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[Senate Report 110-177]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                       Calendar No. 375
110th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 1st Session                                                    110-177

======================================================================

 
               ABRAHAM LINCOLN NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA ACT

                                _______
                                

               September 17, 2007.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

   Mr. Bingaman, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 955]

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 
referred the bill (S. 955) to establish the Abraham Lincoln 
National Heritage Area, and for other purposes, having 
considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an 
amendment and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.
    The amendment is as follows:
    Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu 
thereof the following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as ``Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
          (1) Heritage area.--The term ``Heritage Area'' means the 
        Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area established by section 
        3(a).
          (2) Management entity.--The term ``management entity'' means 
        the management entity for the Heritage Area designated by 
        section 4(a).
          (3) Management plan.--The term ``management plan'' means the 
        plan developed by the management entity under section 5(a).
          (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
        the Interior.
          (5) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Illinois.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.

    (a) In General.--There is established in the State the Abraham 
Lincoln National Heritage Area.
    (b) Boundaries.--The Heritage Area shall include--
          (1) 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, Logan, 
        Macon, Macoupin, Madison, Mason, McDonough, McLean, Menard, 
        Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Peoria, Piatt, Pike, Sangamon, 
        Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Tazwell, Vermillion, Warren, and 
        Woodford counties;
          (2) any sites, buildings, and districts within the core area 
        that are recommended in the management plan; and
          (3) each of the following sites:
                  (A) Lincoln Home National Historic Site.
                  (B) Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site.
                  (C) Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site.
                  (D) Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum.
                  (E) Thomas and Sara Bush Lincoln Log Cabin and Living 
                History Farm State Historic Site.
                  (F) Mt. Pulaski, Postville State Historic Sites and 
                Metamora Courthouse.
                  (G) Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices State Historic Site.
                  (H) David Davis Mansion State Historic Site.
                  (I) Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site.
                  (J) Lincoln Douglas Debate Museum.
                  (K) Macon County Log Court House.
                  (L) Richard J. Oglesby Mansion.
                  (M) Lincoln Trail Homestead State Memorial.
                  (N) Governor John Wood Mansion.
                  (O) Beardstown Courthouse.
                  (P) Old Main at Knox College.
                  (Q) Carl Sandburg Home State Historic Site.
                  (R) Bryant Cottage State Historic Site.
                  (S) Dr. William Fithian Home.
                  (T) Vermillion County Museum.
    (c) Map.--A map of the Heritage Area shall be--
          (1) included in the management plan; and
          (2) on file in the appropriate offices of the National Park 
        Service.

SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF COALITION AS MANAGEMENT ENTITY.

