The History of Badlands National Monument and the White River (Big) Badlands of South DakotaMattison, Ray H.
History
The History of Badlands National Monument and the White River (Big) Badlands of South Dakota
Mattison, Ray H.
Badlands National Park (S.D.) -- History
In the House of Representatives where the proposal was considered in the
second session, the bill (S. 4385) underwent substantial revision. After
being considered by the Committee on the Public Lands, it was reported
out with amendments on February 19, 1929.[101] The revised bill changed
the boundary of the proposed area, reducing it from 69,120 acres to
about 50,760 acres[102] (50,830 acres according to another source[103]).
The name was changed from Teton National Park to Badlands National
Monument. It modified the requirements for the road which the state had
to construct from 40 miles to 30 miles of total length. The requirement
that 90 percent of the privately owned lands had to be acquired before
the park could be established was dropped. Instead, it was now at the
discretion of the Secretary of the Interior to decide when enough
privately owned lands within the proposed boundary had been purchased so
that the area could be proclaimed a national monument by the President.
As before, the bill stipulated that the lands would have to be acquired
without cost to the federal treasury. The amended bill had a new
provision that the Department of the Interior could grant hotel and
lodge franchises in advance of the fulfillment of the conditions.[104]
The amended bill was considered by the Committee of the Whole House on
February 25, six days after the Committee on the Public Lands had acted
on it. Two additional amendments were offered on the floor of the House
and were accepted. The idea that the Secretary of the Interior could
decide when enough privately owned land had been purchased so that the
area could be proclaimed as a national monument was dropped in favor of
requiring all privately owned land within the proposed boundary be
purchased before the area could be established. The provision giving the
Department of the Interior authority to grant franchises in advance of
the establishment of the national monument was also deleted. This
amended form passed the House of Representatives on the same day,
February 25.[105]
When the House act was referred to the Senate on the next day, Norbeck
asked his colleagues not to concur with the amended proposal. He asked
instead that the modified bill be considered in a conference committee
of the House and Senate.[106] On March 2, the conference committee
recommended that the two amendments that were attached to the bill on
the floor of the House on February 25 be dropped, returning the bill to
the form it had when it was originally reported out on February 19.[107]
On the same day, March 2, the final bill was passed by both houses.[108]
Known as Public Law No. 1021, the act authorizing Badlands National
Monument was approved by President Calvin Coolidge on March 4, 1929. The
signing of the act took place on the last day of Coolidge’s term as
President of the United States.[109]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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