49–010 

Calendar No. 404 

109TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 109–242 

YUMA CROSSING NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA BOUNDARY 

MODIFICATION 

APRIL 20, 2006.—Ordered to be printed 

Filed under authority of the order of the Senate of April 7, 2006 

Mr. DOMENICI, from the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 326] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the Act (H.R. 326) to amend the Yuma Crossing National 

Heritage Area Act of 2000 to adjust the boundary of the Yuma 

Crossing National Heritage Area, and for other purposes, having 

considered the same, reports favorably thereon without amendment 

and recommends that the Act do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE MEASURE

The purpose of H.R. 326 is to amend the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Act of 2000 to adjust the boundaries of the 

heritage area to comprise the riverfront and downtown areas of 

Yuma. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

Yuma Crossing, located adjacent to the city of Yuma, Arizona, 

near the confluence of the Gila and Colorado Rivers, is the only 

natural ford of the Colorado River in southern Arizona. Because of 

the ford, the Crossing has been a ‘‘crossroads’’ for at least 1,500 

years. American Indians used the ford to cross the Colorado. Spanish explorers documented the crossing in the middle of the 16th 

century. When gold was discovered in California in 1849, Yuma became the point of entry for miners traveling a southern route to 

California. The Southern Pacific Railway reached Yuma in the 


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1870s, connecting the southwest to California. Finally, in the twentieth century, Yuma became a stop on the southern transcontinental highway. For these reasons, Yuma Crossing and associated sites were declared a National Historic Landmark in 1966. 

The Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area was established in 

2000 (Public Law 106–319) to recognize the Crossing’s historic significance and to promote the preservation and economic viability of 

the area. Based upon an early concept study, the authorizing legislation established a boundary for the heritage area encompassing 

approximately 22 square miles. Once the heritage area was authorized, the Area’s Board of Directors began to work with local communities on a management plan. During the development of the 

plan, it became clear that a smaller area would be more appropriate and enjoy more public support. The management plan, completed in July, 2002 and approved by the Secretary of the Interior 

in December, 2003, recommended a revised boundary. 

H.R. 326 would amend section 3(b) of the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Act of 2000, Public Law 106–319, to adjust 

the boundary of the National Heritage Area to reflect the boundaries outlined and approved in the management plan for the heritage area. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

H.R. 326 was introduced by Representative Grijalva on January 

25, 2005. It was passed by the House by voice vote on November 

15, 2005. It was referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources on November 16, 2005. 

An identical bill, S. 505 was introduced by Senators Kyl and 

McCain on March 3, 2005. The Subcommittee on National Parks 

held a hearing on S. 505 on November 15, 2005. At the business 

meeting on March 8, 2006, the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources ordered H.R. 326 favorably reported, without amendment, by a unanimous voice vote. 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open business session on March 8, 2006, by unanimous voice vote of a 

quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass H.R. 326, as described herein. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1 amends section 3(b) of the Yuma Crossing National 

Heritage Area Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 461 note; Public Law 106–

319) to redefine the boundary of the Heritage Area. 

COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

The following estimate of costs of this measure has been provided 

by the Congressional Budget Office. 


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H.R. 326—A bill to amend the Yuma Crossing National Heritage 

Area Act of 2000 to adjust the boundary of the Yuma Crossing 

National Heritage Area, and for other purposes 

H.R. 326 would modify the boundary of the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area in Arizona to exclude certain private lands. 

CBO estimates that implementing this legislation would have no 

impact on the federal budget because the federal government is not 

expected to acquire or manage the affected properties. 

H.R. 326 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. 

On November 3, 2005, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 

326, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Resources on 

October 19, 2005. The two versions of the legislation are identical 

as are the cost estimates. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew Pickford. 

This 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 

H.R. 326. 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 H.R. 326, as ordered reported. 

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

The views of the Administration on H.R. 326 were included in 

testimony received by the House Resources Committee at a hearing 

on the bill on September 29, 2005. This testimony follows: 

STATEMENT OF SUE MASICA, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, PARK

PLANNING, FACILITIES, AND LANDS, NATIONAL PARK

SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to present 

the views of the Department of the Interior on H.R. 326, 

a bill to amend the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area 

Act of 2000 to adjust the boundary of the Yuma Crossing 

National Heritage Area. 

The Department supports the proposed boundary change 

which is based on the findings of the 2002 management 

plan for the National Heritage Area (NHA). We recommend that the bill be amended to include an official 

map reference similar to the maps used for other National 

Heritage Areas. 

