Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Act Amendments of 1997

Summary: Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Act Amendments of 1997 - Amends the Delaware and Lehigh Navigation Canal National Heritage Corridor Act of 1988 (the Act) to change the name of the Delaware and Lehigh Navigation Canal National Heritage Corridor to the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. 
Includes among the Act's purposes enhancing economic development within the context of preservation. 
Modifies provisions regarding:  (1) membership of, terms of office for, and confirmation of appointment to the Delaware and Lehigh National Corridor Commission; and (2) powers of the Commission to authorize the conveyance of real property acquired by the Commission to an appropriate nonprofit organization, to authorize the Commission to enter into cooperative agreements with a nonprofit organization, and to require any cooperative agreement to establish procedures for providing notice to the Commission of any action proposed by a nonprofit organization which may affect implementation of the Cultural Heritage and Corridor Management Plan. 
Authorizes the Commission to administer any grant or loan from amounts appropriated, donated, or otherwise made available to the Commission for the purpose of providing a grant or loan. 
Directs the Commission to implement the Plan by taking appropriate steps to preserve and interpret the cultural, natural, recreational, and scenic (currently, limited to historic) resources of the Canal and its surrounding area. 
Terminates the Commission ten years after the date of this Act's enactment. 
Requires specified actions by any Federal entity conducting or supporting activities directly affecting the historic, cultural, natural, recreational, or scenic resources of the Corridor (currently, the flow of the Canal or the natural resources of the Corridor). 
Reauthorizes and increases appropriations under the Act. Authorizes specified funds to implement the management action plan created by the Commission. 
Prohibits the Commission from interfering with private property rights or any local zoning ordinance or land use plan of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or any political subdivision.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Delaware and Lehigh National 
Heritage Corridor Act Amendments of 1997''.

SEC. 2. NAME CHANGE.

    The Delaware and Lehigh Navigation Canal National Heritage Corridor 
Act of 1988 (Public Law 200-692; 102 Stat. 4552) is amended by striking 
``Delaware and Lehigh Navigation Canal National Heritage Corridor'' 
each place it appears (except section 4(a)) and inserting ``Delaware 
and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor''.

SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

    Section 3(b) of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor 
Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-692; 102 Stat. 4552) is amended--
            (1) by inserting after ``subdivisions'' the following: ``in 
        enhancing economic development within the context of 
        preservation and''; and
            (2) by striking ``and surrounding the Delaware and Lehigh 
        Navigation Canal in the Commonwealth'' and inserting ``the 
        Corridor''.

SEC. 4. CORRIDOR COMMISSION.

    (a) Membership.--Section 5(b) of the Delaware and Lehigh National 
Heritage Corridor Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-692; 102 Stat. 4553) is 
amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
        ``appointed not later than 6 months after the date of enactment 
        of this Act'';
            (2) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
            ``(2) 3 individuals, of whom--
                    ``(A) 1 shall be the Director of the Pennsylvania 
                Department of Conservation and Natural Resources;
                    ``(B) 1 shall be the Director of the Pennsylvania 
                Department of Community and Economic Development; and
                    ``(C) 1 shall be the Chairperson of the 
                Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.'';
            (3) in paragraph (3), by striking ``recommendations from 
        the Governor, of whom'' and all that follows through ``Delaware 
        Canal region'' and inserting the following: ``nominations from 
        the Governor, of whom--
                    ``(A) 1 shall represent a city, 1 shall represent a 
                borough and 1 shall represent a township; and
                    ``(B) 1 shall represent each of the 5 counties of 
                Luzerne, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton, and Bucks in 
                Pennsylvania''; and
            (4) in paragraph (4)--
                    (A) by striking ``8 individuals'' and inserting ``9 
                individuals''; and
                    (B) by striking ``recommendations from the 
                Governor, who shall have'' and all that follows through 
                ``Canal region. A vacancy'' and inserting the 
                following: ``nominations from the Governor, of whom--
                    ``(A) 3 shall represent the northern region of the 
                Corridor;
                    ``(B) 3 shall represent the middle region of the 
                Corridor; and
                    ``(C) 3 shall represent the southern region of the 
                Corridor.
A vacancy''.
    (b) Terms.--Section 5 of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage 
Corridor Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-692; 102 Stat. 4553) is amended by 
striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
    ``(c) Terms.--The following provisions shall apply to a member of 
the Commission appointed under paragraph (3) or (4) of subsection (b):
            ``(1) Length of term.--The member shall serve for a term of 
        3 years.
            ``(2) Carryover.--The member shall serve until a successor 
        is appointed by the Secretary.
            ``(3) Replacement.--If the member resigns or is unable to 
        serve due to incapacity or death, the Secretary shall appoint, 
        not later than 60 days after receiving a nomination of the 
        appointment from the Governor, a new member to serve for the 
        remainder of the term.
            ``(4) Term limits.--A member may serve for not more than 2 
        full terms starting after the date of enactment of this 
        paragraph.''
    (c) Confirmation.--Section 5 of the Delaware and Lehigh National 
Heritage Corridor Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-692; 102 Stat. 4553) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(h) Confirmation.--The Secretary shall accept or reject an 
appointment under paragraph (3) or (4) of subsection (b) not later than 
60 days after receiving a nomination of the appointment from the 
Governor.''.

