II 

Calendar No. 375 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 955 

[Report No. 110–177] 

To establish the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 21, 2007 

Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mr. OBAMA) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources 

SEPTEMBER 17, 2007 

Reported by Mr. BINGAMAN, with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

A BILL 

To establish the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, 

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 ‘‘Abraham Lincoln National 

5 Heritage Area Act’’. 

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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds that— 

3 (1) the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage 

4 Area is a cohesive assemblage of natural, historic, 

5 cultural, and recreational resources that— 

6 (A) together represent distinctive aspects 

7 of the heritage of the United States worthy of 

8 recognition, conservation, interpretation, and 

9 continuing use; and 

10 (B) are best managed through partner11 ships between private and public entities; 

12 (2) the Heritage Area reflects traditions, cus13 toms, beliefs, folklife, or a combination of those at14 tributes that are a valuable part of the heritage of 

15 the United States; 

16 (3) the Heritage Area provides outstanding op17 portunities to conserve natural features, historic fea18 ture, cultural features, or a combination of those 

19 features; 

20 (4) the Heritage Area provides outstanding rec21 reational and interpretive opportunities; 

22 (5) the Heritage Area has an identifiable 

23 theme, and resources important to the theme, that 

24 retain integrity capable of supporting interpretation; 

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1 (6) residents, nonprofit organizations, other pri2 vate entities, and units of local government through3 out the Heritage Area demonstrate support for— 

4 (A) designation of the Heritage Area as a 

5 national heritage area; and 

6 (B) management of the Heritage Area in 

7 a manner appropriate for the designation; 

8 (7) there is a compelling need to educate and 

9 cultivate among the citizens of the United States, 

10 particularly youth, an understanding appreciation 

11 for, and a renewed commitment to integrity, cour12 age, self-initiative, and principled leadership in pub13 lic and private life; 

14 (8) few individuals in the history of the United 

15 States have as broadly exemplified such qualities, 

16 and so profoundly influenced the history and char17 acter of the United States, as Abraham Lincoln; 

18 (9) the story and example of the life of Abra19 ham Lincoln, including his inspiring rise from hum20 ble origins to the highest office in the land and his 

21 decisive leadership through the most harrowing and 

22 dangerous time in the history of the United States, 

23 continues to bring hope and inspiration to millions 

24 in the United States and around the world; 

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1 (10) the great issues during the lifetime of 

2 Abraham Lincoln, including national unity, equality 

3 and race relations, the capacity for democratic gov4 ernment, and the ideals to address those and related 

5 issues, continue to this day to define the challenges 

6 facing the United States; 

7 (11) the ideals espoused by Lincoln, and the 

8 sentiments expressed by Lincoln with respect to 

9 keeping the United States together, are as relevant 

10 today as the ideals and sentiment were in Lincoln’s 

11 troubled time; 

12 (12) Illinois is known throughout the world as 

13 the land of Abraham Lincoln; 

14 (13) unquestionably, the physical, social, and 

15 cultural landscape of Illinois helped mold the char16 acter of Lincoln; 

17 (14) ‘‘Here I have lived a quarter of a century, 

18 and have passed from a young to an old man,’’ Lin19 coln remarked on leaving Illinois. ‘‘To this place and 

20 the kindness of these people I owe everything’’; 

21 (15) Lincoln, in turn, left his own traces across 

22 the Illinois landscape; 

23 (16) the traces remain today in the form of sto24 ries, folklore, artifacts, buildings, streetscapes, and 

25 landscapes; 

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1 (17) though scattered geographically and in 

2 varying states of development and interpretation, to3 gether the traces of Lincoln bring an immediacy and 

4 tangible quality to the powerful Lincoln legacy; 

5 (18) individually and collectively, the traces of 

6 Lincoln in Illinois constitute an important national 

7 cultural and historic resource; 

8 (19) in particular, the stories and cultural re9 sources of the Lincoln legacy of the region— 

10 (A) reflect the values and attitudes, obsta11 cles and ingenuity, failures and accomplish12 ments, human frailties, and strength of char13 acter of the men and women who made up the 

14 diverse people of Lincoln’s generation, including 

15 upland Southerners and Northeastern Yankees, 

16 Anglo-settlers and American Indians, ‘‘free’’ 

17 blacks, abolitionists, and critics of abolitionists; 

18 (B) reflect the material culture and rel19 ative levels of technical sophistication in the 

20 United States in the lifetime of Lincoln; 

21 (C) recreate the physical environment dur22 ing the lifetime of Lincoln, revealing the impact 

23 of the environment on agriculture, transpor24 tation, trade, business, and social and cultural 

25 patterns in urban and rural settings; and 

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1 (D) interpret the effect of the democratic 

2 ethos of the era on the development of the legal 

3 and political institutions and distinctive political 

4 culture of the United States; 

5 (20) 3 previous studies entitled ‘‘Abraham Lin6 coln Research and Interpretive Center Suitability/ 

