Long Island Aviation History Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the aviation history of Long Island, with a particular focus on the Hempstead Plains, the areas surrounding Suffolk County Air Force Base, the hamlet of Bethpage, the hamlet of Port Washington, and the village of Farmingdale.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1955 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1955
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of
alternatives for commemorating Long Island's aviation history,
including a determination of the suitability and feasibility of
designating parts of the study area as a unit of the National Park
System, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 13, 2013
Mrs. McCarthy of New York (for herself, Mr. Israel, Mr. King of New
York, and Mr. Meeks) introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of
alternatives for commemorating Long Island's aviation history,
including a determination of the suitability and feasibility of
designating parts of the study area as a unit of the National Park
System, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Long Island Aviation History Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Long Island has played an indispensable role in the
development of the aviation industry in the United States. In
particular, the Hempstead Plains, Suffolk County Air Force
Base, and parts of Bethpage, Port Washington, and Farmingdale
contain notable landmarks of aviation history.
(2) The Hempstead Plains encompass approximately 950 acres
east of Clinton Road and south of Old Country Road in Garden
City, New York, and have been called the ``Cradle of
Aviation''.
(3) In the early 20th century, the Hempstead Plains had 3
major airfields, all of great historical significance:
Roosevelt Field, Curtiss Field, and Mitchel Field.
(4) During World War I, the airfields of Hempstead Plains
were an important training center for United States military
pilots, as well as a major hub for military aircraft research,
development, and production.
(5) The first transatlantic flight, carried out by the U.S.
Navy Curtiss NC-4 in 1919, took off from Rockaway, New York,
and cemented the United States leading role in aviation
innovation. This aircraft was built at the Curtiss factory in
Garden City--a building which still stands.
(6) Roosevelt Field in Garden City, New York, was the point
of departure for Charles Lindbergh's famous transatlantic
flight aboard the Spirit of St. Louis completed on May 20,
1927.
(7) In 1929, Amelia Earhart and other pioneering women
pilots founded the International Organization of Women Pilots,
or the Ninety-Nines, at Curtiss Field.
(8) Curtiss Field also served as the terminus for
transcontinental airmail from 1918-1929.
(9) In the 1930s, Roosevelt Field was the busiest civilian
airfield in the United States, and played a role in many other
historic transcontinental, transatlantic, and record-setting
flights.
(10) Port Washington, New York, once known as the
``Plymouth Rock'' of American aviation, was Pan American World
Airways' trans-Atlantic hub on Manhasset Isle from 1934 to
1940.
(11) During World War II, Long Island was a crucial center
of military aircraft production. These aircraft, produced in
huge numbers for the Army, Navy, and foreign governments, were
of excellent quality and had a major impact on the course of
the war in all theaters.
(12) Most notably, the Grumman Aircraft Company, based in
Bethpage, New York, and the Republic Aviation Corporation,
based in Farmingdale, New York, manufactured innovative planes
that proved highly valuable to the U.S. military such as
Grumman's F6F-3 Hellcat and Republic's P-47 Thunderbolt.
(13) Mitchel Air Force Base, located on the Hempstead
Plains, served as the original location of the Air Defense
Command upon its inception in 1940, and was integral to the
defense of the main-land United States during World War II and
thereafter.
(14) In 1951, the Suffolk County Air Force Base, located in
Westhampton, New York, became the prime Air Defense Command
base responsible for defending the New York City metropolitan
area from all air attacks.
(15) In 1962, Grumman won the contract to build the Lunar
Module as part of the Apollo Program, and in 1969 the first men
traveled to the moon aboard a spacecraft built with the
expertise of Long Island's aviation industry.
SEC. 3. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.
(a) Study.--The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct a special
resource study of the study area.
(b) Contents.--In conducting the study under subsection (a), the
Secretary shall--
(1) evaluate the national significance of the study area
based on an assessment of Long Island's aviation history;
(2) determine the suitability and feasibility of
designating parts of the study area as a unit of the National
Park System commemorating Long Island's aviation history;
(3) consider other alternatives for preservation,
protection, and interpretation of the study area by Federal,
State, or local governmental entities, or private and nonprofit
organizations;
(4) identify properties related to Long Island's aviation
history that could meet criteria for listing in the National
Register of Historic Places or criteria for designation as
National Historic Landmarks;
(5) consult with interested Federal, State, or local
governmental entities, private and nonprofit organizations, or
any other interested individuals;
(6) consider the appropriate management options needed to
ensure the protection, preservation, and interpretation of the
study area;
(7) evaluate appropriate ways to enhance historical
research, education, interpretation, and public awareness of
Long Island's aviation history; and
(8) identify cost estimates for any Federal acquisition,
development, interpretation, operation, and maintenance
associated with the alternatives.
(c) Study Area.--The term ``study area'' means Long Island with a
particular focus on the Hempstead Plains, the areas surrounding Suffolk
County Air Force Base, the hamlet of Bethpage, the hamlet of Port
Washington, and the village of Farmingdale.
(d) Applicable Law.--The study required under subsection (a) shall
be conducted in accordance with section 8 of National Park Service
General Authorities Act (16 U.S.C. 1a-5).
(e) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds
are first made available for the study under subsection (a), 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 containing the results of the study
and any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation.
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