89–010 

Calendar No. 523 

111TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 111–253 

CANE RIVER NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA 

REAUTHORIZATION ACT 

AUGUST 5, 2010.—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. 1017] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the bill (S. 1017) to reauthorize the Cane River National 

Heritage Area Commission and expand the boundaries of the Cane 

River National Heritage Area in the State of Louisiana, having 

considered the same, reports favorably thereon with amendments 

and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass. 

The amendments are as follows: 

1. On page 1, line 5, strike ‘‘2009’’ and insert ‘‘2010’’. 

2. On page 3, line 15, strike ‘‘the heritage area’’. 

3. On page 4, strike lines 8 and 9. 

4. On page 4, line 10, strike ‘‘(3)’’ and insert ‘‘(2)’’. 

5. On page 5, line 1, strike ‘‘(4)’’ and insert ‘‘(3)’’. 

6. On page 6, line 3, strike ‘‘August 5, 2025’’ and insert ‘‘September 30, 2015’’. 

7. On page 6, strike lines 5 through 7 and insert the following: 

(2) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(d) EVALUATION AND REPORT.— ‘‘(1) EVALUATION.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years before 

the date on which authority for Federal funding 

terminates for the Commission or any successor 

entity, the Secretary shall conduct an evaluation 

of the accomplishments of the heritage area. 

‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS.—In conducting the evaluation under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 

shall— 


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‘‘(i) assess the progress of the local management entity with respect to— 

‘‘(I) accomplishing the purposes of the 

heritage area; and 

‘‘(II) achieving the goals and objectives 

of the approved management plan for the 

heritage area; 

‘‘(ii) analyze the investments of the Federal 

Government, State, tribal, and local governments, and private entities in the heritage 

area to determine the impact of the investments; and 

‘‘(iii) 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. 

‘‘(2) REPORT.—Based on the evaluation conducted 

under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to the 

Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report that— 

‘‘(A) describes the results of the evaluation conducted under that paragraph; and 

‘‘(B) includes a recommendation on the future 

role of the National Park Service, if any, with respect to the heritage area.’’. 

PURPOSES

The purposes of S. 1017 are to modify the boundaries of the Cane 

River National Heritage Area in Louisiana, to expand the membership of the Cane River National Heritage Area Commission, and to 

extend the authorization for the commission through 2015. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

The Cane River Creole National Historical Park and the surrounding Cane River National Heritage Area are located near 

Natchitoches, Louisiana. Both were established in 1994. The heritage area was established to complement the designation of the historical park and to assist in the preservation and enhancement of 

the region’s unique cultural landscape without the need for federal 

management. 

The central corridor of the heritage area begins just south of 

Natchitoches, the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana 

Purchase, and extends along both sides of Cane River Lake for approximately 35 miles. The heritage area includes Cane River Creole National Historical Park, seven National Historic Landmarks, 

three State Historic Sites, and a dense area of historic plantations, 

homes, and churches. While much of the roughly 116,000 acres are 

privately owned, many sites are open to the public. The region includes historic resources related to the many cultures that have 

settled in the area, including American Indians, Spanish and 

French colonial settlements, military and westward expansion 

sites, and plantation agriculture communities. 


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The Cane River National Heritage Area is administered by a 19- 

member commission consisting primarily of local residents appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. The commission includes 

members representing private landowners; city, parish, and state 

government; and tourism, economic, cultural and historic preservation, recreational, and economic interests. 

Under the terms of the 1994 authorizing legislation, the commission will terminate ten years after the date of its first meeting. The 

law also authorized a five-year extension of the commission, if approved by the Secretary of the Interior, after consultation with the 

Governor of Louisiana. The extension was approved in 2005, so the 

Commission’s authority will expire later this year, if not reauthorized. 

S. 1017 would extend the commission’s authority until September 

2015 to allow it to complete its work in implementing the management plan for the Cane River National Heritage Area. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

S. 1017 was introduced by Senator Landrieu on May 11, 2009. 

The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on the bill on 

March 17, 2010. The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

considered the bill and adopted amendments at its business meeting on June 16, 2010. The Committee ordered S. 1017 favorably reported, as amended, at its business meeting on June 21, 2010. 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open business session on June 21, 2010, by a voice vote of a quorum present, 

recommends that the Senate pass S. 1017, if amended as described 

herein. 

