59–010 

Calendar No. 362 

110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 1st Session 110–164 

COLUMBIA-PACIFIC NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA STUDY 

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 H.R. 407] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the Act (H.R. 407) to direct the Secretary of the Interior 

to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of establishing the 

Columbia-Pacific National Heritage Area in the States of Washington and Oregon, and for other purposes, having considered the 

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

PURPOSE

The purpose of H.R. 407 is to direct the Secretary of the Interior 

to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of designating certain coastal areas in Clatsop County, Oregon, and Pacific County, 

Washington, and a corridor along the Columbia River as the Columbia-Pacific National Heritage Area. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

Following the completion of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Bicentennial Commemoration that took place in Clatsop County, Oregon, and Pacific County, Washington, in 2005, community leaders 

recognized the national significance of the heritage culture, and 

legacy of the region. The bicentennial celebration efforts greatly enhanced local community pride and resulted in several projects related to the heritage of the area, including the designation of the 

Lewis & Clark National Historical Park, construction of the ‘‘Fort 

to Sea’’ trail in Oregon and the Discovery Trail in Washington, and 

development of heritage monuments in both States. 


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H.R. 407 authorizes a study to be undertaken to assess the feasibility of designating this area as a national heritage area, in furtherance of the previous efforts described above. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

H.R. 407, sponsored by Representative Baird, passed the House 

of Representatives by a voice vote on May 7, 2007. Companion legislation, S. 257, was introduced by Senators Smith, Murray, 

Wyden, and Cantwell on January 11, 2007. The Subcommittee on 

National Parks held a hearing on S. 257 on March 20, 2007 (S. 

Hrg. 110–73). 

At its business meeting on July 25, 2007, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered H.R. 407 favorably reported. 

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 H.R. 407. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1 contains the short title, the ‘‘Columbia-Pacific National 

Heritage Area Study Act.’’

Section 2 defines key terms used in the bill. 

Section 3(a) directs the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation 

with the managers of Federal lands within the study area, appropriate State and local governmental agencies, tribal governments, 

and other interested organizations, to conduct a study to determine 

the feasibility of designating the study area as the Columbia-Pacific National Heritage Area. 

Subsection (b) sets forth the requirements for the study. The 

study is to include analysis, documentation, and a determination 

whether the study area has an assemblage of natural, historic, and 

cultural resources that represent distinctive aspects of the heritage 

of the United States, in addition to several other criteria listed in 

the subsection. 

Subsection (c) requires the Secretary, in conducting the study, to 

analyze the potential impact that designation of the area as a national heritage area is likely to have on privately-owned land within the study area. 

Section 4 requires the Secretary of the Interior to submit a report to Congress within three fiscal years after funds are made 

available for the study, describing the findings of the study and 

any conclusions and recommendations. 

COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

The following estimate of costs of this measure has been provided 

by the Congressional Budget Office: 


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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 H.R. 407, the Columbia-Pacific 

National Heritage Area Study Act. 

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

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Tyler Kruzich. 

Sincerely, 

PETER R. ORSZAG. 

Enclosure. 

H.R. 407—Columbia-Pacific National Heritage Area Study Act 

H.R. 407 would direct the Department of the Interior (DOI) to 

conduct a suitability and feasibility study of designating coastal 

areas in the Pacific Northwest as the Columbia-Pacific National 

Heritage Area. Based on information from the DOI, CBO estimates 

that implementing H.R. 407 would cost less than $500,000, assuming the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting the legislation 

would not affect direct spending or revenues. 

H.R. 407 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 contacts for this estimate are Tyler Kruzich and 

David Reynolds. The estimate was 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 

H.R. 407. The Act 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 H.R. 407, as ordered reported. 

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

The testimony provided by the Department of the Interior at the 

March 20, 2007, Subcommittee hearing on the Senate companion 

measure, S. 257, follows: 

STATEMENT OF DANIEL N. WENK, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, 

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to provide 

the Department of the Interior’s views on S. 257, a bill to 

authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study 

to determine the feasibility of establishing the ColumbiaPacific National Heritage Area in the states of Washington 

and Oregon. 


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The Department supports enactment of S. 257 with 

amendments that are described later in this statement. 

These amendments would make the study requirements in 

S. 257 fully consistent with the criteria for National Heritage Area studies that were included in the Administration’s proposal for National Heritage Area program legislation that was transmitted to Congress last July. 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. 

While the Department supports the authorization of this 

study, we also believe that any funding requested should 

be directed first toward completing previously authorized 

studies. 

