SB1674 amends Section 11 of the 1942 statute governing Mammoth Cave National Park to (1) insert an inflation adjustment — tied to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index — after the statutory reference to $350,000 in the Act’s second paragraph, and (2) authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire approximately 551.14 acres (and interests in that land) shown as the “Proposed Addition” on a map dated May 2025 for formal inclusion in the park.
The change is narrowly targeted: it adds a specific parcel to the park boundary and ensures a previously stated dollar figure moves with inflation. Practically, the bill creates a discrete acquisition authority tied to a named map and shifts a numeric statutory amount to an inflation-adjusted basis — details that matter for budgeting, landowner negotiations, and park planning.
At a Glance
What It Does
The bill amends a 1942 statutory provision to allow the Interior Secretary to acquire roughly 551.14 acres (and any interests in that land) depicted on a May 2025 map for inclusion in Mammoth Cave National Park, and it modifies a $350,000 figure in that provision to be adjusted for inflation using the BLS Consumer Price Index.
Who It Affects
The National Park Service and the Department of the Interior will gain a discrete authority to add this parcel; private landowners in the depicted area of Edmonson and Barren Counties are potential sellers or partners in easement transactions; federal budget and acquisition offices will handle any funding and purchase logistics.
Why It Matters
This is a focused statutory boundary expansion rather than a broad program change: it fixes where the park will grow, alters how a statutory dollar figure is measured over time, and creates near-term operational and fiscal tasks (acquisition, survey, management) for the NPS.
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What This Bill Actually Does
SB1674 does two things in plain terms. First, it changes the text of the law that governs Mammoth Cave National Park by adding language that makes an existing $350,000 statutory amount subject to inflation adjustments using the Consumer Price Index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The bill does not specify when or how the adjusted figure is to be calculated beyond naming the CPI as the index; it simply ties the previously fixed dollar amount to a standard inflation measure.
Second, the bill gives the Secretary of the Interior explicit authority to acquire a defined tract — approximately 551.14 acres — and any related interests in that property, described on a map titled “Mammoth Cave National Park Proposed Southern Boundary Expansion Edmonson and Barren Counties, Kentucky,” map number 135/177,967, dated May 2025. The acquisition authority is for the purpose of including that land in the park.
The statute’s language is broad in form: it authorizes acquisition of the land and “any interests in land,” which covers fee simple purchases and other interests such as easements, but it does not spell out acquisition mechanics, funding sources, or whether condemnation is authorized.Because the bill references a specific map and acreage, it creates an identifiable expansion target for NPS planners and local stakeholders. The practical next steps—title work, negotiations with owners, surveys, environmental review under applicable law, and budgeting—remain governed by existing NPS procedures and federal statutes.
The bill itself does not appropriate funds; it only authorizes acquisition and links the $350,000 figure to CPI adjustments. That leaves the timing and financing of any purchase to the Department and future appropriations decisions.
The Five Things You Need to Know
SB1674 inserts “(adjusted for inflation in accordance with the Consumer Price Index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor)” immediately after the statutory reference to “$350,000” in the second paragraph of Section 11 of the 1942 Act.
The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire approximately 551.14 acres and “any interests in land” identified as “Proposed Addition” on a May 2025 map for inclusion in Mammoth Cave National Park.
The referenced map is titled “Mammoth Cave National Park Proposed Southern Boundary Expansion Edmonson and Barren Counties, Kentucky,” and is numbered 135/177,967 (dated May 2025).
The acquisition authority explicitly provides for inclusion of the acquired property into the park’s boundary rather than merely establishing a conservation easement or management arrangement outside park boundaries.
SB1674 amends an existing statutory section (16 U.S.C. 404c–11) rather than creating a standalone appropriation or a new acquisition program.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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Short title
States that the Act may be cited as the “Mammoth Cave National Park Boundary Adjustment Act of 2025.” This is a straightforward labeling provision used for reference in law and does not carry operational effect.
Inflation adjustment for the $350,000 statutory figure
Amends the second paragraph of Section 11 of the Act of June 5, 1942 by adding parenthetical language that ties the cited $350,000 amount to the Consumer Price Index. Mechanically, this converts a fixed-dollar statutory reference into one that rises with inflation, but the bill leaves unspecified the base year mechanics, frequency of adjustment, and whether rounding or indexing conventions apply. Practically, this change protects the real value of the referenced amount over time but does not itself allocate funds.
Specific boundary addition and acquisition authority
Inserts a new paragraph authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to acquire approximately 551.14 acres and any interests in that land as depicted on a identified May 2025 map for inclusion in Mammoth Cave National Park. The language is deliberately broad about the type of interests ('any interests in land'), which can encompass fee simple acquisitions and lesser interests such as easements. The provision names the map and acreage precisely, which narrows the intended expansion but leaves the acquisition method, funding source, and timeline to the Department and to routine federal processes (e.g., title clearance, negotiations, and any required environmental reviews).
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Explore Environment in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- National Park Service — gains a statutorily authorized parcel for park management and planning, enabling ecosystem protection and potential expansion of visitor access within a defined boundary.
- Local conservation organizations — get a clear legal vehicle to secure the identified acreage into public ownership, simplifying coordination with the NPS on protection goals and fundraising for acquisition where donation or partnership is possible.
- Park visitors and regional tourism businesses — stand to benefit from a larger park footprint that can preserve scenic and recreational resources, potentially increasing visitation and related economic activity in nearby communities.
Who Bears the Cost
- Federal government / taxpayers — face the financial cost of acquiring the land and absorbing ongoing management, law enforcement, and maintenance obligations unless acquisition occurs through donation or third-party funding.
- Private landowners within the depicted parcel — may confront offers to sell or negotiate easements, and some may experience limits on development or changes in property-use prospects as the land moves toward public ownership.
- Interior Department and NPS operational units — must allocate staff time and planning resources for surveys, title work, environmental review, integration of the parcel into resource management plans, and potential infrastructure or access work.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The central dilemma is balancing targeted conservation and park expansion against fiscal and property rights constraints: the bill secures a clear conservation objective by naming a parcel and protecting a dollar figure against inflation, but it does so without funding or detailed acquisition mechanics, leaving the costs, rights adjustments, and administrative burden to be resolved later.
The bill is narrowly scoped but raises implementation questions that matter in practice. First, tying a $350,000 statutory figure to the CPI preserves purchasing power but does not create an appropriation; without a corresponding funding authorization or appropriation, the practical effect depends on future budget decisions.
Second, the authorization to acquire ‘‘any interests in land’’ is broad and could encompass a range of legal instruments (fee, easement, cooperative agreements), but the bill does not specify whether condemnation is authorized; absent explicit eminent domain language, acquisitions will likely proceed by voluntary sale, donation, or existing statutory authorities that govern federal land acquisition.
Third, the map-based description pins the expansion to a fixed depiction (map number and date), which helps reduce ambiguity about which parcels are intended but can create disputes if surveys or deeds reveal acreage or boundary inconsistencies. The statute’s reliance on a map dated May 2025 means precise acreage, title, and encumbrance work will determine what is actually acquired.
Finally, the bill does not address potential preexisting rights on the land—mineral rights, easements, or leases—which can complicate acquisition value and post-acquisition management and may require additional negotiation or legal resolution.
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