I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5279 
To establish the Baltimore National Heritage Area in the State of Maryland, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 7, 2008 
Mr. CUMMINGS (for himself, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, and Mr. 
WYNN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To establish the Baltimore National Heritage Area in the 
State of Maryland, 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 ‘‘Baltimore National 
Heritage Area Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The City of Baltimore contains 24 National 
Historic Landmarks, 53,000 buildings listed in 52 
National Register Historic Districts, 8,000 buildings 
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in 30 local historic districts, and 12 Chesapeake Bay 
Gateways, nestled in an unparalleled system of parks 
and waterways, and connected by 5 Maryland Scenic 
Byways and an All-American Road. 
(2) The Battle of Baltimore represented the de-
finitive end of the American Revolution, secured 
United States sovereignty, and gave the country 2 
enduring symbols: the United States flag and the 
poem by Francis Scott Key that became our national 
anthem, ‘‘The Star-Spangled Banner’’. 
(3) The proposed Baltimore National Heritage 
Area will tell 2 of the most significant national herit-
age stories at the locus of black history and the 
transformative effects of education, which are the 
following: 
(A) Frederick Douglass, who while as a 
slave learned to read in Baltimore and credited 
his time in the city as the foundation for his ac-
complishments; and 
(B) Thurgood Marshall, whose public 
school education in Baltimore led directly to his 
unparalleled contributions to civil rights as an 
attorney in Baltimore and as a United States 
Supreme Court Justice. 
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(4) Between the early 1800s and the mid 
1900s, about 2,000,000 immigrants landed in Balti-
more, second only to New York, as a major port of 
entry into the United States. 
(5) In 1811, the Nation’s first federally funded 
interstate transportation route, the National Road, 
begun its journey from Baltimore to the west. 
(6) Baltimore is the farthest inland east coast 
port, closest to the Nation’s interior. The Chesa-
peake Bay, the continent’s largest estuary, is a mag-
nificent, fertile, natural resource. This special mix 
gave rise to the largest city in the 6 States of the 
Chesapeake region, with a cultural landscape unique 
among world port cities. 
(7) Although Baltimore is a largely urban envi-
ronment, a number of important natural and rec-
reational resources can be found within the proposed 
National Heritage Area boundaries. Beginning with 
the first city park in 1827, Patterson Park, the 
city’s natural and recreational resources enjoy a 
noteworthy history. Most remarkable is the city’s ac-
quisition, beginning in 1860, of 7 large estates that 
created the base for the current park system, includ-
ing Leakin Park that is one of the largest urban wil-
derness parks remaining on the East Coast. 
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(8) The Baltimore City Heritage Area is a 
State heritage area designated by the State of Mary-
land in 2001. 
(9) The ‘‘Feasibility Study for a Baltimore Na-
tional Heritage Area’’, dated December 2006, found 
that the proposed area met the National Park Serv-
ice’s interim criteria for national heritage area des-
ignation. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) HERITAGE
AREA.—The term ‘‘Heritage 
Area’’ means the Baltimore 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 6. 
(4) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map ti-
tled ‘‘Baltimore National Heritage Area’’, numbered 
T10/80,000, and dated October 2007. 
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
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(6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 
of Maryland. 
SEC. 4. BALTIMORE NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the Bal-
timore National Heritage Area in the State. 
(b) BOUNDARIES.—The Heritage Area shall be com-
prised of the following, as depicted on the map: 
(1) The area encompassing the Baltimore City 
Heritage Area certified by the Maryland Heritage 
Areas Authority in October 2001 as part of the Bal-
timore City Heritage Area Management Action Plan. 
(2) The Mount Auburn Cemetery. 
(3) The Cylburn Arboretum. 
(4) The Middle Branch of the Patapsco River 
and surrounding shoreline, including— 
(A) the Cruise Maryland Terminal; 
(B) new marina construction; 
(C) the National Aquarium Aquatic Life 
Center; 
(D) the Westport Redevelopment; 
(E) the Gwynns Falls Trail; 
(F) the Baltimore Rowing Club; and 
(G) the Masonville Cove Environmental 
Center. 
