I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 581 
To authorize a National Heritage Area Program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 28, 2015 
Mr. DENT (for himself, Mr. TONKO, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. 
MEEHAN, Mr. MARINO, Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
CLEAVER, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. GRIJALVA, and Mr. JOYCE) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Re-
sources 
A BILL 
To authorize a National Heritage Area Program, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘National Heritage Area Act of 2015’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings and purposes. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. 
Sec. 4. National Heritage Area System. 
Sec. 5. Feasibility studies. 
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Sec. 6. Management plan. 
Sec. 7. Designation. 
Sec. 8. Evaluation. 
Sec. 9. Local coordinating entities. 
Sec. 10. Relationship to other Federal agencies. 
Sec. 11. Property owners and regulatory protections. 
Sec. 12. Funding. 
Sec. 13. Sunset. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following: 
(1) Certain areas of the United States tell na-
tionally significant stories; they illustrate significant 
aspects of our heritage; possess exceptional natural, 
cultural, scenic, and historic resources; and rep-
resent the diversity of our national character. 
(2) In these areas, the interaction of natural 
processes, geography, history, cultural traditions, 
and economic and social forces form distinctive land-
scapes that should be recognized, conserved, en-
hanced, and interpreted to improve the quality of life 
in the regions and to provide opportunities for public 
appreciation, education, enjoyment, and economic 
sustainability. 
(3) Local initiatives based on community and 
regional visions, involving public/private partner-
ships, are critical to conserving, enhancing, and in-
terpreting natural, historic, scenic, and cultural re-
sources related to our American heritage. These ini-
tiatives should be encouraged and supported by the 
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Federal Government with the concurrence of the rel-
evant Federal land management agencies and tribal 
governments by providing financial and technical as-
sistance. 
(4) Partnerships among Federal, State, tribal, 
and local governments, nonprofit organizations, the 
private sector, and citizens provide the most viable 
framework to recognize, conserve, enhance, and in-
terpret the resources of places that have made im-
portant contributions to the national story. 
(5) Communities and regions need assistance to 
set resource stewardship and interpretive goals, and 
to implement strategies for resource conservation 
and renewed economic viability in these areas. 
(6) A unified national process as well as certain 
standards for designation of National Heritage 
Areas need to be established to provide a consistent 
framework. The process should include a system for 
approval of heritage area management plans. 
(7) National Heritage Areas located near or en-
compassing units of the National Park System pro-
vide an additional basis for public enjoyment of 
parks and park-related resources, and it is appro-
priate for these parks to participate in, assist with, 
and benefit from local heritage initiatives that con-
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serve and interpret resources over a larger area be-
yond the park’s boundaries. 
(8) It is in the national interest, and will ben-
efit future generations, to establish a system of Na-
tional Heritage Areas to encourage natural and cul-
tural resource conservation, interpretation, enhance-
ment, and economic sustainability, and for full pub-
lic understanding and appreciation of the many re-
sources, places, events, and peoples that have con-
tributed to the rich heritage of this Nation. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are to— 
(1) establish a system of regional and commu-
nity-based National Heritage Areas to conserve, en-
hance, and interpret natural, historic, scenic, and 
cultural resources that together tell nationally sig-
nificant stories representing our country’s heritage; 
(2) promote public understanding, appreciation 
and enjoyment of the many places, events, and peo-
ple that have contributed to our diverse national 
story; 
(3) promote innovative and partnership-driven 
management strategies that recognize regional val-
ues, to encourage locally tailored resource steward-
ship and interpretation, to develop economically via-
ble and innovative approaches to community con-
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servation, and to provide for the effective leveraging 
of Federal funds with State, local, tribal, and private 
funding sources; 
(4) provide unified national standards and proc-
esses for conducting feasibility studies, designating 
National Heritage Areas, and approving heritage 
area management plans; 
(5) provide appropriate linkages among units of 
the National Park System, and communities, govern-
ments, and organizations within National Heritage 
Areas to conserve, enhance, and interpret resources 
outside of park boundaries; and 
(6) authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
provide financial and technical assistance to local co-
ordinating entities that act as a catalyst for diverse 
regions, communities, organizations, and citizens to 
undertake projects and programs for resource stew-
ardship and interpretation. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) FEASIBILITY STUDY.—The term ‘‘feasibility 
study’’ means a study conducted by the Secretary of 
the Interior, or conducted by one or more other in-
terested parties and reviewed by the Secretary, in 
accordance with the criteria and processes outlined 
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in this Act, to determine whether an area meets the 
criteria to be designated as a National Heritage 
Area by Congress. 
(2) LOCAL COORDINATING ENTITY.—The term 
‘‘local coordinating entity’’ means the entity des-
ignated by Congress to undertake, in partnership 
with others, the management plan and to act as a 
catalyst for implementation projects and programs 
among diverse partners in a National Heritage Area. 
