I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5930 
To establish the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area in the State of 
Alabama, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 27, 2006 
Mr. CRAMER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Resources 
A BILL 
To establish the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area in 
the State of Alabama, 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 ‘‘Muscle Shoals Na-
tional Heritage Area Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Muscle Shoals area in Northwest Ala-
bama is a region rich in natural and cultural his-
tory. 
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(2) The Muscle Shoals area is defined by its 
distinctive geography, especially the Wilson Dam, a 
National Historic Landmark. 
(3) The Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area 
feasibility study includes the counties of Colbert, 
Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, and 
Morgan, in Northwest Alabama. 
(4) Muscle Shoals is the birthplace of the Ten-
nessee Valley Authority, notable for power genera-
tion and the creation of recreational lakes. 
(5) The Tennessee River at Muscle Shoals is 
important in having shaped western expansion and 
cultural development of the United States. 
(6) The Muscle Shoals area drew the remark-
able military and entrepreneurial service of the Gen-
eral Wheeler family. 
(7) The Muscle Shoals area was the birthplace 
of Helen Keller, a celebrated symbol of inspiration 
for persons overcoming disabilities. 
(8) The Muscle Shoals area was the home of 
William Christopher ‘‘W.C.’’ Handy, the first musi-
cian to identify, arrange, publish, and popularize the 
‘‘blues’’ musical genre. 
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(9) The world-renowned ‘‘Muscle Shoals sound’’ 
left an indelible impression on the development of 
music in the United States. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) HERITAGE
AREA.—The term ‘‘Heritage 
Area’’ means the Muscle Shoals National Heritage 
Area, established in section 4. 
(2) LOCAL COORDINATING ENTITY.—The term 
‘‘local coordinating entity’’ means the local coordi-
nating entity for the Heritage Area designated by 
section 4(d). 
(3) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The term ‘‘manage-
ment plan’’ means the management plan for the 
Heritage Area specified in section 5. 
(4) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map ti-
tled ‘‘Boundary Map Muscle Shoals National Herit-
age Area-Alternative llll’’, numbered lll, 
and datedlllll. 
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 
of Alabama. 
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SEC. 4. MUSCLE SHOALS NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the Mus-
cle Shoals National Heritage Area. 
(b) BOUNDARIES.—The National Heritage Area shall 
be comprised of— 
(1) the counties of Colbert, Franklin, Lauder-
dale, Lawrence, Limestone, and Morgan; 
(2) the Wilson Dam; 
(3) the Handy Home; and 
(4) the Helen Keller birthplace. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The map shall be on file 
and available for public inspection in the appropriate of-
fices of the National Park Service, Department of the In-
terior. 
(d) LOCAL COORDINATING ENTITY.—The Muscle 
Shoals Regional Center shall be the local coordinating en-
tity for the Heritage Area. 
SEC. 5. LOCAL COORDINATING ENTITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The local coordinating entity shall 
be governed by a board of directors composed of at least 
6 members, one resident from each of Colbert, Lauder-
dale, Franklin, Lawrence, Morgan, and Limestone coun-
ties, Alabama, the counties included in the Muscle Shoals 
National Heritage. 
(b) DUTIES.—To further the purposes of the Herit-
age Area, the local coordinating entity shall— 
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(1) prepare and submit a management plan for 
the Heritage Area to the Secretary in accordance 
with section 6; 
(2) assist units of local government, regional 
planning organizations, and nonprofit organizations 
in implementing the approved management plan 
by— 
(A) carrying out programs and projects 
that recognize, protect, and enhance important 
resource values within the Heritage Area; 
(B) establishing and maintaining interpre-
tive exhibits and programs within the Heritage 
Area; 
(C) developing recreational and educational 
opportunities in the Heritage Area; 
(D) increasing public awareness of and ap-
preciation for natural, historical, scenic, and 
cultural resources of the Heritage Area; 
(E) protecting and restoring historic sites 
and buildings in the Heritage Area that are 
consistent with heritage area 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 Area; and 
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(G) promoting a wide range of partner-
ships among governments, organizations, and 
individuals to further the purposes of the Herit-
age Area; 
(3) consider the interests of diverse units of 
government, businesses, organizations, and individ-
uals in the Heritage Area in the preparation and im-
plementation of the management plan; 
(4) conduct meetings open to the public at least 
semi-annually regarding the development and imple-
mentation of the management plan; 
(5) submit an annual report to the secretary for 
any fiscal year in which the local coordinating entity 
receives Federal funds under this Act specifying— 
(A) the specific performance goals and ac-
complishments of the local coordinating entity; 
(B) the expenses and income of the local 
coordinating entity; 
(C) the amounts and sources of matching 
funds; 
(D) the amounts leveraged with Federal 
funds and sources of the leveraging; and 
(E) grants made to any other entities dur-
ing the fiscal year; 
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(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 in all 
agreements authorizing expenditures of Federal 
funds by other organizations, that the receiving or-
ganizations make available for such 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 Area. 