COMMITTEE AMENDENTS

During its consideration of S. 1017, the Committee adopted several amendments. The first five amendments make technical 

changes. The sixth amendment extends the Commission’s termination date from August 5, 2025 to September 30, 2015. The seventh amendment adds a new subsection requiring the Secretary of 

the Interior to conduct an evaluation of the accomplishments of the 

heritage area and to submit a report describing the results of the 

evaluation. Similar provisions have been included in legislation extending the funding authorization for other national heritage areas. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1 provides the short title, the ‘‘Cane River National Heritage Area Reauthorization Act of 2010.’’ 

Section 2(a) amends the purposes section (section 401 of Public 

Law 103–449) of the Cane River Creole National Historical Park 

and National Heritage Area Act, by making several technical corrections, updating a map reference, and changing what sites and 

properties are specifically included in the heritage area. 

Subsection (b) makes several technical and conforming corrections to section 402 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 410ccc–22), which addresses the membership of the Cane River National Heritage Area 


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Commission. The membership of the Commission is expanded from 

19 to 23, to include members who represent recreational and environmental organizations, African-American culture, Cane River 

Creole culture, and tourism. 

Subsection (c) amends section 403 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 410ccc– 

23) to require the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to review 

amendments to the management plan that substantially alter the 

purposes of the heritage area, and to prohibit the local coordinating 

entity from using Federal funds made available pursuant to the 

Act to implement the amendments until the Secretary approves 

them. 

Subsection (d) amends section 404 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 410ccc– 

24) to extend the heritage area commission until September 30, 

2015, and requires the Secretary to conduct an evaluation of the 

accomplishments of the heritage area not later than three years before the date Federal funding authority terminates. The evaluation 

will assess the progress of the management entity with respect to 

accomplishing the purposes of 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. 

Paragraph (2) 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. The 

report is to be submitted to the House and Senate authorizing committees. 

COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

The following estimate of costs of this measure has been provided 

by the Congressional Budget Office: 

S. 1017—Cane River National Heritage Area Reauthorization Act of 

2010 

S. 1017 would expand the boundaries of the Cane River National 

Heritage Area and extend the life of the Cane River National Heritage Area Commission through fiscal year 2015. Under current 

law, authority for the commission will expire on August 5, 2010. 

Because appropriations for the national heritage area do not depend on the existence of the commission and are authorized without expiration, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would 

have no effect on the federal budget. The heritage area currently 

receives appropriations of less than $1 million annually. Expanding 

the size of the area, which is not a unit of the National Park System but rather an affiliated area, would not affect the annual cost 

of operations. 

Enacting S. 1017 would not affect revenues or direct spending; 

therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply. 

The bill 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 contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director 

for Budget Analysis. 


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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. 1017. 

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. 1017, as ordered reported. 

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

S. 1017, as ordered reported, does not contain any congressionally directed spending items, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff 

benefits as defined in rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the Senate. 

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

The testimony provided by the National Park Service at the 

March 17, 2010 Subcommittee hearing on S. 1017 follows: 

STATEMENT OF DANIEL N. WENK, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, 

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank 

you for the opportunity to present the views of the Department of the Interior on S. 1017, a bill to reauthorize the 

Cane River National Heritage Area Commission and expand the boundaries of Cane River National Heritage Area 

in the State of Louisiana. 

The Department recommends that the committee defer 

action on S. 1017 until program legislation is enacted that 

establishes guidelines and a process for the designation 

and administration of national heritage areas. The Administration anticipates submitting such a legislative proposal 

to you in the near future and we recommend that Congress enact national heritage area program legislation this 

Congress. The Administration’s FY 2011 Budget proposes 

to reduce funding for national heritage areas to focus resources on those park activities that most closely align 

with its core mission and encourage areas to become selfsufficient, consistent with a FY 2010 Congressional directive. 

Cane River National Heritage Area in northwestern 

Louisiana was established in 1994 as a complementary 

designation to the Cane River Creole National Historical 

Park, which was established at the same time. The national heritage area was intended to assist in preservation, 

ensure cultural sensitivity, and minimize the need for federal land acquisition. The heritage area is known for its 

historic plantations, Creole architecture, and complex 

multi-cultural legacy. The area is home to a unique blend 


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of French, Spanish, African, American Indian, Creole, and 

other cultures. It is an extraordinarily significant area because the cultures that shaped the Cane River region in 

the 1700s remain there today, which is rare in the United 

States. 

S. 1017 would reauthorize the Cane River National Heritage Area Commission through 2025. Under current law, 

the commission, which serves as the local coordinating entity for the Cane River National Heritage Area, is scheduled to terminate on August 5, 2010. The commission operates in accordance with the heritage area management 

plan that was completed in 2003 and approved by both the 

Governor of Louisiana and the Secretary of the Interior. It 

is currently overseeing numerous projects and programs 

including a successful signage and wayfinding program, 

preservation of National Historic Landmarks and national 

register properties, development of a military heritage assessment and tour focusing on Civil War sites in preparation for the Civil War sesquicentennial, and teacher workshops on Creole history and culture. 

Under S. 1017, the composition of the Cane River National Heritage Area Commission would be modified to reflect current conditions. The heritage area’s 1994 enabling 

legislation identified specific entities for representation on 

the commission. In some cases, those entities have evolved 

into other organizations. In addition, in order to allow 

commission representation of the entire range of cultural 

and landowner interests, as intended in the original legislation, the number of members would be increased from 19 

to 23. 

S. 1017 would also expand the boundaries of the Cane 

River National Heritage Area to include all of 

Natchitoches Parish west of the Red River. This change 

would add significant cultural and natural resources, including Spanish Colonial, Native American, U.S. military 

and westward expansion sites. Among the resources that 

would be included are original trail ruts of El Camino Real 

de los Tejas, the Spanish Colonial trade route stretching 

from Natchitoches to Mexico City that is now a designated 

national historic trail. 

If the committee decides to take further action on S. 

1017, there are two issues we would like to call to your 

attention. One is the length of the existence of the commission. The 1994 authorizing legislation for the heritage area 

envisioned the transition of management from a Secretarial-appointed commission to another entity within 10– 

15 years. S. 1017 would allow that transition to be postponed for as long as 15 years, until 2025. Consistent with 

the idea that national heritage areas should be locally 

driven, nearly all other national heritage areas that were 

first established with a federal commission as the managing or coordinating entity have transitioned to a nonfederal coordinating entity, usually a non-profit organization. That process is underway at Cane River where a nonVerDate Mar 15 2010 07:00 Aug 07, 2010 Jkt 089010 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6969 E:\HR\OC\SR253.XXX SR253

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profit organization that could serve as the local coordinating entity is currently being developed. 

The other issue is the authorization of appropriations. 

The 1994 enabling legislation authorized unlimited appropriations with no sunset date and no matching fund requirement, for the Cane River National Heritage Area. 

Congress has held most other national heritage areas to 

authorized funding of $10 million over 15 years in the initial heritage area designation, and required matching 

funds from other sources. 

Mr. Chairman, this concludes my prepared remarks. I 

would be pleased to answer any questions you or any 

members of the subcommittee may have. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the bill S. 

1017, as ordered reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is 

printed in italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is 

shown in roman): 

AN ACT To establish the Quinebaug and Shetucket River Valley National Heritage 

Corridor in the State of Connecticut, and for other purposes 

(Public Law 103–449; Approved November 2, 1994) 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 

United States of America in Congress assembled, 

TITLE I—QUINEBAUG AND SHETUCKET RIVERS VALLEY NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR 

* * * * * * * 

TITLE IV—CANE RIVER NATIONAL HERITAGE 

AREA 

SEC. 401. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CANE RIVER NATIONAL HERITAGE 

AREA. 

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established the Cane River 

National Heritage Area (hereinafter in this title referred to as the 

‘‘heritage area’’). 

(b) PURPOSE.—In furtherance of the need to recognize the value 

and importance of the Cane River region and in recognition of the 

findings of section 302(a) of this Act, it is the purpose of this title 

to establish a heritage area to complement the historical park and 

to provide for a culturally sensitive approach to the preservation of 

the heritage of the Cane River region, and for other needs including— 

(1) recognizing areas important to the Nation’s heritage and 

identity; 

(2) assisting in the preservation and enhancement of the cultural landscape and traditions of the Cane River region; 


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(3) providing a framework for those who live within this important dynamic cultural landscape to assist in preservation 

and educational actions; øand¿ 

(4) fostering compatible economic development; 

(5) enhancing the quality of life for local residents; and 

ø(4)¿(6) minimizing the need for Federal land acquisition 

and management. 

(c) AREA INCLUDED.—The heritage area shall include— 

ø(1) an area approximately 1 mile on both sides of the Cane 

River as depicted on map CARI, 80,000A, dated May 1994; 

ø(2) those properties within the Natchitoches National Historic Landmark District which are the subject of cooperative 

agreements pursuant to section 304(d) of this Act; 

ø(3) the Los Adaes State Commemorative Area; 

ø(4) the Fort Jesup State Commemorative Area; 

ø(5) the Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Commemorative Area; 

and 

ø(6) the Kate Chopin House.¿ 

(1) the area generally depicted on the map entitled ‘Revised 

Boundary of Cane National Heritage Area Louisiana’, numbered 494/80021, and dated May 2008; 

(2) the Fort Jesup State Historic Site; and 

(3) as satellite site, any properties connected with the prehistory, history, or cultures of the Cane River region that may 

be the subject of cooperative agreements with the Cane River 

National Heritage Area Commission or any successor to the 

Commission. 

A final identification of all areas and sites to be included in the 

heritage area shall be included in the heritage area management 

plan as required in section 403. 

SEC. 402. CANE RIVER NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA COMMISSION. 

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—To assist in implementing the purposes of 

titles II and III of this Act and to provide guidance for the management of the heritage area, there is established the Cane River National Heritage Area Commission (hereinafter in this title referred 

to as the ‘‘Commission’’). 

(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The Commission shall consist of ø19¿ 23 

members to be appointed no later than 6 months after the date of 

enactment of this title. The Commission shall be appointed by the 

Secretary as follows— 

(1) one member from recommendations submitted by the 

Mayor of Natchitoches; 

(2) one member from recommendations submitted by the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches; 

(3) one member from recommendations submitted by the 

Natchitoches Historic Foundation, Inc.; 

(4) two members with experience in and knowledge of tourism in the heritage area from recommendations submitted by 

the Natchitoches Parish Tourist Commission and other local 

business and tourism organizations; 

(5) one member from recommendations submitted by the 

Governor of the State of Louisiana; 

(6) one member from recommendations submitted by the Police Jury of Natchitoches Parish; 


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(7) one member from recommendations submitted by the 

øConcern Citizens of Cloutierville¿ Village of Cloutierville; 

(8) one member from recommendations submitted by the St. 

Augustine Historical Society; 

(9) one member from recommendations submitted by the 

Black Heritage Committee; 

(10) one member from recommendations submitted by the 

Los Adaes/Robeline Community; 

(11) one member from recommendations submitted by the 

Natchitoches Historic District Commission; 

(12) one member from recommendations submitted by the 

Cane River Waterway Commission; 

(13) two members who øare landowners in and residents of¿ 

own land within the heritage area the heritage area; 

(14) one member with experience and knowledge of historic 

preservation from recommendations submitted by the Museum 

Contents, Inc.; 

(15) one member with experience and knowledge of historic 

preservation from recommendations submitted by the President of Northwestern State University of Louisiana; 

(16) øone member¿ 2 members with experience in and knowledge of environmental, recreational and conservation matters 

affecting the heritage area from recommendations submitted 

by the Natchitoches Sportsmans Association and other local 

recreational and environmental organizations; øand¿ 

(17) 2 members, 1 of whom represents African-American culture and 1 of whom represents Cane River Creole culture, after 

consideration of recommendations submitted by the Governor of 

Louisiana; 

(18) 1 member with knowledge of tourism, after consideration 

of recommendations by the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism; and 

ø(17)¿ (19) the director of the National Park Service, or the 

Director’s designee, ex officio. 

