STATEMENT OF KATHERINE H. STEVENSON, ACTING ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, BUSINESS
SERVICES, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON
ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES, CONCERNING S. 2512, A BILL TO ESTABLISH
THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA IN THE STATE OF
MISSISSIPPI, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

# April 9, 2008

Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the
opportunity to appear before you today to present the views of the
Department of the Interior on S. 2512, a bill to establish the
Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area in the State of Mississippi.

The Department cannot support S. 2512 unless the bill is amended to be a
feasibility study for a Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area. The
Department believes that a feasibility study should be required for
every proposed national heritage area and the study should be evaluated
against our interim criteria before designation. The standards for
evaluating areas proposed for national designation are an essential
element prior to establishing a national heritage area. A study should
be prepared that demonstrates evidence of place-based resources that
tell a nationally important story, which has the support and involvement
of the local community.

Various congressionally mandated studies have previously gathered
information on the Mississippi Delta region, including the Lower
Mississippi Delta Region Heritage Study and the Mississippi River
Corridor Study. While these studies have confirmed the importance and
significance of the Mississippi Delta region, they were undertaken
before generally accepted criteria for designating heritage areas had
been established, and were directed at a much larger region than the
area encompassed by this bill.

The Department is willing to provide advice or assistance in the
completion of a study that meets applicable standards and provides
Congress with the necessary information and assessment upon which to
base its decision regarding designation in the future.

With 37 national heritage areas designated across 27 states, and more
heritage area legislative proposals forthcoming, the Administration
believes it is critical for Congress to enact national heritage area
program legislation. This legislation would provide a much-needed
framework for evaluating proposed national heritage areas, offering
guidelines for successful planning and management, clarifying the roles
and responsibilities of all parties, and standardizing timeframes and
funding for designated areas. Program legislation would also clarify the
expectation that heritage areas would work toward self-sufficiency by
outlining the necessary steps, including appropriate planning, to
achieve that goal.

The Mississippi River's role as a major transporter of goods and people
has long influenced the Delta's history and character. Since the
earliest days of human habitation, the Mississippi River has been
essential for transportation, communication, and commerce. The river and
associated ecosystems are part of North America's largest wetland area
and provide habitat for a wide variety of flora, fauna, and aquatic
species. Archeological sites across the Delta attest to the thousands of
years of human occupation. The Mississippi Delta's cultural traditions
are rich and diverse; it is a land of converging cultures. The Delta has
also been the site of a number of important historic events, such as the
Great Flood of 1927 and the Civil Rights Movement.

S. 2512 would establish a Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area along
the lines outlined in the Lower Mississippi Delta Region Heritage Study,
but covering a substantially smaller area, located entirely in the State
of Mississippi. It would include some 18 counties in the State located
within the alluvial floodplain of the Mississippi River. It would also
encompass the Delta National Forest.

The bill designates the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area
Partnership as the coordinating entity of the heritage area. The
Partnership is to be governed by a board of directors composed of 15
members. The members are to be appointed by various entities, including
the Governor; various universities, councils, and commissions; and
County boards from the heritage area.

Mr. Chairman, the Department is prepared to work with the subcommittee
on amending S. 2512 to authorize a feasibility study for a Mississippi
Delta National Heritage Area.

This concludes my prepared remarks. I would be pleased to answer any
questions you or any members of the Subcommittee may have.