(c) AUTHORITIES.—The local coordinating entity 
may, for the purposes of preparing and implementing the 
management plan for the Heritage Area, use Federal 
funds made available through this Act to— 
(1) make grants to the State of Alabama, its 
political subdivisions, nonprofit organizations, and 
other persons; 
(2) enter into cooperative agreements with or 
provide technical assistance to the State of Alabama, 
its political jurisdictions, nonprofit organizations, 
Federal agencies, and other interested parties; 
(3) hire and compensate staff, which shall in-
clude individuals with expertise in natural, cultural, 
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and historical resources protection, economic and 
community development, and heritage planning; 
(4) obtain funds or services from any source in-
cluding any that are provided under any other Fed-
eral law or program; 
(5) contract for goods or services; and 
(6) support activities of partners and any other 
activities that further the purposes of the Heritage 
Area and that are consistent with the approved man-
agement plan. 
(d) PROHIBITIONS ON THE ACQUISITION OF REAL 
PROPERTY.—The local coordinating entity may not use 
Federal funds received under this Act to acquire real prop-
erty, but may use any other source of funding, including 
other Federal funding outside this authority, intended for 
the acquisition of real property. 
SEC. 6. MANAGEMENT PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The management plan for the 
Heritage Area shall— 
(1) include comprehensive policies, strategies, 
and recommendations for conservation, funding, 
management, and development of the Heritage Area; 
(2) take into consideration existing State, coun-
ty, and local plans in the development of the man-
agement plan and its implementation; 
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(3) include a description of actions that govern-
ments, private organizations, and individuals have 
agreed to take to protect the natural, historical, and 
cultural resources of the Heritage Area; 
(4) specify the existing and potential sources of 
funding or economic development strategies to pro-
tect, manage, and develop the Heritage Area; 
(5) include an inventory of the natural, histor-
ical, cultural, educational, scenic, and recreational 
resources of the Heritage Area related to the themes 
of the Heritage Area that should be preserved, re-
stored, 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, but not limited to, the develop-
ment of intergovernmental and interagency coopera-
tive agreements to protect the Heritage Area’s nat-
ural, historical, cultural, educational, scenic, and rec-
reational resources; 
(7) describe a program of implementation for 
the management plan, including performance goals, 
plans for resource protection, restoration, interpreta-
tion, enhancement, management, and development, 
and specific commitments for implementation that 
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have been made by the local coordinating entity or 
any government, organization, or individual; 
(8) include an analysis and recommendations 
for ways in which local, State, and Federal pro-
grams, including the role of the National Park Serv-
ice in the Heritage Area, may best be coordinated to 
further the purposes of this Act; 
(9) include an interpretive plan for the Heritage 
Area; and 
(10) include a business plan that— 
(A) describes the role, operation, financing, 
and functions of the local coordinating entity 
and of each of the major activities contained in 
the management plan; and 
(B) provides adequate assurances that the 
local coordinating entity has the partnerships 
and financial and other resources necessary to 
implement the management plan for the Herit-
age Area. 
(b) DEADLINE AND TERMINATION OF FUNDING.— 
(1) DEADLINE.—The local coordinating entity 
shall submit the management plan to the Secretary 
for approval within 3 years after funds are made 
available for this Act. 
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(2) TERMINATION OF FUNDING.—If the man-
agement plan is not submitted to the Secretary in 
accordance with this subsection, the local coordi-
nating entity shall not qualify for Federal funding 
under this Act until such time as the management 
plan is submitted to and approved by the Secretary. 
SEC. 7. DUTIES AND AUTHORITIES OF THE SECRETARY. 
(a) TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may, upon 
the request of the local coordinating entity, provide 
technical and financial assistance on a reimbursable 
or non-reimbursable basis (as determined by the 
Secretary) to the Heritage Area to develop and im-
plement the approved management plan. The Sec-
retary is authorized to enter into cooperative agree-
ments with the local coordinating entity and other 
public or private entities for this purpose. 
(2) PRIORITY ACTIONS.—In assisting the Herit-
age Area, the Secretary shall give priority to actions 
that in general assist in— 
(A) conserving the significant natural, his-
torical, cultural, and scenic resources of the 
Heritage Area; and 
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(B) providing educational, interpretive, and 
recreational opportunities consistent with the 
purposes of the Heritage Area. 
(b) APPROVAL AND DISAPPROVAL OF MANAGEMENT 
PLAN.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall approve 
or disapprove the management plan not later than 
180 days after receiving the management plan. 
