§430g–7 Conservation Within Gettysburg Battlefield Historic District

Summary

The Secretary must work to protect and conserve the Gettysburg Battlefield historic district. The Secretary must give priority for certain grants and for technical help under Title 54 to projects in the district that keep its historic character. The Secretary may help local governments and landowners with planning and technical advice. At a local or county government’s request, the Secretary must pay up to 50 percent of planning costs for comprehensive plans and land-use rules that protect the district, but only as money is approved by Congress. The Secretary can accept donated conservation easements on land in the district after the National Park Service Director recommends it and the Advisory Commission (see section 430g–8) is consulted. Federal agencies must act in ways that fit the goal of preserving the district, including its rural, farm, and town features, and must follow the National Historic Preservation Act and other laws. Agencies with authority over a proposed federal or federally assisted action in the district must prepare a detailed analysis early and send it to the Secretary. The Secretary will review and consult with the agency. If the Secretary finds the action inconsistent with preservation goals, the agency must not go forward until it sends a full justification to the appropriate Congressional committees with time for comment. That justification must cover the action’s effects on the district’s historic and commemorative character, the social and economic need for the action, all possible alternatives, the relative benefits of those alternatives, and proposed measures to lessen harm.