7 Feasibility Study’’ by the National Park Service 

8 (1991), ‘‘Looking for Lincoln Illinois Heritage Tour9 ism Project’’ commissioned by the State of Illinois 

10 Department of Commerce and Community Affairs in 

11 cooperation with the Illinois Historic Preservation 

12 Agency (1998), and the ‘‘Feasibility Study for the 

13 Proposed Abraham Lincoln National Heritage 

14 Area’’, revised in 2003, help document a sufficient 

15 assemblage of nationally distinctive historic re16 sources to demonstrate the feasibility of, and need to 

17 establish, the Heritage Area; 

18 (21) the National Park Service— 

19 (A) operates and maintains the Lincoln 

20 Home National Historic Site in Springfield, Illi21 nois; and 

22 (B) is responsible for— 

23 (i) advocating the protection and in24 terpretation of the cultural and historic re25 sources of the United States; and 

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1 (ii) encouraging the development of 

2 interpretive context for those resources 

3 through appropriate planning and preser4 vation; 

5 (22) the Heritage Area can strengthen, com6 plement, and support the Lincoln Home National 

7 Historic Site through the interpretation and con8 servation of the associated living landscapes outside 

9 of the boundaries of the historic site; 

10 (23) there is a Federal interest in supporting 

11 the development of a regional framework and con12 text to partner with and assist the National Park 

13 Service, the State of Illinois, local organizations, 

14 units of local government, and private citizens to 

15 conserve, protect, and bring recognition to the re16 sources of the Heritage Area for the educational and 

17 recreational benefit of the present generation and fu18 ture generations; 

19 (24) communities throughout the region— 

20 (A) know the value of their Lincoln legacy; 

21 but 

22 (B) need to expand upon an existing coop23 erative framework and technical assistance to 

24 achieve important goals by working together; 

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1 (25) the Department of Commerce and Eco2 nomic Opportunity and Bureau of Tourism of the 

3 State of Illinois— 

4 (A) officially designated ‘‘Looking for Lin5 coln’’ as a State Heritage Tourism Area; and 

6 (B) has identified the story of Lincoln as 

7 a key destination driver for the State; 

8 (26) the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coali9 tion, the management entity for the Heritage 

10 Area— 

11 (A) is a nonprofit corporation created for 

12 the purposes of preserving, interpreting, devel13 oping, promoting, and making available to the 

14 public the story and resources relating to— 

15 (i) the story of the adult life of Abra16 ham Lincoln in Illinois; and 

17 (ii) the contributions of Abraham Lin18 coln to society; and 

19 (B) would be an appropriate entity to over20 see the development of the Heritage Area; and 

21 (27) the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition 

22 has completed a business plan that— 

23 (A) describes in detail the role, operation, 

24 financing, and functions of the Looking For 

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1 Lincoln Heritage Coalition as the management 

2 entity for the Heritage Area; and 

3 (B) provides adequate assurances that the 

4 Looking For Lincoln Heritage Coalition is like5 ly to have the financial resources necessary to 

6 implement the management plan for the Herit7 age Area, including resources to meet matching 

8 requirement for grants. 

9 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

10 In this Act: 

11 (1) COALITION.—The term ‘‘Coalition’’ means 

12 the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition, an enti13 ty recognized by the Secretary, in consultation with 

14 the chief executive officer of the State, that has 

15 agreed to perform the duties of the management en16 tity under this Act. 

17 (2) HERITAGE AREA.—The term ‘‘Heritage 

18 Area’’ means the Abraham Lincoln National Herit19 age Area established by section 4(a). 

20 (3) MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—The term ‘‘man21 agement entity’’ means the management entity for 

22 the Heritage Area designated by section 5(a). 

23 (4) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The term ‘‘manage24 ment plan’’ means the plan developed by the man25 agement entity under section 6(a). 

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1 (5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

2 the Secretary of the Interior. 

3 (6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 

4 of Illinois. 

5 (7) UNIT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.—The term 

6 ‘‘unit of local government’’ means the government of 

7 the State, a political subdivision of the State, or an 

8 Indian tribe. 

9 SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN NATIONAL 

10 HERITAGE AREA. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the State 

12 the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area. 

13 (b) BOUNDARIES.—The Heritage Area shall in14 clude— 

15 (1) a core area located in central Illinois, con16 sisting of Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Cham17 paign, Christian, Clark, Coles, Cumberland, Dewitt, 

18 Douglas, Edgar, Fayette, Fulton, Greene, Hancock, 

19 Henderson, Jersey, Knox, LaSalle, Logan, Macon, 

20 Macoupin, Madison, Mason, McDonough, McLean, 

21 Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Peoria, 

22 Piatt, Pike, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, 

23 Tazwell, Vermillion, Warren, and Woodford counties; 

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1 (2) any sites, buildings, and districts within the 

2 core area that are recommended for inclusion in the 

3 management plan; and 

4 (3) each of the following sites: 

5 (A) Lincoln Home National Historic Site. 

6 (B) Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site. 

7 (C) Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic 

8 Site. 

9 (D) Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library 

10 & Museum. 

11 (E) Thomas and Sara Bush Lincoln Log 

12 Cabin and Living History Farm State Historic 

13 Site. 

14 (F) Mt. Pulaski, Postville State Historic 

15 Sites and Metamora Courthouse. 

16 (G) Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices State 

17 Historic Site. 

18 (H) David Davis Mansion State Historic 

19 Site. 

20 (I) Vandalia Statehouse State Historic 

21 Site. 

22 (J) Lincoln Douglas Debate Museum. 

23 (K) Macon County Log Court House. 

24 (L) Richard J. Oglesby Mansion. 

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1 (M) Lincoln Trail Homestead State Memo2 rial. 

3 (N) Governor John Wood Mansion. 

4 (O) Beardstown Courthouse. 

5 (P) Old Main at Knox College. 

6 (Q) Carl Sandburg Home State Historic 

7 Site. 

8 (R) Bryant Cottage State Historic Site. 

9 (S) Dr. William Fithian Home. 

10 (T) Vermillion County Museum. 

11 (c) MAP.—A map of the Heritage Area shall be— 

12 (1) included in the management plan; and 

13 (2) on file in the appropriate offices of the Na14 tional Park Service. 

15 SEC. 5. DESIGNATION OF COALITION AS MANAGEMENT EN16 TITY. 

17 (a) MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—The Coalition shall be 

18 the management entity for the Heritage Area. 

19 (b) AUTHORITIES OF MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—The 

20 management entity may, for purposes of preparing and 

21 implementing the management plan, use Federal funds 

22 made available under this Act— 

23 (1) to prepare reports, studies, interpretive ex24 hibits and programs, historic preservation projects, 

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1 and other activities recommended in the manage2 ment plan for the Heritage Area; 

3 (2) to pay for operational expenses of the man4 agement entity incurred during the first 10 fiscal 

5 years beginning after the date of enactment of this 

6 Act; 

7 (3) to make grants or loans to the State, units 

8 of local government, nonprofit organizations, and 

9 other persons; 

10 (4) to enter into cooperative agreements with 

11 the State, units of local government, nonprofit orga12 nizations, and other organizations; 

13 (5) to hire and compensate staff; 

14 (6) to obtain funds from any source under any 

15 program or law requiring the recipient of funds to 

16 make a contribution in order to receive the funds; 

17 and 

18 (7) to contract for goods and services. 

19 (c) DUTIES OF MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—For any fis20 cal year for which Federal funds are received under this 

21 Act, the management entity shall— 

22 (1) submit to the Secretary a report that de23 scribes— 

24 (A) the accomplishments of the manage25 ment entity; 

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1 (B) the expenses and income of the man2 agement entity; and 

3 (C) the entities to which the management 

4 entity made any grants; 

5 (2) make available for audit by Congress, the 

6 Secretary, and appropriate units of local govern7 ment, all records relating to the expenditure of the 

8 Federal funds and any matching funds; and 

9 (3) require, with respect to all agreements au10 thorizing the expenditure of Federal funds by any 

11 entity, that the receiving entity make available for 

12 audit all records relating to the expenditure of the 

13 Federal funds. 

14 (d) PROHIBITION ON ACQUISITION OF REAL PROP15 ERTY.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—The management entity 

17 shall not use Federal funds received under this Act 

18 to acquire real property or any interest in real prop19 erty. 

20 (2) OTHER SOURCES.—Nothing in this Act pre21 cludes the management entity from using Federal 

22 funds from other sources for authorized purposes, 

23 including the acquisition of real property or any in24 terest in real property. 

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1 SEC. 6. MANAGEMENT PLAN. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after the 

3 date on which funds are first made available to carry out 

4 this Act, the management entity shall prepare and submit 

5 for review to the Secretary a management plan for the 

6 Heritage Area. 

7 (b) REQUIREMENTS FOR PREPARATION AND IMPLE8 MENTATION.—The management entity shall— 

9 (1) collaborate with and consider the interests 

10 of diverse units of local government, businesses, 

11 tourism officials, private property owners, and non12 profit groups within the Heritage Area in preparing 

13 and implementing the management plan; 

14 (2) ensure regular public involvement regarding 

15 the implementation of the management plan for the 

16 Heritage Area; and 

17 (3) submit the proposed management plan to 

18 participating units of local governments within the 

19 Heritage Area for review. 

20 (c) CONTENTS.—The management plan for the Her21 itage Area shall— 

22 (1) present a comprehensive program for the 

23 conservation, interpretation, funding, management, 

24 and development of the Heritage Area (including the 

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1 reational and educational opportunities of the Herit2 age Area) in a manner consistent with— 

3 (A) existing Federal, State, and local land 

4 use laws; and 

5 (B) the compatible economic viability of 

6 the Heritage Area; 

7 (2) involve residents, public agencies, and pri8 vate organizations in the Heritage Area; 

