
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 2, 2001]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 2, 2001 and January 28, 2002]
[CITE: 16USC469l]

 
                         TITLE 16--CONSERVATION
 
     CHAPTER 1A--HISTORIC SITES, BUILDINGS, OBJECTS, AND ANTIQUITIES
 
                    SUBCHAPTER I--GENERAL PROVISIONS
 
Sec. 469l. Findings and purposes


(a) Findings

    The Congress finds the following:
        (1) The Underground Railroad, which flourished from the end of 
    the 18th century to the end of the Civil War, was one of the most 
    significant expressions of the American civil rights movement during 
    its evolution over more than three centuries.
        (2) The Underground Railroad bridged the divides of race, 
    religion, sectional differences, and nationality; spanned State 
    lines and international borders; and joined the American ideals of 
    liberty and freedom expressed in the Declaration of Independence and 
    the Constitution to the extraordinary actions of ordinary men and 
    women working in common purpose to free a people.
        (3) Pursuant to title VI of Public Law 101-628 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5 
    note; 104 Stat. 4495), the Underground Railroad Advisory Committee 
    conducted a study of the appropriate means of establishing an 
    enduring national commemorative Underground Railroad program of 
    education, example, reflection, and reconciliation.
        (4) The Underground Railroad Advisory Committee found that--
            (A) although a few elements of the Underground Railroad 
        story are represented in existing National Park Service units 
        and other sites, many sites are in imminent danger of being lost 
        or destroyed, and many important resource types are not 
        adequately represented and protected;
            (B) there are many important sites which have high potential 
        for preservation and visitor use in 29 States, the District of 
        Columbia, and the Virgin Islands;
            (C) no single site or route completely reflects and 
        characterizes the Underground Railroad, since its story and 
        associated resources involve networks and regions of the country 
        rather than individual sites and trails; and
            (D) establishment of a variety of partnerships between the 
        Federal Government and other levels of government and the 
        private sector would be most appropriate for the protection and 
        interpretation of the Underground Railroad.

        (5) The National Park Service can play a vital role in 
    facilitating the national commemoration of the Underground Railroad.
        (6) The story and significance of the Underground Railroad can 
    best engage the American people through a national program of the 
    National Park Service that links historic buildings, structures, and 
    sites; routes, geographic areas, and corridors; interpretive 
    centers, museums, and institutions; and programs, activities, 
    community projects, exhibits, and multimedia materials, in a manner 
    that is both unified and flexible.

(b) Purposes

    The purposes of sections 469l to 469l-2 of this title are the 
following:
        (1) To recognize the importance of the Underground Railroad, the 
    sacrifices made by those who used the Underground Railroad in search 
    of freedom from tyranny and oppression, and the sacrifices made by 
    the people who helped them.
        (2) To authorize the National Park Service to coordinate and 
    facilitate Federal and non-Federal activities to commemorate, honor, 
    and interpret the history of the Underground Railroad, its 
    significance as a crucial element in the evolution of the national 
    civil rights movement, and its relevance in fostering the spirit of 
    racial harmony and national reconciliation.

(Pub. L. 105-203, Sec. 2, July 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 678.)

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 469l-1, 469l-2 of this 
title.
