I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 694 
To enhance the preservation and interpretation of the Gullah/Geechee cultural 
heritage, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 9, 2005 
Mr. CLYBURN (for himself, Mr. BROWN of South Carolina, Mr. WILSON of 
South Carolina, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. KINGSTON, Mr. CRENSHAW, Ms. 
CORRINE BROWN of Florida, and Mr. MICA) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Resources 
A BILL 
To enhance the preservation and interpretation of the Gullah/ 
Geechee cultural heritage, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Gullah/Geechee Cul-
tural Heritage Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are to— 
(1) recognize the important contributions made 
to American culture and history by African Ameri-
cans known as the Gullah/Geechee who settled in the 
coastal counties of South Carolina, Georgia, North 
Carolina, and Florida; 
(2) assist State and local governments and pub-
lic and private entities in South Carolina, Georgia, 
North Carolina, and Florida in interpreting the 
story of the Gullah/Geechee and preserving Gullah/ 
Geechee folklore, arts, crafts, and music; and 
(3) assist in identifying and preserving sites, 
historical data, artifacts, and objects associated with 
the Gullah/Geechee for the benefit and education of 
the public. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
For the purposes of this Act, the following definitions 
apply: 
(1) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Cor-
ridor Commission established under this Act. 
(2) HERITAGE CORRIDOR.—The term ‘‘Herit-
age Corridor’’ means the Gullah/Geechee Cultural 
Heritage Corridor established by this Act. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior.
SEC. 4. GULLAH/GEECHEE CULTURAL HERITAGE COR-
RIDOR. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the 
Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. 
(b) BOUNDARIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Heritage Corridor shall 
be comprised of those lands and waters generally de-
picted on a map entitled ‘‘Gullah/Geechee Cultural 
Heritage Corridor’’ numbered lllllll and 
dated llllllll. The map shall be on file 
and available for public inspection in the appropriate 
offices of the National Park Service and in an ap-
propriate State office in each of the States included 
in the Heritage Corridor. The Secretary shall pub-
lish in the Federal Register, as soon as practicable 
after the date of enactment of this Act, a detailed 
description and map of the boundaries established 
under this subsection. 
(2) REVISIONS.—The boundaries of the herit-
age corridor may be revised if the revision is— 
(A) proposed in the management plan de-
veloped for the Heritage Corridor; 
(B) approved by the Secretary in accord-
ance with this Act; and 
(C) placed on file in accordance with para-
graph (1).
(c) ADMINISTRATION.—The Heritage Corridor shall 
be administered in accordance with the provisions of this 
Act. 
SEC. 5. GULLAH/GEECHEE CULTURAL HERITAGE COR-
RIDOR COMMISSION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established a 
commission to be known as the ‘‘Gullah/Geechee Cultural 
Heritage Corridor Commission’’ whose purpose shall be to 
assist Federal, State, and local authorities in the develop-
ment and implementation of a management plan for those 
land and waters specified in section 4. 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The Commission shall be com-
posed of 15 members appointed by the Secretary as fol-
lows: 
(1) Four individuals nominated by the State 
Historic Preservation Officer of South Carolina and 
two individuals each nominated by the State Historic 
Preservation Officer of each of Georgia, North Caro-
lina, and Florida and appointed by the Secretary. 
(2) Two individuals from South Carolina and 
one individual from each of Georgia, North Carolina, 
and Florida who are recognized experts in historic 
preservation, anthropology, and folklore, appointed 
by the Secretary.
(c) TERMS.—Members of the Commission shall be 
appointed to terms not to exceed 3 years. The Secretary 
may stagger the terms of the initial appointments to the 
Commission in order to assure continuity of operation. 
Any member of the Commission may serve after the expi-
ration of their term until a successor is appointed. A va-
cancy shall be filled in the same manner in which the origi-
nal appointment was made. 
(d) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate 
10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 6. OPERATION OF THE COMMISSION. 
