§100507 Additional areas for System

Summary

The Secretary must watch over and study places with resources that might be nationally important and could be added to the System. Each year, when sending the budget, the Secretary must give the House Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee a list of areas to study. The Secretary must pick areas that best meet the national-significance, suitability, and feasibility tests, fill in missing themes or resource types, and consider public petitions and congressional resolutions. The yearly report must also include a short update on any previously reported areas showing how their resource conditions have changed since the last report. No formal study to consider adding an area may start unless Congress specifically authorizes it. The Service may still do small assessments, gather data, help with planning or nominations, or do surveys that cost less than $25,000. The rules here do not apply to river segments considered for the Wild and Scenic Rivers System or trails considered for the National Trails System. Each study must finish within 3 complete fiscal years after money is first provided. Studies must include public involvement, at least one nearby public meeting, and notice to affected landowners and local governments. Studies must check if an area has nationally important natural or cultural resources, if it is suitable and doable to add, and factors like rarity, threats, whether similar places are already protected, public use and education potential, costs, socioeconomic effects, local support, and whether the shape of the area will protect resources and visitors. The study must weigh direct Service management against other protection options, follow NEPA, and send Congress a letter saying the Secretary’s preferred management choice. Each year the Secretary must also send two priority lists of previously studied areas (one mainly historic, one mainly natural) and a list to the Speaker and Senate President of landmarks and listed historic places with known or expected damage or threats. Reports are printed as House documents unless duplicate copies exist and the committee chairs agree not to print. One office must handle all new studies. Congress has authorized up to $1,000,000 per year for studies and monitoring new units and certain resources, up to $1,500,000 per year to monitor national landmarks, and $2,000,000 per year to carry out the annual lists, studies, and office duties.