Bill
S 1876
Allows private groups to relocate and maintain a memorial for a 1982 Air Force crash on a National Forest site, funded entirely by private sources with approvals.
Status snapshot
- Introduced in U.S. Senate: May 22, 2025 (Sen. Thom TILLIS, with Sen. Ted BUDD).
- Referred to: Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Reported favorably (Oct 2025) and placed on Senate Calendar (Calendar No. 215). Hearings noted for Oct 6, 2025.
- Note: The dataset provided also includes unrelated items using the same bill number (see “Other item with same number” below).
Purpose and intent
- Authorize the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to permit (by special use authorization) relocation, installation, and maintenance of a private memorial honoring the nine Air Force crew members of a C–141B transport plane that crashed during a training mission over the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests on August 31, 1982. The intended relocation site is the Stratton Ridge rest area (mile marker 2) on the Cherohala Skyway in Graham County, North Carolina, within the Nantahala National Forest.
Key provisions
- Authorization: Secretary of Agriculture may authorize placement and maintenance of the memorial on National Forest System land at the Stratton Ridge rest area, provided the private landowner (the current adjacent landowner where the memorial sits) consents to the relocation.
- Site approvals: The chosen site must be approved by the Secretary in concurrence with:
- North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT); and
- If the site is adjacent to a Federal-aid highway, the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
- Funding prohibition: No Federal funds may be used to relocate, install, or maintain the memorial.
- Cost responsibility: The individual or entity requesting the relocation must cover all costs, including:
- Application processing;
- Costs to issue the special use authorization and any related environmental analysis;
- Costs to relocate, install, and maintain the memorial.
- Terms and conditions: The Secretary may impose appropriate terms and conditions in the special use authorization, including prohibiting enlargement or expansion of the memorial.
Who is affected
- Primary: the requesting individual or private entity (likely family members or a veterans/heritage group) who must pay all costs and obtain landowner consent.
- Federal agencies: U.S. Forest Service (Secretary of Agriculture) responsible for authorization and oversight; FHWA and NCDOT for concurrence on site approval where applicable.
- Local/community: visitors to Cherohala Skyway/Stratton Ridge rest area, Graham County, NC; families and survivors of the 1982 crash.
Procedural/timeline notes
- Introduced May 22, 2025 and referred to Agriculture Committee. Committee ordered it reported favorably and it was placed on the Senate calendar Oct 27, 2025 (Calendar No. 215). Hearings were scheduled for Oct 6, 2025.
- Because the bill explicitly bars federal funding, implementation depends entirely on private funds and completion of required permitting/approvals.
Other item with the same bill number (separate jurisdiction)
- Massachusetts Senate Docket No. 1876 (filed Jan 14, 2025) is a distinct, unrelated state/local bill concerning retirement classification for certain City of Beverly employees (fire alarm operators hired on or before Jan 26, 2006) to be classified in Group 2 for retirement purposes. This is not related to the federal S.1876 described above.
If you want, I can:
- Prepare a short timeline of actions and likely next steps in the Senate; or
- Draft a plain-language explainer for affected family groups or local officials about what approvals and costs they would need to proceed.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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