PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Creates the Weir Farm National Historical Park in Connecticut. The park includes four areas: an about 2-acre core with the Weir house, studio, and barn; about 60 acres and its buildings owned by the State of Connecticut; an about 2-acre parcel in Wilton called lot 18 shown on a map dated October 27, 1978 that is filed with the Wilton town clerk as number 3673; and an about 0.9-acre western part of a parcel in Wilton shown as Tall Oaks Road. A boundary map dated June 1994 will be kept on file and open for public viewing at the National Park Service. The Secretary of the Interior may buy up to 15 more acres in Fairfield County for visitor and administrative use. Any land bought becomes part of the park and must be kept and run with the park. New development should be kept minimal to match the park’s natural look, but the Secretary may buy land that is already developed and is not required to restore it. Before building visitor or admin facilities, the Secretary must make agreements with the local government to plan parking, manage buses, and keep large tour buses parked offsite.

Title 16, §410ffff–2

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)There is established, as a unit of the National Park System, the Weir Farm National Historical Park in the State of Connecticut.

(b)The historical park shall consist of—

(1)the approximately 2-acre core parcel containing the Weir house, studio, and barn;

(2)the approximately 60 acres and improvements thereon owned by the State of Connecticut;

(3)the approximately 2-acre parcel of land situated in the town of Wilton, Connecticut, designated as lot 18 on a map entitled “Revised Map of Section I, Thunder Lake at Wilton, Connecticut, Scale l’=100’, October 27, 1978, Ryan and Faulds Land Surveyors, Wilton, Connecticut”, that is on file in the office of the town clerk of the town of Wilton, and therein numbered 3673; and

(4)the approximately 0.9-acre western portion of a parcel of land situated in the town of Wilton, Connecticut, designated as Tall Oaks Road on the map referred to in paragraph (3).

(c)The parcels referred to in paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (b) are all as generally depicted on a map entitled “Boundary Map, Weir Farm National Historic Site, Fairfield County Connecticut”, dated June 1994. Such map shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service.

(d)(1)(A)To preserve and maintain the historic setting and character of the historical park, the Secretary may acquire not more than 15 additional acres for the development of visitor and administrative facilities for the historical park.

(B)The property acquired under this subsection shall be within Fairfield County.

(C)The acquired property shall be included within the boundary of the historical park and shall be managed and maintained as part of the historical park.

(2)(A)The Secretary shall keep development of the property acquired under paragraph (1) to a minimum so that the character of the acquired property will be similar to the natural and undeveloped landscape of the property described in subsection (b).

(B)Nothing in subparagraph (A) shall either prevent the Secretary from acquiring property under paragraph (1) that, prior to the Secretary’s acquisition, was developed in a manner inconsistent with subparagraph (A), or require the Secretary to remediate such previously developed property to reflect the natural character described in subparagraph (A).

(3)Prior to and as a prerequisite to any development of visitor and administrative facilities on the property acquired under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall enter into one or more agreements with the local governmental entity that, in accordance with applicable State law, has jurisdiction over any property acquired under paragraph (1)(A) for the purposes of—

(A)developing the parking, visitor, and administrative facilities for the historical park; and

(B)managing bus traffic to the historical park and limiting parking for large tour buses to an offsite location.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2021—Pub. L. 116–305, § 2(b)(2)(A), substituted “Historical Park” for “Historic Site” in section catchline. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–305, § 2(b)(2)(B), substituted “Historical Park” for “Historic Site”. Subsecs. (b), (d). Pub. L. 116–305, § 2(b)(2)(C), substituted “historical park” for “historic site” wherever appearing. 2009—Subsec. (d)(1)(B). Pub. L. 111–11, § 7102(1), substituted “within Fairfield County.” for “contiguous to or in close proximity to the property described in subsection (b).” Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 111–11, § 7102(2), amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Secretary shall keep development of the property acquired under paragraph (1) to a minimum so that the character of the acquired property will be similar to the natural and undeveloped landscape of the property described in subsection (b).” Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 111–11, § 7102(3), in introductory provisions, substituted “the local governmental entity that, in accordance with applicable State law, has jurisdiction over any property acquired under paragraph (1)(A)” for “the appropriate zoning authority of the town of Ridgefield, Connecticut, and the town of Wilton, Connecticut,”. 1998—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 105–363 added subsec. (d). 1994—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–449, § 203(a)(2), struck out concluding provisions which read as follows: “both as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘Land Ownership Map, Weir Farm Historic Site’, Figure 5, dated October 1989, as contained in the National Park Service Weir Farm Suitability/Feasibility Study, February, 1990. Such map shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service.” Subsec. (b)(3), (4). Pub. L. 103–449, § 203(a)(1), (3), added pars. (3) and (4). Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103–449, § 203(b), added subsec. (c).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Purpose Pub. L. 103–449, title II, § 202, Nov. 2, 1994, 108 Stat. 4756, provided that: “The purpose of this title [see

Short Title

of 1994 Amendment note set out under section 410ffff of this title] is to preserve the last remainingundeveloped parcels of the historic Weir Farm that remain in private ownership by including the parcels within the boundary of the Weir Farm National Historic Site.”

§410ffff–2 Establishment of Weir Farm National Historical Park