59–010 

Calendar No. 355 

110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 1st Session 110–157 

CHATTAHOOCHEE TRACE NATIONAL HERITAGE 

CORRIDOR STUDY ACT OF 2007 

SEPTEMBER 17, 2007.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. BINGAMAN, from the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 637] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the bill (S. 637) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to 

study the suitability and feasibility of establishing the Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor in Alabama and Georgia, 

and for other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with amendments and recommends that the bill, as 

amended, do pass. 

The amendments are as follows: 

1. Beginning on page 2, strike line 15 and all that follows 

through page 4, line 7, and insert the following: 

‘‘(b) STUDY AREA.—The study area includes— 

‘‘(1) the portion of the Apalachicola-ChattahoocheeFlint River Basin and surrounding areas, as generally 

depicted on the map entitled ‘Chattahoochee Trace 

National Heritage Corridor, Alabama/Georgia’, number T05/80000, and dated July 2007; and 

‘‘(2) any other areas in the State of Alabama or 

Georgia that— 

‘‘(A) have heritage aspects that are similar to 

the areas depicted on the map described in paragraph (1); and 

‘‘(B) are adjacent to, or in the vicinity of, those 

areas.’’ 

2. On page 6, line 8, insert ‘‘Natural’’ before ‘‘Resources’’. 


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PURPOSE

The purpose of S. 637 is to direct the Secretary of the Interior, 

in consultation with appropriate State governmental entities, to 

conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating the Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor in Alabama and Georgia. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

The Chattahoochee Trace has an abundance of cultural, natural, 

recreational, and scenic resources. Much of the area’s history revolves around the Chattahoochee River, which has long served as 

a food source, transportation route, and an engine for commerce. 

An abundance of prehistoric archaeological sites are evidence of 

human habitation along the banks of the Chattahoochee River and 

its tributaries dating back thousands of years. From approximately 

350 to 600 A.D., Kolomoki, near the present day town of Blakely, 

was one of the most populous settlements north of Mexico. 

In 1689, Spanish monks and soldiers built the mission and fort 

of Apalachicola on the west bank of the Chattahoochee River, in 

present day Russell County, Alabama, about fifteen miles south of 

Columbus, Georgia. In the early eighteenth century, merchants 

from French Louisiana began trading with the Native Americans 

in the lower Chattahoochee Valley, ushering in an era of great economic activity, including cotton plantations, textile mills, and riverboat companies. 

In the twentieth century, hydroelectric power emerged as an important industry in the lower Chattahoochee Valley. By the 1920s, 

dams on the Chattahoochee River near Columbus were providing 

electricity to thousands of customers, and the area quickly came to 

be recognized for its role in power generation. One turbine at the 

Eagle and Phenix Mills powerhouse, installed in 1898, still produces electricity today. 

In the twentieth century, the creation of large lakes along the 

river further enhanced the Chattahoochee River’s recreational opportunities. For example, Lake Eufaula, near Fort Gaines, Georgia, 

features 640 miles of shoreline. Last year, the lake attracted approximately 4.5 million visitors that engaged in such popular activities as swimming, camping, hunting, boating, and trophy fishing. The lake is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and 

features several adjacent protected lands, including the Eufaula 

National Wildlife Refuge, Lakepoint State Park in Alabama, and 

Florence Marina and George T. Bagby State Parks in Georgia. 

The study authorized by S. 637 will help assess the appropriateness of encompassing these resources within a national heritage 

corridor designation. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

S. 637 was introduced by Senator Sessions on February 15, 2007. 

The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on the bill on 

March 20, 2007 (S. Hrg. 110–73). 

At its business meeting on July 25, 2007, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 637 favorably reported, with 

amendments. 


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COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open business session on July 25, 2007, by a voice vote of a quorum present, 

recommends that the Senate pass S. 637, if amended as described 

herein. 

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

During its consideration of S. 637, the Committee adopted two 

amendments. The first amendment replaces a lengthy description 

of the counties and communities within the proposed study area 

with a reference to a map identifying the study area. The second 

amendment makes a technical correction. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1 contains the short title, the ‘‘Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor Study Act of 2007.’’

