39–010 

Calendar No. 10 

109TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 1st Session 109–3 

ARABIA MOUNTAIN NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA ACT 

FEBRUARY 16, 2005.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. DOMENICI, from the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 200] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the bill (S. 200) to establish the Arabia Mountain National 

Heritage Area in the State of Georgia, and for other purposes, reports favorably thereon with amendment and recommends that the 

bill, as amended, do pass. 

The amendment is as follows: 

On page 4, strike lines 21 through 23 and insert the following 

‘‘on the map entitled ‘Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area’, 

numbered AMNHA–80,000, and dated October 2003.’’. 

PURPOSE OF THE MEASURE

The purpose of S. 200 is to establish the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area in the State of Georgia. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

S. 200 would establish Arabia Mountain National Heritage area 

in the Lithonia region of Georgia, just east of Atlanta. Human settlement of the Lithonia region has always focused on the unique 

granite outcrops that characterize the region’s topography. Archeological evidence indicates that humans have long quarried the 

soapstone and granite outcrops of this region from 5,000 years ago 

to today. The proposed Heritage Area includes heavily quarried 

areas (Lithonia), pristine, never-quarried outcrops (Panola Mountain), and areas where development coexists with natural beauty, 

characterized by endangered and beautiful species (Arabia Mountain). Thus, this Heritage Area would illustrate continuity of development as well as the consistent resource preservation and conVerDate Aug 04 2004 02:35 Feb 19, 2005 Jkt 039010 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\SR003.XXX SR003
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servation of the region. By connecting the proposed Heritage Area’s 

natural, cultural, and historical resources through rivers, greenways, and parks, this region will rapidly become a popular recreation area for residents of the fast-growing Metropolitan Atlanta 

area as well as visitors from outside the region. 

S. 200 would establish Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area 

in Georgia, and designate the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance as the Area’s management entity. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

S. 200 was introduced by Senators Chambliss and Isakson on 

January 26, 2005. At a business meeting on February 9, 2005, the 

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 200, as 

amended, favorably reported. 

Similar legislation (S. 1752) was introduced by Senators 

Chambliss and Miller in the 108th Congress. Although no action 

was taken on that bill, the text of S. 1752 was included as title XII 

of S. Amendment 4085 to S. 1521, which passed the Senate by 

unanimous consent on December 7, 2004. 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in an 

open business session on February 9, 2005, by a unanimous voice 

vote of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 200, 

if amended as described herein. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1 entitles the bill the ‘‘Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area Act.’’

Section 2 sets forth congressional findings. 

Section 3 defines key terms. 

Section 4 establishes the Arabia Mountain National Heritage 

Area in the State of Georgia, within certain parcels of lands in the 

counties of DeKalb, Rockdale, and Henry. Designates the Arabia 

Mountain Heritage Area Alliance as the management entity for the 

Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area. 

Section 5(a) provides the management entity with the authority 

to use funds for preparing, updating, and implementing the management plan. The funds may be used for making grants, entering 

into cooperative agreements and contracts for goods and services, 

and hiring and compensating staff. 

Subsection (b) directs the management entity to implement the 

findings of the management plan, establish priorities, conduct public meetings on a quarterly basis, submit an annual report to the 

Secretary, and sets forth requirements for auditing all records related to Federal funds. 

Section 6 requires the management entity to prepare a management plan for the Heritage Area and sets forth the elements of the 

plan. 

Section 7 states that the Secretary of the Interior may provide 

technical and financial assistance upon request by the management 

entity for development and implementation of the management 

plan. Priority will be given to actions that facilitate conservation of 

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significant resources and for opportunities consistent with the resources of the heritage area. 

Section 8 states that the Act does not grant any Federal agency 

regulatory authority and will have no effect on the authority of the 

local, State, or Federal government to regulate land use or environmental quality designations as provided for by law. 

Section 9 authorizes to be appropriated $10 million to carry out 

this Act, with no more than $1 million authorized to be appropriated in any given fiscal year. The Federal share may not exceed 

50 percent of the total costs of any given activity. 

Section 10 terminates the authority of the Secretary to make any 

grant or provide any assistance under this Act on September 30, 

2016. 

COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

The following estimate of the cost of this measure has been provided by the Congressional Budget Office. 

FEBRUARY 11, 2005. 

Hon. PETE V. DOMENICI, 

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. 200, the Arabia Mountain 

National Heritage Area Act. 

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

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis. 

Sincerely, 

DOUGLAS HOLTZ-EAKIN. 

Enclosure. 

S. 200—Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area Act 

S. 200 would establish the Arabia Mountain National Heritage 

Area (NHA) in DeKalb, Rockdale, and Henry counties in Georgia. 

The bill would designate the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance as the management entity for the proposed NHA. Under the 

bill, the Alliance would develop a management plan to identify, 

protect, and interpret cultural and other local resources. The Department of the Interior would provide technical and financial assistance to the Alliance to develop and implement the plan. For 

these purposes, the bill would authorize the appropriation of $10 

million, not to exceed $1 million annually. 

Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO estimates that implementing S. 200 would cost $10 million over the 

next 10 years. Such amounts would be used to cover a portion of 

the costs of establishing, operating, and interpreting the heritage 

area. Enacting this legislation would have no impact on revenues 

or direct spenting. 

S. 200 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 contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. The estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

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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. 200. 

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. 200. 

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

On February 9, 2005, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources requested legislative reports from the Department of the 

Interior setting forth executive views of S. 200. These views had 

not been received at the time this report was filed. When the reports become available, the Chairman will request that they be 

printed in the Congressional Record for the advice of the Senate. 

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. 200 as ordered reported. 

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