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(2) The single event of Colonel Edwin Drake’s 
drilling of the world’s first successful oil well in 
1859 has affected the industrial, natural, social, and 
political structures of the modern world. 
(3) Six national historic districts are located 
within the State Heritage Park boundary, in 
Emlenton, Franklin, Oil City, and Titusville, as well 
as 17 separate National Register sites. 
(4) The Allegheny River, which was designated 
as a component of the national wild and scenic riv-
ers system in 1992 by Public Law 102–271, tra-
verses the Oil Region and connects several of its 
major sites, as do some of the river’s tributaries 
such as Oil Creek, French Creek, and Sandy Creek. 
(5) The unspoiled rural character of the Oil Re-
gion provides many natural and recreational re-
sources, scenic vistas, and excellent water quality for 
people throughout the United States to enjoy. 
(6) Remnants of the oil industry, visible on the 
landscape to this day, provide a direct link to the 
past for visitors, as do the historic valley settle-
ments, riverbed settlements, plateau developments, 
farmlands, and industrial landscapes. 
(7) The Oil Region also represents a cross sec-
tion of American history associated with Native
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Americans, frontier settlements, the French and In-
dian War, African Americans and the Underground 
Railroad, and immigration of Swedish and Polish in-
dividuals, among others. 
(8) Involvement by the Federal Government 
shall serve to enhance the efforts of the Common-
wealth of Pennsylvania, local subdivisions of the 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, volunteer organiza-
tions, and private businesses, to promote the cul-
tural, national, and recreational resources of the re-
gion in order to fulfill their full potential. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this title is to en-
hance a cooperative management framework to assist the 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, its units of local govern-
ment, and area citizens in conserving, enhancing, and in-
terpreting the significant features of the lands, water, and 
structures of the Oil Region, in a manner consistent with 
compatible economic development for the benefit and in-
spiration of present and future generations in the Com-
monwealth of Pennsylvania and the United States. 
SEC. 703. OIL REGION NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established 
the Oil Region National Heritage Area. 
(b) BOUNDARIES.—The boundaries of the Heritage 
Area shall include all of those lands depicted on a map
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entitled ‘‘Oil Region National Heritage Area’’, numbered 
OIRE/20,000 and dated October, 2000. The map shall be 
on file in the appropriate offices of the National Park 
Service. The Secretary of the Interior shall publish in the 
Federal Register, as soon as practical after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, a detailed description and map 
of the boundaries established under this subsection. 
(c) MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—The management entity 
for the Heritage Area shall be the Oil Heritage Region, 
Inc., the locally based private, nonprofit management cor-
poration which shall oversee the development of a manage-
ment plan in accordance with section 705(b). 
SEC. 704. COMPACT. 
To carry out the purposes of this title, the Secretary 
shall enter into a compact with the management entity. 
The compact shall include information relating to the ob-
jectives and management of the area, including a discus-
sion of the goals and objectives of the Heritage Area, in-
cluding an explanation of the proposed approach to con-
servation and interpretation and a general outline of the 
protection measures committed to by the Secretary and 
management entity.
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SEC. 705. AUTHORITIES AND DUTIES OF MANAGEMENT EN-
TITY. 
(a) AUTHORITIES OF THE MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—
The management entity may use funds made available 
under this title for purposes of preparing, updating, and 
implementing the management plan developed under sub-
section (b). Such purposes may include—
(1) making grants to, and entering into cooper-
ative agreements with, States and their political sub-
divisions, private organizations, or any other person;
(2) hiring and compensating staff; and 
(3) undertaking initiatives that advance the 
purposes of the Heritage Area. 
(b) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The management entity 
shall develop a management plan for the Heritage Area 
that—
(1) presents comprehensive strategies and rec-
ommendations for conservation, funding, manage-
ment, and development of the Heritage Area; 
(2) takes into consideration existing State, 
county, and local plans and involves residents, public 
agencies, and private organizations working in the 
Heritage Area; 
(3) includes a description of actions that units 
of government and private organizations have agreed
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to take to protect the resources of the Heritage 
Area; 
(4) specifies the existing and potential sources 
of funding to protect, manage, and develop the Her-
itage Area; 
(5) includes an inventory of the resources con-
tained in the Heritage Area, including a list of any 
property in the Heritage Area that is related to the 
themes of the Heritage Area and that should be pre-
served, restored, managed, developed, or maintained 
because of its natural, cultural, historic, recreational, 
or scenic significance; 
(6) describes a program for implementation of 
the management plan by the management entity, in-
cluding plans for restoration and construction, and 
specific commitments for that implementation that 
have been made by the management entity and any 
other persons for the first 5 years of implementa-
tion; 
(7) lists any revisions to the boundaries of the 
Heritage Area proposed by the management entity 
and requested by the affected local government; and 
(8) includes an interpretation plan for the Her-
itage Area. 
