This bill establishes the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial National Historical Park in Illinois to preserve and interpret the region's French colonial heritage, spanning approximately 22 square miles. The park will include historically significant sites such as Fort de Chartres, the Creole House, the Pierre Menard home, and the Adorers of the Blood of Christ convent, along with portions of the Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site. The legislation recognizes the area's importance as one of the finest examples of French colonial architecture in the United States and acknowledges the contributions of religious women, enslaved African Americans, Native Americans, and people of mixed ancestry who built and inhabited these colonial communities. The Secretary of the Interior will administer the park and may acquire land through donation, purchase, or exchange, develop a visitor center complex at the convent site, and provide grants to partners for eligible preservation projects. The bill does not specify dedicated funding amounts or timelines beyond requiring the Secretary to prepare boundary maps as soon as practicable after enactment.
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