(2) CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL.—In determining 
the approval of the management plan, the Secretary 
shall consider whether— 
(A) the local coordinating entity is rep-
resentative of the diverse interests of the Herit-
age Area, including governments, natural and 
historic resource protection organizations, edu-
cational 
institutions, 
businesses, 
and 
rec-
reational organizations; 
(B) the local coordinating entity has af-
forded adequate opportunity for public and gov-
ernmental involvement, including public hear-
ings, in the preparation of the management 
plan; 
(C) the resource protection and interpreta-
tion strategies contained in the management 
plan, if implemented, would adequately protect 
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the natural, historical, and cultural resources of 
the Heritage Area; 
(D) the Secretary has received adequate 
assurances from the appropriate State and local 
officials whose support is needed to ensure the 
effective implementation of the State and local 
aspects of the management plan; and 
(E) the local coordinating entity has dem-
onstrated the financial capability, in partner-
ship with others, to carry out the plan. 
(3) ACTION FOLLOWING DISAPPROVAL.—If the 
Secretary disapproves the management plan, the 
Secretary shall advise the local coordinating entity in 
writing of the reasons therefore and shall make rec-
ommendations for revisions to the management plan. 
The Secretary shall approve or disapprove a pro-
posed revision within 180 days after the date it is 
submitted. 
(4) APPROVAL OF AMENDMENTS.—Substantial 
amendments to the management plan shall be re-
viewed by the Secretary and approved in the same 
manner as provided for the original management 
plan. The local coordinating entity shall not use 
Federal funds authorized by this Act to implement 
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any amendments until the Secretary has approved 
the amendments. 
SEC. 8. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—This Act shall not affect the au-
thority of any Federal official to provide technical or fi-
nancial assistance under any other law. 
(b) CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION.—The head 
of any Federal agency planning to conduct activities that 
may have an impact on the Heritage Area is encouraged 
to consult and coordinate the activities with the Secretary 
and the local coordinating entity to the extent practicable. 
(c) OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Nothing in this 
Act— 
(1) modifies, alters, or amends any law or regu-
lation authorizing a Federal agency to manage Fed-
eral land under the jurisdiction of the Federal agen-
cy; 
(2) limits the discretion of a Federal land man-
ager to implement an approved land use plan within 
the boundaries of the Heritage Area; or 
(3) modifies, alters, or amends any authorized 
use of Federal land under the jurisdiction of a Fed-
eral agency. 
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SEC. 9. PROPERTY OWNERS AND REGULATORY PROTEC-
TIONS. 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to— 
(1) abridge the rights of any property owner, 
whether public or private, including the right to re-
frain from participating in any plan, project, pro-
gram, or activity conducted within the Heritage 
Area; 
(2) require any property owner to permit public 
access (including Federal, Tribal, State, or local gov-
ernment access) to such property or to modify provi-
sions of Federal, Tribal, State, or local law with re-
gard to public access or use of private lands; 
(3) alters any duly adopted land use regulations 
or approved land use plan or any other regulatory 
authority of any Federal, State, or local agency, or 
Tribal government or to convey any land-use or 
other regulatory authority to any local coordinating 
entity; 
(4) authorizes or imply the reservation or ap-
propriation of water or water rights; 
(5) diminish the authority of the State to man-
age fish and wildlife including the regulation of fish-
ing and hunting within the Heritage Area; or 
(6) creates any liability, or affects any liability 
under any other law, of any private property owner 
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with respect to any persons injured on such private 
property. 
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated for the purposes of this Act $10,000,000, of which 
not more than $1,000,000 shall be made available for any 
fiscal year. 
(b) MATCHING FUNDS.—Federal funding provided 
under this Act may not exceed 50 percent of the total cost 
of any assistance or grant provided or authorized under 
this Act. 
(c) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—The local coordinating 
entity may not expend more than 15 percent of funds 
made available under this Act for administrative costs. 
SEC. 11. REQUIREMENTS FOR INCLUSION OF PRIVATE 
PROPERTY. 
(a) NOTIFICATION
AND CONSENT
OF PROPERTY 
OWNERS REQUIRED.—No privately owned property shall 
be preserved, conserved, or promoted by the management 
plan for the Heritage Area until the owner of that private 
property has been notified in writing by the management 
entity and has given written consent to the management 
entity for such preservation, conservation, or promotion. 
(b) LANDOWNER WITHDRAW.—Any owner of private 
property included within the boundary of the Heritage 
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Area shall have that private property immediately removed 
from the boundary by submitting a written request to the 
management entity. 
SEC. 12. SUNSET. 
The authority of the Secretary to provide financial 
assistance under this Act shall terminate on the day occur-
ring 15 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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