Collapse to view only § 460ii-4. Funding sources and general management plan
- § 460ii. Establishment; boundaries; publication in Federal Register
- § 460ii-1. Acquisition of property
- § 460ii-2. Administration, protection, and development
- § 460ii-3. Federal supervision of water resources projects
- § 460ii-4. Funding sources and general management plan
- § 460ii-5. Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Advisory Commission
The Congress finds the natural, scenic, recreation, historic, and other values of a forty-eight-mile segment of the Chattahoochee River and certain adjoining lands in the State of Georgia from Buford Dam downstream to Peachtree Creek are of special national significance, and that such values should be preserved and protected from developments and uses which would substantially impair or destroy them. In order to assure such preservation and protection for public benefit and enjoyment, there is hereby established the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (hereinafter referred to as the “recreation area”). The recreation area shall consist of the river and its bed together with the lands, waters, and interests therein within the boundary generally depicted on the map entitled “Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area”, numbered CHAT–20,003, and dated September 1984, and on the maps entitled “Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Interim Boundary Map #1”, “Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Interim Boundary Map #2”, and “Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Interim Boundary Map #3”, and dated August 6, 1998, which shall be on file and available for public inspection in the office of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. No sooner than 180 days after December 9, 1999, the Secretary of the Interior (hereafter referred to as the “Secretary”) may modify the boundaries of the recreation area to include other land within the Chattahoochee River corridor by submitting a revised map or other boundary description to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Senate and the Committee on Resources of the United States House of Representatives. The revised map or other boundary description shall be prepared by the Secretary after consultation with affected landowners, the State of Georgia, and affected political subdivisions of the State. The revised boundaries shall take effect 180 days after the date of submission unless, within the 180-day period, Congress enacts a joint resolution disapproving the revised boundaries. The total area, exclusive of the river and its bed, within the recreation area may not exceed 10,000 acres. For purposes of facilitating Federal technical and other support to State and local governments to assist State and local efforts to protect the scenic, recreational, and natural values of a 2,000 foot wide corridor adjacent to each bank of the Chattahoochee River and its impoundments in the 48-mile segment referred to above, such corridor is hereby declared to be an area of national concern.
Within the recreation area the Secretary is authorized to acquire lands, waters, and interests therein by donation, purchase from willing sellers with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange. Property owned by the State of Georgia or any political subdivision thereof may be acquired only by donation.
When a tract of land lies partly within and partly without the boundaries of the recreation area, the Secretary may acquire the entire tract by any of the above methods in order to avoid the payment of severance costs. Land so acquired outside of the boundaries of the recreation area may be exchanged by the Secretary for non-Federal land within such boundaries, and any portion of the land not utilized for such exchanges may be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of chapters 1 to 11 of title 40 and division C (except sections 3302, 3307(e), 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of title 41.
Except for property which the Secretary determines to be necessary for the purposes of administration, development, access, or public use, an owner of improved property which is used solely for noncommercial residential purposes on the date of its acquisition by the Secretary may retain, as a condition of such acquisition, a right of use and occupancy of the property for such residential purposes. The right retained may be for a definite term which shall not exceed twenty-five years or, in lieu thereof, for a term ending at the death of the owner or the death of the spouse, whichever occurs later. The owner shall elect the term to be retained. The Secretary shall pay the owner the fair market value of the property on the date of such acquisition, less the fair market value of the term retained by the owner.
Any right of use and occupancy retained pursuant to this section may, during its existence, be conveyed or transferred, but all rights of use and occupancy shall be subject to such terms and conditions as the Secretary deems appropriate to assure the use of the property in accordance with the purposes of this subchapter. Upon his determination that the property, or any portion thereof, has ceased to be so used in accordance with such terms and conditions, the Secretary may terminate the right of use and occupancy by tendering to the holder of such right an amount equal to the fair market value, as of the date of the tender, of that portion of the right which remains unexpired on the date of termination.
As used in this section, the term “improved property” means a detached, year-round noncommercial residential dwelling, the construction of which was begun before January 1, 1975, 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 accessory to the dwelling which are situated on the land so designated.
