I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1791 

To establish the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area 

in the State of Washington, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 29, 2017 

Mr. REICHERT (for himself and Mr. SMITH of Washington) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To establish the Mountains to Sound Greenway National 

Heritage Area in the State of Washington, and for other 

purposes. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Mountains to Sound 

5 Greenway National Heritage Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSES; CONSTRUCTION. 

7 The purposes of this Act include— 

8 (1) to recognize the national importance of the 

9 natural and cultural legacies of the area, as dem10 onstrated in the study entitled ‘‘Mountains to Sound 


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1 Greenway National Heritage Area Feasibility 

2 Study’’ dated April 2012; 

3 (2) to recognize the heritage of natural resource 

4 conservation in the Pacific Northwest and in the 

5 Mountains to Sound Greenway; 

6 (3) to preserve, support, conserve, and interpret 

7 the legacies of natural resource conservation, com8 munity stewardship, and Indian tribes and nations 

9 from time immemorial, within the Mountains to 

10 Sound National Heritage Area; 

11 (4) to promote heritage, cultural, and rec12 reational tourism and to develop educational and 

13 cultural programs for visitors and the general public; 

14 (5) to recognize and interpret important events 

15 and geographic locations representing key develop16 ments in the creation of America, particularly the 

17 settlement of the American West and the stories of 

18 diverse ethnic groups, Indian tribes, and others; 

19 (6) to enhance a cooperative management 

20 framework to assist Federal, State, local, and Tribal 

21 governments, the private sector, and citizens resid22 ing in the Heritage Area in conserving, supporting, 

23 managing, and enhancing natural and recreational 

24 sites in the Heritage Area; 


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1 (7) to recognize and interpret the relationship 

2 between land and people, representing broad Amer3 ican ideals demonstrated through the integrity of ex4 isting resources within the Heritage Area; and 

5 (8) to support working relationships between 

6 public land managers and the community by cre7 ating relevant links between the National Park Serv8 ice, the Forest Service, other relevant Federal agen9 cies, Tribal governments, State and local govern10 ments and agencies, and community stakeholders 

11 within and surrounding the Heritage Area in order 

12 to protect, enhance, and interpret cultural and nat13 ural resources within the Heritage Area. 

14 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

15 In this Act: 

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

17 Area’’ means the Mountains to Sound Greenway Na18 tional Heritage Area established in this Act. 

19 (2) LOCAL COORDINATING ENTITY.—The term 

20 ‘‘local coordinating entity’’ means the entity selected 

21 by the Secretary under section 4(d). 

22 (3) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The term ‘‘manage23 ment plan’’ means the management plan for the 

24 Heritage Area required under section 5. 


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1 (4) MAP.—The term ‘‘Map’’ means the map en2 titled ‘‘Mountains to Sound Greenway National Her3 itage Area Proposed Boundary’’, numbered 584/ 

4 125,484, and dated August 2014. 

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

6 the Secretary of the Interior. 

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

8 of Washington. 

9 (7) TRIBE OR TRIBAL.—The terms ‘‘Tribe’’ or 

10 ‘‘Tribal’’ mean any federally recognized Indian tribe 

11 with cultural heritage and historic interests within 

12 the proposed Mountains to Sound Greenway Na13 tional Heritage Area. 

14 SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF THE MOUNTAINS TO SOUND 

15 GREENWAY NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA. 

16 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 

17 State the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Herit18 age Area. 

19 (b) BOUNDARIES.—The Heritage Area shall consist 

20 of land located in King and Kittitas Counties in the State, 

21 as generally depicted on the map. 

22 (c) MAP.—The map shall be on file and available for 

23 public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National 

24 Park Service, the United States Forest Service, and the 

25 local coordinating entity. 


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1 (d) LOCAL COORDINATING ENTITY.—The Secretary 

2 shall designate a willing local unit of government, Indian 

3 tribe, or a nonprofit organization to serve as the coordi4 nating entity for the Heritage Area within 120 days of 

5 the date of the enactment of this Act. 