9 (3) specify and coordinate, as of the date of the 

10 management plan, existing and potential sources of 

11 technical and financial assistance under this Act and 

12 other Federal laws for the protection, management, 

13 and development of the Heritage Area; and 

14 (4) include— 

15 (A) actions to be undertaken by units of 

16 local government and private organizations to 

17 protect, conserve, and interpret the resources of 

18 the Heritage Area; 

19 (B) an inventory of resources in the Herit20 age Area that includes a list of property in the 

21 Heritage Area that— 

22 (i) is related to the themes of the 

23 Heritage Area; and 

24 (ii) merits preservation, restoration, 

25 management, development, or maintenance 

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1 because of the natural, historic, cultural, 

2 or recreational significance of the property; 

3 (C) a recommendation of policies for re4 source management that consider the applica5 tion of appropriate land and water management 

6 techniques, including policies for the develop7 ment of intergovernmental cooperative agree8 ments, private sector agreements, or any com9 bination of agreements, to protect the natural, 

10 historic, cultural, and recreational resources of 

11 the Heritage Area in a manner that is con12 sistent with the support of appropriate and 

13 compatible economic viability; 

14 (D) a program for implementation of the 

15 management plan by the management entity, in 

16 cooperation with partners of the management 

17 entity and units of local government; 

18 (E) evidence that relevant State, county, 

19 and local plans applicable to the Heritage Area 

20 have been taken into consideration; 

21 (F) an analysis of means by which Fed22 eral, State, and local programs may best be co23 ordinated to promote the purposes of this Act; 

24 and 

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1 (G) a business plan for the Heritage Area 

2 that— 

3 (i) describes in detail— 

4 (I) the role, operation, financing, 

5 and functions of the management en6 tity; and 

7 (II) each activity included in the 

8 recommendations in the management 

9 plan; and 

10 (ii) provides, to the satisfaction of the 

11 Secretary, adequate assurances that the 

12 management entity is likely to have the fi13 nancial resources necessary to implement 

14 the management plan, including the re15 sources necessary to meet matching re16 quirement for grants awarded under this 

17 Act. 

18 (d) CONSIDERATION OF INTERESTS OF LOCAL

19 GROUPS.—In preparing and implementing the manage20 ment plan, the management entity shall consider the inter21 ests of diverse units of local government, businesses, pri22 vate property owners, and nonprofit groups in the Herit23 age Area. 

24 (e) PUBLIC MEETINGS.— 

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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The management entity 

2 shall conduct public meetings at least quarterly re3 garding the development and implementation of the 

4 management plan. 

5 (2) PUBLIC NOTICE.—The management entity 

6 shall— 

7 (A) place a notice of each public meeting 

8 in a newspaper of general circulation in the 

9 Heritage Area; and 

10 (B) make the minutes of each public meet11 ing available to the public. 

12 (f) DISQUALIFICATION FROM FUNDING.—If a pro13 posed management plan is not submitted to the Secretary 

14 by the date that is 3 years after the date on which funds 

15 are first made available to carry out this Act, the manage16 ment entity may not receive additional funding under this 

17 Act until the date on which the Secretary receives the pro18 posed management plan. 

19 (g) APPROVAL AND DISAPPROVAL OF MANAGEMENT

20 PLAN.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 

22 the date on which the management entity submits 

23 the management plan to the Secretary, the Sec24 retary, in consultation with the Governor of the 

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1 State or a designee of the Governor, shall approve 

2 or disapprove the proposed management plan. 

3 (2) DISAPPROVAL AND REVISIONS.— 

4 (A) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary dis5 approves a proposed management plan, the Sec6 retary shall— 

7 (i) advise the management entity, in 

8 writing, of the reasons for the disapproval; 

9 and 

10 (ii) make recommendations for revi11 sion of the proposed management plan. 

12 (B) APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL.—The 

13 Secretary shall approve or disapprove a revised 

14 management plan not later than 90 days after 

15 the date on which the revised management plan 

16 is submitted. 

17 (3) APPROVAL OF AMENDMENTS.— 

18 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall re19 view and approve or disapprove substantial 

20 amendments to the management plan. 

21 (B) FUNDING.—Funds appropriated under 

22 this Act may not be expended to implement any 

23 changes made by an amendment to the manage24 ment plan until the Secretary approves the 

25 amendment. 

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1 (h) PRIORITIES.—The management entity shall give 

2 priority to the implementation of actions, goals, and strat3 egies set forth in the management plan, including assisting 

4 units of local government and other persons in— 

5 (1) carrying out programs that recognize and 

6 protect important resource values in the Heritage 

7 Area; 

8 (2) encouraging economic viability in the Herit9 age Area in accordance with the goals of the man10 agement plan; 

11 (3) establishing and maintaining interpretive 

12 exhibits in the Heritage Area; 

13 (4) developing heritage-based recreational and 

14 educational opportunities for residents and visitors 

15 in the Heritage Area; 

16 (5) increasing public awareness of and appre17 ciation for the natural, historic, and cultural re18 sources of the Heritage Area; 

19 (6) restoring historic buildings that are— 

20 (A) located in the Heritage Area; and 

21 (B) related to the themes of the Heritage 

22 Area; and 

23 (7) installing throughout the Heritage Area 

24 clear, consistent, and appropriate signs to identify 

25 public access points and sites of interest. 

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1 SEC. 7. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE; OTHER 

2 FEDERAL AGENCIES. 

3 (a) TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—On request of the manage5 ment entity, the Secretary may provide technical and 

6 financial assistance for the development and imple7 mentation of the management plan. 

8 (2) PRIORITY FOR ASSISTANCE.—In providing 

9 assistance under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 

10 give priority to actions that assist in— 

11 (A) conserving the significant natural, his12 toric, and cultural resources of the Heritage 

13 Area; and 

14 (B) providing educational, interpretive, and 

15 recreational opportunities consistent with the 

16 purposes of the Heritage Area. 

17 (3) SPENDING FOR NON-FEDERAL PROPERTY.— 

18 The management entity may expend Federal funds 

19 made available under this Act on non-Federal prop20 erty that is— 

21 (A) identified in the management plan; or 

22 (B) listed, or eligible for listing, on the Na23 tional Register of Historic Places. 

24 (4) OTHER ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary may 

25 enter into cooperative agreements with public and 

26 private organizations to carry out this subsection. 

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1 (b) OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Any Federal enti2 ty conducting or supporting an activity that directly af3 fects the Heritage Area shall— 

4 (1) consider the potential effects of the activity 

5 on— 

6 (A) the purposes of the Heritage Area; and 

7 (B) the management plan; 

8 (2) consult with the management entity with re9 spect to the activity; and 

10 (3) to the maximum extent practicable, conduct 

11 or support the activity to avoid adverse effects on 

12 the Heritage Area. 

13 (c) OTHER ASSISTANCE NOT AFFECTED.—Nothing 

14 in this Act affects the authority of any Federal official 

15 to provide technical or financial assistance under any 

16 other law. 

17 (d) NOTIFICATION OF OTHER FEDERAL ACTIVI18 TIES.—The head of each Federal agency shall provide to 

19 the Secretary and the management entity for the Heritage 

20 Area, to the extent practicable, advance notice of all activi21 ties that may have an impact on the Heritage Area. 

22 SEC. 8. PRIVATE PROPERTY PROTECTION. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act— 

24 (1) requires any private property owner to allow 

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1 ernment, State government, or units of local govern2 ment) to the private property; or 

3 (2) modifies any provision of Federal, State, or 

4 local law with respect to public access to, or use of, 

5 private property. 

6 (b) LIABILITY.—Designation of the Heritage Area 

7 shall not be considered to create any liability, or have any 

8 effect on any liability under any other law, of any private 

9 property owner with respect to any persons injured on the 

10 private property. 

11 (c) RECOGNITION OF AUTHORITY TO CONTROL

12 LAND USE.—Nothing in this Act modifies any authority 

13 of the Federal Government, State government, or units 

14 of local governments to regulate land use. 

15 (d) PARTICIPATION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS

16 IN HERITAGE AREA.—Nothing in this Act requires the 

17 owner of any private property located within the bound18 aries of the Heritage Area to participate in, or be associ19 ated with, the Heritage Area. 

20 (e) LAND USE REGULATION.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—The management entity 

22 shall provide assistance and encouragement to State 

23 and local governments, private organizations, and 

24 persons to protect and promote the resources and 

25 values of the Heritage Area. 

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1 (2) EFFECT.—Nothing in this Act grants any 

2 power of zoning or land use to the management enti3 ty. 

4 (f) PRIVATE PROPERTY.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The management entity 

6 shall be an advocate for land management practices 

7 that are consistent with the purposes of the Herit8 age Area. 

9 (2) EFFECT.—Nothing in this Act— 

10 (A) abridges the rights of any person with 

11 respect to private property; 

12 (B) affects the authority of the State or 

13 unit of local government relating to private 

14 property; or 

15 (C) imposes any additional burden on any 

16 property owner. 

17 SEC. 9. EFFECT. 

18 (a) RULES, REGULATIONS, STANDARDS, AND PER19 MIT PROCESSES.—Nothing in this Act imposes any envi20 ronmental, occupational, safety, or other rule, regulation, 

21 standard, or permit process in the Heritage Area that is 

22 different from the rule, regulation, standard, or process 

23 that would be applicable if the Heritage Area had not been 

24 established. 

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1 (b) WATER AND WATER RIGHTS.—Nothing in this 

2 Act authorizes or implies the reservation or appropriation 

3 of water or water rights. 

4 (c) NO DIMINISHMENT OF STATE AUTHORITY.— 

5 Nothing in this Act diminishes the authority of the State 

6 to manage fish and wildlife, including the regulation of 

7 fishing and hunting within the Heritage Area. 

8 (d) EXISTING NATIONAL HERITAGE AREAS.—Noth9 ing in this Act affects any national heritage area des10 ignated before the date of enactment of this Act. 

