Stratton Ridge Air Force Memorial Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Stratton Ridge Air Force Memorial Act authorizes a specific memorial relocation. With consent of the private landowner who hosts the current memorial near the Cherohala Skyway in North Carolina, the Agriculture Secretary may issue a special use authorization to install and maintain the memorial at an appropriate site at the Stratton Ridge rest area at mile marker 2 on the Cherohala Skyway in Graham County, North Carolina, within Nantahala National Forest. The memorial honors the nine Air Force crew members of the C-141B transport plane that crashed during a training mission over the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests on August 31, 1982. The site requires Agriculture Secretary approval, concurrence of the North Carolina Department of Transportation, and, if adjacent to a Federal-aid highway, concurrence of the Federal Highway Administration. No federal funds may be used for relocation, installation, or maintenance. The requester must pay costs associated with use of National Forest System land, including processing the relocation application, issuing the special use authorization, installation, maintenance, and related land-use costs.
Who Benefits and How
Families of the nine Air Force crew members benefit from a public National Forest site for the memorial. Visitors to the Cherohala Skyway benefit from easier access to the Stratton Ridge memorial location. Graham County tourism and civic groups benefit from a visible military remembrance site. The private landowner benefits if the existing memorial is moved with consent.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The requesting memorial sponsor must pay relocation, application, authorization, installation, maintenance, and land-use costs. Forest Service staff must review and issue any special use authorization. North Carolina transportation officials must concur in the site approval. Federal Highway Administration staff must concur if the site is adjacent to a Federal-aid highway.
Key Provisions
- Authorizes special use approval for relocating the Air Force memorial to Stratton Ridge rest area.
- Requires private landowner consent for the current memorial site.
- Requires Agriculture Secretary approval and transportation concurrence.
- Prohibits federal funds for relocation, installation, or maintenance.
- Requires the requester to pay National Forest land-use, application, authorization, installation, and maintenance costs.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Allows the Agriculture Secretary, with private landowner consent and required transportation approvals, to authorize relocation of a memorial honoring nine Air Force C-141B crew members killed in an August 31, 1982 training crash to the Stratton Ridge rest area in Nantahala National Forest, while barring federal funds and making the requesting party responsible for application, authorization, installation, maintenance, and land-use costs.
Key Policy Areas
Veterans, National Forests, Commemoration
Primary Purpose
Allows the Agriculture Secretary, with private landowner consent and required transportation approvals, to authorize relocation of a memorial honoring nine Air Force C-141B crew members killed in an August 31, 1982 training crash to the Stratton Ridge rest area in Nantahala National Forest, while barring federal funds and making the requesting party responsible for application, authorization, installation, maintenance, and land-use costs.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Families of Air Force crew members
- Cherohala Skyway visitors
- Graham County civic groups
- Private landowner
Identified Costs
- Memorial sponsor
- Forest Service staff
- North Carolina transportation officials
- Federal Highway Administration staff
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Edwards (for himself and Mr. Davis of North Carolina) …
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Graham County civic groups, North Carolina transportation officials
Positive-direction: Graham County civic groups
Negative-direction: North Carolina transportation officials
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
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