    (a) Management Entity.--The Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition 
shall be the management entity for the Heritage Area.
    (b) Authorities of Management Entity.--The management entity may, 
for purposes of preparing and implementing the management plan, use 
Federal funds made available under this Act--
          (1) to prepare reports, studies, interpretive exhibits and 
        programs, historic preservation projects, and other activities 
        recommended in the management plan for the Heritage Area;
          (2) to pay for operational expenses of the management entity;
          (3) to make grants to the State, political subdivisions of 
        the State, nonprofit organizations, and other persons;
          (4) to enter into cooperative agreements with the State, 
        political subdivisions of the State, nonprofit organizations, 
        and other organizations;
          (5) to hire and compensate staff;
          (6) to obtain funds or services from any source, including 
        funds and services provided under any other Federal program or 
        law; and
          (7) to contract for goods and services.
    (c) Duties of Management Entity.--To further the purposes of the 
Heritage Area, the management entity shall--
          (1) prepare a management plan for the Heritage Area in 
        accordance with section 5;
          (2) give priority to the implementation of actions, goals, 
        and strategies set forth in the management plan, including 
        assisting units of government and other persons in--
                  (A) carrying out programs and projects that recognize 
                and protect important resource values in the Heritage 
                Area;
                  (B) encouraging economic viability in the Heritage 
                Area in accordance with the goals of the management 
                plan;
                  (C) establishing and maintaining interpretive 
                exhibits in the Heritage Area;
                  (D) developing heritage-based recreational and 
                educational opportunities for residents and visitors in 
                the Heritage Area;
                  (E) increasing public awareness of and appreciation 
                for the natural, historic, and cultural resources of 
                the Heritage Area;
                  (F) restoring historic buildings that are--
                          (i) located in the Heritage Area; and
                          (ii) related to the themes of the Heritage 
                        Area; and
                  (G) installing throughout the Heritage Area clear, 
                consistent, and appropriate signs identifying public 
                access points and sites of interest;
          (3) consider the interests of diverse units of government, 
        businesses, tourism officials, private property owners, and 
        nonprofit groups within the Heritage Area in developing and 
        implementing the management plan;
          (4) conduct public meetings at least semiannually regarding 
        the development and implementation of the management plan; and
          (5) for any fiscal year for which Federal funds are received 
        under this Act--
                  (A) submit to the Secretary an annual report that 
                describes--
                          (i) the accomplishments of the management 
                        entity;
                          (ii) the expenses and income of the 
                        management entity; and
                          (iii) the entities to which the management 
                        entity made any grants;
                  (B) make available for audit all records relating to 
                the expenditure of the Federal funds and any matching 
                funds; and
                  (C) require, with respect to all agreements 
                authorizing the expenditure of Federal funds by other 
                organizations, that the receiving organizations make 
                available for audit all records relating to the 
                expenditure of the Federal funds.
      (d) Prohibition on Acquisition of Real Property.--
          (1) In general.--The management entity shall not use Federal 
        funds received under this Act to acquire real property or any 
        interest in real property.
          (2) Other sources.--Nothing in this Act precludes the 
        management entity from using Federal funds from other sources 
        for authorized purposes, including the acquisition of real 
        property or any interest in real property.

SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT PLAN.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which 
funds are first made available to carry out this Act, the management 
entity shall prepare and submit for review to the Secretary a 
management plan for the Heritage Area.
    (b) Contents.--The management plan for the Heritage Area shall--
          (1) include comprehensive policies, strategies, and 
        recommendations for the conservation, funding, management, and 
        development of the Heritage Area;
          (2) take into consideration existing State, county, and local 
        plans;
          (3) specify the existing and potential sources of funding to 
        protect, manage, and develop the Heritage Area during the first 
        5 years of implementation of the management plan;
          (4) include--
                  (A) a description of actions that governments, 
                private organizations, and individuals have agreed to 
                take to protect the natural, historic, and cultural 
                resources of the Heritage Area;
                  (B) an inventory of the natural, historic, cultural, 
                education, scenic, and recreational resources of the 
                Heritage Area relating to the themes of the Heritage 
                Area that should be preserved, restored, managed, 
                developed or maintained; and
                  (C) an interpretive plan for the Heritage Area; and
          (5) describe a program of implementation for the management 
        plan, including--
                  (A) plans for resource protection, restoration, and 
                construction; and
                  (B) specific commitments for implementation during 
                the first 5 years of implementation.
    (c) Disqualification From Funding.--If a proposed management plan 
is not submitted to the Secretary by the date that is 3 years after the 
date on which funds are first made available to carry out this Act, the 
management entity may not receive additional funding under this Act 
until the date on which the Secretary receives the proposed management 
plan.
    (d) Approval and Disapproval of Management Plan.--
          (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date on 
        which the management entity submits the management plan to the 
        Secretary, the Secretary shall approve or disapprove the 
        proposed management plan.
          (2) Considerations.--In determining whether to approve or 
        disapprove the management plan, the Secretary shall consider 
        whether--
                  (A) the management entity is representative of the 
                diverse interests of the Heritage Area, including 
                governments, natural and historic resource protection 
                organizations, educational institutions, businesses, 
                and recreational organizations;
                  (B) the management entity has provided adequate 
                opportunities (including public hearings) for public 
                and governmental involvement in the preparation of the 
                management plan;
                  (C) the resource protection and interpretation 
                strategies contained in the management plan, if 
                implemented, would adequately protect the natural, 
                historic, and cultural resources of the Heritage Area; 
                and
                  (D) the management plan is supported by the 
                appropriate State and local officials, the cooperation 
                of which is needed to ensure the effective 
                implementation of the State and local aspects of the 
                management plan.
          (3) Disapproval and revisions.--
                  (A) In general.--If the Secretary disapproves a 
                proposed management plan, the Secretary shall--
                          (i) advise the management entity, in writing, 
                        of the reasons for the disapproval; and
                          (ii) make recommendations for revision of the 
                        proposed management plan.
                  (B) Approval or disapproval.--The Secretary shall 
                approve or disapprove a revised management plan not 
                later than 180 days after the date on which the revised 
                management plan is submitted.
    (e) Approval of Amendments.--
          (1) In general.--The Secretary shall review and approve or 
        disapprove substantial amendments to the management plan in 
        accordance with subsection (d).
          (2) Funding.--Funds appropriated under this Act may not be 
        expended to implement any changes made by an amendment to the 
        management plan until the Secretary approves the amendment.

