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Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park Act

Public Law 107-373 · H.R. 4944 · 107th Congress · began in the House

Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Dec 19, 2002 · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Sponsor: Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA-10)

Cosponsors (1): Rep. Bob Goodlatte

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park Act - (Sec. 5) Establishes the Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park in Virginia.

(Sec. 6) Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) acquire land within the Park's boundaries from willing sellers by donation, purchase, or exchange; (2) acquire associated personal property for interpretation of the Park; and (3) acquire conservation easements and enter into covenants regarding lands in or adjacent to the Park to protect the scenic, natural, and historic resources on such lands and preserve the Park's natural or historic setting. Authorizes the National Park Service (NPS) to acquire land outside the Park for the development of visitor, administrative, museum, curatorial, and maintenance facilities.

(Sec. 7) Directs the Secretary to: (1) administer the Park in accordance with this Act and laws generally applicable to NPS units; and (2) submit to specified congressional committees a Park management plan which shall contain provisions to address the needs of non-Federal landowners, including independent nonprofit organizations, within Park boundaries.

(Sec. 9) Establishes the Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park Advisory Commission to advise the Secretary on: (1) the preparation and implementation of the management plan; and (2) the identification of sites of significance outside the Park deemed necessary to fulfill the purposes of this Act.

(Sec. 10) Directs the Secretary and the Commission to encourage conservation of the historic and natural resources within and in proximity of the Park by landowners, local governments, organizations, and businesses. Authorizes the Secretary to provide technical assistance to local governments in cooperative efforts which complement the values of the Park.

(Sec. 11) Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) receive and expend funds from an endowment to be established with the National Park Foundation for the interpretation, preservation, and maintenance of the Park resources and public access areas; (2) enter into cooperative agreements with interested public and private entities and individuals for the conservation of historic and natural resources of the Park; and (3) provide technical and financial assistance for historic structure preservation, natural or cultural landscape maintenance, local preservation planning, interpretation, management of public visitation, and furthering the goals of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation related to the Park.

(Sec. 13) Directs the Secretary to acknowledge and support the continued participation by the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Belle Grove Incorporated, Shenandoah County, the towns of Strasburg and Middletown, Frederick, Shenandoah, and Warren Counties, and the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation in the management of the Park. Permits Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation to transfer ownership interest in portions of their land to the National Park Service.

(Sec. 14) Authorizes appropriations.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 14 actions.

  1. Dec 19, 2002Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 107-373.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 10, 2002PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Nov 20, 2002FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  5. Oct 1, 2002FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
  6. FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  7. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  8. FloorFloor · Mr. Hansen moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  9. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
  10. Sep 12, 2002CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
  11. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  12. Jun 21, 2002CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  13. Jun 13, 2002CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
  14. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.