I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1618

To establish the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area in the State of 

Georgia, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 3, 2003

Ms. MAJETTE (for herself, Mr. LINDER, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. BISHOP

of Georgia, Mr. GINGREY, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. KINGSTON, Mr. MARSHALL, 

and Mr. SCOTT of Georgia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources 

A BILL

To establish the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area 

in the State of Georgia, and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Arabia Mountain Na5 tional Heritage Area Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) The Arabia Mountain area contains a vari9 ety of natural, cultural, historical, scenic, and rec-
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1 reational resources that together represent distinc2 tive aspects of the heritage of the United States that 

3 are worthy of recognition, conservation, interpreta4 tion, and continuing use. 

5 (2) The best methods for managing the re6 sources of the Arabia Mountain area would be 

7 through partnerships between public and private en8 tities that combine diverse resources and active com9 munities. 

10 (3) Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Pre11 serve, a 535-acre park in DeKalb County, Georgia—

12 (A) protects granite outcrop ecosystems, 

13 wetland, and pine and oak forests; and 

14 (B) includes federally-protected plant spe15 cies. 

16 (4) Panola Mountain, a national natural land17 mark, located in the 860-acre Panola Mountain 

18 State Conservation Park, is a rare example of a 

19 pristine granite outcrop. 

20 (5) The archaeological site at Miners Creek 

21 Preserve along the South River contains documented 

22 evidence of early human activity. 

23 (6) The city of Lithonia, Georgia, and related 

24 sites of Arabia Mountain and Stone Mountain pos25 sess sites that display the history of granite mining 
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1 as an industry and culture in Georgia, and the im2 pact of that industry on the United States. 

3 (7) The community of Klondike is eligible for 

4 designation as a National Historic District. 

5 (8) The city of Lithonia has 2 structures listed 

6 on the National Register of Historic Places. 

7 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are as fol8 lows: 

9 (1) To recognize, preserve, promote, interpret, 

10 and make available for the benefit of the public the 

11 natural, cultural, historical, scenic, and recreational 

12 resources in the area that includes Arabia Mountain, 

13 Panola Mountain, Miners Creek, and other signifi14 cant sites and communities. 

15 (2) To assist the State of Georgia and the 

16 counties of DeKalb, Rockdale, and Henry in the 

17 State in developing and implementing an integrated 

18 cultural, historical, and land resource management 

19 program to protect, enhance, and interpret the sig20 nificant resources within the heritage area. 

21 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

22 For the purposes of this Act, the following definitions 

23 apply: 
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1 (1) HERITAGE AREA.—The term ‘‘heritage 

2 area’’ means the Arabia Mountain National Heritage 

3 Area established by section 4. 

4 (2) MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—The term ‘‘man5 agement entity’’ means the Arabia Mountain Herit6 age Area Alliance or a successor of the Arabia 

7 Mountain Heritage Area Alliance. 

8 (3) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The term ‘‘manage9 ment plan’’ means the management plan for the her10 itage area developed under section 6. 

11 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

12 the Secretary of the Interior. 

13 (5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 

14 of Georgia. 

15 SEC. 4. ARABIA MOUNTAIN NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA. 

16 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the Ara17 bia Mountain National Heritage Area in the State. 

18 (b) BOUNDARIES.—The heritage area shall consist of 

19 certain parcels of land in the counties of DeKalb, 

20 Rockdale, and Henry in the State, as generally depicted 

21 on the map entitled ‘‘The Preferred Concept’’ contained 

22 in the document entitled ‘‘Arabia Mountain National Her23 itage Area Feasibility Study’’, dated February 28, 2001. 
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1 (c) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The map shall be on file 

2 and available for public inspection in the appropriate of3 fices of the National Park Service. 

4 (d) MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—The Arabia Mountain 

5 Heritage Area Alliance shall be the management entity for 

6 the heritage area. 

7 SEC. 5. AUTHORITIES AND DUTIES OF THE MANAGEMENT 

8 ENTITY. 

9 (a) AUTHORITIES.—For purposes of developing and 

10 implementing the management plan, the management en11 tity may—

12 (1) make grants to, and enter into cooperative 

13 agreements with, the State, political subdivisions of 

14 the State, and private organizations; 

15 (2) hire and compensate staff; and 

16 (3) enter into contracts for goods and services. 