SEC. 6. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.

  (a) In General.--Nothing in this Act affects the authority of a 
Federal agency to provide technical or financial assistance under any 
other law.
    (b) Consultation and Coordination.--The head of any Federal agency 
planning to conduct activities that may have an impact on the Heritage 
Area is encouraged to consult and coordinate the activities with the 
Secretary and the management entity to the maximum extent practicable.
    (c) Other Federal Agencies.--Nothing in this Act--
          (1) modifies, alters, or amends any law or regulation 
        authorizing a Federal agency to manage Federal land under the 
        jurisdiction of the Federal agency;
          (2) limits the discretion of a Federal land manager to 
        implement an approved land use plan within the boundaries of 
        the Heritage Area; or
          (3) modifies, alters, or amends any authorized use of Federal 
        land under the jurisdiction of a Federal agency.

SEC. 7. PRIVATE PROPERTY AND REGULATORY PROTECTIONS.

    Nothing in this Act--
          (1) abridges the rights of any property owner (whether public 
        or private), including the right to refrain from participating 
        in any plan, project, program, or activity conducted within the 
        Heritage Area;
          (2) requires any property owner to permit public access 
        (including access by Federal, State, or local agencies) to the 
        property of the property owner, or to modify public access or 
        use of property of the property owner under any other Federal, 
        State, or local law;
          (3) alters any duly adopted land use regulation, approved 
        land use plan, or other regulatory authority of any Federal, 
        State, or local agency, or conveys any land use or other 
        regulatory authority to the management entity;
          (4) authorizes or implies the reservation or appropriation of 
        water or water rights;
          (5) diminishes the authority of the State to manage fish and 
        wildlife, including the regulation of fishing and hunting 
        within the Heritage Area; or
          (6) creates any liability, or affects any liability under any 
        other law, of any private property owner with respect to any 
        person injured on the private property.

