Sponsors (6)
The bill expands and protects additional Mammoth Cave acreage for public use and conservation while increasing federal management responsibilities and potentially restricting local land use and imposing modest additional costs on taxpayers.
Rural communities, local governments, and park visitors gain access to about 551 additional acres of Mammoth Cave National Park, expanding recreation, tourism potential, and public enjoyment.
The newly acquired acreage is placed under National Park Service management, protecting natural and cultural resources on that land from development or degradation.
The bill clarifies statutory language in the 1942 Act, reducing legal ambiguity and making park administration clearer for the Secretary of the Interior and local officials.
Property owners and local governments near the acquired land may face new limits on development or uses of that land, constraining local planning and private property choices.
Taxpayers could see higher federal land management and maintenance costs over time because the Park Service will manage a larger acreage.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire about 551.14 acres (per a May 2025 map) for addition to Mammoth Cave National Park and makes a minor statutory text change.
Official title: To modify the boundary of the Mammoth Cave National Park in the State of Kentucky, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 8, 2025 by Brett Guthrie · Last progress May 8, 2025
Allows the Department of the Interior to add about 551.14 acres (and interests in land) to Mammoth Cave National Park by authorizing the Secretary to acquire the specific parcels shown on a May 2025 map. It also makes a small textual amendment to an existing statute governing park boundary adjustments. The change permits federal acquisition (by purchase, donation, or other authorized means) of the identified tracts for inclusion in the park, expanding the park’s southern boundary in Edmonson and Barren Counties, Kentucky.