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(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, and the Baltimore Heritage Area Association. 
(d) LOCAL COORDINATING ENTITY.—The Baltimore 
Heritage Area Association shall be the local coordinating 
entity for the Heritage Area. 
SEC. 5. DUTIES AND AUTHORITIES OF THE LOCAL COORDI-
NATING ENTITY. 
(a) DUTIES OF THE LOCAL COORDINATING ENTI-
TY.—To further the purposes of the Heritage Area, the 
local coordinating entity shall— 
(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; 
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(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 signs identifying points 
of public access and sites of interest are posted 
throughout the Heritage Area; and 
(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, setting 
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forth its accomplishments, expenses, and income, 
amounts and sources of matching funds, amounts le-
veraged with Federal funds and sources of such 
leveraging, and grants made to any other entities 
during the year for which the report is made; 
(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 
development that is consistent with the purposes of 
the Heritage Area. 
(b) AUTHORITIES.—The local coordinating entity 
may, subject to the prior approval of the Secretary, for 
the purposes of preparing and implementing the manage-
ment plan for the Heritage Area, use Federal funds made 
available through this Act to— 
(1) make grants to the State, its political sub-
divisions, nonprofit organizations, and other persons; 
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(2) enter into cooperative agreements with or 
provide technical assistance to the State, its subdivi-
sions, nonprofit organizations, Federal agencies, and 
other interested parties; 
(3) hire and compensate staff; 
(4) obtain money or services from any source 
including any that are provided under any other 
Federal 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 are consistent with the approved manage-
ment plan. 
(c) PROHIBITION ON THE ACQUISITION OF REAL 
PROPERTY.—The local coordinating entity may not use 
Federal funds received under this Act to acquire real prop-
erty. 
SEC. 6. MANAGEMENT PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The management plan for the 
Heritage Area shall— 
(1) describe comprehensive policies, goals, strat-
egies, and recommendations for telling the story of 
the region’s heritage and encouraging long-term re-
source 
protection, 
enhancement, 
interpretation, 
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funding, management, and development of the Her-
itage Area; 
(2) take into consideration existing State, coun-
ty, and local plans in the development of the man-
agement plan and its implementation; 
(3) include a description of actions and commit-
ments that governments, private organizations, and 
citizens plan to take to protect, enhance, and inter-
pret the natural, historic, scenic, and cultural re-
sources of the Heritage Area; 
(4) specify existing and potential sources of 
funding or economic development strategies to pro-
tect, enhance, interpret, fund, 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 stories 
and themes of the region that should be protected, 
enhanced, managed, or developed; 
(6) recommend policies and strategies for re-
source management including, the development of 
intergovernmental and interagency agreements to 
protect the Heritage Area’s natural, historical, cul-
tural, educational, scenic, and recreational resources; 
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(7) describe a program of implementation for 
the management plan, including— 
(A) performance goals; 
(B) plans for resource protection, enhance-
ment, interpretation; and 
(C) specific commitments for implementa-
tion that have been made by the local coordi-
nating entity or any government, organization, 
business, or individual; 
(8) include an analysis and recommendations 
for ways in which local, State, Tribal, and Federal 
programs may best be coordinated, including the 
role of the National Park Service and other Federal 
agencies associated with the Heritage Area, to fur-
ther 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 
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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 not later than 3 years after the date on 
which any funds are made available for this purpose 
after designation as a Heritage Area. 
(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 additional finan-
cial assistance under this Act until 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 management plan. 
(2) PRIORITY ACTIONS.—In assisting the Herit-
age Area, the Secretary shall give priority to actions 
that in general assist in— 
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(A) conserving the significant natural, his-
torical, cultural, and scenic resources of the 
Heritage Area; and 
(B) providing educational, interpretive, and 
recreational opportunities consistent with the 
purposes of the Heritage Area. 
(3) COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENTS.—The Sec-
retary is authorized to enter into cooperative agree-
ments with the local coordinating entity and other 
public or private entities to carrying out this sub-
section. 
(b) APPROVAL OF MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 
(1) REVIEW.—The Secretary shall approve or 
disapprove the management plan not later than 180 
days after receiving the management plan. 
