§268a Acquisition of Fern Lake Watershed

Summary

Allows the Secretary of the Interior to buy Fern Lake and about 4,500 acres of the surrounding watershed in Bell County, Kentucky, and Claiborne County, Tennessee, from willing sellers and add that land to Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. The goal is to protect the view from Pinnacle Overlook, improve recreation, and keep Fern Lake — a roughly 150-acre lake that supplies water to Middlesboro, Kentucky — available for that city. A prior law had stopped the Secretary from using appropriated funds to buy these lands. If the land is bought, the park boundary will be changed and the National Park Service will manage the area. If the Secretary acquires Fern Lake, the United States must give the city of Middlesboro the lake (up to the normal operating elevation of 1,200.4 feet), the dam, and the water-delivery facilities at no cost, though the Secretary may keep an easement for scenic or recreational use. If the lake later stops serving Middlesboro’s water needs, ownership returns to the United States and the park will manage it. The area to be acquired is shown on a map numbered 380/80,004 dated May 2001 on file with the National Park Service. The Secretary must also consult with officials in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia, tourism groups, and other interested parties. Definitions used: “Fern Lake” — the lake in Bell County, KY and Claiborne County, TN; “land” — land, water, interests in land, and improvements; “park” — Cumberland Gap National Historical Park; “Secretary” — the Secretary of the Interior acting through the National Park Service Director.