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GRANADA, Colo. (KDVR) — With the stroke of a pen, President Biden made a former Colorado Japanese-American internment camp a part of the National Park System on Friday.

More than 80 years after its creation, the Amache National Historic Site will now receive federal funding and the necessary resources to preserve the historical site. It had previously been maintained by the school principal in the town of Granada and his students.

The town donated the land to the National Parks Service, a key move in getting unanimous support for the bill in the Senate after Utah Sen. Mike Lee originally objected to the measure.

Over the next two years, the National Park Service will work with the town of Granada on the transition and smooth out things like water and land use. Once that process is complete, Congress may authorize the establishment of the new National Park.

“I think it’s vital that the American people understand this really dark chapter in our history, and it’s going to be a wonderful opportunity for southeastern Colorado to continue to play a role in articulating our nation’s history,” Senator Michael Bennet in an interview with FOX31 NOW said.

One of 10 illegal internment camps established during World War II, Amache saw over 10,000 Japanese Americans pass through, and over 7,000 forcibly lived there following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Feb. 18 marked 80 years since Amache was established. Amache survivors, descendants, representatives from the National Parks Conservations Associations, Colorado lawmakers and U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland discussed the significance of the bill on the anniversary.