View all text of Subchapter LXXXIX [§ 460ee - § 460ee]
§ 460ee. Establishment
(a) “Secretary” defined; statement of purposes; boundaries; acquisition of outside sites for administrative, visitor orientation, and recreation facilities
(b) Transfer of responsibility for planning, acquisition, and development, and administrative jurisdiction to Secretary of the Interior; boundary revisions; acreage limitation
(c) Acquisition of property; tracts; exchange and disposal of property; transfer from Federal agency to administrative jurisdiction of Secretary; residential property, right of use and occupancy; fair market value; transfer or assignment; lifetime residence of tenant or spouse; accrual of obligation or rental to United States; “improved property” defined; mineral rights
(1) Within the boundaries of the National Area, the Secretary may acquire lands and waters or interests therein by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange or otherwise, except that lands (other than roads and rights-of-way for roads) owned by the States of Kentucky and Tennessee or any political subdivisions thereof which were in public ownership on
(2) With the exception of property or any interest in property that the Secretary determines is necessary for purposes of administration, preservation, or public use, any owner or owners (hereafter in this section referred to as “owner”) of improved property used solely for noncommercial residential purposes on the date of its acquisition by the Secretary may retain the right of use and occupancy of such property for such purposes for a term, as the owner may elect, ending either (A) upon the death of the owner or his spouse, whichever occurs later, or (B) not more than twenty-five years from the date of acquisition. The Secretary shall pay to the owner the fair market value of the property on the date of such acquisition, less the fair market value on such date of the term retained by the owner. Such right: shall be subject to such terms and conditions as the Secretary deems appropriate to assure that the property is used in accordance with the purposes of this section; may be transferred or assigned; and may be terminated with respect to the entire property by the Secretary upon his determination that the property or any portion thereof has ceased to be used for noncommercial residential purposes, and upon tender to the holder of the right an amount equal to the fair market value, as of the date of the tender, of that portion of the right which remains unexpired on the date of termination. Any person residing upon improved property, subject to the right of acquisition by the Secretary as a tenant or by the sufferance of the owner or owners of the property may be allowed to continue in such residence for the lifetime of such person or his spouse, whichever occurs later, subject to the same restrictions as applicable to owners residing upon such property and provided that any obligation or rental incurred as consideration for such tenancy shall accrue during such term to the United States to be used in the administration of this section.
(3) As used in this section the term “improved property” means a detached year-round one-family dwelling which serves as the owner’s permanent place of abode at the time of acquisition, and construction of which was begun before January 1, 1974, together with so much of the land on which the dwelling is situated, such land being in the same ownership as the dwelling, as the Secretary shall designate to be reasonably necessary for the enjoyment of the dwelling for the sole purpose of noncommercial residential use, except that the Secretary may exclude from any improved property any waters or land fronting thereon, together with so much of the land adjoining such waters or land as he deems necessary for public access thereto.
(4) In any case where the Secretary determines that underlying minerals are removable consistent with the provisions of subsection (e)(3) of this section, the owner of the minerals underlying property acquired for the purposes of this section may retain such interest. The Secretary shall reserve the right to inspect and regulate the extraction of such minerals to insure that the values enumerated in subsection (a) are not reduced and that the purposes declared in subsection (e)(1) are not interfered with.
(d) Hunting, fishing, and trapping; rules and regulations after consultations with State agencies
(e) Gorge areas division: restrictions, limited motorboat access, operation and maintenance of rail line, access routes, maintenance of roads for nonvehicular traffic, ingress and egress of residents, protection of values; adjacent areas division: restrictions, boundaries; Rugby area; Federal consultations with involved agencies respecting development and management of adjacent National Area; Blue Heron Mine community, restoration; rail and alternative transportation study; report to Congress
(1) The National Area shall be established and managed for the purposes of preserving and interpreting the scenic, biological, archeological, and historical resources of the river gorge areas and developing the natural recreational potential of the area for the enjoyment of the public and for the benefit of the economy of the region. The area within the boundary of the National Area shall be divided into two categories; namely, the gorge areas and adjacent areas as hereinafter defined.
(2)
(A) Within the gorge area, no extraction of, or prospecting for minerals, petroleum products, or gas shall be permitted. No timber shall be cut within the gorge area except for limited clearing necessary for establishment of day-use facilities, historical sites, primitive campgrounds, and access roads. No structures shall be constructed within the gorge area except for structures associated with the improvement of historical sites specified in paragraphs (5), (6), and (8), except for day-use facilities and primitive campgrounds along the primary and secondary access routes specified herein and within 500 feet of such roads, and except for primitive campgrounds accessible only by water or on foot. No motorized transportation shall be allowed in the gorge area except on designated access routes, existing routes for administration of the National Area, existing routes for access to cemeteries; except that motorboat access into the gorge area shall be permitted up to a point one-tenth of a mile downstream from Devils’ Jumps 3
3 So in original. Probably should be “Devil’s Jump”.
and except for the continued operation and maintenance of the rail line currently operated and known as the K & T Railroad. The Secretary of the Interior shall impose limitations on the use of existing routes for access to cemeteries. The Secretary shall acquire such interest in the K & T Railroad right-of-way by easement as he deems necessary to protect the scenic, esthetic, and recreational values of the gorge area and the adjacent areas.(B) Primary access routes into the gorge area may be constructed or improved upon the general route of the following designated roads: Tennessee Highway Numbered 52, FAS 2451 (Leatherwood Ford Road), the road into the Blue Heron Community, and Kentucky Highway Numbered 92.