SEC. 8. EVALUATION; REPORT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 3 years before the date on which 
authority for Federal funding terminates for the Heritage Area, the 
Secretary shall--
          (1) conduct an evaluation of the accomplishments of the 
        Heritage Area; and
          (2) prepare a report in accordance with subsection (c).
    (b) Evaluation.--An evaluation conducted under subsection (a)(1) 
shall--
          (1) assess the progress of the management entity with respect 
        to--
                  (A) accomplishing the purposes of this Act for the 
                Heritage Area; and
                  (B) achieving the goals and objectives of the 
                approved management plan for the Heritage Area;
          (2) analyze the Federal, State, local, and private 
        investments in the Heritage Area to determine the leverage and 
        impact of the investments; and
          (3) review the management structure, partnership 
        relationships, and funding of the Heritage Area for purposes of 
        identifying the critical components for sustainability of the 
        Heritage Area.
    (c) Report.--
          (1) In general.--Based on the evaluation conducted under 
        subsection (a)(1), the Secretary shall prepare a report that 
        includes recommendations for the future role of the National 
        Park Service, if any, with respect to the Heritage Area.
          (2) Required analysis.--If the report prepared under 
        paragraph (1) recommends that Federal funding for the Heritage 
        Area be reauthorized, the report shall include an analysis of--
                  (A) ways in which Federal funding for the Heritage 
                Area may be reduced or eliminated; and
                  (B) the appropriate time period necessary to achieve 
                the recommended reduction or elimination.
          (3) Submission to congress.--On completion of the report, the 
        Secretary shall submit the report to--
                  (A) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
                the Senate; and
                  (B) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House 
                of Representatives.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this Act $10,000,000, of which not more than $1,000,000 may be 
authorized to be appropriated for any fiscal year.
    (b) Cost-Sharing Requirement.--The Federal share of the cost of any 
activity carried out using funds made available under this Act shall be 
not more than 50 percent.

SEC. 10. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.

    The authority of the Secretary to provide financial assistance 
under this Act terminates on the date that is 15 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act.

                                PURPOSE

    The purpose of S. 955 is to designate the Abraham Lincoln 
National Heritage Area in Illinois.

                          BACKGROUND AND NEED

    The Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area would encompass 
an area spanning 41 Central Illinois counties, including 
Presidential sites in Springfield as well as other notable 
sites including the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Museum in 
Charleston, and the Macon County Log Courthouse in Decatur.
    In 1998, the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition, a 
consortium of Illinois communities that share the legacy of 
Abraham Lincoln, coordinated a community effort to promote 
tourism related to the various aspects of Lincoln's life. As a 
result of these efforts, the concept of a broader National 
Heritage Area was developed, centered around the Lincoln Home 
National Historic Site and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential 
Library and Museum, both in Springfield. Other significant 
historic sites within the proposed heritage area include the 
Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site and the Lincoln-Douglas Debate 
Museum.
    The Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition has prepared and 
submitted to the National Park Service a feasibility study for 
the proposed Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area. The study 
concluded that the proposal satisfies all of the criteria for 
designation as a National Heritage Area.

                          LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

    S. 955 was introduced by Senators Durbin and Obama on March 
21, 2007. The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on 
the bill on July 12, 2007. At its business meeting on July 25, 
2007, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 
955 favorably reported with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute.

                        COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open 
business session on July 25, 2007, by a voice vote of a quorum 
present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 955, if amended as 
described herein.

                          COMMITTEE AMENDMENT

    During its consideration of S. 955, the Committee adopted 
an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment 
deletes the Congressional findings, and modifies the management 
language for the heritage area to make it consistent with the 
authorities provided for other national heritage areas. The 
amendment also adds a requirement that the Secretary of the 
Interior conduct an evaluation of the heritage area not later 
than three years before the date authority for Federal funding 
terminates, to assess the progress of the management entity in 
accomplishing the purposes for which the heritage area was 
established and whether the goals and objectives of the 
management plan for the heritage area were achieved. The 
Secretary is required to submit a report of the findings of the 
evaluation to the Congressional authorizing Committees.
    The amendment is explained in detail in the section-by-
section analysis, below.

