National Park Service Should Negotiate With States To Achieve Concurrent Jurisdiction

The General Authorities Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to negotiate with States for concurrent jurisdiction in the National Park System. Interior, while commenting on proposed amendments to the General Authorities Act in April 1976, stated that it would be beneficial to relinquish to the States the Federal legislative jurisdiction relative to some areas of the National Park System. It pointed out that administration of units of the system under exclusive jurisdiction could deny the National Park Service (NPS), its employees, and citizens residing in such units important rights and privileges of State and local government normally provided to them.