117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3616 

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 Bear River 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 3616 EH

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bear River National 

3 Heritage Area Study Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

5 In this Act: 

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

7 Area’’ means the Bear River National Heritage 

8 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 Utah and Idaho. 

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

14 means— 

15 (A) areas in the States that are within the 

16 main drainage area of the Bear River; 

17 (B) all of Cache, Box Elder, and Rich 

18 Counties in the State of Utah, and Bear Lake, 

19 Caribou, Franklin, and Oneida Counties in the 

20 State of Idaho; 

21 (C) the following communities in Utah: 

22 Bear River, Brigham City, Corinne, Deweyville, 

23 Elwood, Fielding, Garland, Honeyville, Howell, 

24 Mantua, Perry, Plymouth, Portage, Snowville, 

25 Tremonton, Willard, Amalga, Clarkston, Cor26 nish, Hyde Park, Hyrum, Lewiston, Logan, 
3 

•HR 3616 EH

1 Mendon, Millville, Newton, Nibley, North 

2 Logan, Paradise, Providence, Richmond, River 

3 Heights, Smithfield, Trenton, Wellsville, Garden 

4 City, Laketown, Randolph, and Woodruff; 

5 (D) the following communities in Idaho: 

6 Malad, Clifton, Dayton, Franklin, Preston, Ox7 ford, Weston, Bancroft, Soda Springs, Grace, 

8 Bloomington, Paris, Georgetown, Montpelier, 

9 and St. Charles; and 

10 (E) any other areas in the States that— 

11 (i) have heritage aspects that are 

12 similar to the areas described in subpara13 graphs (A), (B), (C), or (D); and 

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

15 of, those areas. 

16 SEC. 3. STUDY. 

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

18 with State and local organizations and governmental agen19 cies, Tribal governments, non-profit organizations, and 

20 other appropriate entities, shall conduct a study to assess 

21 the suitability and feasibility of designating the study area 

22 as a National Heritage Area, to be known as the ‘‘Bear 

23 River National Heritage Area’’. 
4 

•HR 3616 EH

1 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—The study shall include anal2 ysis, documentation, and determinations on whether the 

3 study area— 

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

5 cultural resources that— 

6 (A) represent distinctive aspects of the 

7 people and cultures of the United States; 

8 (B) are worthy of recognition, conserva9 tion, interpretation, and continuing use; and 

10 (C) would be best managed— 

11 (i) through partnerships among public 

12 and private entities; and 

13 (ii) by linking diverse and sometimes 

14 noncontiguous resources and active com15 munities; 

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

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

18 United States; 

19 (3) provides outstanding opportunities— 

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

21 or scenic features; and 

22 (B) for recreation and education; 

23 (4) contains resources that— 

24 (A) are important to any identified themes 

25 of the study area; and 
5 

•HR 3616 EH

1 (B) retain a degree of integrity capable of 

2 supporting interpretation; 

3 (5) includes residents, business interests, non4 profit organizations, and State, local, and Tribal 

5 governments, and other appropriate entities that— 

6 (A) are involved in the planning of the 

7 Heritage Area; 

8 (B) have developed a conceptual financial 

9 plan that outlines the roles of all participants in 

10 the Heritage Area, including the Federal Gov11 ernment; and 

12 (C) have demonstrated support for the des13 ignation of the Heritage Area; 

14 (6) has a potential management entity to work 

15 in partnership with the individuals and entities de16 scribed in paragraph (5) to develop the Heritage 

17 Area while encouraging State and local economic ac18 tivity; 

19 (7) could impact the rights of private property 

20 owners with respect to their private property; and 

21 (8) has a conceptual boundary map that is sup22 ported by the public. 

23 SEC. 4. REPORT. 

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

25 are first made available to carry out this Act, the Sec-
6 

•HR 3616 EH

1 retary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Re2 sources of the House of Representatives and the Com3 mittee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate 

4 a report that describes— 

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

6 and 

7 (2) any conclusions and recommendations of the 

8 Secretary. 

Passed the House of Representatives November 2, 

2021. 

Attest: 

Clerk. 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3616 

AN ACT 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conposes. River National Heritage Area, and for other pur- bility of designating certain land as the Bear duct a study to assess the suitability and feasi-