6 SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT PLAN. 

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

8 date of the enactment of this Act, the local coordinating 

9 entity shall submit to the Secretary for approval a pro10 posed management plan for the Heritage Area. 

11 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—The management plan shall— 

12 (1) incorporate an integrated and cooperative 

13 approach for the protection, enhancement, and inter14 pretation of the natural, cultural, historic, scenic, 

15 and recreational resources of the Heritage Area; 

16 (2) take into consideration Federal, State, Trib17 al, and local plans; and 

18 (3) include— 

19 (A) an inventory of the natural, historical, 

20 cultural, educational, scenic, and recreational 

21 resources of the Heritage Area, including an ac22 knowledgment of the exercise of Tribal treaty 

23 rights, that relate to the national importance 

24 and themes of the Heritage Area that should be 

25 conserved and enhanced; 


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1 (B) a description of strategies and rec2 ommendations for conservation, funding, man3 agement, and development of the Heritage 

4 Area; 

5 (C) a description of the actions that Fed6 eral, State, local, and Tribal governments, pri7 vate organizations, and individuals have agreed 

8 to take to protect the natural, cultural, histor9 ical, scenic, and recreational resources of the 

10 Heritage Area; 

11 (D) a program of implementation for the 

12 management plan by the local coordinating en13 tity, including— 

14 (i) performance goals; and 

15 (ii) commitments for implementation 

16 made by partners; 

17 (E) the identification of sources of funding 

18 for carrying out the management plan; 

19 (F) analysis and recommendations for 

20 means by which Federal, State, local, and Trib21 al programs may best be coordinated to carry 

22 out this section; 

23 (G) an interpretive plan for the Heritage 

24 Area, including Tribal heritage; 


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1 (H) recommended policies and strategies 

2 for resource management, including the devel3 opment of intergovernmental and interagency 

4 cooperative agreements to protect the natural, 

5 cultural, historical, scenic, and recreational re6 sources of the Heritage Area; and 

7 (I) a definition of the roles of the National 

8 Park Service, the Forest Service, other Federal 

9 agencies, and Tribes in the coordination of the 

10 Heritage Area and in otherwise furthering the 

11 purposes of this Act. 

12 (c) DEADLINE.—If a proposed management plan is 

13 not submitted to the Secretary by the date that is 3 years 

14 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the local co15 ordinating entity shall be ineligible to receive additional 

16 funding under this Act until the date on which the Sec17 retary receives and approves the management plan. 

18 (d) APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF MANAGEMENT

19 PLAN.— 

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

21 after the date of receipt of the proposed manage22 ment plan, the Secretary, in consultation with the 

23 State and Tribal governments, shall approve or dis24 approve the management plan. 


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1 (2) CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL.—In determining 

2 whether to approve the management plan, the Sec3 retary shall consider whether— 

4 (A) the local coordinating entity has af5 forded adequate opportunity, including public 

6 hearings, for public and governmental involve7 ment in the preparation of the management 

8 plan; 

9 (B) the resource protection and interpreta10 tion strategies contained in the management 

11 plan, if implemented, would adequately protect 

12 the natural, cultural, historical, scenic, and rec13 reational resources of the Heritage Area; and 

14 (C) the management plan is consistent 

15 with the Secretary’s trust responsibilities to In16 dian tribes and Tribal treaty rights within the 

17 National Heritage Area. 

18 (3) ACTION FOLLOWING DISAPPROVAL.—If the 

19 Secretary disapproves the management plan, the 

20 Secretary shall— 

21 (A) advise the local coordinating entity in 

22 writing of the reasons for the disapproval; 

23 (B) make recommendations to the local co24 ordinating entity for revisions to the manage25 ment plan; and 


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1 (C) not later than 180 days after the re2 ceipt of any revised management plan from the 

3 local coordinating entity, approve or disapprove 

4 the revised management plan. 

