59–010 

Calendar No. 604 

114TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 114–331 

TO EXTEND THE AUTHORIZATION FOR THE GULLAH/ 

GEECHEE CULTURAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR COMMISSION 

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. 2839] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the bill (S. 2839) to amend the Gullah/Geechee Cultural 

Heritage Act to extend the authorization for the Gullah/Geechee 

Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission, having considered the 

same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE

The purpose of S. 2839 is to amend the Gullah/Geechee Cultural 

Heritage Act to extend the authorization for the Gullah/Geechee 

Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

The Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor (Corridor) extends from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Jacksonville, Florida, 

and is recognized for the important contributions made to American culture and history by African Americans known as Gullah/ 

Geechee who settled in the coastal counties in South Carolina, 

Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida. Congress designated the Corridor on October 12, 2006 (Public Law 109–338). 

The Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Act (subtitle I of title II 

of Public Law 109–338) authorized the Gullah/Geechee Cultural 

Heritage Corridor Commission to implement the Corridor’s management plan, ultimately adopted in 2012. Although the Corridor 

is authorized through October 12, 2021, the Commission’s authorization is set to sunset on October 12, 2016. Absent Congressional 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS
2 

action, the Corridor will have to be managed by a different, yet-tobe constituted entity. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

Senator Graham introduced S. 2839 on April 21, 2016. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s National Parks 

Subcommittee held a hearing on S. 2839 and H.R. 3004 on June 

15, 2016. 

Representative Clyburn introduced similar legislation to S. 2839, 

H.R. 3004, in the House of Representatives on July 9, 2015. The 

Natural Resources Committee held a business meeting and ordered 

H.R. 3004 reported on February 3, 2016. The bill was passed by the 

House of Representatives by voice vote on February 24, 2016. 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources met in open 

business session on July 13, 2016, and ordered S. 2839 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. 2839. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Extension of the authorization for the Gullah/Geechee 

Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission 

Section 1 amends Public Law 109–338 to extend the authorization for the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission from 10 years to 15 years, through October 12, 2021. 

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, August 5, 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. 2839, a bill to amend the 

Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Act to extend the authorization 

for the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission. 

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

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

Sincerely, 

MARK P. HADLEY

(For Keith Hall, Director). 

Enclosure. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS
3 

S. 2839—To amend the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Act to 

extend the authorization for the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission 

S. 2839 would extend the authorization for the Gullah/Geechee 

Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission (Commission) through October 12, 2021. The Gullah/Geechee Corridor was established as a 

heritage area in 2006 and is not part of the National Park System 

(NPS). While the Secretary of the Interior provides technical and 

financial assistance for the development and implementation of the 

area’s management plan, that plan is implemented by the commission. 

Under current law, only the commission can implement the heritage area’s management plan and spend funds appropriated for 

that purpose. Although the heritage corridor is authorized through 

October 12, 2021, the commission is authorized only through October 12, 2016. 

Based on information from the NPS, CBO expects that if the authority for the commission is not extended, any funds appropriated 

for the corridor would be used for other purposes. Therefore, CBO 

estimates that enacting the legislation would not result in significant additional costs to the federal government over the 2017–2021 

period. 

Because enacting S. 2839 would not affect direct spending or revenues, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that 

enacting S. 2839 would not increase net direct spending or onbudget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027. 

S. 2839 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 August 4, 2016, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 

3004, to amend the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Act to extend the authorization for the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage 

Corridor Commission, as reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on July 14, 2016. The two pieces of 

legislation are similar and CBO’s estimate of their budgetary effects are the same. 

On February 19, 2016, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 

3004, a bill to amend the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Act to 

extend the authorization for the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage 

Corridor Commission, as ordered reported by the House Committee 

on Natural Resources on February 3, 2016. The two pieces of legislation are similar and CBO’s estimates of their budgetary effects 

are the same. 

CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jon Sperl. The estimate 

was approved by Theresa Gullo, 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. 2839. The bill is not a regulatory measure in the sense of imposVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:11 Sep 08, 2016 Jkt 059010 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\SR331.XXX SR331

SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS
4 

ing 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. 2839, as ordered reported. 

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

S. 2839, 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. 2839 follows: 

STATEMENT OF DR. STEPHANIE TOOTHMAN, ASSOCIATE DI- RECTOR, 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. 2839 and H.R. 3004, bills to 

amend the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Act to extend the authorization for the Gullah/Geechee Cultural 

Heritage Corridor Commission. 

The Department supports S. 2839 and H.R. 3004, which 

are virtually identical. 

Both bills would extend the authorization for the Gullah/ 

Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission (Commission) to serve as the local coordinating entity for the 

Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor (Corridor) an 

additional five years, through October 12, 2021. This extension of authority would match the authorization for the 

Corridor to receive Federal funding. If reauthorized, the 

Commission, as the local coordinating entity, would continue to implement the management plan for the Corridor, 

developed in 2013, and would be eligible to receive Federal 

grant money and technical assistance. 

The Department recognizes the important work of the 

Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor and their efforts to highlight, interpret, and preserve the important 

contributions of the African Americans known as Gullah/ 

Geechee in coastal counties of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida to American history and culture. 

The Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor comprises approximately 12,800 square miles from the northern border of Pender County, North Carolina, to the southern boundary of St. Johns County, Florida. Extending 425 

miles along the coast and 30 miles inland, it encompasses 

all or part of 27 counties in four states and covers an area 

larger than Maryland and Delaware combined. The entire 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS
5 

Corridor has been identified as an ethnographic resource 

for its rich cultural complexity, which expresses itself in its 

folk life and traditions such as foodways, music, language 

and oral traditions, craft traditions, and religion and spirituality. The Corridor’s mission is three-fold, and centers 

around: preservation of land, language, and culture; public 

education of Gullah/Geechee culture; and, supporting 

Gullah/Geechee communities. 

The Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Act charged the 

Commission, as the local coordinating entity, with preparing and submitting a management plan to the Secretary. The Commission was further charged with conducting public meetings on, and assisting units of local 

government with, the management plan’s implementation. 

The extension of the Commission’s authorization will allow 

the critical time needed to implement the plan’s recommendations. 

To date, the Commission has already taken steps such 

as: providing outreach education materials to State welcome centers; providing highway Corridor marker signs 

along U.S. Highway 17; providing education programs to 

schools and groups; and, developing and supporting the 

Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor website. The 

Commission has also served as a consulting party on several items of concern to communities within the Corridor 

including the planning of the U.S. Forest Service/U.S 

Army Corps of Engineers McClellanville transmission line 

project and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s 

Environmental Assessment for offshore commercial wind 

leasing in South Carolina. 

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): 

NATIONAL HERITAGE AREAS ACT OF 2006 

Public Law 109–338 

* * * * * * * 

TITLE II—ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL 

HERITAGE AREAS 

* * * * * * * 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS
6 

Subtitle I—Gullah/Geechee Heritage Corridor 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 295D. GULLAH/GEECHEE CULTURAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR COMMISSION. 

* * * * * * * 

(d) TERMINATION.—The local coordinating entity shall terminate 

ø10 years¿ 15 years after the date of enactment of this Act. 

* * * * * * * 

Æ 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS