I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6287 
To establish criteria for and to create a National Heritage Areas System 
in the United States. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 29, 2006 
Mr. HEFLEY (for himself and Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources 
A BILL 
To establish criteria for and to create a National Heritage 
Areas System in the United States. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘National Heritage Areas Partnership Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings and purposes. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. 
Sec. 4. National heritage areas system. 
Sec. 5. Feasibility studies. 
Sec. 6. Designation. 
Sec. 7. Management plans. 
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Sec. 8. Local coordinating entities. 
Sec. 9. Relationship to other federal agencies. 
Sec. 10. Property owners and regulatory protections. 
Sec. 11. Partnership support. 
Sec. 12. Funding. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following: 
(1) Certain areas of the United States tell na-
tionally important stories; they illustrate significant 
aspects of our heritage; possess exceptional natural, 
cultural, scenic, and historic resources; and rep-
resent the diversity of our national character. 
(2) In these areas, the interaction of natural 
processes, geography, history, cultural traditions, 
and economic and social forces form distinctive land-
scapes that should be recognized, protected, en-
hanced, and interpreted to improve the quality of life 
in the regions and to provide opportunities for public 
appreciation, education, enjoyment, and economic 
sustainability. 
(3) Local initiatives based on community and 
regional visions, involving public/private partner-
ships, are critical to protecting, enhancing and inter-
preting natural, historic, scenic, and cultural re-
sources related to our American heritage. These ini-
tiatives should be encouraged and supported by the 
Federal government with the concurrence of the rel-
evant Federal land management agencies and Tribal 
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governments by providing financial and technical as-
sistance. 
(4) Partnerships among Federal, Tribal, State 
and local governments, nonprofit organizations, the 
private sector, and citizens provide the most viable 
framework to recognize, protect, enhance, and inter-
pret the resources of places that have made impor-
tant contributions to the national story. 
(5) Communities and regions need assistance to 
set resource stewardship and interpretive goals, and 
to implement strategies for resource protection and 
renewed economic viability in these areas. 
(6) A unified national process as well as certain 
standards for designation of National Heritage 
Areas need to be established to provide a consistent 
framework. The process should include a system for 
approval of heritage area management plans. 
(7) National Heritage Areas located near or en-
compassing units of the National Park System pro-
vide an additional basis for public enjoyment of 
parks and park-related resources, and it is appro-
priate for these parks to participate in, assist with, 
and benefit from local heritage initiatives that con-
serve and interpret resources over a larger area be-
yond the park’s boundaries. 
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(8) It is in the national interest and will benefit 
future generations to establish a system of National 
Heritage Areas to encourage resource conservation, 
protection, interpretation, enhancement, and eco-
nomic sustainability, and for full public under-
standing and appreciation of the many resources, 
places, events, and peoples that have contributed to 
the rich heritage of this Nation. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are as fol-
lows: 
(1) To establish a system of regional and com-
munity-based National Heritage Areas to protect, 
enhance, and interpret natural, historic, scenic, and 
cultural resources that together tell nationally im-
portant stories representing our country’s heritage. 
(2) To promote public understanding, apprecia-
tion and enjoyment of the many places, events, and 
people that have contributed to our nationally di-
verse story. 
(3) To promote innovative and partnership-driv-
en management strategies that recognize regional 
values, to encourage locally tailored resource stew-
ardship and interpretation, to develop economically 
viable and innovative approaches to community con-
servation, and to provide for the effective leveraging 
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of Federal funds with State, local, Tribal, and pri-
vate funding sources. 
(4) To provide unified national standards and 
processes for conducting feasibility studies, desig-
nating National Heritage Areas, and approving her-
itage area management plans. 
(5) To provide appropriate linkages among 
units of the National Park System, and commu-
nities, governments, and organizations within Na-
tional Heritage Areas to protect, enhance, and inter-
pret resources outside of park boundaries. 
(6) To authorize the Secretary of the Interior 
to provide financial and technical assistance to local 
coordinating entities that act as a catalyst for di-
verse regions, communities, organizations, and citi-
zens to undertake projects and programs for re-
source stewardship and interpretation. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) FEASIBILITY STUDY.—The term ‘‘feasibility 
study’’ means a study conducted by the Secretary of 
the Interior, or conducted by 1 or more other inter-
ested parties and reviewed by the Secretary, in ac-
cordance with the criteria and processes outlined in 
section 5, to determine whether an area meets the 
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criteria to be designated as a National Heritage 
Area by Congress. 
