, of which 900 will be donated to the Park
Service.
I am grateful to Mr. Rogers for sponsoring this legislation. It is
the right way to create a national monument. Monuments ought to be
created through the open legislative process of Congress and not via
executive fiat.
Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, this bill, which is sponsored by Representative Rogers
from Kentucky, establishes the Mill Springs Battlefield National
Monument in the State of Kentucky to preserve, protect, and interpret
for current and future generations, the historic resources of the Mill
Springs Battlefield and its role in the American Civil War.
Mill Springs Battlefield in Pulaski County, Kentucky, was the site of
the Union's first decisive victory in the western theater of the
American Civil War. Given the Confederacy's presence in the South, the
Union's performance in Kentucky was perceived as a pivotal turning
point in the war.
President Abraham Lincoln articulated the strategic importance of
Kentucky by stating: ``I hope to have God on my side, but I must have
Kentucky.''
This monument designation is a fitting tribute to the historical
significance of Mill Springs and an encouraging sign that we can
continue to work across political lines to ensure that our most
important places are preserved for future generations.
Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I reserve the balance
of my time.
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I am now pleased to yield such time as
he may consume to gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), the
distinguished author of this measure.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
yielding me the time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5979, the Mill Springs
Battlefield National Monument Act, legislation that I introduced that
directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Mill Springs
Battlefield National Monument as a unit of the National Park System.
On January 19, 1862, the small Kentucky town of Logan's Cross Roads
erupted in a blast of artillery and musket fire as Confederate and
Union forces clashed in the Battle of Mill Springs.
When the smoke cleared, it was clear that the Union was victorious
and had secured its first significant victory in the Civil War. To
honor the site, the Mill Springs Battlefield in Pulaski and Wayne
Counties in Kentucky was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark
district in 1994.
Realizing the need to preserve and protect the battlefield for the
future,

[[Page H6628]]

the Mill Springs Battlefield Association was founded in 1992. That
association currently owns more than 900 acres of the battlefield that
they have pieced together over the years with their own money and grant
money from various sources. They even built a $1.7 million, 10,000-
square-foot visitor center and museum at the site, which is adjacent to
the Mill Springs National Cemetery, which, of course, was started by
the deaths from this battle.
Mr. Speaker, while the association is currently doing an exemplary
job in maintaining the battlefield, it simply does not have the
financial resources to adequately preserve and maintain this site in
perpetuity.
To ensure that the Mill Springs Battlefield is protected for future
generations, I introduced this legislation to add the battlefield to
the National Park System. This will ensure that the battlefield where
the Union first tasted victory is protected, preserved, and promoted
well into the future.
Mr. Speaker, this effort is supported by the Secretary of the
Interior, Ryan Zinke, as well as the National Park Service.
It is also supported by many in Kentucky, including our Governor, our
friends in our congressional delegation, and countless local and
regional leaders.

{time} 1730

It is also supported by the Battlefield Association which is willing
to donate their property, some 900 of the acres, to make this national
monument a reality.
I am particularly grateful to Chairman McClintock, Chairman Bishop,
and their staff who worked closely with us to bring this bill to the
floor. I can't thank the chairman enough for the great work that he
does.
I would also like to specifically thank my friend and colleague,
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is ushering companion
legislation through the Senate.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the men and women of the Mill
Springs Battlefield Association. Without their decades of work to piece
together and preserve this important site, none of this would be
possible today. They stage an annual reenactment of this battle which
is realistic to the nth degree, and I would invite everyone to attend
the annual reunion of this battle in January of next year.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of the Mill Springs Battlefield
National Monument Act.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I urge the support of this bill. I have no
further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, these historic sites provide a tangible
link between our generation and those who came before us and allow us
to draw inspiration from the deeds and sacrifices of those who built
this country and secured freedom for all Americans. This is an
important part of that story, and I would ask for adoption of the
measure.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5979, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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