nizations whose missions and resources can contribute
substantially to the purposes of this Act.
(c) OTHER ASSISTANCE.—Nothing in this Act shall be
deemed to prohibit the Secretary or other units of govern-
ment from providing technical or financial assistance under
any other provision of law.
(d) CONTENTS OF STUDIES, COMPACTS, AND PLANS.—
(1) FEASIBILITY STUDY.—Each feasibility study
under this Act shall include sufficient information to
determine if an area has the potential to meet the cri-
teria in section 5(c). Such information shall include,
but need not be limited to, each of the following:
(A) A description of the natural, historic,
and cultural resources and recreational opportu-
nities, including an assessment of their quality,
the degree of integrity, the availability of public
access and the themes represented by such re-
sources and opportunities.
(B) An assessment of the interest of poten-
tial partners, including units of government,
nonprofit organizations, and other private enti-
ties.
(C) A description of tentative boundaries for
the area to be nominated.
(D) Identification of a possible management
entity.
(2) COMPACT.—A compact under this Act shall
include information relating to the objectives and
management of the area to be proposed for designa-
tion. Such information shall include, but need not be
limited to each of the following:
(A) A delineation of the boundaries of the
proposed area.
(B) A discussion of the goals and objectives
of the area to be nominated, including an expla-
nation of the proposed approach to conservation
and interpretation, and a general outline of the
protection measures committed to by the part-
ners.
(C) An identification and description of the
management entity which will administer the
heritage area.
(D) A list of the initial partners to be in-
volved in developing and implementing the man-
agement plan for the proposed area, as well as
a statement of the financial commitment of such
partners.
(E) A description of the role of the State or
States in which the proposed area is located.
(3) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—A management plan
under this Act for an American Heritage Area shall
present comprehensive recommendations for the herit-
age area’s conservation, funding, management and
development. Such plan shall take into consideration
existing State, county, and local plans and involve
residents, public agencies, and private organizations
working in the area. It shall include recommended ac-
tions to be undertaken by units of government and
private organizations to protect the resources of the
area. It shall specify the existing and potential
sources of funding to protect, manage and develop the
area. Such plans shall include specifically as appro-
priate:
(A) An inventory of the resources contained
in the heritage area, including a list of property
in the area which should be preserved, restored,
managed, developed, maintained because of its
natural, cultural, or historic significance as it
relates to the themes of the area.
(B) A recommendation of policies for re-
source management which consider and detail
application of appropriate land and water man-
agement techniques, including (but not limited
to) the development of intergovernmental cooper-
ative agreements to protect the area’s historical,
cultural, and natural resources and recreational
opportunities in a manner consistent with sup-
porting appropriate and compatible economic vi-
ability.
(C) A program for implementation of the
management plan by the management entity, in-
cluding plans for restoration and construction,
as well as specific commitments of the identified
partners for the first 5 years of operation.
(D) An analysis of ways in which local,
State, and Federal programs may best be coordi-
nated to promote the purposes of the Act.
(E) An interpretation plan for the Amer-
ican Heritage Area.
(e) EARLY ACTION.—After designation of an American
Heritage Area but prior to approval of the management
plan for that area, the Secretary may provide technical and
financial assistance for early actions which are important
to the theme of the area and which protect resources in im-
minent danger of irreversible damage but for the fact of such
early action.
SEC. 7. MANAGEMENT ENTITIES.
(a) GENERAL.—The management entities named in
the compacts for American Heritage Areas are authorized
to receive Federal funds in support of cooperative partner-
ships to prepare and implement the management plans and
otherwise perform the functions contemplated in this Act.
To be eligible for designation as the management entity of
an American Heritage Area, a unit of government or pri-
vate nonprofit organization must possess the legal ability
to—
(1) receive Federal funds for use in preparing
and implementing the management plan;
(2) disburse Federal funds to other units of gov-
ernment or other organizations for use in preparing
and implementing the management plan;
(3) account for all Federal funds so received or
disbursed; and
(4) sign agreements with the Federal Govern-
ment.
(b) AUTHORITIES OF THE MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—
The management entity may, for purposes of preparing and
implementing the management plan, use Federal funds
made available through this Act—
(1) to make grants and loans to States, political
subdivisions thereof, private organizations, and other
persons;
(2) to enter into cooperative agreements with
Federal agencies; and
(3) to hire and compensate staff.