(c) DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.—The Commission shall— 

(1) prepare a management plan for the heritage area in consultation with the National Park Service, the State of Louisiana, the City of Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, interested groups, property owners, and the public; 

(2) consult with the Secretary on the preparation of the general management plan for the historical park; 

(3) develop cooperative agreements with property owners, 

preservation groups, educational groups, the State of Louisiana, the City of Natchitoches, universities, and tourism 

groups, and other groups to further the purposes of titles III 

and IV of this Act; and 

(4) identify appropriate entities, such as a non-profit corporation, that could be established to assume the responsibilities of 

the Commission following its termination. 

(d) POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.—In furtherance of the purposes 

of titles III and IV of this Act, the Commission is authorized to— 

(1) procure temporary and intermittent services to the same 

extent that is authorized by section 3109(b) of title 5, United 

States Code, but at rates determined by the Commission to be 

reasonable; 


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(2) accept the services of personnel detailed from the State 

of Louisiana or any political subdivision thereof, and may reimburse the State or political subdivision for such services; 

(3) upon the request of the Commission, the head of any Federal agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the 

personnel of such agency to the Commission to assist the Commission in carrying out its duties; 

(4) appoint and fix the compensation of such staff as may be 

necessary to carry out its duties. Staff shall be appointed subject to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing 

appointments in the competitive service, and shall be paid in 

accordance with the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter 

III of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates; 

(5) enter into cooperative agreements with public or private 

individuals or entities øfor research, historic preservation, and 

education purposes¿ to further the purposes of title III and this 

title; 

(6) make grants to assist in øthe preparation of studies that 

identify, preserve, and plan for the management of the heritage area¿ carrying out projects or programs that further the 

purposes of title III of this title; 

(7) notwithstanding any other provision of law, seek and accept donations of funds or services from individuals, foundations, or other public or private entities and expend the same 

for the purposes of providing services and programs in furtherance of the purposes of titles III and IV of this Act; 

ø(8) assist others in developing educational, informational, 

and interpretive programs and facilities;¿ (8) develop, or assist 

others in developing, projects or programs to further the purposes of title III and this title; 

(9) hold such hearings, sit and act at such times and places, 

take such testimony, and receive such evidence, as the Commission may consider appropriate; and 

(10) use the United States mails in the same manner and 

under the same conditions as other departments or agencies of 

the United States. 

(e) COMPENSATION.—Members of the Commission shall receive no 

compensation for their service on the Commission. While away 

from their homes or regular places of business in the performance 

of services for the Commission, members shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as persons employed intermittently in the Government service 

are allowed expenses under section 5703 of title 5, United States 

Code. 

(f) CHAIRMAN.—The Commission shall elect a chairman from 

among its members. The term of the chairman shall be for 3 years. 

(g) TERMS.—The terms of Commission members shall be for 3 

years. Any member of the Commission appointed by the Secretary 

for a 3-year term may serve after expiration of his or her term 

until a successor is appointed. Any vacancy shall be filled in the 

same manner in which the original appointment was made, except 

that if any of the organizations specified in subsection (b) ceases to 

exist, the vacancy shall be filled with an at-large member. Any 


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member appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder 

of the term for which the predecessor was appointed. 

(h) ANNUAL REPORTS.—The Commission shall submit an annual 

report to the Secretary identifying its expenses and any income, 

the entities to which any grants or technical assistance were made 

during the year for which the report is made, and actions that are 

planned for the following year. 

SEC. 403. PREPARATION OF THE PLAN. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Within 3 years after the Commission conducts 

its first meeting, it shall prepare and submit a heritage area management plan to the Governor of the State of Louisiana. The Governor shall, if the Governor approves the plan, submit it to the Secretary for review and approval. The Secretary shall provide technical assistance to the Commission in the preparation and implementation of the plan, in concert with actions by the National Park 

Service to prepare a general management plan for the historical 

park. The plan shall consider local government plans and shall 

present a unified heritage preservation and education plan for the 

heritage area. The plan shall include, but not be limited to— 

(1) an inventory of important properties and cultural landscapes that should be preserved, managed, developed, and 

maintained because of their cultural, natural, and public use 

significance; 

(2) an analysis of current land uses within the area and how 

they affect the goals of preservation and public use of the heritage area; 

(3) an interpretive plan to address the cultural and natural 

history of the area, and actions to enhance visitor use. This 

element of the plan shall be undertaken in consultation with 

the National Park Service and visitor use plans for the historical park; 

(4) recommendations for coordinating actions by local, State, 

and Federal governments within the heritage area, to further 

the purposes of titles III and IV of this Act; and 

(5) an implementation program for the plan including desired actions by State and local governments and other involved groups and entities. 

