This bill amends the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Establishment Act. It expands the park boundary to match a map dated August 2023 and names zones inside the park: a historic zone (including the Marsh‑Billings‑Rockefeller Mansion, nearby buildings, and part of Mt. Tom), a protection zone (including Billings Farm and Museum), and the King Farm, which will be split between the two zones. The bill updates the scenic zone map reference.
The Secretary of the Interior may acquire land inside the new boundary by donation, purchase from a willing seller with donated or appropriated funds, transfer from another federal agency, or exchange. If the Secretary acquires the King Farm land, the acquisition must include rights of access between the farm and the park. The King Farm may be used for agriculture and forestry, conservation that keeps the farm’s historic working character, and education about agriculture, forestry, and natural history.
The bill also creates a National Park Service Stewardship Institute at the park. The Institute’s stated purposes are to promote stewardship practices through workshops and programs, support research and sharing of innovations, and exchange best practices to improve conservation leadership, partnerships, and community engagement. The Institute will be run as a park program.
The bill allows the Secretary to use donated or appropriated funds to buy land, but it does not include any cost estimates or a budget. No publicly available information on total or annual federal spending is included in the bill text.
The bill text describes goals to expand and better organize the park, protect historic and natural resources, maintain the King Farm as a working farm and educational site, and create an Institute to promote stewardship, research, and sharing of best conservation practices.
No publicly available information.