(2) LOCAL COORDINATING ENTITY.—The term 
‘‘local coordinating entity’’ means the entity des-
ignated by Congress to undertake, in partnership 
with others, the management plan and to act as a 
catalyst for implementation projects and programs 
among diverse partners in the National Heritage 
Area. 
(3) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The term ‘‘manage-
ment plan’’ means the plan prepared by the local co-
ordinating entity for a National Heritage Area that 
specifies actions, policies, strategies, performance 
goals, and recommendations taken to meet the goals 
of the heritage area as specified in section 7. 
(4) NATIONAL
HERITAGE
AREA.—The term 
‘‘National Heritage Area’’ means an area or corridor 
designated by Congress that tells nationally impor-
tant stories representing our American heritage. 
(5) PROPOSED
NATIONAL
HERITAGE
AREA.— 
The term ‘‘proposed National Heritage Area’’ is an 
area or corridor under study by the Secretary of the 
Interior or other parties for potential designation by 
Congress as a National Heritage Area. 
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(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(7) SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘system’’ means the 
system of National Heritage Areas established under 
section 4. 
(8) TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.—The term ‘‘Tribal 
government’’ means the governing body of an Indian 
or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, 
or community that the Secretary of the Interior ac-
knowledges to exist as an Indian tribe pursuant to 
the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 
1994, 25 U.S.C. 479a. 
(9) TRIBAL LANDS.—The term ‘‘Tribal lands’’ 
means all lands within the exterior boundaries of 
any Indian reservation, all lands the title to which 
is held by the United States in trust for an Indian 
tribe or lands the title to which is held by an Indian 
tribe subject to a restriction by the United States 
against alienation, and all dependent Indian commu-
nities. 
SEC. 4. NATIONAL HERITAGE AREAS SYSTEM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In order to recognize certain 
areas of the United States that tell nationally important 
stories and to protect, enhance, and interpret the areas’ 
natural, historic, scenic, and cultural resources that to-
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gether illustrate significant aspects of our country’s herit-
age, there is established a National Heritage Areas Sys-
tem through which the Secretary shall provide technical 
and financial assistance to local coordinating entities to 
support the establishment, development, and continuity of 
the National Heritage Areas. 
(b) SYSTEM.—The National Heritage Areas System 
shall be composed of the following: 
(1) National Heritage Areas designated by Con-
gress prior to the date of enactment of this Act. 
(2) National Heritage Areas designated by Con-
gress subsequent to the date of enactment of this 
Act, as provided for in this Act. 
(c) RELATIONSHIP TO THE NATIONAL PARK SYS-
TEM.— 
(1) 
RELATIONSHIP
TO
NATIONAL
PARK 
UNITS.—The Secretary shall— 
(A) assure to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, participation and assistance by any unit 
of the National Park System located near or 
encompassed by any National Heritage Area in 
local initiatives for that National Heritage Area 
that conserve and interpret resources consistent 
with an approved management plan for the Na-
tional Heritage Area; and 
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(B) work with National Heritage Areas to 
promote public enjoyment of units of the Na-
tional Park System and park-related resources. 
(2) APPLICABILITY OF LAWS.—National Herit-
age Areas shall not be considered to be units of the 
National Park System nor shall the areas be subject 
to the authorities applicable to units of the National 
Park System. 
(d) DUTIES.—Under the system, the Secretary 
shall— 
(1) undertake studies as directed by Congress 
through legislation to assess the feasibility of desig-
nating proposed National Heritage Areas or review 
and comment on studies undertaken by other parties 
for this purpose; 
(2) submit annually to the Committee on Re-
sources of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
United States Senate a report describing the activi-
ties conducted with respect to National Heritage 
Areas in accordance with this Act; and 
(3) conduct an evaluation and prepare a report 
on the accomplishments, sustainability, and rec-
ommendations, if any, for the future of each des-
ignated National Heritage Area 3 years prior to the 
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