117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1154 

AN ACT 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 

study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating certain land as the Great Dismal Swamp 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, 
2 

•HR 1154 EH

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Great Dismal Swamp 

3 National Heritage Area Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

5 In this Act: 

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

7 Area’’ means the Great Dismal Swamp National 

8 Heritage Area. 

9 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

10 the Secretary of the Interior. 

11 (3) STATES.—The term ‘‘States’’ means the 

12 States of Virginia and North Carolina. 

13 (4) STUDY AREA.—The term ‘‘study area’’ 

14 means— 

15 (A) the cities of Chesapeake, Norfolk, 

16 Portsmouth, and Suffolk in the State of Vir17 ginia; 

18 (B) Isle of Wight County in the State of 

19 Virginia; 

20 (C) Camden, Currituck, Gates, and 

21 Pasquotank counties in the State of North 

22 Carolina; and 

23 (D) any other areas in the States that— 

24 (i) have heritage aspects that are 

25 similar to the areas described in subpara26 graphs (A), (B), or (C); and 
3 

•HR 1154 EH

1 (ii) are adjacent to, or in the vicinity 

2 of, those areas. 

3 SEC. 3. STUDY. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation 

5 with State and local organizations and governmental agen6 cies, Tribal governments, non-profit organizations, and 

7 other appropriate entities, shall conduct a study to assess 

8 the suitability and feasibility of designating the study area 

9 as a National Heritage Area, to be known as the ‘‘Great 

10 Dismal Swamp National Heritage Area’’. 

11 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—The study shall include anal12 ysis, documentation, and determinations on whether the 

13 study area— 

14 (1) has an assemblage of natural, historic, and 

15 cultural resources that— 

16 (A) represent distinctive aspects of the 

17 people and cultures of the United States; 

18 (B) are worthy of recognition, conserva19 tion, interpretation, and continuing use; and 

20 (C) would be best managed— 

21 (i) through partnerships among public 

22 and private entities; and 

23 (ii) by linking diverse and sometimes 

24 noncontiguous resources and active com25 munities; 
4 

•HR 1154 EH

1 (2) reflects traditions, customs, beliefs, and 

2 folklife that are a valuable part of the story of the 

3 United States; 

4 (3) provides outstanding opportunities— 

5 (A) to conserve natural, historic, cultural, 

6 or scenic features; and 

7 (B) for recreation and education; 

8 (4) contains resources that— 

9 (A) are important to any identified themes 

10 of the study area; and 

11 (B) retain a degree of integrity capable of 

12 supporting interpretation; 

13 (5) includes residents, business interests, non14 profit organizations, and State, local, and Tribal 

15 governments, and other appropriate entities that— 

16 (A) are involved in the planning of the 

17 Heritage Area; 

18 (B) have developed a conceptual financial 

19 plan that outlines the roles of all participants in 

20 the Heritage Area, including the Federal Gov21 ernment; and 

22 (C) have demonstrated support for the des23 ignation of the Heritage Area; 

24 (6) has a potential management entity to work 

25 in partnership with the individuals and entities de-
5 

•HR 1154 EH

1 scribed in paragraph (5) to develop the Heritage 

2 Area while encouraging State and local economic ac3 tivity; and 

4 (7) has a conceptual boundary map that is sup5 ported by the public. 

6 SEC. 4. REPORT. 

7 Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds 

8 are first made available to carry out this Act, the Sec9 retary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Re10 sources of the House of Representatives and the Com11 mittee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate 

12 a report that describes— 

13 (1) the findings of the study under section 3; 

14 and 

15 (2) any conclusions and recommendations of the 

16 Secretary. 

Passed the House of Representatives September 28, 

2021. 

Attest: 

Clerk. 
117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1154 

AN ACT 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conother purposes. Dismal Swamp National Heritage Area, and for bility of designating certain land as the Great duct a study to assess the suitability and feasi-