Section 2 defines key terms used in the bill. 

Section 3(a) directs the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation 

with various State historical and tourism entities, to conduct a 

study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating the 

study areas as a National Heritage Corridor. 

Subsection (b) references a map that identifies the proposed 

study area. Also included within the study area are other areas in 

Alabama and Georgia near the study area that have similar heritage aspects. 

Subsection (c) identifies the requirements for the study. The 

study is to include analysis, documentation, and a determination 

whether the study area has an assemblage of natural, historic, and 

cultural resources that represent distinctive aspects of the heritage 

of the United States, in addition to several other criteria listed in 

the subsection. 

Section 4 requires the Secretary of the Interior to submit a report to Congress within three fiscal years after funds are made 

available for the study, describing the findings of the study and 

any conclusions and recommendations. 

COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

The following estimate of costs of this measure has been provided 

by the Congressional Budget Office: 

JULY 31, 2007. 

Hon. JEFF BINGAMAN, 

Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 637, the Chattahoochee 

Trace National Heritage Corridor Study Act of 2007. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Tyler Kruzich. 

Sincerely, 

PETER R. ORSZAG. 

Enclosure. 


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S. 637—Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor Study Act 

of 2007 

S. 637 would direct the Department of the Interior (DOI) to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating 

as the Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor lands in 

the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin within the states 

of Alabama and Georgia. Based on information from DOI, CBO estimates that implementing S. 637 would cost less than $500,000 

over the 2008–2010 period, assuming the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting the legislation would not affect direct 

spending or revenues. 

S. 637 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates 

as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Tyler Kruzich and 

David Reynolds. The estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, 

Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION

In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following evaluation 

of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in carrying out 

S. 637. The bill is not a regulatory measure in the sense of imposing Government-established standards or significant economic responsibilities on private individuals and businesses. 

No personal information would be collected in administering the 

program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal privacy. 

Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the enactment of S. 637, as ordered reported. 

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

The testimony provided by the Department of the Interior at the 

March 20, 2007, Subcommittee hearing on S. 637 follows: 

STATEMENT OF DANIEL N. WENK, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. 

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to provide 

the Department of the Interior’s views on S. 637, a bill to 

authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study 

to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing 

the Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor in 

the states of Alabama and Georgia. 

The Department supports enactment of S. 637. Last 

year, the Administration sent to Congress a legislative proposal to establish guidelines and a process for designation. 

Bills were introduced in the 109th Congress (S. 243, H.R. 

760 and H.R. 6287) that incorporated the majority of the 

provisions of the Administration’s proposal, and S. 243 

passed the Senate. During the 110th Congress, a similar 

heritage area program bill, S. 278, has been introduced, 

and we look forward to continuing to work with Congress 

on this very important issue. 


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With 37 national heritage areas designated across 27 

states, and more heritage area legislative proposals in the 

pipeline, the Administration believes it is critical at this 

juncture for Congress to enact national heritage area program legislation. This legislation would provide a muchneeded 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 also would clarify the 

expectation that heritage areas would work toward selfsufficiency by outlining the necessary steps, including appropriate planning, to achieve that shared goal. 

The study would focus on an area known as the Chattahoochee Trace, which lies in the lower Chattahoochee 

Valley in the states of Alabama and Georgia. This area includes eighteen counties, seven in Alabama and eleven in 

Georgia, which are located near or adjacent to the Chattahoochee River in the lower halves of the two states. The 

Chattahoochee Trace has an abundance of cultural, natural, recreational, and scenic resources. Much of the area’s 

history revolves around the Chattahoochee River, which 

has long served as a food source, transportation route, and 

an engine for commerce. Centuries before the arrival of 

European settlers, the lower Chattahoochee Valley was inhabited by Native Americans that relied on the river for 

everyday life. The abundance of prehistoric archaeological 

sites indicates that humans lived along the banks of the 

river and its tributaries dating back thousands of years. 

