LAFITTE, La. (AP) — Legislation to expand Jean Lafitte National Historical Park’s Barataria Preserve by more than 3,000 acres has stalled, amid concerns that a local agreement struck with a property owner would set a precedent for land near other federal parks.

The federal government already owns most of the swamp in the proposed expansion but several tracts of private land remain in the area and within park borders.

In September 2006, preservationists who have pushed for expansion of the wetlands park past its 20,000 acres reached an agreement with the Jefferson Parish Council and N. Buckner ‘‘Buck’’ Barkley, a landowner within the original park boundary. That agreement hinged on a ‘‘willing-seller’’ provision, barring expropriation of the land.

And that was enough to keep members of the U.S. Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee from signing off on the plan, because of the precedent it could set for other property near parks, particularly in the Western United States, a spokeswoman for Sen. Mary Landrieu, Stephanie Allen, said.

Jefferson Parish Councilman Chris Roberts asked Landrieu, a Democrat, and Sen. David Vitter, a Republican, to reject a revised bill, after hearing from Barkley that the new version didn’t include the provision.

‘‘I think they should have notified everybody and sat down and discussed it before changing it,’’ Roberts said.

Barry Kohl, conservation chairman of the Louisiana Audubon Council, said the bill would provide added flood protection. ‘‘And one landowner has been blocking this bill and the transfer of this federally owned land to the park service for several years,’’ he said.

Allen said that while Landrieu understands Barkley’s property rights concerns, she disputes his land is at risk of expropriation. Landrieu would help marshal through the committee a measure excluding the willing-seller provision while promising to try to put that wording back into a version considered by the House, Allen said.

‘‘Her desire is for the National Park Service to take over these wetlands, because it’s important for flood protection in New Orleans,’’ Allen said.

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Information from: The Times-Picayune, http://www.timespicayune.com