Wheeling National Heritage Area Act of 1994

Summary: Wheeling National Heritage Area Act of 1994 - Establishes the Wheeling National Heritage Area in West Virginia. 
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to:  (1) assist appropriate local entities in the development of interpretive and educational materials as specified in the August 1992 Plan for the Wheeling National Heritage Area; (2) provide funds for capital improvements to projects and initial operating assistance; and (3) provide technical assistance to the local entities in the preparation of plans or studies pursuant to the Plan. 
Authorizes appropriations.  Limits funds made available for capital projects and planning and studies to 50 percent of the costs of the project funded.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Wheeling National Heritage Area Act 
of 1994''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the community of Wheeling, West Virginia, and vicinity, 
        possess important historical, cultural, and natural resources, 
        representing major heritage themes of transportation and 
        commerce and industry and Victorian culture in the United 
        States;
            (2) the City of Wheeling played an important part in the 
        settlement of this country by serving as the western terminus 
        of the National Road in the early 1800's, by serving as one of 
        the few major inland ports in the nineteenth century, by 
        hosting the establishment of the Restored State of Virginia, 
        and later the State of West Virginia during the Civil War years 
        and serving as the first capital of the new State of West 
        Virginia, through the development and maintenance of many 
        industries crucial to the Nation's expansion, including iron 
        and steel, and textile manufacturing facilities, boat building 
        facilities, glass manufacturing facilities, stogie and chewing 
        tobacco manufacturing facilities, many of which are industries 
        that continue to play an important role in the Nation's 
        economy;
            (3) the City of Wheeling has retained its national heritage 
        themes with the designations of the old custom house, now 
        Independence Hall, as a National Historic Landmark; with the 
        designation of the historic suspension bridge as a National 
        Historic Landmark; with five historic districts, and many 
        individual properties in the Wheeling area listed or eligible 
        for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places; and
            (4) the heritage themes and number and diversity of 
        Wheeling's remaining resources should be appropriately 
        retained, enhanced, and interpreted for the education, benefit, 
        and inspiration of the people of the United States.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are to--
            (1) recognize the importance of the history and development 
        of the Wheeling area in the cultural heritage of the Nation;
            (2) provide a framework to assist the City of Wheeling and 
        other public and private entities and individuals in the 
        appropriate preservation, enhancement, and interpretation of 
        resources in the Wheeling area emblematic of Wheeling's 
        contributions to that cultural heritage; and
            (3) allow for limited Federal, State and local capital 
        contributions for planning and infrastructure investments to 
        create the Wheeling National Heritage Area, in partnership with 
        the State of West Virginia and the City of Wheeling, West 
        Virginia and its designees; and to provide for an economically 
        self-sustaining National Heritage Area not dependent on Federal 
        assistance beyond the initial years necessary to establish the 
        National Heritage Area.

SEC. 3. DEFINITION.

    As used in this Act, the term ``Plan'' refers to the Plan for the 
Wheeling National Heritage Area, prepared for the Wheeling National 
Heritage Area Task Force, the City of Wheeling, and the National Park 
Service, published in August 1992, which Plan includes--
            (1) an inventory of the natural and cultural resources in 
        the City of Wheeling;
            (2) criteria for preserving and interpreting significant 
        natural and historic resources;
            (3) a strategy for the conservation, preservation, and 
        reuse of the historical and cultural resources in the City of 
        Wheeling and the region; and
            (4) an implementation agenda by which the State of West 
        Virginia and local governments can program their resources as 
        well as a complete description of the management entity 
        responsible for implementing the Plan.

SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.

    In furtherance of the purposes of this Act, there is hereby 
established the Wheeling National Heritage Area in the State of West 
Virginia (hereinafter referred to as the ``Area''). The Area shall 
include those lands and waters within the boundary generally depicted 
on the map entitled, ``Boundary Map, Wheeling National Heritage Area, 
West Virginia'', which shall be on file and available for public 
inspection in the offices of the National Park Service, Department of 
the Interior, and in Wheeling, West Virginia.

SEC. 5. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.

    (a) Purpose.--To carry out the purposes of this Act, the Secretary 
of the Interior shall--
            (1) assist appropriate local entities in the development of 
        interpretive and educational materials as specified in the Plan 
        or subsequent planning efforts (for example, the interpretive 
        master plan); and
            (2) provide funds for capital improvements to projects and 
        initial operating assistance consistent with the Plan.
    (b) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall, as outlined in the 
Plan, provide technical assistance to appropriate local entities in the 
preparation of any plans or studies pursuant to the Plan.
    (c) Capital Projects.--(1) Application for funds for capital 
projects and improvements under this Act shall be submitted to the 
Secretary and shall include a description of how the project proposed 
to be funded will further the purposes of the Area.
    (2) In making such funds available, the Secretary shall give 
consideration to projects which provide a greater leverage of Federal 
funds. Any payment made shall be subject to an agreement that 
conversion, use, or disposal of the project so assisted for purposes 
contrary to the purposes of this Act, as determined by the Secretary, 
shall result in a right of the United States of reimbursement of all 
funds made available to such project or the proportion of the increased 
value of the project attributable to such funds as determined at the 
time of such conversion, use, or disposal, whichever is greater.

SEC. 6. DUTIES OF OTHER FEDERAL ENTITIES.

    Any Federal department, agency or other entity conducting or 
supporting activities directly affecting the Area shall--
            (1) consult with the Secretary of the Interior with respect 
        to such activities;
            (2) cooperate with the Secretary of the Interior in 
        carrying out its duties under this Act and, to the maximum 
        extent practicable, coordinate such activities with the 
        carrying out of such duties; and
            (3) to the maximum extent practicable, conduct or support 
        such activities in a manner which the Secretary of the Interior 
        determines will not have an adverse affect on the Area.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the 
Interior to carry out this Act not more than--
            (1) $5,000,000 for capital projects;
            (2) $1,000,000 for planning and studies; and
            (3) $500,000 for technical assistance.
Funds made available pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not 
exceed 50 percent of the total costs of the project to be funded.