Bill Proposes César Chávez National Historical Park in CA & AZ, Eyes Historic March Route for National Trail Study

This legislation aims to establish the César E. Chávez and the Farmworker Movement National Historical Park, primarily by redesignating the existing César E. Chávez National Monument located at Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz in Keene, California. The bill, titled the "Cesar E. Chavez and the Farmworker Movement National Historical Park Act," outlines a plan to preserve and interpret sites significant to Chávez and the broader farmworker movement, potentially expanding beyond the current monument boundaries.

From Monument to Park: Expanding the Footprint

The core change here is the upgrade from a National Monument to a National Historical Park (Sec. 4). While the existing monument site in Keene forms the initial park area, the bill allows the Secretary of the Interior to add three specific, historically significant sites: The Forty Acres in Delano, California; the Santa Rita Center in Phoenix, Arizona; and McDonnell Hall in San Jose, California. However, adding these sites isn't automatic; it hinges on the Secretary either acquiring the land (through donation, willing seller purchase, or exchange) or securing a formal agreement with the current landowners to manage the property according to the park's standards (Sec. 4). This means the park's final size and scope could evolve over time, depending on funding and successful negotiations.

Planning the Future: Management and More Sites

Beyond the initial sites, the bill mandates the creation of a comprehensive general management plan within three years after funds are specifically made available for it (Sec. 4). This plan isn't just about day-to-day operations; it's tasked with evaluating other potential sites for inclusion. This includes looking at locations in California's Coachella Valley, additional sites reviewed in the original 2013 National Park Service study, and even relevant sites outside of California and Arizona (Sec. 4). The plan requires consultation with landowners, various agencies, organizations like the National Chávez Center, and the public. The Secretary can also provide technical assistance and interpretation for related sites even if they aren't officially part of the park, fostering a broader network (Sec. 4).

Walking the Walk: A New National Historic Trail Study

Separately, the bill amends the National Trails System Act to authorize a study for designating the "Farmworker Peregrinación National Historic Trail" (Sec. 5). This trail would follow the approximately 300-mile route of the 1966 farmworker march from Delano to Sacramento, California, as outlined in the 2013 NPS study (Alternative C). It's important to note this section authorizes a study, which is the first step in a process that could eventually lead to the trail's official designation, but doesn't create the trail outright. This recognizes the historical significance of the march route itself as a key part of the farmworker movement's story.