II

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2194

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance in planning

and developing a regional heritage center in Calais, Maine.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MARCH 7, 2000

Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Ms. SNOWE) introduced the following bill; which

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

Resources

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance

in planning and developing a regional heritage center

in Calais, Maine.

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 ‘‘Saint Croix Island

5 Heritage Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—
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1 (1) Saint Croix Island is located in the Saint

2 Croix River, a river that is the boundary between

3 the State of Maine and Canada;

4 (2) the Island is the only international historic

5 site in the National Park System;

6 (3) in 1604, French nobleman Pierre Dugua

7 Sieur de Mons, accompanied by a courageous group

8 of adventurers that included Samuel Champlain,

9 landed on the Island and began the construction of

10 a settlement;

11 (4) the French settlement on the Island in

12 1604 and 1605—

13 (A) was the initial site of the first perma14 nent European settlement in the New World;

15 and

16 (B) set a precedent for early French claims

17 in New France;

18 (5) many people view the expedition that settled

19 on the Island in 1604 as the beginning of the Aca20 dian culture in North America;

21 (6) in October, 1998, the National Park Service

22 completed a general management plan to manage

23 and interpret the Saint Croix Island International

24 Historic Site;
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1 (7) the plan addresses a variety of management

2 alternatives, and concludes that the best manage3 ment strategy entails developing an interpretive trail

4 and ranger station at Red Beach, Maine, and a re5 gional heritage center in downtown Calais, Maine, in

6 cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies;

7 and

8 (8) only 4 years remain before the 400th anni9 versary of the settlement at Saint Croix Island, an

10 occasion that should be appropriately commemo11 rated.

12 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to direct

13 the Secretary of the Interior to take all necessary and ap14 propriate steps to work with Federal, State, and local

15 agencies, historical societies, and nonprofit organizations

16 to facilitate the development of a regional heritage center

17 in downtown Calais, Maine before the 400th anniversary

18 of the settlement of Saint Croix Island.

19 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

20 In this Act:

21 (1) ISLAND.—The term ‘‘Island’’ means Saint

22 Croix Island, located in the Saint Croix River, be23 tween Canada and the State of Maine.
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1 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means

2 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di3 rector of the National Park Service.

4 SEC. 4. SAINT CROIX ISLAND REGIONAL HERITAGE CEN5 TER.

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide as7 sistance in planning and developing (including leasing) a

8 regional heritage center in downtown Calais, Maine, to fa9 cilitate the management and interpretation of the Saint

10 Croix Island International Historic Site.

11 (b) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—To carry out sub12 section (a), the Secretary may enter into cooperative

13 agreements with State and local agencies and nonprofit

14 organizations—

15 (1) to provide exhibits, interpretive services (in16 cluding employing individuals to provide such serv17 ices), and technical assistance;

18 (2) to conduct activities that facilitate the dis19 semination of information relating to the Saint Croix

20 Island International Historic Site; and

21 (3) to lease space in the regional heritage cen22 ter.
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1 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

2 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out

3 this Act $2,500,000.

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