(c) DUTIES OF THE MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—The man-
agement entity for an American Heritage Area shall—
(1) develop and submit to the Secretary for ap-
proval a management plan as described in section
6(d) within 5 years of the date of designation of such
area;
(2) give priority to implementing actions as set
forth in the compact and the management plan, in-
cluding taking steps to—
(A) assist units of government, regional
planning organizations, and nonprofit organiza-
tions in preserving the American Heritage Area;
(B) assist units of government, regional
planning organizations, and nonprofit organiza-
tions in establishing, and maintaining interpre-
tive exhibits in the American Heritage Area;
(C) assist units of government, regional
planning organizations, and nonprofit organiza-
tions in developing recreational opportunities in
the American Heritage Area;
(D) assist units of government, regional
planning organizations, and nonprofit organiza-
tions in increasing public awareness of and ap-
preciation for the natural, historical, and cul-
tural resources in the American Heritage Area;
(E) assist units of government, regional
planning organizations and nonprofit organiza-
tions in the restoration of any historic building
relating to the themes of the American Heritage
Area;
(F) encourage by appropriate means eco-
nomic viability in the corridor consistent with
the goals of the management plan;
(G) encourage local governments to adopt
land use policies consistent with the management
of the American Heritage Area and the goals of
the management plan; and
(H) assist units of government, regional
planning organizations and nonprofit organiza-
tions to ensure that clear, consistent, and envi-
ronmentally appropriate signs identifying access
points and sites of interest are put in place
throughout the American Heritage Area;
(3) in developing and implementing the manage-
ment plan, consider the interests of diverse govern-
mental, business, and nonprofit groups within the ge-
ographic area;
(4) conduct public meetings at least quarterly re-
garding the implementation of the management plan;
(5) submit substantial changes (including any
increase of more than 20 percent in the cost estimates
for implementation) to the management plan to the
Secretary for the Secretary’s approval;
(6) for any year in which Federal funds have
been received under this Act, submit an annual report
to the Secretary setting forth its accomplishments, its
expenses and income, and the entities to which any
loans and grants were made during the year for
which the report is made;
(7) for any year in which Federal funds have
been received under this Act, make available for audit
by the Congress, the Secretary, and appropriate units
of government all records and other information per-
taining to the expenditure of such funds and any
matching funds, and require, for all agreements au-
thorizing expenditure of Federal funds by other orga-
nizations, that the receiving organizations make
available for audit by such entities all records and
other information pertaining to the expenditure of
such funds; and
(8) be liable for any loans made pursuant to sec-
tion 7(b)(1).
(d) DISQUALIFICATION FOR FEDERAL FUNDING.—If a
management plan is not submitted to the Secretary as re-
quired under subsection (c)(1) within the specified time, the
American Heritage Area shall no longer qualify for Federal
funding.
(e) PROHIBITION
ON
THE ACQUISITION
OF REAL
PROPERTY.—The management entity may not use Federal
funds received under this Act to acquire real property or
interest in real property. Nothing in this Act shall preclude
any management entity from using Federal funds from
other sources for their permitted purposes.
(f) ELIGIBILITY FOR RECEIVING FINANCIAL ASSIST-
ANCE.—(1) A management entity for a designated Amer-
ican Heritage Area shall be eligible to receive funds appro-
priated through this Act for a period of 10 years after the
day on which the American Heritage Area is designated,
except as provided in paragraph (2).
(2) A management entity’s eligibility for funding
under this Act may be extended for a period of not more
than 5 additional years, if—
(A) the management entity determines such ex-
tension is necessary in order to carry out the purposes
of this Act and notifies the Secretary not later than
180 days prior to the termination date;
(B) the management entity, not later than 180
days prior to the termination date, presents to the
Secretary a plan of its activities for the period of the
extension, including provisions for becoming inde-
pendent of the funds made available through this Act;
and
(C) the Secretary, with the advice of the Gov-
ernors of the States in which the American Heritage
Area is located, approves such extension of funding.
(3) Any extension provided pursuant to this subsection
shall not be construed as waiving any limitation on funds
provided by this Act.
SEC. 8. DUTIES AND AUTHORITIES OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.
(a) DUTIES AND AUTHORITIES OF THE SECRETARY.—
(1) TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.—
(A) Following designation of an American Heritage
Area, the Secretary may, upon request of the manage-
ment entity, provide technical and financial assist-
ance with respect to American Heritage Area to de-
velop and implement the management plan.
(B) In assisting a designated American Heritage
Area, the Secretary shall give priority to actions that
in general assist in—
(i) conserving the significant natural, his-
toric, and cultural resources which support the
themes of the American Heritage Area; and
(ii) providing education, interpretive, and
recreational opportunities consistent with the re-
sources and associated values of the American
Heritage Area.
(C) The Secretary is authorized to spend Federal
funds directly on nonfederally owned property to fur-
ther the purposes of this Act, especially in assisting
units of government in appropriate treatment of dis-
tricts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects listed or
eligible for listing on the National Register of His-
toric Places.
(D) The Secretary shall decide which American
Heritage Areas shall be awarded technical and finan-
cial assistance, and the amount of such assistance.
