Collapse to view only § 410eeee-16. New River Gorge and Gauley River Visitor Center
- § 410eeee. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Designation
- § 410eeee-1. Establishment; administration, protection, and development; utilization of other authorities; boundary description, availability for public inspection
- § 410eeee-2. Acquisition of property
- § 410eeee-3. Lands and areas plan; submission to Congressional committees
- § 410eeee-4.
- § 410eeee-5. Mineral lands
- § 410eeee-6. Hunting and fishing zones; designation; rules and regulations, consultation
- § 410eeee-7. Project work prohibition; advisement to Secretary; report to Congress
- § 410eeee-8. General management plan; submission to Congressional committees
- § 410eeee-9. Cooperation
- § 410eeee-10. Class I or class II redesignation for clean air purposes
- § 410eeee-11. Authorization of appropriations
- § 410eeee-12. Cooperative agreements with State
- § 410eeee-13. Improvement of access at Cunard
- § 410eeee-14. Flow management
- § 410eeee-15. Glade Creek visitor facility
- § 410eeee-16. New River Gorge and Gauley River Visitor Center
- § 410eeee-17. Applicable provisions of other law
This section may be cited as the “New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Designation Act”.
The boundaries of the New River Gorge National Park referred to in paragraph (1)(A) shall be the boundaries depicted as “Proposed National Park Area” on the map entitled “New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Proposed Boundary”, numbered 637/163,199A, and dated September 2020.
The boundaries of the New River Gorge National Preserve referred to in paragraph (1)(B) shall be the boundaries depicted as “Proposed National Preserve Area” on the map entitled “New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Proposed Boundary”, numbered 637/163,199A, and dated September 2020.
Nothing in this section prohibits hunting, fishing, or trapping on private land in accordance with applicable State and Federal laws.
The Secretary may acquire land or any interest in land identified as “Proposed Additional Lands” on the map entitled “New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Proposed Boundary”, numbered 637/163,199A, and dated September 2020, by purchase from a willing seller, donation, or exchange.
On acquisition of the land under clause (i), the acquired land shall be administered as part of the New River Gorge National Park or the New River Gorge National Preserve, as appropriate.
Commercial recreational watercraft services within the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve shall be administered by the Secretary in accordance with section 402 of the West Virginia National Interest River Conservation Act of 1987 (16 U.S.C. 460m–15 1 note; Public Law 100–534).
Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the New River Gorge National River shall be considered to be a reference to the “New River Gorge National Park” or the “New River Gorge National Preserve”, as appropriate.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.
For the purpose of conserving and interpreting outstanding natural, scenic, and historic values and objects in and around the New River Gorge and preserving as a free-flowing stream an important segment of the New River in West Virginia for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations, the Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter referred to as the “Secretary”) shall establish and administer the New River Gorge National River.1
Within the boundaries of the New River Gorge National River,1
On non-federally owned lands within the national river boundaries, the Secretary is authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with organizations or individuals to mark or interpret properties of significance to the history of the Gorge area.
For the purposes of this Act, the term “improved property” means (i) a detached single family dwelling, the construction of which was begun before January 1, 1977 (hereafter referred to as “dwelling”), together with so much of the land on which the dwelling is situated, the said land being in the same ownership as the dwelling, as the Secretary shall designate to be reasonably necessary for the enjoyment of the dwelling for the sole purpose of noncommercial residential use, together with any structures necessary to the dwelling which are situated on the land so designated, or (ii) property developed for agricultural uses, together with any structures accessory thereto which were so used on or before January 1, 1977, or (iii) commercial and small business properties which were so used on or before January 1, 1977, the purpose of which is determined by the Secretary to contribute to visitor use and enjoyment of the national river. In determining when and to what extent a property is to be considered an “improved property”, the Secretary shall take into consideration the manner of use of such buildings and lands prior to January 1, 1977, and shall designate such lands as are reasonably necessary for the continued enjoyment of the property in the same manner and to the same extent as existed prior to such date.
The owner of an improved property, as defined in this subchapter, on the date of its acquisition, as a condition of such acquisition, may retain for himself, his heirs and assigns, a right of use and occupancy of the improved property for noncommercial residential, or agricultural purposes, or the continuation of existing commercial operations, as the case may be, for a definite term of not more than twenty-five years, or, in lieu thereof, for a term ending at the death of the owner or the death of his spouse, whichever is later. The owner shall elect the term to be reserved. Unless the property is wholly or partially donated, the Secretary shall pay to the owner the fair market value of the property on the date of its acquisition, less the fair market value of the property on that date of the right retained by the owner. A right retained by the owner pursuant to this section shall be subject to termination by the Secretary upon his determination that it is being exercised in a manner inconsistent with the purposes of this subchapter, and it shall terminate by operation of law upon notification by the Secretary to the holder of the right of such determination and tendering to him the amount equal to the fair market value of that portion which remains unexpired.