11 SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro13 priated to carry out this Act $10,000,000, of which not 

14 more than $1,000,000 may be authorized to be appro15 priated for any fiscal year. 

16 (b) COST-SHARING REQUIREMENT.—The Federal 

17 share of the total cost of any activity carried out using 

18 funds made available under this Act shall be not more 

19 than 50 percent. 

20 SEC. 11. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY. 

21 The authority of the Secretary to provide assistance 

22 under this Act terminates on the date that is 15 years 

23 after the date of enactment of this Act. 

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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as ‘‘Abraham Lincoln National 

3 Heritage Area Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

5 In this Act: 

6 (1) HERITAGE AREA.—The term ‘‘Heritage 

7 Area’’ means the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage 

8 Area established by section 3(a). 

9 (2) MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—The term ‘‘manage10 ment entity’’ means the management entity for the 

11 Heritage Area designated by section 4(a). 

12 (3) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The term ‘‘manage13 ment plan’’ means the plan developed by the manage14 ment entity under section 5(a). 

15 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

16 the Secretary of the Interior. 

17 (5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 

18 of Illinois. 

19 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN NATIONAL 

20 HERITAGE AREA. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the State the 

22 Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area. 

23 (b) BOUNDARIES.—The Heritage Area shall include— 

24 (1) a core area located in central Illinois, con25 sisting of Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Champaign, 

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1 las, Edgar, Fayette, Fulton, Greene, Hancock, Hen2 derson, Jersey, Knox, LaSalle, Logan, Macon, 

3 Macoupin, Madison, Mason, McDonough, McLean, 

4 Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Peoria, 

5 Piatt, Pike, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, 

6 Tazwell, Vermillion, Warren, and Woodford counties; 

7 (2) any sites, buildings, and districts within the 

8 core area that are recommended in the management 

9 plan; and 

10 (3) each of the following sites: 

11 (A) Lincoln Home National Historic Site. 

12 (B) Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site. 

13 (C) Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic 

14 Site. 

15 (D) Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library 

16 & Museum. 

17 (E) Thomas and Sara Bush Lincoln Log 

18 Cabin and Living History Farm State Historic 

19 Site. 

20 (F) Mt. Pulaski, Postville State Historic 

21 Sites and Metamora Courthouse. 

22 (G) Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices State 

23 Historic Site. 

24 (H) David Davis Mansion State Historic 

25 Site. 

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1 (I) Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site. 

2 (J) Lincoln Douglas Debate Museum. 

3 (K) Macon County Log Court House. 

4 (L) Richard J. Oglesby Mansion. 

5 (M) Lincoln Trail Homestead State Memo6 rial. 

7 (N) Governor John Wood Mansion. 

8 (O) Beardstown Courthouse. 

9 (P) Old Main at Knox College. 

10 (Q) Carl Sandburg Home State Historic 

11 Site. 

12 (R) Bryant Cottage State Historic Site. 

13 (S) Dr. William Fithian Home. 

14 (T) Vermillion County Museum. 

15 (c) MAP.—A map of the Heritage Area shall be— 

16 (1) included in the management plan; and 

17 (2) on file in the appropriate offices of the Na18 tional Park Service. 

19 SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF COALITION AS MANAGEMENT EN20 TITY. 

21 (a) MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—The Looking for Lincoln 

22 Heritage Coalition shall be the management entity for the 

23 Heritage Area. 

24 (b) AUTHORITIES OF MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—The 

25 management entity may, for purposes of preparing and immstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

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1 plementing the management plan, use Federal funds made 

2 available under this Act— 

3 (1) to prepare reports, studies, interpretive ex4 hibits and programs, historic preservation projects, 

5 and other activities recommended in the management 

6 plan for the Heritage Area; 

7 (2) to pay for operational expenses of the man8 agement entity; 

9 (3) to make grants to the State, political subdivi10 sions of the State, nonprofit organizations, and other 

11 persons; 

12 (4) to enter into cooperative agreements with the 

13 State, political subdivisions of the State, nonprofit or14 ganizations, and other organizations; 

15 (5) to hire and compensate staff; 

16 (6) to obtain funds or services from any source, 

17 including funds and services provided under any 

18 other Federal program or law; and 

19 (7) to contract for goods and services. 

20 (c) DUTIES OF MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—To further the 

21 purposes of the Heritage Area, the management entity 

22 shall— 

23 (1) prepare a management plan for the Heritage 

24 Area in accordance with section 5; 

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1 (2) give priority to the implementation of ac2 tions, goals, and strategies set forth in the manage3 ment plan, including assisting units of government 

4 and other persons in— 

5 (A) carrying out programs and projects 

6 that recognize and protect important resource 

7 values in the Heritage Area; 

8 (B) encouraging economic viability in the 

9 Heritage Area in accordance with the goals of 

10 the management plan; 

11 (C) establishing and maintaining interpre12 tive exhibits in the Heritage Area; 

13 (D) developing heritage-based recreational 

14 and educational opportunities for residents and 

15 visitors in the Heritage Area; 

16 (E) increasing public awareness of and ap17 preciation for the natural, historic, and cultural 