17 (b) DUTIES.—

18 (1) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—

19 (A) IN GENERAL.—The management entity 

20 shall develop and submit to the Secretary the 

21 management plan. 

22 (B) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing and 

23 implementing the management plan, the man24 agement entity shall consider the interests of 
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1 diverse governmental, business, and nonprofit 

2 groups within the heritage area. 

3 (2) PRIORITIES.—The management entity shall 

4 give priority to implementing actions described in 

5 the management plan, including the following: 

6 (A) Assisting units of government and 

7 nonprofit organizations in preserving resources 

8 within the heritage area. 

9 (B) Encouraging local governments to 

10 adopt land use policies consistent with the man11 agement of the heritage area and the goals of 

12 the management plan. 

13 (3) PUBLIC MEETINGS.—The management enti14 ty shall conduct public meetings at least quarterly 

15 on the implementation of the management plan. 

16 (4) ANNUAL REPORT.—For any year in which 

17 Federal funds have been made available under this 

18 Act, the management entity shall submit to the Sec19 retary an annual report that describes the following: 

20 (A) The accomplishments of the manage21 ment entity. 

22 (B) The expenses and income of the man23 agement entity. 

24 (5) AUDIT.—The management entity shall—
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1 (A) make available to the Secretary for 

2 audit all records relating to the expenditure of 

3 Federal funds and any matching funds; and 

4 (B) require, with respect to all agreements 

5 authorizing expenditure of Federal funds by 

6 other organizations, that the receiving organiza7 tions make available to the Secretary for audit 

8 all records concerning the expenditure of those 

9 funds. 

10 (c) USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS.—

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—The management entity 

12 shall not use Federal funds made available under 

13 this Act to acquire real property or an interest in 

14 real property. 

15 (2) OTHER SOURCES.—Nothing in this Act pre16 cludes the management entity from using Federal 

17 funds made available under other Federal laws for 

18 any purpose for which the funds are authorized to 

19 be used. 

20 SEC. 6. MANAGEMENT PLAN. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—The management entity shall de22 velop a management plan for the heritage area that incor23 porates an integrated and cooperative approach to protect, 

24 interpret, and enhance the natural, cultural, historical, 

25 scenic, and recreational resources of the heritage area. 
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1 (b) BASIS.—The management plan shall be based on 

2 the preferred concept in the document entitled ‘‘Arabia 

3 Mountain National Heritage Area Feasibility Study’’, 

4 dated February 28, 2001. 

5 (c) CONSIDERATION OF OTHER PLANS AND AC6 TIONS.—The management plan shall—

7 (1) take into consideration State and local 

8 plans; and 

9 (2) involve residents, public agencies, and pri10 vate organizations in the heritage area. 

11 (d) REQUIREMENTS.—The management plan shall 

12 include the following: 

13 (1) An inventory of the resources in the herit14 age area, including—

15 (A) a list of property in the heritage area 

16 that—

17 (i) relates to the purposes of the herit18 age area; and 

19 (ii) should be preserved, restored, 

20 managed, or maintained because of the sig21 nificance of the property; and 

22 (B) an assessment of cultural landscapes 

23 within the heritage area. 
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1 (2) Provisions for the protection, interpretation, 

2 and enjoyment of the resources of the heritage area 

3 consistent with the purposes of this Act. 

4 (3) An interpretation plan for the heritage area. 

5 (4) A program for implementation of the man6 agement plan that includes—

7 (A) actions to be carried out by units of 

8 government, private organizations, and public9 private partnerships to protect the resources of 

10 the heritage area; and 

11 (B) the identification of existing and po12 tential sources of funding for implementing the 

13 plan. 

14 (5) A description and evaluation of the manage15 ment entity, including the membership and organiza16 tional structure of the management entity. 

17 (e) SUBMISSION TO SECRETARY FOR APPROVAL.—

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after 

19 the date of the enactment of this Act, the manage20 ment entity shall submit the management plan to 

21 the Secretary for approval. 

