§268a Acquisition of Fern Lake Watershed

Summary

Allows the Secretary of the Interior (through the National Park Service) to buy or otherwise obtain about 4,500 acres that include Fern Lake and its watershed, as shown on the park map dated May 2001 (map no. 380/80,004). Congress says doing this will protect the view from Pinnacle Overlook, add recreational options at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, and keep Fern Lake as the water source for the city of Middlesboro. Fern Lake is about 150 acres and part of the watershed is for sale; an older law had kept the Secretary from using federal funds to buy the land. If the land is obtained, the park boundary will be changed to include it and the National Park Service will manage it. If the Secretary gets Fern Lake, the lake, the dam, and the water-delivery rights up to the normal level of 1,200.4 feet must be given to Middlesboro at no cost, though the Secretary can keep a scenic or recreation easement. If the city stops using the lake for its water supply, ownership goes back to the United States and the park will manage it. The Secretary must also talk with officials from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia, tourism groups, and other interested parties about managing the land for water needs and recreation.