                      SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

    Section 1 provides the short title, the ``Abraham Lincoln 
National Heritage Area Act.''
    Section 2 defines key terms used in the Act.
    Section 3(a) establishes the Abraham Lincoln National 
Heritage Area (``heritage area'') in the State of Illinois.
    Subsection (b) describes the boundaries of the heritage 
area and lists the counties and significant historic site that 
the heritage area encompasses.
    Subsection (c) states that a map of the heritage area shall 
be included in the management plan and available on file in 
appropriate offices of the National Park Service.
    Section 4(a) designates the Looking for Lincoln Heritage 
Coalition as the management entity for the heritage area.
    Subsection (b) lists the authorities of the management 
entity. The subsection authorizes the management entity to use 
Federal funds to prepare activities recommended in the 
management plan for the heritage area, pay for operational 
expenses, make grants and enter into cooperative agreements, 
hire staff, obtain funds or services from any source, and 
contract for goods or services.
    Subsection (c) details the duties of the management entity.
    Subsection (d) prohibits the management entity from using 
Federal funds made available under this Act to acquire real 
property or an interest in real property, although it may use 
Federal funds from other sources for authorized purposes, which 
may include property acquisition.
    Section 5(a) requires the management entity to prepare and 
submit for review a management plan to the Secretary no later 
than three years after the date on which the funds are made 
available to carry out this Act.
    Subsection (b) provides the requirements for the contents 
of the management plan.
    Subsection (c) states that if the management plan is not 
submitted within the three-year period, Federal funding is 
suspended until the plan is submitted to the Secretary.
    Subsection (d) requires the Secretary to approve or 
disapprove the management plan within six months after 
receiving the plan and lists the criteria the Secretary is to 
consider in determining whether to approve or disapprove the 
plan.
    Subsection (e) requires that the Secretary review and 
approve or disapprove any amendment that would make a 
substantial change to the management plan.
    Section 6 describes the relationship of other Federal 
agencies to the heritage area.
    Subsection (a) clarifies that nothing in this Act affects 
the authority of a Federal agency to provide technical or 
financial assistance under any other law.
    Subsection (b) encourages the head of a Federal agency 
planning to conduct activities that may have an impact on the 
heritage area to consult and coordinate the activities with the 
Secretary and the management entity to the maximum extent 
practicable.
    Subsection (c) clarifies that nothing in this Act modifies 
authorities of Federal agencies to manage Federal land, limits 
the discretion of a Federal agency to implement an approved 
land use plan, or modifies or alters any authorized use of 
Federal land.
    Section 7 contains several savings provisions to clarify 
that the designation of the national heritage area will not 
affect private property rights, affect governmental land use 
regulation, reserve or appropriate water rights, diminish the 
authority of the State to manage fish and wildlife, or create 
any liability for property owners within the heritage area.
    Section 8(a) requires the Secretary to conduct an 
evaluation of the accomplishments of the national heritage area 
not later than three years before the date Federal funding 
authority terminates.
    Subsection (b) provides that the evaluation shall assess 
the progress of the management entity with respect to 
accomplishing the purposes of this Act for the heritage area 
and whether the management entity achieved the goals and 
objectives of the approved management plan for the heritage 
area. The evaluation is also required to analyze governmental 
investments in the heritage area to determine the leverage and 
impact of the investments.
    Subsection (c) requires the Secretary to prepare a report, 
based on the evaluation, that includes recommendations for the 
future role of the National Park Service, if any, for the 
heritage area. If the report recommends that Federal funding 
for the area be reauthorized, it is required to include an 
analysis of ways Federal funding may be reduced or eliminated. 
The report is to be submitted to the House and Senate 
authorizing committees.
    Section 9(a) authorizes total appropriations of $10 
million, with not more than $1 million authorized to be 
appropriated for any fiscal year.
    Subsection (b) requires Federal funding to be matched on a 
50:50 basis with funds from non-Federal sources.
    Section 10 provides that the authority of the Secretary to 
provide assistance under this Act terminates 15 years after the 
date of enactment.

                   COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

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

                                                     July 31, 2007.
Hon. Jeff Bingaman,
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. 955, the Abraham 
Lincoln National Heritage Area Act.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew 
Pickford.
            Sincerely,
                                                   Peter R. Orszag.
    Enclosure.

