Air Force memorial gets new home—at no cost to taxpayers
S. 1876 — Stratton Ridge Air Force Memorial Act · Filed by Thom Tillis (R-NC) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced May 22, 2025 · Reported out
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to allow relocation of a memorial honoring nine Air Force crew members who died in a 1982 plane crash from private land to a rest area in North Carolina's Nantahala National Forest. The memorial can be moved with the landowner's consent and approval from state and federal highway authorities, but no federal funds may be used—the requesting party must pay all costs.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole function is to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to permit relocation of a specific military memorial from private to public land, with clear cost and approval conditions. It is a straightforward commemorative and administrative measure.
What the text implies
- The bill requires the requesting party to bear all costs, including environmental analysis and special use authorization processing—this shifts administrative burden and expense to private parties seeking to honor the fallen, potentially creating a barrier to memorial installation on public lands.
- The Secretary retains broad discretion to impose 'any terms and conditions' deemed appropriate, including prevention of memorial expansion—this grants significant regulatory control over a private commemorative effort with minimal legislative guardrails.
Who it affects
The bill enables a private memorial to a fallen military crew to be relocated to a public rest area at no cost to taxpayers, with appropriate environmental and site review. Citizens gain a dignified public space to honor the fallen without public expense.