The Secretary shall administer, protect, and develop the recreation area in accordance with the Act of August 25, 1916 (39 Stat. 535),1
The Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with the State of Georgia, political subdivisions of the State, and other entities to ensure standardized acquisition, planning, design, construction, and operation of the recreation area.
In planning for the development and public use of the recreation area, the Secretary shall consult with the Secretary of the Army to assure that public use of adjacent or related water resource development or flood control projects and that of the recreation area are complementary.
In administering the recreation area, the Secretary may permit fishing in waters under his jurisdiction in accordance with applicable State and Federal laws and regulations. The Secretary, after consultation with the appropriate State agency responsible for fishing activities, may designate zones where, and establish periods when, fishing shall be permitted and issue such regulations as he may determine to be necessary to carry out the provisions of this subsection. Except in emergencies, such regulations shall be put into effect only after consultation with the appropriate State agency.
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 (16 U.S.C. 791a et seq.), on or directly affecting the recreation area, and no department or agency of the United States shall assist by loan, grant, license, or otherwise in the construction of any water resources project that would have a direct and adverse effect on the values for which such area is established, except where such project is determined by the State of Georgia to be necessary for water supply or water quality enhancement purposes and authorized by the United States Congress. Nothing contained in the foregoing sentence, however, shall preclude licensing of, or assistance to, developments upstream or downstream from the recreation area or on any stream tributary thereto which will not invade the recreation area or unreasonably diminish the scenic, recreational, and fish and wildlife values present therein on August 15, 1978. Nothing contained in this subsection shall preclude the upgrading, improvement, expansion or development of facilities or public works for water supply or water quality enhancement purposes if such action would not have a material adverse effect on the values for which the recreation area is established.
No department or agency of the United States shall recommend authorization of any water resources project that would have a direct and adverse effect on the values for which such area is established, as determined by the Secretary, nor shall such department or agency request appropriations to begin construction of any such project, whether heretofore or hereafter authorized, without at least sixty days in advance, (1) advising the Secretary in writing of its intention to do so and (2) reporting to the Committee on Natural Resources of the United States House of Representatives and to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Senate the nature of the project involved and the manner in which such project would conflict with the purposes of this subchapter or would affect the recreation area and the values to be protected by it under this subchapter. It is not the intention of Congress by this subchapter to require the manipulation or reduction of lake water levels in Lake Sidney Lanier. Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed in any way to restrict, prohibit, or affect any recommendation of the Metropolitan Atlanta Water Resources Study as authorized by the Public Works Committee of the United States Senate on March 2, 1972.
The Secretary is directed to proceed as expeditiously as possible to acquire the lands and interests in lands necessary to achieve the purposes of this subchapter and chapter 43 of this title.
From the appropriations authorized for fiscal year 1978 and succeeding fiscal years pursuant to the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act (78 Stat. 897),1
The Secretary may accept a donation of funds or land or an interest in land to carry out this subchapter.
Funds made available under paragraph (1) are in addition to funding and the donation of land and interests in land by the State of Georgia, local government authorities, private foundations, corporate entities, and individuals for purposes of this subchapter.
Effective on October 1, 1978, there are authorized to be appropriated not to exceed $500,000 for the development of essential public facilities.
Within 3 years after the date funds are made available, the Secretary shall submit to the committees specified in paragraph (1) a revised general management plan to provide for the protection, enhancement, enjoyment, development, and use of the recreation area.
In preparing the revised plan, the Secretary shall encourage the participation of the State of Georgia and affected political subdivisions of the State, private landowners, interested citizens, public officials, groups, agencies, educational institutions, and other entities.
The Advisory Commission shall meet on a regular basis. Notice of meetings and agenda shall be published in local newspapers which have a distribution which generally covers the area affected by the park. Commission meetings shall be held at locations and in such a manner as to insure adequate public involvement.
Members of the Commission shall serve without compensation as such, but the Secretary may pay expenses reasonably incurred in carrying out their responsibilities under this subchapter on vouchers signed by the Chairman.
The Advisory Commission shall terminate on the date ten years after October 30, 1984.