(c) DEADLINE; TERMINATION OF FUNDING.—
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(1) DEADLINE.—The management entity shall 
submit the management plan to the Secretary within 
2 years after the funds are made available for this 
title. 
(2) TERMINATION OF FUNDING.—If a manage-
ment plan is not submitted to the Secretary in ac-
cordance with this subsection, the management enti-
ty shall not qualify for Federal assistance under this 
title. 
(d) DUTIES OF MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—The man-
agement entity shall—
(1) give priority to implementing actions set 
forth in the compact and management plan; 
(2) assist units of government, regional plan-
ning organizations, and nonprofit organizations in—
(A) establishing and maintaining interpre-
tive exhibits in the Heritage Area; 
(B) developing recreational resources in 
the Heritage Area; 
(C) increasing public awareness of and ap-
preciation for the natural, historical, and archi-
tectural resources and sites in the Heritage 
Area; 
(D) the restoration of any historic building 
relating to the themes of the Heritage Area;
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(E) ensuring that clear signs identifying 
access points and sites of interest are put in 
place throughout the Heritage Area; and 
(F) carrying out other actions that the 
management entity determines to be advisable 
to fulfill the purposes of this title; 
(3) encourage by appropriate means economic 
viability in the Heritage Area consistent with the 
goals of the management plan; 
(4) consider the interests of diverse govern-
mental, business, and nonprofit groups within the 
Heritage Area; and 
(5) for any year in which Federal funds have 
been provided to implement the management plan 
under subsection (b)—
(A) conduct public meetings at least annu-
ally regarding the implementation of the man-
agement plan;
(B) submit an annual report to the Sec-
retary setting forth accomplishments, expenses 
and income, and each person to which any 
grant was made by the management entity in 
the year for which the report is made; and 
(C) require, for all agreements entered into 
by the management entity authorizing expendi-
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ture of Federal funds by any other person, that 
the person making the expenditure make avail-
able to the management entity for audit all 
records pertaining to the expenditure of such 
funds. 
(e) PROHIBITION ON THE ACQUISITION OF REAL 
PROPERTY.—The management entity may not use Fed-
eral funds received under this title to acquire real property 
or an interest in real property. 
SEC. 706. DUTIES AND AUTHORITIES OF THE SECRETARY. 
(a) TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—
(A) OVERALL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary 
may, upon the request of the management enti-
ty, and subject to the availability of appropria-
tions, provide technical and financial assistance 
to the management entity to carry out its du-
ties under this title, including updating and im-
plementing a management plan that is sub-
mitted under section 705(b) and approved by 
the Secretary and, prior to such approval, pro-
viding assistance for initiatives. 
(B) OTHER ASSISTANCE.—If the Secretary 
has the resources available to provide technical 
assistance to the management entity to carry
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out its duties under this title (including updat-
ing and implementing a management plan that 
is submitted under section 705(b) and approved 
by the Secretary and, prior to such approval, 
providing assistance for initiatives), upon the 
request of the management entity the Secretary 
shall provide such assistance on a reimbursable 
basis. This subparagraph does not preclude the 
Secretary from providing nonreimbursable as-
sistance under subparagraph (A). 
(2) PRIORITY.—In assisting the management 
entity, the Secretary shall give priority to actions 
that assist in the—
(A) implementation of the management 
plan; 
(B) provision of educational assistance and 
advice regarding land and water management 
techniques to conserve the significant natural 
resources of the region; 
(C) development and application of tech-
niques promoting the preservation of cultural 
and historic properties; 
(D) preservation, restoration, and reuse of 
publicly and privately owned historic buildings;
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(E) design and fabrication of a wide range 
of interpretive materials based on the manage-
ment plan, including guide brochures, visitor 
displays, audio-visual and interactive exhibits, 
and educational curriculum materials for public 
education; and 
(F) implementation of initiatives prior to 
approval of the management plan. 
(3) DOCUMENTATION
OF
STRUCTURES.—The 
Secretary, acting through the Historic American 
Building Survey and the Historic American Engi-
neering Record, shall conduct studies necessary to 
document the industrial, engineering, building, and 
architectural history of the Heritage Area. 