S. 955--Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area Act

    Summary: S. 955 would establish the Abraham Lincoln 
National Heritage Area (NHA) in the state of Illinois. The bill 
would designate the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition (a 
consortium of Illinois communities) to serve as the management 
entity for the proposed NHA. The coalition would be responsible 
for developing a management plan for the NHA and for assisting 
local governments and nonprofit agencies in implementing the 
plan. In addition, the legislation would require the Department 
of the Interior to report to the Congress on the work of the 
NHA.
    The legislation would authorize the appropriation of $10 
million, not to exceed $1 million annually, for financial 
assistance to the coalition or other eligible entities over the 
next 15 years. CBO estimates that implementing S. 955 would 
cost $5 million over the 2008-2012 period, with additional 
amounts spent after 2012.
    Enacting S. 955 would have no effect on direct spending or 
revenues. S. 955 contains no intergovernmental or private-
sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 
(UMRA).
    Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated 
budgetary impact of S. 955 is shown in the following table. The 
costs of this legislation fall within budget function 300 
(natural resources and environment).

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      By fiscal year, in millions of
                                                 dollars--
                                 ---------------------------------------
                                   2008    2009    2010    2011    2012
------------------------------------------------------------------------
              CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION

Estimated Authorization Level...       1       1       1       1       1
Estimated Outlays...............       1       1       1       1       1
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Basis of estimate: Assuming appropriation of the authorized 
amounts, CBO estimates that implementing S. 955 would cost $5 
million over the 2008-2012 period and $5 million over the 
following five to 10 years. Such amounts would be used to cover 
a portion of the costs of reporting, planning, establishing, 
operating, and interpreting the heritage area.
    Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: S. 955 
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as 
defined in UMRA. State and local governments would benefit from 
grants and technical assistance authorized by the bill.
    Estimate prepared by: Federal costs: Matthew Pickford. 
Impact on State, local, and tribal governments: Leo Lex. Impact 
on the private sector: Craig Cammarata.
    Estimate 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 S. 955. 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. 955, as ordered reported.

                        EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

    The testimony provided by the Department of the Interior at 
the July 12, 2007, Subcommittee hearing on S. 955 follows:

    Statement of Katherine H. Stevenson, Acting assistant Director, 
  Business Services, National Park Service, Department of the Interior

    Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear 
before your committee to present the views of the Department of 
the Interior on S. 955, a bill to establish the Abraham Lincoln 
National Heritage Area in the State of Illinois.
    In 1998, the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Project, a 
grassroots organization in central Illinois, coordinated a 
community effort to promote tourism, using the various aspects 
of Abraham Lincoln's life. It initially focused on single 
projects and strategic planning with a variety of public and 
private resources to help local communities research their 
connections to Lincoln and his times. However, as they moved 
forward, the scope of the project broadened to identify and 
promote the various natural, social, and cultural landscapes 
that made up Lincoln's life. As a result, work toward 
developing a National Heritage Area (NHA) began with the idea 
that the National Park Service's Lincoln Home National Historic 
Site and the future Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and 
Museum would serve as the central core.
    The Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition submitted a 
feasibility study to designate the Abraham Lincoln National 
Heritage Area to the National Park Service for review. The 
study concluded that the region met all of the criteria for 
designation as a NHA. Nevertheless, we recommend that the 
committee defer action on S. 955 and all other proposed 
heritage area designations until program legislation is enacted 
that establishes guidelines and a process for the designation 
of NHAs.
    Last year, the Administration sent to Congress a 
legislative proposal to establish guidelines and a process for 
designation. Bills were introduced in the 109th Congress (S. 
243, H.R. 760 and H.R. 6287) that incorporated the majority of 
the provisions of the Administration's proposal, and S. 243 
passed the Senate. During the 110th Congress, a similar 
heritage area program bill, S. 278, has been introduced, and we 
look forward to continuing to work with Congress on this very 
important issue.
    With 37 national heritage areas designated across 27 
states, and more heritage area legislative proposals in the 
pipeline, the Administration believes it is critical at this 
juncture for Congress to enact NHA program legislation. This 
legislation would provide a much-needed framework for 
evaluating proposed NHAs, offering guidelines for successful 
planning and management, clarifying the roles and 
responsibilities of all parties, and standardizing timeframes 
and funding for designated areas. Program legislation also 
would clarify the expectation that heritage areas work toward 
self-sufficiency by outlining the necessary steps, including 
appropriate planning, to achieve that shared goal.
    S. 955 establishes the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage 
Area in a core area defined by 42 counties in central Illinois. 
We expect that the final boundary may be a more manageable 
size. The area includes rich opportunities where visitors may 
experience the physical environment of rivers, woodlands, and 
prairies familiar to Abraham Lincoln and his generation. There 
are many cultural and historic sites, including the Lincoln 
Tomb State Historic Site, the Lincoln Home National Historic 
Site, the Lincoln Douglas Debate Museum, the Abraham Lincoln 
Presidential Library & Museum, and a broad diversity of 
folklife throughout the ``Land of Lincoln.''
    S. 955 designates the Looking for Lincoln Heritage 
Coalition as the management entity and outlines its duties. The 
bill also authorizes the development of a management plan 
within three years of enactment and authorizes the use of 
federal funds to develop and implement that plan. If the plan 
is not submitted within three years of enactment of this Act, 
the NHA becomes ineligible for federal funding until a plan is 
submitted to the Secretary. Additionally, the Secretary may, at 
the request of the management entity, provide technical 
assistance and enter into cooperative agreements with other 
public and private entities.
    S. 955 also contains safeguards to protect private 
property, including a prohibition on the use of federal funds 
to acquire real property. The bill proposes no new restrictions 
with regard to public use and access to private property.
    Abraham Lincoln was an itinerate lawyer who traveled 
extensively through a large region in central Illinois. Hours 
spent riding through the area, mostly by horseback, bonded the 
man and the landscape together. The region tells the 
comprehensive story of this important man, lawyer, husband, 
father, and our nation's 16th President. It is here that 
Abraham Lincoln pondered this nation, formed his convictions, 
and even created his debate platform for the now famous 
Lincoln-Douglas debates still resounding across this region 
through continued dialog of the same themes.
    Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd, owned only one 
home in the heart of Illinois, and it is here that he returned 
for his permanent rest. The home itself and the neighborhood 
describe an emotional Abraham Lincoln, who opened his farewell 
remarks to the citizens of Springfield, Illinois on February 
11, 1861 with these words: ``My friends--No one, not in my 
situation, can appreciate my feeling of sadness at this 
parting. To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe 
everything.'' He might very well have been speaking to friends 
and neighbors he had met with and represented as their lawyer 
throughout the 24 years he had ridden throughout the region. 
Lincoln left the home he and his family had lived in for 17 
years to serve as president of a nation on the verge of a civil 
war.
    While the proposed Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area 
contains significant natural, historical, and cultural 
resources, we would again request that the committee defer 
action until national heritage area program legislation is 
enacted.
    If the Committee chooses to move forward with this bill, 
the Department would recommend that the bill be amended to 
include an additional requirement for an evaluation to be 
conducted by the Secretary, three years prior to the cessation 
of federal funding under this act. The evaluation would examine 
the accomplishments of the heritage area in meeting the goals 
of the management plan; analyze the leveraging and impact of 
investments to the heritage area; identify the critical 
components of the management structure and sustainability of 
the heritage area; and recommend what future role, if any, the 
National Park Service should have with respect to the heritage 
area.
    Mr. Chairman, this 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, the Committee notes that no 
changes in existing law are made by the bill S. 955, as ordered 
reported.

                                  
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