SEC. 5. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) Conveyance of Real Estate.--Section 7(g)(3) of the Delaware and 
Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-692; 102 
Stat. 4555) is amended in the first sentence by inserting ``or 
nonprofit organization'' after ``appropriate public agency''.
    (b) Cooperative Agreements.--Section 7(h) of the Delaware and 
Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-692; 102 
Stat. 4555) is amended--
            (1) in the first sentence, by inserting ``any non-profit 
        organization,'' after ``subdivision of the Commonwealth,''; and
            (2) in the second sentence, by inserting ``such nonprofit 
        organization,'' after ``such political subdivision,''.
            (e) Grants and Loans.--Section 7 of the Delaware and Lehigh 
        National Heritage Corridor Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-692; 102 
        Stat. 4554) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (i) as subsection (j); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (h) the following;
    ``(i) Grants and Loans.--The Commission may administer any grant or 
loan from amounts--
            ``(1) appropriated to the Commission for the purpose of 
        providing a grant or loan; or
            ``(2) donated or otherwise made available to the Commission 
        for the purpose of providing a grant or loan.''.

SEC. 6. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

    Section 8(b) of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor 
Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-692; 102 Stat. 4556) is amended in the 
matter preceding paragraph (1) by inserting ``, cultural, natural, 
recreational, and secenic'' after ``interpret the historic''.

SEC. 7. TERMINATION OF THE COMMISSION.

    Section 9(a) of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor 
Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-692; 102 Stat. 4556) is amended by striking 
``5 years after the date of enactment of this Act'' and inserting ``10 
years after the date of enactment of the Delaware and Lehigh National 
Heritage Corridor Act Amendments of 1997''.

SEC. 8. DUTIES OF OTHER FEDERAL ENTITIES.

    Section 11 of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor 
Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-692; 102 Stat. 4557) is amended in the 
matter preceding paragraph (1) by striking ``the flow of the Canal or 
the natural'' and inserting ``the historic, cultural, natural, 
recreational, or scenic''.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Commission.--Section 12(a) of the Delaware and Lehigh National 
Heritage Corridor Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-692; 102 Stat. 4558) is 
amended by striking ``$350,000'' and inserting ``$650.000''.
    (b) Management Action Plan.--Section 12 of the Delaware and Lehigh 
National Heritage Corridor Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-692; 102 Stat. 
4558) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) Management Action Plan.--
            ``(1) In general.--To implement the management action plan 
        created by the Commission, there is authorized to be 
        appropriated $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1998 through 
        2007.
            ``(2) Limitation on expenditures.--Amounts made available 
        under paragraph (1) shall not exceed 50 percent of the costs of 
        implementing the management action plan.''

SEC. 10. LOCAL AUTHORITY AND PRIVATE PROPERTY.

    The Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Act of 1988 
(Public Law 100-692; 102 Stat. 4552) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 13 or section 14; and
            (2) by inserting after section 12 the following:

``SEC. 13. LOCAL AUTHORITY AND PRIVATE PROPERTY.

    ``The Commission shall not interfere with--
            ``(1) the private property rights of any person; or
            ``(2) any local zoning ordinance or land use plan of the 
        Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or any political subdivision of 
        Pennsylvania.''.