(b) APPROVAL AND DISAPPROVAL OF MANAGEMENT 
PLANS.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Governor 
of Pennsylvania, shall approve or disapprove a manage-
ment plan submitted under this title not later than 90 
days after receiving such plan. In approving the plan, the 
Secretary shall take into consideration the following cri-
teria: 
(1) The extent to which the management plan 
adequately preserves and protects the natural, cul-
tural, and historical resources of the Heritage Area.
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(2) The level of public participation in the de-
velopment of the management plan. 
(3) The extent to which the board of directors 
of the management entity is representative of the 
local government and a wide range of interested or-
ganizations and citizens. 
(c) ACTION FOLLOWING DISAPPROVAL.—If the Sec-
retary disapproves a management plan, the Secretary shall 
advise the management entity in writing of the reasons 
for the disapproval and shall make recommendations for 
revisions in the management plan. The Secretary shall ap-
prove or disapprove a proposed revision within 90 days 
after the date it is submitted. 
(d) APPROVING CHANGES.—The Secretary shall re-
view and approve amendments to the management plan 
under section 705(b) that make substantial changes. 
Funds appropriated under this title may not be expended 
to implement such changes until the Secretary approves 
the amendments. 
(e) EFFECT OF INACTION.—If the Secretary does not 
approve or disapprove a management plan, revision, or 
change within 90 days after it is submitted to the Sec-
retary, then such management plan, revision, or change 
shall be deemed to have been approved by the Secretary.
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SEC. 707. DUTIES OF OTHER FEDERAL ENTITIES. 
Any Federal entity conducting or supporting activi-
ties directly affecting the Heritage Area shall—
(1) consult with the Secretary and the manage-
ment entity with respect to such activities; 
(2) cooperate with the Secretary and the man-
agement entity in carrying out their duties under 
this title 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 that the man-
agement entity determines shall not have an adverse 
effect on the Heritage Area. 
SEC. 708. SUNSET. 
The Secretary may not make any grant or provide 
any assistance under this title after the expiration of the 
15-year period beginning on the date that funds are first 
made available for this title. 
SEC. 709. 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
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entity and has given written consent for such preservation, 
conservation, or promotion to the management entity. 
(b) LANDOWNER WITHDRAW.—Any owner of private 
property included within the boundary of the Heritage 
Area shall have their property immediately removed from 
the boundary by submitting a written request to the man-
agement entity. 
SEC. 710. PRIVATE PROPERTY PROTECTION. 
(a) ACCESS
TO PRIVATE PROPERTY.—Nothing in 
this title shall be construed to—
(1) require any private property owner to allow 
public access (including Federal, State, or local gov-
ernment access) to such private property; or 
(2) modify any provision of Federal, State, or 
local law with regard to public access to or use of 
private property. 
(b) LIABILITY.—Designation of the Heritage Area 
shall not be considered to create any liability, or to have 
any effect on any liability under any other law, of any pri-
vate property owner with respect to any persons injured 
on such private property. 
(c) RECOGNITION
OF AUTHORITY TO CONTROL 
LAND USE.—Nothing in this title shall be construed to 
modify the authority of Federal, State, or local govern-
ments to regulate land use.
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(d) PARTICIPATION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS 
IN HERITAGE AREA.—Nothing in this title shall be con-
strued to require the owner of any private property located 
within the boundaries of the Heritage Area to participate 
in or be associated with the Heritage Area. 
(e) EFFECT OF ESTABLISHMENT.—The boundaries 
designated for the Heritage Area represent the area within 
which Federal funds appropriated for the purpose of this 
title may be expended. The establishment of the Heritage 
Area and its boundaries shall not be construed to provide 
any nonexisting regulatory authority on land use within 
the Heritage Area or its viewshed by the Secretary, the 
National Park Service, or the management entity. 
SEC. 711. USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS FROM OTHER SOURCES. 
Nothing in this title shall preclude the management 
entity from using Federal funds available under Acts other 
than this title for the purposes for which those funds were 
authorized. 
SEC. 712. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this title—
(1) not more than $1,000,000 for any fiscal 
year; and 
(2) not more than a total of $10,000,000.
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(b) 50 PERCENT MATCH.—Financial assistance pro-
vided under this title may not be used to pay more than 
50 percent of the total cost of any activity carried out with 
that assistance.
Passed the House of Representatives November 18, 
2003. 
Attest: 
JEFF TRANDAHL, 
Clerk.