16 U.S.C. § 410cc–22 — Acquisition of property

(a) Specified property; manner of acquisition (1) The Secretary may acquire the properties listed in paragraph (2) — or any interest in them — by donation, purchase (with donated or appropriated money), condemnation, or another method. But if Massachusetts or one of its local governments owns the property, the Secretary can only get it by donation. Before starting condemnation, the Secretary must first make every reasonable effort to buy the property through negotiation, and must consult the Commission (if it exists) and the Lowell city council. (2) The properties the Secretary may acquire are: (A) The Linus Childs House, 63 Kirk Street. (B) The H and H Paper Company (also called Boott Mill Boarding House), 42 French Street. (C) Old City Hall, 226 Merrimack Street. (D) Merrimack Gatehouse, 269 Merrimack Street. (E) The Wannalancit Textile Company, 562 Suffolk Street. (F) The buildings holding the Jade Pagoda and Solomon's Yard Goods, 210 and 200 Merrimack Street. (G) Properties shown on the map named in section 410cc–11(a)(3): (i) 91 Pevey Street; (ii) part of 607 Middlesex Place; (iii) Eagle Court; (iv) part of 50 Payne Street; (v) 726 Broadway. (b) Other property; criteria for acquisition; manner of acquisition Until the Commission holds its first meeting, the Secretary may also acquire other property in the park or district — property not listed in subsection (a)(2) — if it meets one of these tests: (1) it's identified in the Lowell Historical Canal District Commission's report as worth preserving; (2) it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places; or (3) the Secretary decides it is nationally significant and would otherwise face demolition or major changes that don't fit this subchapter's purpose. This kind of property can only be acquired the same way as in subsection (a)(1). (c) Easements; manner of acquisition The Secretary may acquire easements within the park for this subchapter's purpose, using the same methods as subsection (a)(1). (d) Exchange of land or interest in land (1) The Secretary may trade park land for land owned by Massachusetts, Lowell, or the University of Massachusetts Building Authority. (2) Except as described in paragraph (3), these trades must follow the same rules, regulations, and policies that apply to other National Park Service land trades, plus any other terms the Secretary sets to protect the United States' interests. (3) If facilities or infrastructure needed to run the park sit on the federal land being traded, and the non-federal land is not of equal value, the Secretary must be paid cash to make up the difference. But the Secretary doesn't have to equalize the values if the land the federal government receives is worth more than the land it gives up.