5 (e) AMENDMENTS.—The Secretary shall review and 

6 approve or disapprove in the same manner as the original 

7 management plan, each amendment to the management 

8 plan that makes a substantial change to the management 

9 plan, as determined by the Secretary. The local coordi10 nating entity shall not carry out any amendment to the 

11 management plan until the date on which the Secretary 

12 has approved the amendment. 

13 SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATION. 

14 (a) AUTHORITIES.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of imple16 menting the management plan, the Secretary and 

17 Forest Service may— 

18 (A) provide technical assistance for the im19 plementation of the management plan; and 

20 (B) enter into cooperative agreements with 

21 the local coordinating entity, State and local 

22 agencies, Tribes, and other interested parties to 

23 carry out this Act, including cooperation and 

24 cost sharing as appropriate to provide more 


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1 cost-effective and coordinated public land man2 agement. 

3 (2) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—The au4 thority of the Secretary to provide technical assist5 ance under this Act terminates on the date that is 

6 15 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

7 (b) LOCAL COORDINATING ENTITY AUTHORITIES.— 

8 For purposes of implementing the management plan, the 

9 local coordinating entity may— 

10 (1) make grants to the State or a political sub11 division of the State, Tribes, nonprofit organizations, 

12 and other persons; 

13 (2) enter into cooperative agreements with, or 

14 provide technical assistance to, Federal agencies, the 

15 State or political subdivisions of the State, Tribes, 

16 nonprofit organizations, and other interested parties; 

17 (3) hire and compensate staff, including individ18 uals with expertise in natural, cultural, historical, 

19 scenic, and recreational resource protection and her20 itage programming; 

21 (4) obtain money or services from any source, 

22 including any money or services that are provided 

23 under any other Federal law or program; 

24 (5) contract for goods or services; and 


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1 (6) undertake to be a catalyst for other activi2 ties that— 

3 (A) further the purposes of the Heritage 

4 Area; and 

5 (B) are consistent with the management 

6 plan. 

7 (c) LOCAL COORDINATING ENTITY DUTIES.—The 

8 local coordinating entity shall— 

9 (1) in accordance with section 5, prepare and 

10 submit a management plan to the Secretary; 

11 (2) assist units of Federal, State, and local gov12 ernment, Tribes, regional planning organizations, 

13 nonprofit organizations, and other interested parties 

14 in carrying out the approved management plan by— 

15 (A) carrying out programs and projects 

16 that recognize, protect, and enhance important 

17 resource values in the Heritage Area; 

18 (B) establishing and maintaining interpre19 tive exhibits and programs in the Heritage 

20 Area; 

21 (C) developing recreational and educational 

22 opportunities in the Heritage Area; and 

23 (D) increasing public awareness of, and 

24 appreciation for, the natural, cultural, historVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:11 Apr 03, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1791.IH H1791

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1 ical, Tribal, scenic, and recreational resources 

2 of the Heritage Area; 

3 (3) consider the interests of diverse units of 

4 government, Tribes, business, organizations, and in5 dividuals in the Heritage Area in the preparation 

6 and implementation of the management plan; 

7 (4) conduct meetings open to the public at least 

8 semiannually regarding the development and imple9 mentation of the management plan; 

10 (5) encourage, by appropriate means, economic 

11 viability that is consistent with the Heritage Area; 

12 and 

13 (6) submit a report to the Secretary every five 

14 years after the Secretary has approved the manage15 ment plan, specifying— 

16 (A) the expenses and income of the local 

17 coordinating entity; and 

18 (B) significant grants or contracts made 

19 by the local coordinating entity to any other en20 tity over the 5-year period that describes the 

21 activities, expenses, and income of the local co22 ordinating entity (including grants from the 

23 local coordinating entity to any other entity 

24 during the year that the report is made). 


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1 (d) PROHIBITION ON ACQUISITION OF REAL PROP2 ERTY.—The local coordinating entity may not acquire real 

3 property or interest in real property through condemna4 tion. 

