I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1759
To establish the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in the State of North 
Carolina, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 10, 2003
Mr. TAYLOR of North Carolina (for himself and Mr. BALLENGER) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources 
A BILL 
To establish the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in the 
State of North Carolina, 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 ‘‘Blue Ridge National 
Heritage Area Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—
(1) the Blue Ridge Mountains and the extensive 
cultural and natural resources of the Blue Ridge 
Mountains have played a significant role in the his-
tory of the United States and the State of North 
Carolina; 
(2) archaeological evidence indicates that the 
Blue Ridge Mountains have been inhabited by hu-
mans since the last retreat of the glaciers, with the 
Native Americans living in the area at the time of 
European discovery being primarily of Cherokee de-
scent; 
(3) the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North 
Carolina, including the Great Smoky Mountains, 
played a unique and significant role in the establish-
ment and development of the culture of the United 
States through several distinct legacies, including—
(A) the craft heritage that—
(i) was first influenced by the Cher-
okee Indians; 
(ii) was the origin of—
(I) the traditional craft move-
ment starting in 1900; and 
(II) 
the 
contemporary 
craft 
movement starting in the 1940’s; and 
(iii) is carried out by over 4,000 
craftspeople in the Blue Ridge Mountains 
of western North Carolina, the third larg-
est concentration of such people in the 
United States; 
(B) a musical heritage comprised of dis-
tinctive 
instrumental 
and 
vocal 
traditions 
that—
(i) includes stringband music, blue-
grass, ballad singing, blues, and sacred 
music; 
(ii) has received national recognition; 
and 
(iii) has made the region 1 of the 
richest repositories of traditional music 
and folklife in the United States; 
(C) the Cherokee heritage—
(i) dating back thousands of years; 
and 
(ii) offering—
(I) nationally significant cultural 
traditions practiced by the Eastern 
Band of Cherokee Indians; 
(II) authentic tradition bearers; 
(III) historic sites; and 
(IV) historically important collec-
tions of Cherokee artifacts; and
(D) the agricultural heritage established by 
the Cherokee Indians, including medicinal and 
ceremonial food crops, combined with the his-
toric European patterns of raising livestock, 
culminating in the largest number of specialty 
crop farms in North Carolina; 
(4) the artifacts and structures associated with 
those legacies are unusually well-preserved; 
(5) the Blue Ridge Mountains are recognized as 
having 1 of the richest collections of historical re-
sources in North America; 
(6) the history and cultural heritage of the Blue 
Ridge Mountains are shared with the States of Vir-
ginia, Tennessee, and Georgia; 
(7) there are significant cultural, economic, and 
educational benefits in celebrating and promoting 
this mutual heritage; 
(8) according to the 2002 reports entitled ‘‘The 
Blue Ridge Heritage and Cultural Partnership’’ and 
‘‘Western North Carolina National Heritage Area 
Feasibility Study and Plan’’, the Blue Ridge Moun-
tains contain numerous resources that are of out-
standing importance to the history of the United 
States; and
(9) it is in the interest of the United States to 
preserve and interpret the cultural and historical re-
sources of the Blue Ridge Mountains for the edu-
cation and benefit of present and future generations. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to foster 
a close working relationship with, and to assist, all levels 
of government, the private sector, and local communities 
in the State in managing, preserving, protecting, and in-
terpreting the cultural, historical, and natural resources 
of the Heritage Area while continuing to develop economic 
opportunities. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) HERITAGE
AREA.—The term ‘‘Heritage 
Area’’ means the Blue Ridge National Heritage 
Area established by section 4(a). 
(2) MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—The term ‘‘man-
agement entity’’ means the management entity for 
the Heritage Area designated by section 4(c). 
(3) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The term ‘‘manage-
ment plan’’ means the management plan for the 
Heritage Area approved under section 5. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior.
(5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 
of North Carolina. 
SEC. 4. BLUE RIDGE NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the Blue 
Ridge National Heritage Area in the State. 
(b) BOUNDARIES.—The Heritage Area shall consist 
of the counties of Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, 
Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Hen-
derson, Jackson, McDowell, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, 
Polk, Rutherford, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, 
Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey in the State. 
(c) MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—As a condition of the receipt 
of funds made available under section 9(a), the Blue 
Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership shall be 
the management entity for the Heritage Area. 
(2) BOARD OF DIRECTORS.—The management 
entity shall be governed by a board of directors com-
posed of 9 members, of whom—
(A) 2 members shall be appointed by 
AdvantageWest; 
(B) 2 members shall be appointed by 
HandMade In America, Inc.;