18 resources of the Heritage Area; 

19 (F) restoring historic buildings that are— 

20 (i) located in the Heritage Area; and 

21 (ii) related to the themes of the Herit22 age Area; and 

23 (G) installing throughout the Heritage Area 

24 clear, consistent, and appropriate signs identi25 fying public access points and sites of interest; 

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1 (3) consider the interests of diverse units of gov2 ernment, businesses, tourism officials, private prop3 erty owners, and nonprofit groups within the Herit4 age Area in developing and implementing the man5 agement plan; 

6 (4) conduct public meetings at least semiannu7 ally regarding the development and implementation 

8 of the management plan; and 

9 (5) for any fiscal year for which Federal funds 

10 are received under this Act— 

11 (A) submit to the Secretary an annual re12 port that describes— 

13 (i) the accomplishments of the manage14 ment entity; 

15 (ii) the expenses and income of the 

16 management entity; and 

17 (iii) the entities to which the manage18 ment entity made any grants; 

19 (B) make available for audit all records re20 lating to the expenditure of the Federal funds 

21 and any matching funds; and 

22 (C) require, with respect to all agreements 

23 authorizing the expenditure of Federal funds by 

24 other organizations, that the receiving organizamstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

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1 tions make available for audit all records relat2 ing to the expenditure of the Federal funds. 

3 (d) PROHIBITION ON ACQUISITION OF REAL PROP4 ERTY.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The management entity shall 

6 not use Federal funds received under this Act to ac7 quire real property or any interest in real property. 

8 (2) OTHER SOURCES.—Nothing in this Act pre9 cludes the management entity from using Federal 

10 funds from other sources for authorized purposes, in11 cluding the acquisition of real property or any inter12 est in real property. 

13 SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT PLAN. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after the 

15 date on which funds are first made available to carry out 

16 this Act, the management entity shall prepare and submit 

17 for review to the Secretary a management plan for the Her18 itage Area. 

19 (b) CONTENTS.—The management plan for the Herit20 age Area shall— 

21 (1) include comprehensive policies, strategies, 

22 and recommendations for the conservation, funding, 

23 management, and development of the Heritage Area; 

24 (2) take into consideration existing State, coun25 ty, and local plans; 

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1 (3) specify the existing and potential sources of 

2 funding to protect, manage, and develop the Heritage 

3 Area during the first 5 years of implementation of the 

4 management plan; 

5 (4) include— 

6 (A) a description of actions that govern7 ments, private organizations, and individuals 

8 have agreed to take to protect the natural, his9 toric, and cultural resources of the Heritage 

10 Area; 

11 (B) an inventory of the natural, historic, 

12 cultural, education, scenic, and recreational re13 sources of the Heritage Area relating to the 

14 themes of the Heritage Area that should be pre15 served, restored, managed, developed or main16 tained; and 

17 (C) an interpretive plan for the Heritage 

18 Area; and 

19 (5) describe a program of implementation for the 

20 management plan, including— 

21 (A) plans for resource protection, restora22 tion, and construction; and 

23 (B) specific commitments for implementa24 tion during the first 5 years of implementation. 

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1 (c) DISQUALIFICATION FROM FUNDING.—If a proposed 

2 management plan is not submitted to the Secretary by the 

3 date that is 3 years after the date on which funds are first 

4 made available to carry out this Act, the management enti5 ty may not receive additional funding under this Act until 

6 the date on which the Secretary receives the proposed man7 agement plan. 

8 (d) APPROVAL AND DISAPPROVAL OF MANAGEMENT

9 PLAN.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after 

11 the date on which the management entity submits the 

12 management plan to the Secretary, the Secretary 

13 shall approve or disapprove the proposed management 

14 plan. 

15 (2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In determining whether 

16 to approve or disapprove the management plan, the 

17 Secretary shall consider whether— 

18 (A) the management entity is representative 

19 of the diverse interests of the Heritage Area, in20 cluding governments, natural and historic re21 source protection organizations, educational in22 stitutions, businesses, and recreational organiza23 tions; 

24 (B) the management entity has provided 

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1 ings) for public and governmental involvement 

2 in the preparation of the management plan; 

3 (C) the resource protection and interpreta4 tion strategies contained in the management 

5 plan, if implemented, would adequately protect 

6 the natural, historic, and cultural resources of 

7 the Heritage Area; and 

8 (D) the management plan is supported by 

9 the appropriate State and local officials, the co10 operation of which is needed to ensure the effec11 tive implementation of the State and local as12 pects of the management plan. 

13 (3) DISAPPROVAL AND REVISIONS.— 

14 (A) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary dis15 approves a proposed management plan, the Sec16 retary shall— 

17 (i) advise the management entity, in 

18 writing, of the reasons for the disapproval; 

19 and 

20 (ii) make recommendations for revision 

21 of the proposed management plan. 

22 (B) APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL.—The Sec23 retary shall approve or disapprove a revised 

24 management plan not later than 180 days after 

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1 the date on which the revised management plan 

2 is submitted. 