From approximately 350 to 600 A.D., Kolomoki, near the 

present day town of Blakely, was one of the most populous 

settlements north of Mexico. Today, the seven mounds at 

Kolomoki are one of the impressive archeological sites that 

reflect upon the Chattahoochee Trace’s ancient past. 

The area is layered with many other facets of American 

history. In the late seventeenth century Spanish monks 

built the mission and fort of Apalachicola on the west bank 

of the Chattahoochee River, in present day Russell County, 

Alabama, about fifteen miles south of Columbus, Georgia. 

In the early eighteenth century, merchants from French 

Louisiana began trading with the Native Americans in the 

lower Chattahoochee Valley, ushering in an era of great 

economic activity. In the years that followed, commercial 

enterprises flourished, including cotton plantations, textile 

mills, and riverboat companies. In the antebellum period, 

the river-borne cotton trade led to the emergence of a prosperous agricultural economy that was, regrettably, dependent on slave labor for its growth. During this era, the river 

served as the lower Chattahoochee Valley’s outlet to the 

world, connecting the plantations in the region with the 

international cotton market via New Orleans and ultimately Liverpool, England. 

Heading into the twentieth century, hydroelectric power, 

which was first used in Columbus in 1882, emerged as an 

important industry in the lower Chattahoochee Valley. By 


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the 1920s, dams on the Chattahoochee River near Columbus were providing electricity to thousands of customers, 

and the area quickly came to be recognized for its role in 

power generation. Columbus was so well-known for its 

hydroelectricity industry that it was dubbed the ‘‘electric 

city’’ in the early 1900s. One turbine at the Eagle and 

Phenix Mills powerhouse, installed in 1898, still produces 

electricity today. 

The scenic beauty of the river has been showcased in 

such places as Columbus and Phenix City, Alabama, where 

recent redevelopment projects have emphasized a re-orientation towards the river. A significant period of urban 

renewal and revitalization began in the mid 1990s and 

continues today. With these improvements, residents and 

businesses began moving back to formerly blighted areas. 

Examples of such municipal projects include the construction of the Columbus Riverwalk Park, the new Port Columbus Civil War Naval Museum, and the initial implementation of Phenix City’s riverfront revitalization plan. 

Swimming, fishing, scenic drives, and strolls on the riverbank are just a few of the many recreational activities 

available to visitors to the Chattahoochee Trace. In the 

twentieth century, the creation of large lakes along the 

river further enhanced the Chattahoochee River’s recreational opportunities. For example, Lake Eufaula, near 

Fort Gaines, Georgia, features 640 miles of shoreline. Last 

year, the lake attracted approximately 4.5 million visitors 

that engaged in such popular activities as camping, hunting, boating, and trophy fishing. The lake is managed by 

the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and features several adjacent protected lands, including the Eufaula National 

Wildlife Refuge, Lakepoint State Park in Alabama, and 

Florence Marina and George T. Bagby State Parks in 

Georgia. 

Since 1970, the Historic Chattahoochee Commission 

(Commission) has been responsible for administering a variety of programs throughout the Chattahoochee Trace. 

For the first eight years of its existence, the Commission 

operated as an agency of the State of Alabama. In 1978, 

the Georgia General Assembly and the Alabama Legislature passed identical legislation to establish an interstate 

compact for operation of the Commission. Among its many 

functions, the Commission is responsible for promoting 

tourism, historic preservation, and recreational development throughout the Chattahoochee Trace. Through the 

years the Commission has undertaken a number of important projects to further its goals, including a historical 

markers program, development of theme-based tours, a 

photographic folk life project, production of educational 

materials, historical architectural surveys, and the distribution of preservation grants. 

The study that would be conducted under S. 637 is estimated to cost between $200,000 and $300,000. Mr. Chairman that concludes my testimony. I will be pleased to anVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:56 Sep 19, 2007 Jkt 059010 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6969 E:\HR\OC\SR157.XXX SR157

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swer any questions you or other members of the committee 

may have. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no changes in existing law are made by the bill S. 637, as ordered reported. 

Æ 


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