Schuylkill River Valley National Heritage Area Act

Summary: Makes the Schuylkill River Greenway Association the management entity for the area. Requires the management entity to submit a management plan to the Secretary of the Interior for approval that presents recommendations for the conservation, funding, management, and development of the area.. Authorizes the management entity to update and submit the Schuylkill Heritage Corridor Management Action Plan approved by the State in March 1995 in lieu of developing an original management plan.
Describes duties of the management entity.
Prohibits the use of Federal funds received under this Act for the acquisition of real property.
Authorizes the Secretary, at the request of the management entity, to provide technical and financial assistance to the area to develop and implement the management plan. Requires the Secretary, in assisting the management entity, to give priority to actions that assist in: (1) conserving the natural, historical, and cultural resources that support the area's themes; and (2) providing educational, interpretive, and recreational opportunities consistent with the area's resources and values.
Authorizes the Secretary to spend Federal funds directly on non-federally owned property to further this Act's purposes.
Sets forth procedures for approval of the management plan.
Bars assistance under this Act 15 years after the enactment date.
Authorizes appropriations. Limits Federal funding under this Act to 50 percent of the total cost of any project.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Schuylkill River Valley National 
Heritage Area Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the Schuylkill River Valley made a unique contribution 
        to the cultural, political, and industrial development of the 
        United States;
            (2) the Schuylkill River is distinctive as the first spine 
        of modern industrial development in Pennsylvania and 1 of the 
        first in the United States;
            (3) the Schuylkill River Valley played a significant role 
        in the struggle for nationhood;
            (4) the Schuylkill River Valley developed a prosperous and 
        productive agricultural economy that survives today;
            (5) the Schuylkill River Valley developed a charcoal iron 
        industry that made Pennsylvania the center of the iron industry 
        within the North American colonies;
            (6) the Schuylkill River Valley developed into a 
        significant anthracite mining region that continues to thrive 
        today;
            (7) the Schuylkill River Valley developed early 
        transportation systems, including the Schuylkill Canal and the 
        Reading Railroad;
            (8) the Schuylkill River Valley developed a significant 
        industrial base, including textile mills and iron works;
            (9) there is a longstanding commitment to--
                    (A) repairing the environmental damage to the river 
                and its surroundings caused by the largely unregulated 
                industrial activity; and
                    (B) completing the Schuylkill River Trail along the 
                128-mile corridor of the Schuylkill Valley;
            (10) there is a need to provide assistance for the 
        preservation and promotion of the significance of the 
        Schuylkill River as a system for transportation, agriculture, 
        industry, commerce, and immigration; and
            (11)(A) the Department of the Interior is responsible for 
        protecting the Nation's cultural and historical resources; and
            (B) there are sufficient significant examples of such 
        resources within the Schuylkill River Valley to merit the 
        involvement of the Federal Government in the development of 
        programs and projects, in cooperation with the Schuylkill River 
        Greenway Association, the State of Pennsylvania, and other 
        local and governmental bodies, to adequately conserve, protect, 
        and interpret this heritage for future generations, while 
        providing opportunities for education and revitalization.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to foster a close working relationship with all levels 
        of government, the private sector, and the local communities in 
        the Schuylkill River Valley of southeastern Pennsylvania and 
        enable the communities to conserve their heritage while 
        continuing to pursue economic opportunities; and
            (2) to conserve, interpret, and develop the historical, 
        cultural, natural, and recreational resources related to the 
        industrial and cultural heritage of the Schuylkill River Valley 
        of southeastern Pennsylvania.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Cooperative agreement.--The term ``cooperative 
        agreement'' means the cooperative agreement entered into under 
        section 4(d).
            (2) Heritage area.--The term ``Heritage Area'' means the 
        Schuylkill River Valley National Heritage Area established by 
        section 4.
            (3) Management entity.--The term ``management entity'' 
        means the management entity for the Heritage Area appointed 
        under section 4(c).
            (4) Management plan.--The term ``management plan'' means 
        the management plan for the Heritage Area developed under 
        section 5.
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (6) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of 
        Pennsylvania.

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT.

