Harpers Ferry Land Transfer

Summary#

This bill moves administrative control of two pieces of federal land in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. About 25 acres now under the Department of the Interior would be transferred to the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). That land would be managed as part of CBP’s Advanced Training Center and removed from Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. About 71.51 acres now under CBP would be transferred to the Secretary of the Interior and added to the Park. The transfers are without monetary reimbursement. The Commissioner must obtain a land survey to finalize acreages and legal descriptions, may fix clerical map errors with the Secretary, and must give the survey to the Secretary. If CBP later determines it does not need some or all of the 25 acres it received, that land can revert to the Secretary and be added to the Park. The bill also says a statutory acreage limit will not apply to these transferred lands.

What it means for you#

  • Two specific parcels in Harpers Ferry will change which agency manages them: one to CBP for training, one to the National Park Service for the Park.
  • Park boundaries will be officially adjusted to remove the CBP parcel and add the parcel transferred to the Park.
  • A land survey will determine exact boundaries and acreages and may correct map errors.
  • If CBP later decides it does not need its parcel, that land can return to Park management.

Expenses#

The bill states the land transfers are without monetary reimbursement. No publicly available information on estimated federal costs or budget effects.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.