Such decisions shall be based on the relative degree to
which each Area most effectively fulfills the objectives
contained in the management plan and shall give
consideration to projects which provide a greater le-
verage of Federal funds.
(E) The Secretary may provide technical and fi-
nancial assistance to units of government and to non-
(4) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Secretary shall sub-
mit an annual report to Congress on the American
Heritage Partnership Program. Such report shall in-
clude—
(A) the number, amount and recipients of
any grants provided by the Secretary and the
nature of any technical assistance or early ac-
tion provided pursuant to this Act;
(B) a description of the areas nominated for
the American Heritage Partnership Program;
(C) the Secretary’s recommendations for
areas to be designated by Congress; and
(D) the status of the implementation of con-
tractual agreements entered into by the Secretary
under this same program.
(5) OVERSIGHT OF HERITAGE AREAS.—The Sec-
retary shall investigate, study and continually mon-
itor the welfare of American Heritage Areas whose
eligibility for Federal funding has expired, and shall
report to the Congress periodically on the current and
changed condition of any such American Heritage
Area.
(6) PROVIDING
INFORMATION.—In cooperation
with other Federal agencies, the Secretary shall pro-
vide the general public with information as to the lo-
SEC. 9. PRIVATE PROPERTY USE.
Land use plans for a designated American Heritage
Area may be adopted and implemented by local govern-
ments, or management entities authorized by State law to
exercise such authorities concerning private property use,
pursuant to the compact, the management plan, and the
other binding agreements among the partners supporting
the American Heritage Area to achieve the purposes of the
designation.
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) FEASIBILITY STUDIES, COMPACTS, MANAGEMENT
PLANS, AND EARLY ACTIONS.—From the amounts made
available to carry out the National Historic Preservation
Act, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary,
for grants and technical assistance pursuant to section 6
and the administration thereof, annually not more than
$10,000,000, to remain available until expended with the
following conditions:
(1) No grant for a feasibility study, compact,
management plan, or early action may exceed 75 per-
cent of the grantee’s cost for such study, plan, or early
action.
(2) The total amount of Federal funding for a
feasibility study for any one American Heritage Area
may not exceed $100,000.
(3) The total amount of Federal funding for a
compact for any one American Heritage Area may
not exceed $150,000.
(4) The total amount of Federal funding for
early action grants for any one American Heritage
Area may not exceed $250,000.
(5) The total amount of Federal funding for a
management plan for any one American Heritage
Area may not exceed $150,000.
(b) MANAGEMENT ENTITY OPERATIONS.—
(1) OPERATING
COSTS.—From the amounts
made available to carry out the National Historic
Preservation Act, there is authorized to be appro-
priated to the Secretary for the operating costs of each
management entity pursuant to section 7 not more
than $250,000 annually.
(2) COST SHARE.—The Federal contribution to
the operations of any management entity shall not ex-
ceed 50 percent of the annual operating costs of that
entity.
(c) IMPLEMENTATION.—From the amounts made
available to carry out the National Historic Preservation
Act, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary,
for grants and technical assistance pursuant to section 8
and the administration thereof for the implementation of
management plans for designated American Heritage Areas
pursuant to section 8, annually not more than $25,000,000,
to remain available until expended, with the following con-
ditions—
(1) No grant for implementation may exceed 50
percent of the grantee’s cost of implementation.
(2) No more than 10 percent of the annual ap-
propriation for this subsection shall be made avail-
able, in any single year, for implementation activities
in a given area.
(3) No more than $10,000,000 in total may be
made available under this subsection to any one
American Heritage Area.
(4) Any payment made shall be subject to an
agreement that conversion, use, or disposal of the
project so assisted for purposes contrary to the pur-
poses of this Act, as determined by the Secretary,
shall result in a right of the United States of reim-
bursement of all funds made available to such project
or the proportion of the increased value of the project
attributable to such funds as determined at the time
of such conversion, use, or disposal, whichever is
greater.
(d) LIMITATION ON AMOUNTS AVAILABLE FOR TECH-
NICAL ASSISTANCE.—For any one American Heritage Area,
an amount equal to not more than 10 percent of the total
amount made available to such area under this section for
a fiscal year may be made available for that fiscal year
for technical assistance with respect to that area.
SEC. 11. EXPIRATION OF AUTHORITIES.
The authorities contained in this Act shall expire on
September 30 of the 25th fiscal year beginning after the date
of enactment of this Act. The Secretary shall submit to the
Congress every 5 years a report on the status and accom-
plishments of the overall American Heritage Area Partner-
ship Program.
SEC. 12. SAVINGS PROVISION.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to expand or
diminish any authorities provided by laws designating in-
dividual National Heritage Areas or Corridors established
prior to enactment of this Act.
HR 3707 RH——2
HR 3707 RH——3