    (a) In General.--For the purpose of preserving and interpreting for 
the educational and inspirational benefit of present and future 
generations certain land and structures with unique and significant 
historical and cultural value associated with the early development of 
the Schuylkill River Valley, there is established the Schuylkill River 
Valley National Heritage Area.
    (b) Boundaries.--The Heritage Area shall be comprised of the 
Schuylkill River watershed within the counties of Schuylkill, Berks, 
Montgomery, Chester, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as delineated by 
the Secretary.
    (c) Management Entity.--The management entity for the Heritage Area 
shall be the Schuylkill River Greenway Association.
    (d) Cooperative Agreement.--
            (1) In general.--To carry out this title, the Secretary 
        shall enter into a cooperative agreement with the management 
        entity.
            (2) Contents.--The cooperative agreement shall include 
        information relating to the objectives and management of the 
        Heritage Area, including--
                    (A) a description of the goals and objectives of 
                the Heritage Area, including a description of the 
                approach to conservation and interpretation of the 
                Heritage Area;
                    (B) an identification and description of the 
                management entity that will administer the Heritage 
                Area; and
                    (C) a description of the role of the State.

SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT PLAN.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the management entity shall submit to the Secretary for 
approval a management plan for the Heritage Area that presents 
comprehensive recommendations for the conservation, funding, 
management, and development of the Heritage Area.
    (b) Requirements.--The management plan shall--
            (1) take into consideration State, county, and local plans;
            (2) involve residents, public agencies, and private 
        organizations working in the Heritage Area;
            (3) specify, as of the date of the plan, existing and 
        potential sources of funding to protect, manage, and develop 
        the Heritage Area; and
            (4) include--
                    (A) actions to be undertaken by units of government 
                and private organizations to protect the resources of 
                the Heritage Area;
                    (B) an inventory of the resources contained in the 
                Heritage Area, including a list of any property in the 
                Heritage Area that is related to the themes of the 
                Heritage Area and that should be preserved, restored, 
                managed, developed, or maintained because of its 
                natural, cultural, historical, recreational, or scenic 
                significance;
                    (C) a recommendation of policies for resource 
                management that considers and details application of 
                appropriate land and water management techniques, 
                including the development of intergovernmental 
                cooperative agreements to protect the historical, 
                cultural, recreational, and natural resources of the 
                Heritage Area in a manner consistent with supporting 
                appropriate and compatible economic viability;
                    (D) a program for implementation of the management 
                plan by the management entity;
                    (E) an analysis of ways in which local, State, and 
                Federal programs may best be coordinated to promote the 
                purposes of this Act; and
                    (F) an interpretation plan for the Heritage Area.
    (c) Disqualification From Funding.--If a management plan is not 
submitted to the Secretary on or before the date that is 3 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Heritage Area shall be 
ineligible to receive Federal funding under this Act until the date on 
which the Secretary receives the management plan.
    (d) Update of Plan.--In lieu of developing an original management 
plan, the management entity may update and submit to the Secretary the 
Schuylkill Heritage Corridor Management Action Plan that was approved 
by the State in March, 1995, to meet the requirements of this section.

SEC. 6. AUTHORITIES AND DUTIES OF THE MANAGEMENT ENTITY.