(b) APPROVAL OF THE PLAN.—The Secretary shall approve or disapprove the plan within 90 days after receipt of the plan from the 

Commission. The Commission shall notify the Secretary of the status of approval by the Governor of Louisiana when the plan is submitted for review and approval. In determining whether or not to 

approve the plan the Secretary shall consider— 

(1) whether the Commission has afforded adequate opportunity, including public meetings and hearings, for public and 

governmental involvement in the preparation of the plan; and 

(2) whether reasonable assurances have been received from 

the State and local governments that the plan is supported and 

that the implementation program is feasible. 

(c) DISAPPROVAL OF THE PLAN.—If the Secretary disapproves the 

plan, he shall advise the Commission in writing of the reasons for 

disapproval, and shall provide recommendations and assistance in 

the revision plan. Following completion of any revisions to the plan, 

the Commission shall resubmit the plan to the Governor of Louisiana for approval, and to the Secretary, who shall approve or disVerDate Mar 15 2010 07:00 Aug 07, 2010 Jkt 089010 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\SR253.XXX SR253

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approve the plan within 90 days after the date that the plan is revised. 

(d) AMENDMENTS.— (1) IN GENERAL.—An amendment to the management plan 

that substantially alters the purposes of the heritage area shall 

be reviewed by the Secretary and approved or disapproved in 

the same manner as the management plan. 

(2) IMPLEMENTATION.—The local coordinating entity shall not 

use Federal funds made available under this title to implement 

an amendment to the management plan until the Secretary approves the amendment. 

SEC. 404. TERMINATION OF HERITAGE AREA COMMISSION. 

(a) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate on øthe day 

occurring 10 years after the first official meeting of the Commission¿ September 30, 2015. 

(b) EXTENSION.—The Commission may petition to be extended for 

a period of not more than 5 years beginning on the day referred 

to in subsection (a), provided the Commission determines a critical 

need to fulfill the purposes of titles III and IV of this Act; and the 

Commission obtains approval from the Secretary, in consultation 

with the Governor of Louisiana. 

(c) HERITAGE AREA MANAGEMENT FOLLOWING TERMINATION OF

THE COMMISSION.—The national heritage area status for the Cane 

River region shall continue following the termination of the Commission. The management plan, and partnerships and agreements 

subject to the plan shall guide the future management of the heritage area. The Commission, prior to its termination, shall recommend to the Governor of the State of Louisiana and the Secretary, appropriate entities, including the potential for a nonprofit 

corporation, to assume the responsibilities of the Commission. 

(d) EVALUATION AND REPORT.— (1) EVALUATION.— (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years before the date 

on which authority for Federal funding terminates for the 

Commission or any successor entity, the Secretary shall 

conduct an evaluation of the accomplishments of the heritage area. 

(B) REQUIREMENTS.—In conducting the evaluation under 

subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall— 

(i) assess the progress of the local management entity 

with respect to— 

(I) accomplishing the purposes of the heritage 

area; and 

(II) achieving the goals and objectives of the approved management plan for the heritage area; 

(ii) analyze the investments of the Federal Government, State, tribal, and local governments, and private 

entities in the heritage area to determine the impact of 

the investments; and 

(iii) 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. 

(2) REPORT.—Based on the evaluation conducted under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on NatVerDate Mar 15 2010 07:00 Aug 07, 2010 Jkt 089010 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6603 E:\HR\OC\SR253.XXX SR253

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ural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report 

that— 

(A) describes the results of the evaluation conducted 

under that paragraph; and 

(B) includes a recommendation on the future role of the 

National Park Service, if any, with respect to the heritage 

area. 

* * * * * * * 

Æ 


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