SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Alabama Black Belt 
National Heritage Area Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) NATIONAL
HERITAGE
AREA.—The term 
‘‘National Heritage Area’’ means the Alabama Black 
Belt National Heritage Area established by section 
3(a). 
(2) LOCAL COORDINATING ENTITY.—The term 
‘‘local coordinating entity’’ means the local coordi-
nating entity for the National Heritage Area. 
(3) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The term ‘‘manage-
ment plan’’ means the management plan for the Na-
tional Heritage Area prepared under section 5(a). 
(4) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map en-
titled ‘‘Alabama Black Belt Proposed National Her-
itage Area’’, numbered 258/177,272, and dated Sep-
tember 2021. 
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 
of Alabama.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF ALABAMA BLACK BELT NA-
TIONAL HERITAGE AREA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established the Alabama 
Black Belt National Heritage Area in the State of Ala-
bama, to consist of land in Bibb, Bullock, Butler, Choc-
taw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, 
Macon, Marengo, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, 
Sumter, Washington, and Wilcox counties in the State, as 
generally depicted on the map. 
(b) LOCAL COORDINATING ENTITY.—The Center for 
the Study of the Black Belt at the University of West Ala-
bama shall serve as the local coordinating entity for the 
National Heritage Area. 
SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION. 
(a) AUTHORITIES.—For purposes of carrying out the 
management plan for the National Heritage Area, the Sec-
retary acting through the local coordinating entity may 
use amounts made available under this Act— 
(1) to make grants to the State or a political 
subdivision of the State, Indian Tribes, nonprofit or-
ganizations, and other persons; 
(2) to enter into cooperative agreements with, 
or provide technical assistance to, the State or a po-
litical subdivision of the State, Indian Tribes, non-
profit organizations, and other interested parties;
(3) to hire and compensate staff, which shall in-
clude individuals with expertise in natural, cultural, 
and historical resources protection and heritage pro-
gramming; 
(4) to obtain money or services from any 
source, including any money or services that are pro-
vided under any other Federal law or program, pro-
vided that any money specifically authorized for Na-
tional Heritage areas shall be subject to a 50 per-
cent cost-share requirement; 
(5) to contract for goods or services; and 
(6) to undertake or be a catalyst for any other 
activity that furthers the purposes of the National 
Heritage Area and is consistent with the approved 
management plan. 
(b) DUTIES.—The local coordinating entity for the 
National Heritage Area shall— 
(1) in accordance with section 5, prepare and 
submit a management plan for the National Herit-
age Area to the Secretary; 
(2) assist Federal agencies, the State or a polit-
ical subdivision of the State, Indian Tribes, regional 
planning organizations, nonprofit organizations, and 
other interested parties in carrying out the approved 
management plan by—
(A) carrying out programs and projects 
that recognize, protect, and enhance important 
resource values in the National Heritage Area; 
(B) establishing and maintaining interpre-
tive exhibits and programs in the National Her-
itage Area; 
(C) developing recreational, interpretive, 
and educational opportunities in the National 
Heritage Area; 
(D) increasing public awareness of, and 
appreciation for, natural, historical, scenic, and 
cultural resources of the National Heritage 
Area; 
(E) protecting and restoring historic sites 
and buildings in the National Heritage Area 
that are consistent with the themes of the Na-
tional Heritage Area; 
(F) ensuring that clear, consistent, and ap-
propriate signs identifying points of public ac-
cess and sites of interest are posted throughout 
the National Heritage Area; and 
(G) promoting a wide range of partner-
ships among the Federal Government, State, 
Tribal, and local governments, organizations,
and individuals to further the purposes of the 
National Heritage Area; 
(3) consider the interests of diverse units of 
government, businesses, organizations, and individ-
uals in the National Heritage Area in the prepara-
tion and implementation of the management plan; 
(4) conduct meetings open to the public not less 
frequently than semiannually regarding the develop-
ment and implementation of the management plan; 
(5) for any year that Federal funds have been 
received under this Act— 
(A) submit to the Secretary an annual re-
port that describes the activities, expenses, and 
income of the local coordinating entity (includ-
ing grants to any other entities during the year 
that the report is made); 
(B) make available to the Secretary for 
audit all records relating to the expenditure of 
the funds and any matching funds; and 
(C) encourage by appropriate means eco-
nomic viability that is consistent with the Na-
tional Heritage Area. 
(c) PROHIBITION ON THE ACQUISITION OF REAL 
PROPERTY.—The local coordinating entity shall not use
Federal funds to acquire real property or any interest in 
real property. 
SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the local coordinating entity 
of the National Heritage Area shall submit to the Sec-
retary for approval a proposed management plan for the 
National Heritage Area. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—The management plan shall— 
(1) incorporate an integrated and cooperative 
approach for the protection, enhancement, and inter-
pretation of the natural, cultural, historic, scenic, 
and recreational resources of the National Heritage 
Area; 
(2) take into consideration Federal, State, local, 
and Tribal plans and treaty rights; 
(3) include— 
(A) an inventory of— 
(i) the resources located in the Na-
tional Heritage Area; and 
(ii) any other property in the National 
Heritage Area that— 
(I) is related to the themes of the 
National Heritage Area; and
government, organization, or individual for 
the first 5 years of operation; 
(E) the identification of sources of funding 
for carrying out the management plan; 
(F) analysis and recommendations for 
means by which Federal, State, local, and Trib-
al programs, including the role of the National 
Park Service in the National Heritage Area, 
may best be coordinated to carry out this Act; 
and 
(G) an interpretive plan for the National 
Heritage Area; and 
(4) 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 natural, historical, cultural, edu-
cational, scenic, and recreational resources of the 
National Heritage Area. 
(c) DEADLINE.—If a proposed management plan is 
not submitted to the Secretary by the date that is 3 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the local coordi-
nating entity shall be ineligible to receive additional fund-
ing under this Act until the date on which the Secretary 
approves the management plan. 
(d) APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF MANAGEMENT 
PLAN.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of receipt of the management plan 
under this section, the Secretary, in consultation 
with State and Tribal governments, shall approve or 
disapprove the management plan. 
(2) CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL.—In determining 
whether to approve the management plan, the Sec-
retary shall consider whether— 
(A) the local coordinating entity is rep-
resentative of the diverse interests of the Na-
tional Heritage Area, including the Federal, 
State, Tribal, and local governments, natural 
and historic resource protection organizations, 
educational institutions, businesses, and rec-
reational organizations; 
(B) the local coordinating entity has af-
forded adequate opportunity, including public 
hearings, for public and governmental involve-
ment in the preparation of the management 
plan; and
(C) the resource protection and interpreta-
tion strategies contained in the management 
plan, if implemented, would adequately protect 
the natural, historical, and cultural resources of 
the National Heritage Area. 
(3) ACTION FOLLOWING DISAPPROVAL.—If the 
Secretary disapproves the management plan under 
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall— 
(A) advise the local coordinating entity in 
writing the reasons for the disapproval; 
(B) make recommendations for revisions to 
the management plan; and 
(C) not later than 180 days after the re-
ceipt of any proposed revision of the manage-
ment plan from the local coordinating entity, 
approve or disapprove the proposed revision. 
(4) AMENDMENTS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall ap-
prove or disapprove each amendment to the 
management plan that the Secretary determines 
make a substantial change to the management 
plan. 
(B) USE
OF
FUNDS.—The local coordi-
nating entity shall not use Federal funds to 
carry out any amendment to the management
plan until the date on which the Secretary has 
approved the amendment. 
SEC. 6. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act affects the au-
thority of a Federal agency to provide technical or finan-
cial 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 National Heritage Area is en-
couraged to consult and coordinate the activities with the 
Secretary and the local coordinating entity to the max-
imum extent practicable. 
(c) OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Nothing in this 
Act— 
(1) modifies, alters, or amends any law or regu-
lations 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 National Heritage Area; or 
(3) modifies, alters, or amends any authorized 
use of Federal land under the jurisdiction of a Fed-
eral agency.
SEC. 7. PRIVATE PROPERTY AND REGULATORY PROTEC-
TIONS. 
Nothing in this Act— 
(1) abridges 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 National Her-
itage Area; 
(2) requires any property owner— 
(A) to permit public access (including ac-
cess by Federal, State, or local agencies) to the 
property of the property owner; or 
(B) to modify public access or use of prop-
erty of the property owner under any other 
Federal, State, or local law; 
(3) alters any duly adopted land use regulation, 
approved land use plan, or other regulatory author-
ity of any Federal, State, Tribal, or local agency; 
(4) conveys any land use or other regulatory 
authority to the local coordinating entity; 
(5) authorizes or implies the reservation or ap-
propriation of water or water rights; 
(6) enlarges or diminishes the treaty rights of 
any Indian Tribe within the National Heritage Area; 
(7) diminishes—
(A) the authority of the State to manage 
fish and wildlife, including the regulation of 
fishing and hunting, within the National Herit-
age Area; or 
(B) the authority of Indian Tribes to regu-
late members of Indian Tribes with respect to 
fishing, hunting, and gathering in the exercise 
of treaty rights; or 
(8) creates any liability, or affects any liability 
under any other law, of any private property owner 
with respect to any person injured on the private 
property. 
SEC. 8. EVALUATION AND REPORT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—For the National Heritage Area, 
not later than 3 years before the date specified under sec-
tion 9, the Secretary shall— 
(1) conduct an evaluation of the accomplish-
ments of the National Heritage Area; and 
(2) prepare a report in accordance with sub-
section (c). 
(b) EVALUATION.—An evaluation conducted under 
subsection (a)(1) shall— 
(1) assess the progress of the local coordinating 
entity with respect to—
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3222 
AN ACT 
To establish the Alabama Black Belt National 
Heritage Area, and for other purposes.