22 (2) EFFECT OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT.—If a 

23 management plan is not submitted to the Secretary 

24 by the date specified in paragraph (1), the Secretary 

25 shall not provide any additional funding under this 
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1 Act until such date as a management plan for the 

2 heritage area is submitted to the Secretary. 

3 (f) APPROVAL AND DISAPPROVAL OF MANAGEMENT

4 PLAN.—

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 

6 receiving the management plan submitted under 

7 subsection (e), the Secretary, in consultation with 

8 the State, shall approve or disapprove the manage9 ment plan. 

10 (2) ACTION FOLLOWING DISAPPROVAL.—

11 (A) REVISION.—If the Secretary dis12 approves a management plan submitted under 

13 paragraph (1), the Secretary shall—

14 (i) advise the management entity in 

15 writing of the reasons for the disapproval; 

16 (ii) make recommendations for revi17 sions to the management plan; and 

18 (iii) allow the management entity to 

19 submit to the Secretary revisions to the 

20 management plan. 

21 (B) DEADLINE FOR APPROVAL OF REVI22 SION.—Not later than 90 days after the date on 

23 which a revision is submitted under subpara24 graph (A)(iii), the Secretary shall approve or 

25 disapprove the revision. 
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1 (g) REVISION OF MANAGEMENT PLAN.—

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—After approval by the Sec3 retary of a management plan, the management enti4 ty shall periodically—

5 (A) review the management plan; and 

6 (B) submit to the Secretary, for review 

7 and approval by the Secretary, the rec8 ommendations of the management entity for 

9 any revisions to the management plan that the 

10 management entity considers to be appropriate. 

11 (2) EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS.—No funds made 

12 available under this Act shall be used to implement 

13 any revision proposed by the management entity 

14 under paragraph (1)(B) until the Secretary approves 

15 the revision. 

16 SEC. 7. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—At the request of the management 

18 entity, the Secretary may provide technical and financial 

19 assistance to the heritage area to develop and implement 

20 the management plan. 

21 (b) PRIORITY.—In providing assistance under sub22 section (a), the Secretary shall give priority to actions that 

23 facilitate—
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1 (1) the conservation of the significant natural, 

2 cultural, historical, scenic, and recreational resources 

3 that support the purposes of the heritage area; and 

4 (2) the provision of educational, interpretive, 

5 and recreational opportunities that are consistent 

6 with the resources and associated values of the herit7 age area. 

8 SEC. 8. EFFECT ON CERTAIN AUTHORITY. 

9 (a) OCCUPATIONAL, SAFETY, CONSERVATION, AND

10 ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION.—Nothing in this Act—

11 (1) imposes an occupational, safety, conserva12 tion, or environmental regulation on the heritage 

13 area that is more stringent than the regulations that 

14 would be applicable to the land described in section 

15 4(b) but for the establishment of the heritage area 

16 by section 4; or 

17 (2) authorizes a Federal agency to promulgate 

18 an occupational, safety, conservation, or environ19 mental regulation for the heritage area that is more 

20 stringent than the regulations applicable to the land 

21 described in section 4(b) as of the date of enactment 

22 of this Act, solely as a result of the establishment 

23 of the heritage area by section 4. 

24 (b) LAND USE REGULATION.—Nothing in this Act—
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1 (1) modifies, enlarges, or diminishes any au2 thority of the Federal Government or a State or 

3 local government to regulate any use of land as pro4 vided for by law (including regulations) in existence 

5 on the date of enactment of this Act; or 

6 (2) grants powers of zoning or land use to the 

7 management entity. 

8 SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro10 priated to carry out this Act $10,000,000, to remain avail11 able until expended, of which not more than $1,000,000 

12 may be used in any fiscal year. 

13 (b) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost 

14 of any project or activity carried out using funds made 

15 available under this Act shall not exceed 50 percent. 

16 SEC. 10. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY. 

17 The authority of the Secretary to make any grant or 

18 provide any assistance under this Act shall terminate on 

19 September 30, 2016.

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