This bill authorizes a study to assess the significance of the Cahokia Mounds and related sites in Illinois for potential inclusion in the National Park System.
Cahokia Mounds Mississippian Culture Study Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of an area made up of (1) Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site in Collinsville, IL; (2) the Emerald Mounds in St. Clair County, Illinois; and (3) the Pulcher Mounds in Monroe and St. Clair Counties, Illinois. (The National Park Service uses special resource studies when determining whether to designate sites as National Historical Sites.) The study mustevaluate the national significance of the study area; determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the study area as a unit of the National Park System; consider other alternatives for preservation, protection, and interpretation of the study area by other governmental entities or nonprofit organizations; andidentify cost estimates for any federal acquisition, development, interpretation, operation, and maintenance associated with such alternatives. Interior must report on the results of the study and make recommendations to specified congressional committees.
