I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3616 

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. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 28, 2021 

Mr. MOORE of Utah (for himself and Mr. SIMPSON) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

5 Heritage Area Study Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 


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

2 Area’’ means the Bear River National Heritage 

3 Area. 

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

5 the Secretary of the Interior. 

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

7 States of Utah and Idaho. 

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

9 means— 

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

11 main drainage area of the Bear River; 

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

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

14 Caribou, Franklin, and Oneida Counties in the 

15 State of Idaho; 

16 (C) the following communities in Utah: 

17 Bear River, Brigham City, Corinne, Deweyville, 

18 Elwood, Fielding, Garland, Honeyville, Howell, 

19 Mantua, Perry, Plymouth, Portage, Snowville, 

20 Tremonton, Willard, Amalga, Clarkston, Cor21 nish, Hyde Park, Hyrum, Lewiston, Logan, 

22 Mendon, Millville, Newton, Nibley, North 

23 Logan, Paradise, Providence, Richmond, River 

24 Heights, Smithfield, Trenton, Wellsville, Garden 

25 City, Laketown, Randolph, and Woodruff; 


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1 (D) the following communities in Idaho: 

2 Malad, Clifton, Dayton, Franklin, Preston, Ox3 ford, Weston, Bancroft, Soda Springs, Grace, 

4 Bloomington, Paris, Georgetown, Montpelier, 

5 and St. Charles; and 

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

7 (i) have heritage aspects that are 

8 similar to the areas described in subpara9 graphs (A), (B), (C), or (D); and 

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

11 of, those areas. 

12 SEC. 3. STUDY. 

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

14 with State and local organizations and governmental agen15 cies, Tribal governments, non-profit organizations, and 

16 other appropriate entities, shall conduct a study to assess 

17 the suitability and feasibility of designating the study area 

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

19 River National Heritage Area’’. 

20 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—The study shall include anal21 ysis, documentation, and determinations on whether the 

22 study area— 

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

24 cultural resources that— 


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1 (A) represent distinctive aspects of the 

2 people and cultures of the United States; 

3 (B) are worthy of recognition, conserva4 tion, interpretation, and continuing use; and 

5 (C) would be best managed— 

6 (i) through partnerships among public 

7 and private entities; and 

8 (ii) by linking diverse and sometimes 

9 noncontiguous resources and active com10 munities; 

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

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

13 United States; 

14 (3) provides outstanding opportunities— 

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

16 or scenic features; and 

17 (B) for recreation and education; 

18 (4) contains resources that— 

19 (A) are important to any identified themes 

20 of the study area; and 

21 (B) retain a degree of integrity capable of 

22 supporting interpretation; 

23 (5) includes residents, business interests, non24 profit organizations, and State, local, and Tribal 

25 governments, and other appropriate entities that— 


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1 (A) are involved in the planning of the 

2 Heritage Area; 

3 (B) have developed a conceptual financial 

4 plan that outlines the roles of all participants in 

5 the Heritage Area, including the Federal Gov6 ernment; and 

7 (C) have demonstrated support for the des8 ignation of the Heritage Area; 

9 (6) has a potential management entity to work 

10 in partnership with the individuals and entities de11 scribed in paragraph (5) to develop the Heritage 

12 Area while encouraging State and local economic ac13 tivity; 

14 (7) could impact the rights of private property 

15 owners with respect to their private property; and 

16 (8) has a conceptual boundary map that is sup17 ported by the public. 

18 SEC. 4. REPORT. 

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

20 are first made available to carry out this Act, the Sec21 retary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Re22 sources of the House of Representatives and the Com23 mittee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate 

24 a report that describes— 


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

2 and 

3 (2) any conclusions and recommendations of the 

4 Secretary. 

Æ 


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