H.R. 326 would amend section 3(b) of the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Act of 2000, Public Law 106–

319, to adjust the boundary of the National Heritage Area 


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to reflect the boundaries outlined and approved in the 

management plan for the heritage area. On September 29, 

2005, at a House Subcommittee on National Parks hearing, the Department testified in support of an identical 

boundary adjustment for this heritage area that was included in H.R. 326, a similar bill. 

Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area was authorized 

by P.L. 106–319, signed on October 19, 2000. The Department supported the legislation to establish the NHA at 

hearings in both the House and Senate during the 106th 

Congress. Since establishment, the National Park Service 

(NPS) has worked with the Yuma Crossing NHA staff and 

the community to develop the management plan required 

in the legislation. That plan was completed in July 2002 

and approved by the Secretary in December 2003. 

Yuma has been a home to Native Americans for nearly 

1,500 years, prior to becoming a city at the junction of the 

Colorado and Gila Rivers. The Spanish ‘‘discovered’’ the 

area seventy years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth 

Rock. As Americans moved west, Yuma became one of the 

stopping points for those following gold and fortune as well 

as a key military post. Yuma also prospered as a port city, 

then a railroad town, and finally as a link on the first 

southern transcontinental highway. By the 20th century 

Yuma continued to rely on water, this time with major 

government dam and diversion projects on the Colorado 

River that brought the ability of year-round agricultural 

production. 

The authorizing legislation established a boundary for 

the heritage area of approximately 22 square miles based 

upon early studies that showed great potential for natural, 

cultural and recreational resources within that area. Once 

the NHA was authorized, work began on the management 

plan. The plan refined and further developed the concepts 

outlined in the feasibility study, dividing the NHA into 

seven districts that feature natural, cultural and recreational resources consistent with the authorizing legislation, incorporating opportunities for economic development, and acknowledging the importance of maintaining 

residential areas. 

At the same time, Yuma Crossing NHA was also aware 

of the need to ensure that the goals of the management 

plan could be achieved financially and were acceptable to 

the entire community. Taking these elements into consideration, the NHA board developed the management plan 

which included a proposal for a new boundary. The management plan received extensive public involvement and 

the NHA board used NPS planning models in addition to 

National Environmental Policy Act and National Historic 

Preservation Act Section 106 guidelines to develop and 

analyze their options. 

Three alternatives were developed for public involvement and review. H.R. 326 includes the preferred alternative for the new boundary which would continue to meet 

the intent and goals for which the heritage area was estabVerDate Aug 31 2005 04:55 Apr 25, 2006 Jkt 049010 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6969 E:\HR\OC\SR242.XXX SR242

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lished. We recommend that the bill be amended to remove 

the written description of the boundary adjustment currently in H.R. 326 and to replace it with a map reference 

that shows the new boundary. NPS produced a map similar to boundary maps for other heritage areas that was 

used when H.R. 326 was amended. We would be happy to 

provide the subcommittee with this map. The written description of the boundary adjustment found in the bill, as 

well as a reference to the map included on page 40 of the 

‘‘Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Management 

Plan’’, could be included in the report language for the bill. 

We commend the NHA board, members, and partners, 

as well as the citizens in and around Yuma, Arizona, for 

their time and commitment to this project. We look forward to continuing to work with them to achieve the goals 

of the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area. 

That concludes my prepared remarks. I would be 

pleased to answer any questions you or other members of 

the subcommittee may have. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the Act H.R. 

326, as ordered reported, as shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is 

printed in italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is 

shown in roman): 

PUBLIC LAW 106–319 

106TH CONGRESS

AN ACT To establish the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 

United States of America in Congress assembled, 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 3. YUMA CROSSING NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA. 

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established the Yuma 

Crossing National Heritage Area. 

ø(b) BOUNDARIES.—The Heritage Area shall be comprised of 

those portions of the Yuma region totaling approximately 21 square 

miles, encompassing over 150 identified historic, geologic, and cultural resources, and bounded— (1) on the west, by the Colorado River (including the crossing 

point of the Army of the West); 

(2) on the east, by Avenue 7E; 

(3) on the north, by the Colorado River; and 

(4) on the south, by the 12th Street alignment.¿ 

(b) BOUNDARIES.—The Heritage Area shall comprise the lands 

generally depicted on the map entitled ‘Yuma Crossing National 

Heritage Area Boundary Adjustment’, numbered 903–80071, and 

dated October 16, 2005. 

Æ 


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