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 national heritage area program legislation. This legislation would provide a muchneeded framework for evaluating proposed national heritage areas, 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 would work toward selfsufficiency by outlining the necessary steps, including appropriate planning, to achieve that shared goal. 

Where the mighty Columbia River meets the Pacific 

Ocean, a unique confluence of American history unfolds. 

For many millennia, the broad, fog-shrouded, and dangerous Columbia River served as the home to the 

Chinookan people. Over the years, the Chinook, Clatsop, 

Willapa, Wiakakum and Cathlamet people developed a 

rich and complex society based upon trade and the use of 

the abundant natural resources. These people continue to 

live and work to keep their culture alive throughout the 

region. 

The entrance yielded to 18th Century maritime and continental explorers after Captain Sir Francis Drake and 

Captain Cook sailed off the coast in search of the fabled 

Northwest Passage. In 1792, the first ship under United 

States command in the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia 

Rediviva, was the first non-native ship to enter the mouth 

of the great river of the west. Captain Robert Gray named 

the four-mile-wide river after his ship. Two months later, 

one of British Captain George Vancouver’s ships sailed up 

the Columbia River and claimed both banks of the river for 

England. This created international tensions over disputed 

territory that would remain unresolved for over 50 years. 

International commerce flourished as American and European ships sought to trade with the Chinook for furs. 


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Ships would travel around Cape Horn, trade for furs along 

the Columbia, then sail to China where the furs would be 

traded for silk, spices, porcelain, and other goods. 

In 1805, thirteen years after Captain Gray first entered 

the Columbia River, the Lewis and Clark Expedition made 

the first overland journey to the mouth of the Columbia, 

reaching their destination of the Pacific Ocean. The Expedition wintered at Fort Clatsop and successfully returned 

home. The Corps of Discovery’s arrival and stay is commemorated at the sites of the Lewis and Clark National 

Historical Park and at state park sites in Washington and 

Oregon, which are working in partnership with the National Park Service to preserve and interpret the Corps of 

Discovery story. 

In 1811, John Jacob Astor established the first permanent American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains, in 

Astoria. At the outbreak of the War of 1812, Astoria was 

sold to the British Hudson’s Bay Company and was not returned to America until the late 1820’s. After more than 

50 years of contentious British and American ownership, 

possession of the region was not resolved until both banks 

of the Columbia became undisputed United States territory in 1846. Today, Astoria is known for its Historic Districts with Victorian and Craftsman-style homes stacked 

along its steep hillsides with an active working waterfront. 

The natural geography of the Columbia River provided 

a ready-made homeland defense for Native Americans. At 

the start of the Civil War, the United States Army followed the example of the native people and constructed 

forts and coastal defenses at the mouth of the Columbia. 

Fort Stevens, Fort Columbia and Fort Canby (at Cape Disappointment) remained in continuous operation guarding 

the Columbia River entrance from the Civil War through 

the end of World War II. 

The confluence of the Columbia River and Pacific Ocean 

has become known as the ‘‘Graveyard of the Pacific.’’ Hundreds of ships lay wrecked at the entrance and along the 

nearby coast. In order to further trade and commerce, the 

United States has worked for nearly 150 years to make 

navigation of the Columbia River safe for mariners. Today, 

the United States Coast Guard serves as the sentinels of 

the river, where every year they protect thousands of lives 

and millions of dollars in property. 

For the last 200 years, people from all over the world 

have settled in communities of the region to work in the 

industries in the area—fishing, canneries, ship outfitting, 

timber harvesting, milling and transportation, and international trade. These resource-based industries have 

played and will continue to play a significant role in the 

region’s heritage. 

The rich history of this region is set against a backdrop 

of rugged scenic beauty. It includes the headlands at Ecola 

and Cape Disappointment State parks, old growth forests 

in the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, abundant wildlife 

in the Lewis and Clark and Julia Butler Hansen National 


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Wildlife Refuges, and miles of gentle beaches on the Long 

Beach Peninsula and at Seaside, Oregon. 

The study authorized by S. 257 would cover four counties close to the confluence of the Columbia River and the 

Pacific Ocean where there is a strong, broad-based local 

support for protecting and promoting these resources. It is 

estimated to cost between $200,000 and $300,000. 

S. 257 contains most, but not all, of the criteria for National Heritage Area studies that the National Park Service believes is essential for evaluating the feasibility of 

designating a National Heritage Area. The bill omits criteria related to the identification of a local coordinating entity and its roles and responsibilities. It also omits criteria 

related to development of a conceptual boundary map. We 

would be pleased to work with the committee to develop 

amendments that would address these matters. 

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

pleased to answer any questions you or other members of 

the committee 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 Act H.R. 407, as ordered reported. 

Æ 


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