5 (e) USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS.—Nothing in this Act 

6 shall preclude the local coordinating entity from using 

7 Federal funds available under other laws for the purposes 

8 for which those funds were authorized. 

9 SEC. 7. RELATIONSHIP TO TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS. 

10 Nothing in this Act shall construe, define, waive, 

11 limit, affect any rights of any federally recognized Indian 

12 tribe and the Federal trust responsibility. 

13 SEC. 8. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act affects the au15 thority of a Federal agency to provide technical or finan16 cial assistance under any other law. 

17 (b) CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION.—Any Fed18 eral agency planning to conduct activities that may have 

19 an impact on the Heritage Area is encouraged to consult 

20 and coordinate the activities with the local coordinating 

21 entity to the maximum extent practicable. 

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

23 Act— 

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1 eral land under the jurisdiction of the Federal agen2 cy; 

3 (2) limits the discretion of a Federal land man4 ager to implement an approved land use plan within 

5 the boundaries of the Heritage Area; or 

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

7 use of Federal land under the jurisdiction of a Fed8 eral agency. 

9 SEC. 9. PRIVATE PROPERTY AND REGULATORY PROTEC10 TIONS. 

11 Nothing in this Act, the proposed Mountains to 

12 Sound Greenway National Heritage Area, or resulting 

13 Plan shall— 

14 (1) abridge the rights of any owner of public or 

15 private property, including the right to refrain from 

16 participating in any plan, project, program, or activ17 ity conducted within the Heritage Area; 

18 (2) require any property owner— 

19 (A) to allow public access (including access 

20 by Federal, State, or local agencies) to the 

21 property of the property owner; or 

22 (B) to modify public access or use of prop23 erty of the property owner under any other 

24 Federal, State, or local law; 


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1 (3) alter any duly adopted land use regulation, 

2 approved land use plan, or other regulatory author3 ity of any Federal, State, Tribal, or local agency; 

4 (4) convey any land use or other regulatory au5 thority to the local coordinating entity, including but 

6 not necessarily limited to development and manage7 ment of energy or water or water-related infrastruc8 ture; 

9 (5) authorize or imply the reservation or appro10 priation of water or water rights; 

11 (6) diminish the authority of the State to man12 age fish and wildlife, including the regulation of fish13 ing and hunting within the Heritage Area or the au14 thority of Tribes to regulate their members with re15 spect to such matters in the exercise of Tribal treaty 

16 rights; 

17 (7) create any liability, or affects any liability 

18 under any other law, of any private property owner 

19 with respect to any person injured on the private 

20 property; 

21 (8) affect current or future grazing permits, 

22 leases, or allotment on Federal lands; or 

23 (9) affect the construction, operation, mainte24 nance or expansion of current or future water 


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1 projects, including water storage, hydroelectric facili2 ties, or delivery systems. 

3 SEC. 10. EVALUATION AND REPORT. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 15 years after the 

5 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall— 

6 (1) conduct an evaluation of the accomplish7 ments of the Heritage Area; and 

8 (2) prepare a report in accordance with sub9 section (c). 

10 (b) EVALUATION.—An evaluation conducted under 

11 subsection (a)(1) shall— 

12 (1) assess the progress of the local coordinating 

13 entity with respect to— 

14 (A) accomplishing the purposes of the Her15 itage Area; and 

16 (B) achieving the goals and objectives of 

17 the management plan; 

18 (2) analyze the investments of Federal, State, 

19 Tribal, and local governments and private entities in 

20 the Heritage Area to determine the impact of the in21 vestments; and 

22 (3) review the management structure, partner23 ship relationships, and funding of the Heritage Area 

24 for purposes of identifying the critical components 

25 for sustainability of the Heritage Area. 


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1 (c) REPORT.—Based on the evaluation conducted 

2 under subsection (a)(1), the Secretary shall submit to the 

3 Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Rep4 resentatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 

5 Resources of the Senate a report that includes rec6 ommendations for the future role of the National Park 

7 Service with respect to the Heritage Area. 

Æ 


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