I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 5375
To establish the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor in the State
of New York, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OCTOBER 3, 2000
Mr. WALSH (for himself, Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. REYNOLDS, Mr.
QUINN, Mr. LAZIO, Mr. HOUGHTON, Mr. MCHUGH, and Mr. SWEENEY)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Re-
sources
A BILL
To establish the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor
in the State of New York, 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; DEFINITIONS.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
‘‘Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Act’’.
(b) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this Act, the
following definitions shall apply:
(1) 
ERIE
CANALWAY.—The 
term 
‘‘Erie
Canalway’’ means the 524 miles of navigable canal
that comprise the New York State Canal System, in-
cluding the Erie, Cayuga and Seneca, Oswego, and
Champlain Canals and the historic alignments of
these canals, including the cities of Albany and Buf-
falo.
(2) CANALWAY
PLAN.—The term ‘‘Canalway
Plan’’ means the comprehensive preservation and
management plan for the Corridor required under
section 6.
(3) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’
means the Erie Canalway National Heritage Cor-
ridor Commission established under section 4.
(4) CORRIDOR.—The term ‘‘Corridor’’ means
the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor es-
tablished under section 3.
(5) GOVERNOR.—The term ‘‘Governor’’ means
the Governor of the State of New York.
(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of the Interior.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—
(1) the year 2000 marks the 175th Anniversary
of New York State’s creation and stewardship of the
Erie Canalway for commerce, transportation and
recreational purposes, establishing the network
which made New York the ‘‘Empire State’’ and the
Nation’s premier commercial and financial center;
(2) the canals and adjacent areas that comprise
the Erie Canalway are a nationally significant re-
source of historic and recreational value, which merit
Federal recognition and assistance;––
(3) the Erie Canalway was instrumental in the
establishment of strong political and cultural ties be-
tween New England, upstate New York and the old
Northwest and facilitated the movement of ideas and
people ensuring that social reforms like the abolition
of slavery and the women’s rights movement spread
across upstate New York to the rest of the country;
(4) the construction of the Erie Canalway was
considered a supreme engineering feat, and most
American canals were modeled after New York
State’s canal;
(5) at the time of construction, the Erie
Canalway was the largest public works project ever
undertaken by a state, resulting in the creation of
critical transportation and commercial routes to
transport passengers and goods;
(6) the Erie Canalway played a key role in
turning New York City into a major port and New
York State into the preeminent center for commerce,
industry, and finance in North America and pro-
vided a permanent commercial link between the Port
of New York and the cities of eastern Canada, a cor-
nerstone of the peaceful relationship between the two
countries;
(7) the Erie Canalway proved the depth and
force of American ingenuity, solidified a national
identity, and found an enduring place in American
legend, song, and art;
(8) there is national interest in the preservation
and interpretation of the Erie Canalway’s important
historical, natural, cultural, and scenic resources;
and
(9) partnerships among Federal, State, and
local governments and their regional entities, non-
profit organizations, and the private sector offer the
most effective opportunities for the preservation and
interpretation of the Erie Canalway.
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—
(1) to designate the Erie Canalway National
Heritage Corridor;
(2) to provide for and assist in the identifica-
tion, preservation, promotion, maintenance and in-
terpretation of the historical, natural, cultural, sce-
nic, and recreational resources of the Erie Canalway