(2) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall con-
sult with the Governor of any State and Tribal gov-
ernment in which the Heritage Area is located prior 
to approving any management plan. 
(3) CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL.—In determining 
the approval of the management plan, the Secretary 
shall consider whether— 
(A) the local coordinating entity will be 
representative of the diverse interests of the 
Heritage Area, including governments, natural 
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and historic resource protection organizations, 
educational institutions, businesses, community 
residents, and recreational organizations; 
(B) the local coordinating entity has af-
forded adequate opportunity for public and gov-
ernmental involvement, including workshops 
and public meetings, 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 
the natural, historical, and cultural resources of 
the Heritage Area; 
(D) the management plan would not ad-
versely affect any activities authorized on Fed-
eral or Tribal lands under applicable laws or 
pursuant to land use plans; 
(E) the Secretary has received adequate 
assurances from the appropriate State, Tribal, 
and local officials whose support is needed to 
ensure the effective implementation of the 
State, Tribal, and local aspects of the manage-
ment plan; and 
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(F) the local coordinating entity has dem-
onstrated the financial capability, in partner-
ship with others, to carry out the plan. 
(4) ACTION FOLLOWING DISAPPROVAL.—If the 
Secretary disapproves the management plan, the 
Secretary shall advise the local coordinating entity in 
writing of the reasons and may make recommenda-
tions for revisions to the management plan. The Sec-
retary shall approve or disapprove a proposed revi-
sion not later than 180 days after it is resubmitted. 
(5) 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 may not use Fed-
eral funds authorized by this Act to implement any 
amendments until the Secretary has approved the 
amendments. 
(c) EVALUATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years be-
fore the date on which authority for Federal funding 
terminates for the Heritage Area, the Secretary shall 
conduct an evaluation of the accomplishments of the 
Heritage Area and prepare a report with rec-
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ommendations for the National Park Service’s fu-
ture role, if any, with respect to the Heritage Area. 
(2) EVALUATION COMPONENTS.—An evaluation 
prepared under paragraph (1) shall— 
(A) assess the progress of the local coordi-
nating entity with respect to— 
(i) accomplishing the purposes of the 
authorizing legislation for the Heritage 
Area; and 
(ii) achieving the goals and objectives 
of the approved management plan for the 
Heritage Area; 
(B) analyze the Federal, State, local, and 
private investments in the Heritage Area to de-
termine the leverage and impact of the invest-
ments; and 
(C) review the management structure, 
partnership relationships, and funding of the 
Heritage Area for purposes of identifying the 
critical components for sustainability of the 
Heritage Area. 
(3) RECOMMENDATIONS.—Based upon the eval-
uation under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall pre-
pare a report with recommendations for the National 
Park Service’s future role, if any, with respect to the 
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Heritage Area. If the report recommends that Fed-
eral funding for the Heritage Area be reauthorized, 
the report shall include an analysis of— 
(A) ways in which Federal funding for the 
Heritage Area may be reduced or eliminated; 
and 
(B) the appropriate time period necessary 
to achieve the recommended reduction or elimi-
nation. 
(4) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—On completion 
of a report under paragraph (3), the Secretary shall 
submit the report to— 
(A) the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate; and 
(B) the Committee on Natural Resources 
of the House of Representatives. 
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. 
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(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. 
SEC. 9. PROPERTY OWNERS AND REGULATORY PROTEC-
TIONS. 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to— 
(1) abridge the rights of any property owner, 
public or private, including the right to refrain from 
participating in any plan, project, program, or activ-
ity 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 any 
provisions of Federal, Tribal, State, or local law with 
regard to public access or use of private lands; 
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(3) alter 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) authorize or imply the reservation or appro-
priation 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) create any liability, or affect any liability 
under any other law, of any private property owner 
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. Recipient matching funds— 
(1) must be from non-Federal sources; and 
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(2) may be made in the form of in-kind con-
tributions of goods and services fairly valued. 
SEC. 11. SUNSET. 
The authority of the Secretary to provide financial 
assistance under this Act shall terminate 15 years after 
the date of enactment of the Act. 
Æ 
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