59–010 

114TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 114–316 

ABRAHAM LINCOLN NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA 

AMENDMENT ACT 

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016.—Ordered to be printed 

Ms. MURKOWSKI, from the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 1662] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the bill (S. 1662) to include Livingston County, the city of 

Jonesboro in Union County, and the city of Freeport in Stephenson 

County, Illinois, to the Lincoln National Heritage Area, and for 

other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably 

thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE

The purpose of S. 1662 is to include Livingston County, the city 

of Jonesboro in Union County, and the city of Freeport in Stephenson County, Illinois, to the Lincoln National Heritage Area. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

The Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area was established in 

2008 and preserves the rich legacy of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th 

President of the United States. The region includes 42 counties 

across central Illinois, stretching from the Indiana border to the 

Mississippi River, and is one of the largest heritage areas in the 

nation. President Lincoln spent 30 years of his life in central Illinois (1831–1861), accomplishing a body of work that still resonates 

today in the state’s historic sites, artifacts, landscapes, buildings, 

and folklore. 

While the 42 counties that make up the Heritage Area provide 

opportunities for all people to explore Lincoln’s history in Illinois, 

there are three counties that are currently not among this network 

that are key to the Lincoln heritage. Livingston County, Union 

County, and Stephenson County are pivotal to his legacy, as these 

areas are where Lincoln developed his legal career within the 


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Eighth Judicial District. These areas also served as the sites of the 

historic Lincoln-Douglas debates. This boundary expansion to include these counties will increase opportunities for Illinois visitors 

and residents alike to experience the full measure of Lincoln’s legacy. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

S. 1662 was introduced by Senators Kirk and Durbin on June 24, 

2015. The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on the 

measure on June 15, 2016. 

In the House of Representatives, Representative Kinzinger introduced similar legislation to S. 1662, H.R. 2879, on June 24, 2015. 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources met in open 

business session on July 13, 2016, and ordered S. 1662 favorably 

reported. 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in 

open business session on July 13, 2016, by a majority voice vote of 

a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 1662. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

Section 1 contains the short title. 

Section 2. Adjustment of boundaries of Lincoln National Heritage 

Area 

Subsection (a) adjusts the boundary of the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area to include Livingston County, the city of 

Jonesboro in Union County, and the city of Freeport in Stephenson 

County, Illinois. 

Subsection (b) requires the Secretary of the Interior to update 

the official map of the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area to 

reflect the changes. 

COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

The following estimate of the costs of this measure has been provided by the Congressional Budget Office: 

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, September 1, 2016. 

Hon. LISA MURKOWSKI, 

Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MADAM CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has 

prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 1662, the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area Amendment Act. 

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

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jon Sperl. 

Sincerely, 

KEITH HALL. 

Enclosure. 


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S. 1662—Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area Amendment Act 

S. 1662 would modify the boundary of the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area in Illinois to include an additional county and 

two cities. It also would require the National Park Service (NPS) 

to update its map of the heritage area to reflect the boundary adjustment. 

Based on information from the NPS, CBO estimates that implementing S. 1662 would have no significant impact on the agency’s 

costs, which would be subject to appropriation. Enacting the legislation would have no effect on direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

CBO estimates that enacting S. 1662 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 

10-year periods beginning in 2027. 

S. 1662 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 Jon Sperl. The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, 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. 1662. 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. 1662, as ordered reported. 

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

S. 1662, as ordered reported, does not contain any congressionally directed spending items, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff 

benefits as defined in rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the Senate. 

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

The testimony provided by the National Park Service at the June 

15, 2016 Subcommittee on National Parks hearing on S. 1662 follows: 

STATEMENT OF DR. STEPHANIE TOOTHMAN, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, CULTURAL RESOURCES, PARTNERSHIPS, AND

SCIENCE, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF

THE INTERIOR

Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank 

you for the opportunity to present the views of the Department of the Interior on S. 1662, a bill to expand the boundary of the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area 

(NHA), and for other purposes. 


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The Department recommends that the committee defer 

action on S. 1662 until such time as the National Park 

Service (NPS) determines if this proposed expansion is appropriate. The NHA was authorized on May 10, 2008, to 

help tell the stories of the places that President Abraham 

Lincoln lived for almost 30 years. These important sites include the Lincoln Log Cabin, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, and the Lincoln Home National Historic 

Site. The NHA includes 42 counties in Central Illinois. The 

Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition (LFLHC), a nonprofit organization, was authorized to manage the NHA, 

which is a consortium of Illinois communities and sites 

that share the legacy of Abraham Lincoln. 

Prior to beginning any effort to designate an area as a 

national heritage area, the NPS recommends that interested community members or organizations undertake a 

feasibility study to assess several factors, including: 

whether the landscape has an assemblage of natural, cultural, historic and scenic resources that, when linked together, tell a nationally important story; whether an organization exists with the financial and organizational capacity to coordinate heritage area activities; and, whether the 

level of support for designation exists within the region. 

The LFLHC completed their feasibility study in 2002. 

The NPS recommends that the LFLHC submit an addendum to their feasibility study that includes a boundary justification for the inclusion of Livingston County, the City 

of Jonesboro in Union County, and the City of Freeport in 

Stephenson County, Illinois. The addendum will document 

that the LFLHC has reached out to these communities and 

that there is public support for the inclusion of their cities 

and county in the boundary of the NHA. Additionally, the 

addendum will ensure that the proposed inclusion of these 

cities and county supports the original intent of the NHA. 

Once the LFLHC completes the amended feasibility 

study, the NPS will undertake our evaluation as expeditiously as possible. The NPS recommends that the committee defer action until the feasibility study amendment 

is completed and the NPS can make a determination on 

the proposed expansion. 

Mr. Chairman, this concludes my testimony. I would be 

happy 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 original 

bill, as reported, are 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): 


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CONSOLIDATED NATURAL RESOURCES ACT OF 2008 

Public Law 110–229 

* * * * * * * 

TITLE IV—NATIONAL HERITAGE AREAS 

* * * * * * * 

Subtitle C—Abraham Lincoln National Heritage 

Area 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 443. DESIGNATION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN NATIONAL HERITAGE 

AREA. 

* * * * * * * 

(b) BOUNDARIES.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The National Heritage Area shall consist of 

sites as designated by the management plan within a core area 

located in Central Illinois, consisting of Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Coles, Cumberland, 

Dewitt, Douglas, Edgar, Fayette, Fulton, Greene, Hancock, 

Henderson, Jersey, Knox, LaSalle, Livingston, Logan, Macon, 

Macoupin, Madison, Mason, McDonough, McLean, Menard, 

Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Peoria, Piatt, Pike, Sangamon, 

Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren and 

Woodford counties, the city of Jonesboro in Union County, and 

the city of Freeport in Stephenson County. 

* * * * * * * 

Æ 


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