(a) DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.—To further the 
purposes of the Heritage Corridor, the Commission 
shall— 
(1) prepare and submit a management plan to 
the Secretary in accordance with section 7; 
(2) assist units of local government and other 
persons in implementing the approved management 
plan by— 
(A) carrying out programs and projects 
that recognize, protect, and enhance important 
resource values within the Heritage Corridor; 
(B) establishing and maintaining interpre-
tive exhibits and programs within the Heritage 
Corridor;
(C) developing recreational and educational 
opportunities in the Heritage Corridor; 
(D) increasing public awareness of and ap-
preciation for the historical, cultural, natural, 
and scenic resources of the Heritage Corridor; 
(E) protecting and restoring historic sites 
and buildings in the Heritage Corridor that are 
consistent with heritage corridor themes; 
(F) ensuring that clear, consistent, and ap-
propriate signs identifying points of public ac-
cess and sites of interest are posted throughout 
the Heritage Corridor; and 
(G) promoting a wide range of partner-
ships among governments, organizations, and 
individuals to further the purposes of the Herit-
age Corridor; 
(3) consider the interests of diverse units of 
government, business, organizations, and individuals 
in the Heritage Corridor in the preparation and im-
plementation of the management plan; 
(4) conduct meetings open to the public at least 
quarterly regarding the development and implemen-
tation of the management plan; 
(5) submit an annual report to the Secretary 
for any fiscal year in which the Commission receives
Federal funds under this Act, setting forth its ac-
complishments, expenses, and income, including 
grants made to any other entities during the year 
for which the report is made; 
(6) make available for audit for any fiscal year 
in which it receives Federal funds under this Act, all 
information pertaining to the expenditure of such 
funds and any matching funds, and require all 
agreements authorizing expenditures of Federal 
funds by other organizations, that the receiving or-
ganization make available for audit all records and 
other information pertaining to the expenditure of 
such funds; and 
(7) encourage by appropriate means economic 
viability that is consistent with the purposes of the 
Heritage Corridor. 
(b) AUTHORITIES.—The Commission may, for the 
purposes of preparing and implementing the management 
plan, use funds made available under this Act to— 
(1) make grants to, and enter into cooperative 
agreements with, the States of South Carolina, 
North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia, political sub-
divisions of those States, a nonprofit organization, 
or any person; 
(2) hire and compensate staff;
(3) obtain funds from any source including any 
that are provided under any other Federal law or 
program; and 
(4) contract for goods and services. 
SEC. 7. MANAGEMENT PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The management plan for the 
Heritage Corridor shall— 
(1) include comprehensive policies, strategies, 
and recommendations for conservation, funding, 
management, and development of the Heritage Cor-
ridor; 
(2) take into consideration existing State, coun-
ty, and local plans in the development of the man-
agement plan and its implementation; 
(3) include a description of actions that govern-
ments, private organizations, and individuals have 
agreed to take to protect the historical, cultural, and 
natural resources of the Heritage Corridor; 
(4) specify the existing and potential sources of 
funding to protect, manage, and develop the Herit-
age Corridor in the first 5 years of implementation; 
(5) include an inventory of the historical, cul-
tural, natural, resources of the Heritage Corridor re-
lated to the themes of the Heritage Corridor that
should be preserved, restored, managed, developed, 
or maintained; 
(6) recommend policies and strategies for re-
source management that consider and detail the ap-
plication of appropriate land and water management 
techniques, including the development of intergov-
ernmental and interagency cooperative agreements 
to protect the Heritage Corridor’s historical, cul-
tural, and natural resources; 
(7) describe a program for implementation of 
the management plan including plans for resources 
protection, restoration, construction, and specific 
commitments for implementation that have been 
made by the Commission or any government, organi-
zation, or individual for the first 5 years of imple-
mentation; 
(8) include an analysis and recommendations 
for the ways in which Federal, State, or local pro-
grams may best be coordinated to further the pur-
poses of this Act; and 
(9) include an interpretive plan for the Heritage 
Corridor. 
(b) SUBMITTAL OF MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The Com-
mission shall submit the management plan to the Sec-
retary for approval not later than 3 years after funds are 
made available for this Act. 
(c) FAILURE TO SUBMIT.—If the Commission fails 
to submit the management plan to the Secretary in ac-
cordance with subsection (b), the Heritage Corridor shall 
not qualify for Federal funding until the management plan 
is submitted. 
(d) APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF MANAGEMENT 
PLAN.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall approve 
or disapprove the management plan not later than 
90 days after receiving the management plan. 
(2) CRITERIA.—In determining whether to ap-
prove the management plan, the Secretary shall con-
sider whether— 
(A) the Commission has afforded adequate 
opportunity, including public hearings, for pub-
lic and governmental involvement in the prepa-
ration of the management plan; 
(B) the resource preservation and interpre-
tation strategies contained in the management 
plan would adequately protect the cultural and 
historic resources of the Heritage Corridor; and 
(C) the Secretary has received adequate 
assurances from appropriate State and local of-
ficials whose support is needed to ensure the ef-
fective implementation of the State and local 
aspects of the plan. 
(3) ACTION FOLLOWING DISAPPROVAL.—If the 
Secretary disapproves the management plan, the 
Secretary shall advise the Commission in writing of 
the reasons therefor and shall make recommenda-
tions for revisions to the management plan. The Sec-
retary shall approve or disapprove a proposed revi-
sion not later than 60 days after the date it is sub-
mitted. 
(4) APPROVAL OF AMENDMENTS.—Substantial 
amendments to the management plan shall be re-
viewed and approved by the Secretary in the same 
manner as provided in the original management 
plan. The Commission shall not use Federal funds 
authorized by this Act to implement any amend-
ments until the Secretary has approved the amend-
ments. 
SEC. 8. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Upon a request of the Commis-
sion, the Secretary may provide technical and financial as-
sistance for the development and implementation of the 
management plan.
(b) PRIORITY FOR ASSISTANCE.—In providing assist-
ance under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give priority 
to actions that assist in— 
(1) conserving the significant cultural, histor-
ical, and natural resources of the Heritage Corridor; 
and 
(2) providing educational and interpretive op-
portunities consistent with the purposes of the Her-
itage Corridor. 
(c) SPENDING FOR NON-FEDERAL PROPERTY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Commission may ex-
pend Federal funds made available under this Act 
on nonfederally owned property that is— 
(A) identified in the management plan; or 
(B) listed or eligible for listing on the Na-
tional Register for Historic Places. 
(2) AGREEMENTS.—Any payment of Federal 
funds made pursuant to this Act shall shall be sub-
ject to an agreement that conversion, use, or dis-
posal of a project so assisted for purposes contrary 
to the purposes of this Act, as determined by the 
Secretary, shall result in a right of the United 
States to compensation of all funds made available 
to that project or the proportion of the increased 
value of the project attributable to such funds as de-
termined at the time of such conversion, use, or dis-
posal, whichever is greater. 
SEC. 9. DUTIES OF OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES. 
Any Federal agency conducting or supporting activi-
ties directly affecting the Heritage Corridor shall— 
(1) consult with the Secretary and the Commis-
sion with respect to such activities; 
(2) cooperate with the Secretary and the Com-
mission in carrying out their duties under this Act 
and, to the maximum extent practicable, coordinate 
such activities with the carrying out of such duties; 
and 
(3) to the maximum extent practicable, conduct 
or support such activities in a manner in which the 
Commission determines will not have an adverse ef-
fect on the Heritage Corridor. 
SEC. 10. COASTAL HERITAGE CENTERS. 
In furtherance of the purposes of this Act and using 
the authorities made available under this Act, the Com-
mission shall establish one or more Coastal Heritage Cen-
ters at appropriate locations within the Heritage Corridor 
in accordance with the preferred alternative identified in 
the Record of Decision for the Low Country Gullah Cul-
ture Special Resource Study and Environmental Impact 
Study, December 2003, and additional appropriate sites.
SEC. 11. PRIVATE PROPERTY PROTECTION. 
(a) ACCESS
TO PRIVATE PROPERTY.—Nothing in 
this Act shall be construed to require any private property 
owner to permit public access (including Federal, State, 
or local government access) to such private property. 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to modify any provi-
sion of Federal, State, or local law with regard to public 
access to or use of private lands. 
(b) LIABILITY.—Designation of the Heritage Cor-
ridor shall not be considered to create any liability, or to 
have any effect on any liability under any other law, of 
any private property owner with respect to any persons 
injured on such private property. 
(c) RECOGNITION OF AUTHORITY TO CONTROL LAND 
USE.—Nothing in this Act shall be construed to modify 
any authority of Federal, State, or local governments to 
regulate land use. 
(d) PARTICIPATION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS 
IN HERITAGE CORRIDOR.—Nothing in this Act shall be 
construed to require the owner of any private property lo-
cated within the boundaries of the Heritage Corridor to 
participate in or be associated with the Heritage Corridor. 
(e) EFFECT OF ESTABLISHMENT.—The boundaries 
designated for the Heritage Corridor represent the area 
within which Federal funds appropriated for the purpose 
of this Act shall be expended. The establishment of the
Heritage Corridor and its boundaries shall not be con-
strued to provide any nonexisting regulatory authority on 
land use within the Heritage Corridor or its viewshed by 
the Secretary or the management entity. 
(f) NOTIFICATION
AND CONSENT
OF PROPERTY 
OWNERS REQUIRED.—No privately owned property shall 
be preserved, conserved, or promoted by the management 
plan for the Heritage Corridor until the owner of that pri-
vate property has been notified in writing by the manage-
ment entity and has given written consent for such preser-
vation, conservation, or promotion to the management en-
tity. 
(g) LANDOWNER WITHDRAWAL.—Any owner of pri-
vate property included within the boundary of the Herit-
age Corridor shall have their property immediately re-
moved from within the boundary by submitting a written 
request to the management entity. 
SEC. 12. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated for the purposes of this Act not more than 
$2,000,000 for any fiscal year. Not more than a total of 
$20,000,000 may be appropriated for the Heritage Cor-
ridor under this Act. 
(b) COST SHARE.—Federal funding provided under 
this Act may not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of
any activity for which assistance is provided under this 
Act. 
(c) IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS.—The Secretary may 
accept in-kind contributions as part of the non-Federal 
cost share of any activity for which assistance is provided 
under this Act. 
SEC. 13. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY. 
The authority of the Secretary to provide assistance 
under this Act shall terminate on the day occurring 15 
years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
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