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CALUMET - In Washington, D.C., if an introduced bill doesn't get acted on during one congressional session, it often gets introduced again in the next Congress, and that's the case for proposed legislation concerning the Keweenaw National Historical Park.

In September 2007, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Detroit, introduced legislation, which if passed would have: Changed the matching requirement for federal funds for the park from a four-to-one ratio to a one-to-one ratio; Eliminated the one to one requirement for the KNHP Advisory Commission to receive funding from the park; Increased the authorized level of non-operational funds to be appropriated for the park; Removed the restriction on the KNHP purchasing currently or formerly contaminated property. The legislation wasn't acted on during the 110th Congress.

According to Levin's office in Washington, D.C., the legislation, now known as S. 135 and co-sponsored by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, has been folded into an omnibus lands package, which was introduced and read for the first time Wednesday.

Jim Corless, KNHP superintendent, said all of the components of S. 135 are important for the functioning of the park.

Changing the fund matching requirement from four to one to one to one will help the park's recently-initiated grant program, intended to provide financial assistance to owners of historic properties within the park boundaries.

"There aren't many parks that have the authority to make grants," Corless said.

The grant program began in July with $30,000 available, but Corless said not as many applied as it was hoped.

"The pool of applicants wasn't much more than that because of the four- to-one match," he said.

Eliminating the match requirement for the advisory commission will help the members, Corless said, because although they are very dedicated to the park, trying to find funding sources to make the match takes up a lot of time the should be spending on other issues.

"That's a fair amount of work for a group of volunteers," he said.

Because of the need to find matching funds, Corless said the advisory commission members often have to compete with the park's partners for the same dollars, which won't be the case if the matching requirement is eliminated.

"It will make the advisory commission much more effective and give them a much more visible presence in the community," he said.

Eliminating the restriction on the park for purchasing contaminated property is important, also, Corless said, because so much property within the park boundaries was contaminated during the copper mining era.

That restriction was part of the legislation creating the KNHP, and Corless said it's the only park in the National Park System with such a restriction. Other parks are able to purchase contaminated property using the Department of Interior guidelines to do so.

"(Elimination of the restriction) makes us equal to other parks as far as the restrictions we have," he said.

Corless said he appreciates the efforts of Levin and Stabenow to promote legislation which will allow the park to operate more efficiently.

In October 2007, Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, introduced similar legislation in the House of Representatives, but it also, was not acted on last session.

Nick Choate, Stupak's press representative, said the congressman intends to reintroduce the legislation today.

In a written comment Thursday, Levin said he appreciates the importance of the KNHP.

"The Keweenaw National Historical Park is home to an incredible treasure of historic resources, and S.135 would help the park to fulfill its mission to preserve and bring to life the vibrant history of Michigan's "copper country" an essential part of the nation's history of industrial and technological development, immigration, labor relations, and natural resources," he wrote. "I am hopeful the Congress will act quickly to pass this important legislation so it can be signed into law for the education, benefit, and inspiration of present and future generations."

Kurt Hauglie can be reached at khauglie@mininggazette.com.