Kettle Creek Battlefield Survey Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 306) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the site of the Kettle Creek Battlefield in Wilkes County, Georgia, and adjacent property, and for other purposes, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 306

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. KETTLE CREEK BATTLEFIELD SURVEY.

(a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``Kettle Creek Battlefield Survey Act''.

(b) Reconnaissance Survey.--

(1) Survey.--The Secretary of the Interior (referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') shall conduct a reconnaissance survey of the site of the Kettle Creek Battlefield in Wilkes County, Georgia, and adjacent property (referred to in this section as the ``site'').

(2) Requirements for survey.--In conducting the survey under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall evaluate the likelihood that resources within the site boundary would meet the four criteria for new parklands--

(A) national significance;

(B) suitability;

(C) feasibility; and

(D) need for National Park Service management.

(3) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which funds are made available to carry out the survey under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report that describes--

(A) the results of the survey; and

(B) any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 306, the Kettle Creek Battlefield Survey Act, introduced by our colleague, Representative Jody Hice.

This bill would require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a reconnaissance survey of the Kettle Creek Battlefield in Wilkes County, Georgia.

On February 14, 1779, at the Battle of Kettle Creek, approximately 350 patriots defeated more than 800 British loyalists in a surprise attack. The battle marked the only significant victory in Georgia by forces opposed to British rule and impacted the course of the American Revolutionary War.

In 1975, the battlefield was added to the National Register of Historic Places to protect the site's historic and archeological resources.

This bill tasks the National Park Service with determining the best management options for these historic resources, and I would like to thank Representative Hice for his efforts on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support its adoption, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I certainly do appreciate my colleague's very emotional description of the rich history of Battle Creek and his commitment to its preservation. I join him in that.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the adoption of this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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