The harvesting of timber on federally owned lands within the national river boundary is prohibited, except insofar as it is necessary for the Secretary to remove trees for river access, historic sites, primitive campgrounds, scenic vistas, or as may be necessary from time to time for reasons of public health and safety.
The owner of a mineral estate subject to this section who believes he has suffered a loss by operation of this section, may bring an action only in a United States district court to recover just compensation, which shall be awarded if the court finds that such loss constitutes a taking of property compensable under the Constitution.
The Secretary shall permit hunting and fishing on lands and waters under his jurisdiction within the boundaries of the New River Gorge National River 1
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission shall not license the construction of any dam, water conduit, reservoir, powerhouse, transmission line, or other project works under the Federal Power Act (41 Stat. 1063) as amended (16 U.S.C. 791a et seq.), on or directly affecting the New River Gorge National River,1
The Secretary of the Army shall cooperate with the Secretary of the Interior concerning the water requirements of the national river. The Secretary of the Army shall provide for release of water from the Bluestone Lake project consistent with that project’s purposes and activities in sufficient quantity and in such manner to facilitate protection of biological resources and recreational use of the national river.
For the purposes of part C of the Clean Air Act [42 U.S.C. 7470 et seq.], the State may redesignate the national river only as class I or class II.
There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for the purposes of this subchapter, but not to exceed $20,000,000 for the acquisition of lands and interests in lands, and not to exceed $3,000,000 for development.
In administering the national river, the Secretary is authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with the State of West Virginia, or any political subdivision thereof, for the rendering, on a reimbursable or non-reimbursable basis, of rescue, fire fighting, and law enforcement services and cooperative assistance by nearby law enforcement and fire preventive agencies.
The Secretary shall expeditiously acquire such lands, and undertake such developments and improvements, as may be necessary to provide for commercial and noncommercial access to the river near Cunard. No restriction shall be imposed on such access based on the time of day, except to the extent required to protect public health and safety.
Pending completion of the developments and improvements referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary shall permit the motorized towing of whitewater rafts in the section of the national river between Thurmond and Cunard when the volume of flow in the river is less than three thousand cubic feet per second.
The Congress finds that adjustments of flows from Bluestone Lake project during periods of low flow are necessary to respond to the congressional mandate contained in section 410eeee–9 of this title and that such adjustments could enhance the quality of the recreational experience in the segments of the river below the lake during those periods as well as protect the biological resources of the river.
The Secretary of the Army, in conjunction with the Secretary of the Interior, shall conduct a study and prepare a report under this section. The report shall be submitted to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Senate and the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the United States House of Representatives not later than December 31, 1989. Before submission of the report to these Committees, a draft of the report shall be made available for public comment. The final report shall include the comments submitted by the Secretary of the Interior and the public, together with the response of the Secretary of the Army to those comments.
The study under this section shall examine the feasibility of adjusting the timing of daily releases from Bluestone Lake project during periods when flows from the lake are less than three thousand cubic feet per second. The purpose of such adjustment shall be to improve recreation (including, but not limited to, fishing and whitewater recreation) in the New River Gorge National River.1
As part of the study under this section, the Secretary of the Army shall conduct test releases from Bluestone Lake project during twenty-four-hour periods during the summer of 1989 when flows are less than three thousand cubic feet per second from the project. All such adjustments shall conform to the criteria specified in subsection (c). The tests shall provide adjustments in the timing of daily flows from Bluestone Lake project which permit flows higher than the twenty-four-hour average to reach downstream recreational segments of the river during morning and afternoon hours. The tests shall develop specific data on the effects of flow adjustments on the speed of the current and on water surface levels in those segments. No test shall be conducted when flows from the lake are less than one thousand seven hundred cubic feet per second and no test shall reduce flows below that level.
In order to provide for public use and enjoyment of the scenic and natural resources of the New River Gorge National River 1
The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to construct a visitor center and such other related facilities as may be deemed necessary to facilitate visitor understanding and enjoyment of the New River Gorge National River 1
The provisions of section 460ww–1(e)(1) of this title shall apply to the New River Gorge National River 1
The provisions of the second sentence of section 460ww–2(a) of this title shall apply to tracts of land partially within the boundaries of the New River Gorge National River 1 in the same manner and to the same extent as such provisions apply to tracts of land only partially within the Gauley River National Recreation Area.