3 (e) APPROVAL OF AMENDMENTS.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall review 

5 and approve or disapprove substantial amendments 

6 to the management plan in accordance with sub7 section (d). 

8 (2) FUNDING.—Funds appropriated under this 

9 Act may not be expended to implement any changes 

10 made by an amendment to the management plan 

11 until the Secretary approves the amendment. 

12 SEC. 6. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act affects the au14 thority of a Federal agency to provide technical or financial 

15 assistance under any other law. 

16 (b) CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION.—The head of 

17 any Federal agency planning to conduct activities that may 

18 have an impact on the Heritage Area is encouraged to con19 sult and coordinate the activities with the Secretary and 

20 the management entity to the maximum extent practicable. 

21 (c) OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Nothing in this 

22 Act— 

23 (1) modifies, alters, or amends any law or regu24 lation authorizing a Federal agency to manage Fed25 eral land under the jurisdiction of the Federal agency; 

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1 (2) limits the discretion of a Federal land man2 ager to implement an approved land use plan within 

3 the boundaries of the Heritage Area; or 

4 (3) modifies, alters, or amends any authorized 

5 use of Federal land under the jurisdiction of a Fed6 eral agency. 

7 SEC. 7. PRIVATE PROPERTY AND REGULATORY PROTEC8 TIONS. 

9 Nothing in this Act— 

10 (1) abridges the rights of any property owner 

11 (whether public or private), including the right to re12 frain from participating in any plan, project, pro13 gram, or activity conducted within the Heritage Area; 

14 (2) requires any property owner to permit public 

15 access (including access by Federal, State, or local 

16 agencies) to the property of the property owner, or to 

17 modify public access or use of property of the prop18 erty owner under any other Federal, State, or local 

19 law; 

20 (3) alters any duly adopted land use regulation, 

21 approved land use plan, or other regulatory authority 

22 of any Federal, State, or local agency, or conveys any 

23 land use or other regulatory authority to the manage24 ment entity; 

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1 (4) authorizes or implies the reservation or ap2 propriation of water or water rights; 

3 (5) diminishes the authority of the State to man4 age fish and wildlife, including the regulation of fish5 ing and hunting within the Heritage Area; or 

6 (6) creates any liability, or affects any liability 

7 under any other law, of any private property owner 

8 with respect to any person injured on the private 

9 property. 

10 SEC. 8. EVALUATION; REPORT. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years before the 

12 date on which authority for Federal funding terminates for 

13 the Heritage Area, the Secretary shall— 

14 (1) conduct an evaluation of the accomplish15 ments of the Heritage Area; and 

16 (2) prepare a report in accordance with sub17 section (c). 

18 (b) EVALUATION.—An evaluation conducted under 

19 subsection (a)(1) shall— 

20 (1) assess the progress of the management entity 

21 with respect to— 

22 (A) accomplishing the purposes of this Act 

23 for the Heritage Area; and 

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1 (B) achieving the goals and objectives of the 

2 approved management plan for the Heritage 

3 Area; 

4 (2) analyze the Federal, State, local, and private 

5 investments in the Heritage Area to determine the le6 verage and impact of the investments; and 

7 (3) review the management structure, partner8 ship relationships, and funding of the Heritage Area 

9 for purposes of identifying the critical components for 

10 sustainability of the Heritage Area. 

11 (c) REPORT.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Based on the evaluation con13 ducted under subsection (a)(1), the Secretary shall 

14 prepare a report that includes recommendations for 

15 the future role of the National Park Service, if any, 

16 with respect to the Heritage Area. 

17 (2) REQUIRED ANALYSIS.—If the report prepared 

18 under paragraph (1) recommends that Federal fund19 ing for the Heritage Area be reauthorized, the report 

20 shall include an analysis of— 

21 (A) ways in which Federal funding for the 

22 Heritage Area may be reduced or eliminated; 

23 and 

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1 (B) the appropriate time period necessary 

2 to achieve the recommended reduction or elimi3 nation. 

4 (3) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—On completion 

5 of the report, the Secretary shall submit the report 

6 to— 

7 (A) the Committee on Energy and Natural 

8 Resources of the Senate; and 

9 (B) the Committee on Natural Resources of 

10 the House of Representatives. 

11 SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro13 priated to carry out this Act $10,000,000, of which not more 

14 than $1,000,000 may be authorized to be appropriated for 

15 any fiscal year. 

16 (b) COST-SHARING REQUIREMENT.—The Federal 

17 share of the cost of any activity carried out using funds 

18 made available under this Act shall be not more than 50 

19 percent. 

20 SEC. 10. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY. 

21 The authority of the Secretary to provide financial as22 sistance under this Act terminates on the date that is 15 

23 years after the date of enactment of this Act. 

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Calendar No. 375 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 955 

[Report No. 110

–177] 

A BILL 

To establish the Abraham Lincoln National 

Heritage Area, and for other purposes. 

SEPTEMBER 17, 2007 

Reported with an amendment 

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