I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2925

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of the suitability 

and feasibility of establishing the Northeastern North Carolina Heritage 

Area in North Carolina, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 25, 2003

Mr. BALLANCE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Resources 

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study 

of the suitability and feasibility of establishing the Northeastern North Carolina Heritage Area in North Carolina, 

and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Northeastern North 

5 Carolina Heritage Area Study Act of 2003’’. 

6 SEC. 2. STUDY. 

7 The Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with 

8 appropriate State historic preservation officers, State his-
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1 torical societies, and North Carolina’s Northeast Partner2 ship, and other appropriate agencies shall conduct a study 

3 regarding the suitability and feasibility of designating the 

4 study area described in section 3 as the Northeastern 

5 North Carolina Heritage Study Area. The study shall in6 clude analysis, documentation, and determination regard7 ing whether the study area—

8 (1) has an assemblage of natural, historic, and 

9 cultural resources that together represent distinctive 

10 aspects of American heritage worthy of recognition, 

11 conservation, interpretation, and continuing use, and 

12 are best managed through partnerships among pub13 lic and private entities and by combining diverse and 

14 sometime noncontiguous resources and active com15 munities; 

16 (2) reflects traditions, customs, beliefs, and 

17 folklife that are a valuable part of the national story; 

18 (3) provides outstanding opportunities to con19 serve natural, historic, cultural, or scenic features; 

20 (4) provides outstanding recreational and edu21 cational opportunities; 

22 (5) contains resources important to the identi23 fied theme or themes of the study area that retain 

24 a degree of integrity capable of supporting interpre25 tation; 
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1 (6) includes residents, business interests, non2 profit organizations, and local and State govern3 ments that are involved in the planning, have devel4 oped a conceptual financial plan that outlines the 

5 roles of all participants including the Federal Gov6 ernment, and have demonstrated support for the 

7 concept of a national heritage area; 

8 (7) has a potential management entity to work 

9 in partnership with residents, business interests, 

10 nonprofit organizations, and local and State govern11 ments to develop a national heritage area consistent 

12 with continued local and State economic activity; 

13 and 

14 (8) has a conceptual boundary map that is sup15 ported by the public. 

16 SEC. 3. BOUNDARIES OF THE STUDY AREA. 

17 The study area referred to in section 2 shall be com18 prised of the counties of Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Cho19 wan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, 

20 Martin, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell, 

21 and Washington, North Carolina. 

22 SEC. 4. REPORT. 

23 Not later than 3 fiscal years after the date on which 

24 funds are first made available for this Act, the Secretary 

25 of the Interior shall submit to the Committee on Resources 
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1 of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

2 Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report on 

3 the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the 

4 study.

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