    (a) Authorities of the Management Entity.--For purposes of 
preparing and implementing the management plan, the management entity 
may--
            (1) make loans and grants to, and enter into cooperative 
        agreements with, the State and political subdivisions of the 
        State, private organizations, or any person; and
            (2) hire and compensate staff.
    (b) Duties of the Management Entity.--The management entity shall--
            (1) develop and submit the management plan under section 5;
            (2) give priority to implementing actions set forth in the 
        cooperative agreement and the management plan, including taking 
        steps to--
                    (A) assist units of government, regional planning 
                organizations, and nonprofit organizations in--
                            (i) preserving the Heritage Area;
                            (ii) establishing and maintaining 
                        interpretive exhibits in the Heritage Area;
                            (iii) developing recreational resources in 
                        the Heritage Area;
                            (iv) increasing public awareness of and, 
                        appreciation for, the natural, historical, and 
                        architectural resources and sites in the 
                        Heritage Area;
                            (v) restoring historic buildings relating 
                        to the themes of the Heritage Area; and
                            (vi) ensuring that clear, consistent, and 
                        environmentally appropriate signs identifying 
                        access points and sites of interest are 
                        installed throughout the Heritage Area;
                    (B) encourage economic viability in the Heritage 
                Area consistent with the goals of the management plan; 
                and
                    (C) encourage local governments to adopt land use 
                policies consistent with the management of the Heritage 
                Area and the goals of the management plan;
            (3) consider the interests of diverse governmental, 
        business, and nonprofit groups within the Heritage Area;
            (4) conduct public meetings at least quarterly regarding 
        the implementation of the management plan;
            (5) submit substantial changes (including any increase of 
        more than 20 percent in the cost estimates for implementation) 
        to the management plan to the Secretary for the approval of the 
        Secretary; and
            (6) for any fiscal year in which Federal funds are received 
        under this Act--
                    (A) submit to the Secretary a report describing--
                            (i) the accomplishments of the management 
                        entity;
                            (ii) the expenses and income of the 
                        management entity; and
                            (iii) each entity to which the management 
                        entity made any loan or grant during the fiscal 
                        year;
                    (B) make available for audit all records pertaining 
                to the expenditure of Federal funds and any matching 
                funds, and require, for all agreements authorizing 
                expenditure of Federal funds by organizations other 
                than the management entity, that the receiving 
                organizations make available for audit all records 
                pertaining to the expenditure of such funds; and
                    (C) require, for all agreements authorizing 
                expenditure of Federal funds by organizations other 
                than the management entity, that the receiving 
                organizations make available for audit all records 
                pertaining to the expenditure of Federal funds.
    (c) Use of Federal Funds.--
            (1) In general.--The management entity shall not use 
        Federal funds received under this Act to acquire real property 
        or an interest in real property.
            (2) Other sources.--Nothing in this Act precludes the 
        management entity from using Federal funds from other sources 
        for their permitted purposes.

SEC. 7. DUTIES AND AUTHORITIES OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.

    (a) Technical and Financial Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--At the request of the management entity, 
        the Secretary may provide technical and financial assistance to 
        the Heritage Area to develop and implement the management plan.
            (2) Priorities.--In assisting the management entity, the 
        Secretary shall give priority to actions that assist in--
                    (A) conserving the significant natural, historical, 
                and cultural resources that support the themes of the 
                Heritage Area; and
                    (B) providing educational, interpretive, and 
                recreational opportunities consistent with the 
                resources and associated values of the Heritage Area.
            (3) Expenditures for non-federally owned property.--The 
        Secretary may spend Federal funds directly on non-federally 
        owned property to further the purposes of this Act, especially 
        assisting units of government in appropriate treatment of 
        districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects listed or 
        eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic 
        Places.
    (b) Approval and Disapproval of Cooperative Agreements and 
Management Plans.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after receiving a 
        cooperative agreement or management plan submitted under this 
        Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Governor of the 
        State, shall approve or disapprove the cooperative agreement or 
        management plan.
            (2) Action following disapproval.--
                    (A) In general.--If the Secretary disapproves a 
                cooperative agreement or management plan, the Secretary 
                shall--
                            (i) advise the management entity in writing 
                        of the reasons for the disapproval; and
                            (ii) make recommendations for revisions in 
                        the cooperative agreement or plan.
                    (B) Time period for disapproval.--Not later than 90 
                days after the date on which a revision described under 
                subparagraph (A)(ii) is submitted, the Secretary shall 
                approve or disapprove the proposed revision.
    (c) Approval of Amendments.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall review substantial 
        amendments to the management plan.
            (2) Funding expenditure limitation.--Funds appropriated 
        under this Act may not be expended to implement any substantial 
        amendment until the Secretary approves the amendment.

SEC. 8. CULTURE AND HERITAGE OF ANTHRACITE COAL REGION.

    (a) In General.--The management entities of heritage areas (other 
than the Heritage Area) in the anthracite coal region in the State 
shall cooperate in the management of the Heritage Area.
    (b) Funding.--Management entities described in subsection (a) may 
use funds appropriated for management of the Heritage Area to carry out 
this section.

SEC. 9. SUNSET.

    The Secretary may not make any grant or provide any assistance 
under this Act after the date that is 15 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act.

SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this Act not more than $10,000,000, of which not more than 
$1,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated for any 1 fiscal year.
    (b) Federal Share.--Federal funding provided under this Act may not 
exceed 50 percent of the total cost of any project or activity funded 
under this Act.