May 22, 2025
Mr. Tillis (for himself and Mr. Budd) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to relocate a memorial honoring the 9 Air Force crew members who lost their lives in an airplane crash in the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests during a training mission on August 31, 1982.
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 Stratton Ridge Air Force Memorial Act
.
Sec. 2. Relocation of memorial honoring the 9 Air Force crew members who lost their lives in an airplane crash during a training mission on August 31, 1982
(a) In general
With the consent of the owner of the private land adjacent to the Cherohala Skyway in the State of North Carolina on which there is located a memorial honoring the 9 members of the Air Force crew of the C–141B transport plane that crashed during a training mission over the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests on August 31, 1982 (referred to in this section as the memorial
), and subject to subsections (b) through (e), the Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this section as the Secretary
) may authorize, by special use authorization, the installation and any maintenance associated with the installation of the memorial at an appropriate site at the Stratton Ridge rest area located at mile marker 2 on the Cherohala Skyway in Graham County, North Carolina, in the Nantahala National Forest.
(b) Site approval
The site at which the memorial is installed under subsection (a) is subject to approval by the Secretary, in concurrence with—
(1)
the North Carolina Department of Transportation; and
(2)
in a case in which the site is located adjacent to a Federal-aid highway, the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration.
(c) Funding
No Federal funds may be used to relocate, install, or maintain the memorial under subsection (a).
(d) Costs
The individual or entity requesting the installation of the memorial on National Forest System land under subsection (a) shall be responsible for the costs associated with the use of National Forest System land for the memorial, including the costs of—
(1)
processing the application for the relocation;
(2)
issuing a special use authorization for the memorial, including the costs associated with any related environmental analysis; and
(3)
relocating, installing, and maintaining the memorial.
(e) Terms and conditions
The special use authorization for the installation of the memorial under subsection (a) may include any terms and conditions that are determined to be appropriate by the Secretary, including a provision preventing any enlargement or expansion of the memorial.