(C) Secondary access roads in the gorge area may be constructed or improved upon the following routes: the roads from Smith Town, Kentucky, to Worley, Kentucky, the road crossing the Clear Fork at Burnt Mill Bridge, the road from Goad, Tennessee, to Zenith, Tennessee, the road from Co-Operative, Kentucky, to Kentucky Highway Numbered 92, the road entering the gorge across from the mouth of Alum Creek in Kentucky, the road crossing the Clear Fork at Peters Bridge, the road entering the gorge across from the mouth of Station Camp Creek.
(D) All other existing roads in the gorge area shall be maintained for nonmotorized traffic only, except that nothing in this section shall abrogate the right of ingress and egress of those who remain in occupancy under subsection (c)(1) of this section.
(E) Road improvement or maintenance and any construction of roads or facilities in the gorge area as permitted by this section shall be accomplished by the Secretary in a manner that will protect the declared values of this unique natural scenic resource.
(3) In adjacent areas: the removal of timber shall be permitted only where required for the development or maintenance of public use and for administrative sites and shall be accomplished with careful regard for scenic and environmental values; prospecting for minerals and the extraction of minerals from the adjacent areas shall be permitted only where the adit to any such mine can be located outside the boundary of the National Area; no surface mining or strip mining shall be permitted; prospecting and drilling for petroleum products and natural gas shall be permitted in the adjacent area under such regulations as the Secretary or the Secretary of the Interior, after jurisdiction over the national river and recreation area has been transferred to him under subsection (b) of this section, may prescribe to minimize detrimental environment impact, such regulations shall provide among other things for an area limitation for each such operation, zones where operations will not be permitted, and safeguards to prevent air and water pollution; no storage facilities for petroleum products or natural gas shall be located within the boundary of the National Area except as necessary and incidental to production; the Secretary is authorized to construct two lodges with recreational facilities within the adjacent areas so as to maximize and enhance public use and enjoyment of the National Area; construction of all roads and facilities in the adjacent areas shall be undertaken with careful regard for the maintenance of the scenic and esthetic values of the gorge area and the adjacent areas.
(4) The gorge area as set out in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection shall consist of all lands and waters of the Big South Fork, Clear Fork, and New River which lie between the gorge or valley rim on either side (where the rim is not clearly defined by topography, the gorge boundary shall be established at an elevation no lower than that of the nearest clearly demarked rim on the same side of the valley), and those portions of the main tributaries and streams in the watersheds of the Big South Fork, Clear Fork, and New River that lie within a gorge or valley rim on either side, except that no lands or waters north of Kentucky Highway Numbered 92 shall be included. The designated adjacent areas shall consist of the balance of the National Area.
(5) The Secretary, and the Secretary of the Interior, shall consult and cooperate with the Tennessee Historical Commission and the Rugby Restoration Association and with other involved agencies and associations, both public and private concerning the development and management of the National Area in the area adjacent to Rugby, Tennessee. Development within the area adjacent to Rugby, Tennessee, shall be designed toward preserving and enhancing the historical integrity of the community and any historical sites within the boundary of the National Area.
(6) The Secretary, or the Secretary of the Interior, after jurisdiction over the National Area has been transferred to him under subsection (b) of this section, shall provide for the restoration of the Blue Heron Mine community in a manner which will preserve and enhance the historical integrity of the community and will contribute to the public’s understanding and enjoyment of its historical value. To that end the Secretary, or the Secretary of the Interior, after jurisdiction over the National Area has been transferred to him under subsection (b) of this section, may construct and improve structures within and may construct and improve a road into this community.
(7) The Secretary shall study the desirability and feasibility of reestablishing rail transportation on the abandoned O&W railbed or an alternative mode of transportation within the National Area upon the O&W roadbed, and shall report to Congress his recommendation with regard to development of this facility.
(8)Improvement of charit creek lodge and historic structures.—The Secretary of the Interior may make improvements to the Charit Creek Lodge and associated facilities and to historic structures determined to be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Such improvements shall be made in a manner consistent with the historic scene and the limited ability of the National Area to accommodate additional use and development. Improvements to the Charit Creek Lodge and associated facilities shall be made within the approximately 30 acres of cleared land existing on November 15, 1990, and within carrying capacity limitations determined by the National Park Service.
(f) Federal power and water resources projects; license and other restrictions; limitations inapplicable to external areas
(g) Transportation facilities; study and establishment
(h) New River plan and programs; transmittal to Congress
(i) Water quality protection; interagency cooperation
(j) Real and personal property tax losses; reimbursement; authorization of appropriations
(1) Until such time as the transfer of jurisdiction to the Secretary of the Interior authorized by subsection (b) of this section shall take place, for the purpose of financially assisting the States of Tennessee and Kentucky, McCreary County, Kentucky, and Scott, Morgan, Pickett, and Fentress Counties in Tennessee, because of losses which these jurisdictions will sustain by reason of the fact that certain lands and other property within their boundaries may be included within the National Area established by this section and thereafter will no longer be subject to real and personal property taxes levied or imposed by them, payments shall be made to them on an annual basis in an amount equal to those taxes levied or imposed on such property for the last taxable year immediately preceding March 7, 1974.
(2) For the purpose of enabling the Secretary to make such payments during the fiscal years ending June 30, 1975, June 30, 1976, June 30, 1977, June 30, 1978, and June 30, 1979, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary.
(k) Authorization of appropriations; prohibition of appropriation from Land and Water Conservation Fund
(Pub. L. 93–251, title I, § 108, Mar. 7, 1974, 88 Stat. 43; Pub. L. 94–587, § 184, Oct. 22, 1976, 90 Stat. 2940; Pub. L. 95–91, title IV, § 402(a)(1)(A), Aug. 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 583; Pub. L. 99–662, title XI, § 1110, Nov. 17, 1986, 100 Stat. 4231; Pub. L. 101–561, § 1, Nov. 15, 1990, 104 Stat. 2778.)