(3) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The term ‘‘manage-
ment plan’’ means the plan prepared by the local co-
ordinating entity for a National Heritage Area that 
specifies actions, policies, strategies, performance 
goals, and recommendations taken to meet the goals 
of the heritage area as specified in this Act. 
(4) NATIONAL
HERITAGE
AREA.—The term 
‘‘National Heritage Area’’ means a region des-
ignated by Congress that tells nationally significant 
stories representing our American heritage. 
(5) PROPOSED
NATIONAL
HERITAGE
AREA.— 
The term ‘‘proposed National Heritage Area’’ is an 
area or corridor under study by the Secretary of the 
Interior or other parties for potential designation by 
Congress as a National Heritage Area. 
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(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(7) NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA SYSTEM.—The 
term ‘‘National Heritage Area System’’ means the 
system of National Heritage Areas established by 
this Act. 
(8) TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.—The term ‘‘tribal 
government’’ means the governing body of an Indian 
tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or com-
munity of Indians that is recognized by the Sec-
retary as having a government-to-government rela-
tionship with the United States and is eligible for 
the special programs and services provided by the 
United States to Indians because of their status as 
Indians, as evidenced by inclusion of the tribe on the 
list of recognized tribes published by the Secretary 
under the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List 
Act of 199 (25 U.S.C. 479a). 
(9) TRIBAL LANDS.—The term ‘‘tribal lands’’ 
means— 
(A) all lands within the exterior boundaries 
of any Indian reservation; 
(B) all lands the title to which is held by 
the United States in trust for an Indian tribe 
or lands the title to which is held by an Indian 
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tribe subject to a restriction by the United 
States against alienation; and 
(C) all dependent Indian communities. 
SEC. 4. NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA SYSTEM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In order to recognize certain 
areas of the United States that tell nationally significant 
stories and to conserve, enhance, and interpret the areas’ 
natural, historic, scenic, and cultural resources that to-
gether illustrate significant aspects of our country’s herit-
age, there is established a National Heritage Area System 
through which the Secretary may provide technical and 
financial assistance to local coordinating entities to sup-
port the establishment, development, and continuity of 
National Heritage Areas. 
(b) NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA SYSTEM.—The Na-
tional Heritage Area System shall be composed of the fol-
lowing: 
(1) National Heritage Areas designated before 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(2) National Heritage Areas designated under 
this Act. 
(c) RELATIONSHIP TO THE NATIONAL PARK SYS-
TEM.— 
(1) 
RELATIONSHIP
TO
NATIONAL
PARK 
UNITS.—The Secretary shall— 
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(A) ensure, to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, participation and assistance by any unit 
of the National Park System located near or 
encompassed by any National Heritage Area in 
local initiatives for that National Heritage Area 
that conserve and interpret resources consistent 
with an approved management plan for the Na-
tional Heritage Area; and 
(B) work with National Heritage Areas to 
promote public enjoyment of units of the Na-
tional Park System and park-related resources. 
(2) APPLICABILITY OF LAWS.—National Herit-
age Areas shall not be— 
(A) considered to be units of the National 
Park System; or 
(B) subject to the authorities applicable to 
units of the National Park System. 
(d) DUTIES.—Under the National Heritage Area 
System, the Secretary shall— 
(1) undertake studies as directed by Congress 
through legislation to assess the feasibility of desig-
nating proposed National Heritage Areas or review 
and comment on studies undertaken by other parties 
for this purpose as provided in this Act; 
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(2) review and approve or disapprove the man-
agement plan for a National Heritage Area as pro-
vided in this Act; 
(3) submit to the Committee on Natural Re-
sources of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
United States Senate reports describing the activi-
ties conducted with respect to National Heritage 
Areas in accordance with this Act; and 
(4) conduct an evaluation of the accomplish-
ments and prepare a report with recommendations 
for the National Park Service’s future role with re-
spect to each designated National Heritage Area as 
provided in this Act. 
(e) AUTHORITIES.—In carrying out this Act, the Sec-
retary may— 
(1) provide technical and financial assistance in 
accordance with the provisions of section 10, and the 
amounts authorized under section 12, on a reim-
bursable or nonreimbursable basis as determined by 
the Secretary in the development and implementa-
tion of management plans and for administrative 
functions for designated National Heritage Areas; 
(2) enter into cooperative agreements with 
other Federal agencies, State, tribal and local gov-
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ernments, local coordinating entities, and other in-
terested parties to carry out the purposes of this 
Act; 
(3) 
provide 
information, 
promote 
under-
standing, and encourage research on National Herit-
age Areas in partnership with local coordinating en-
tities; and 
(4) provide national oversight, analysis, coordi-
nation, technical and financial assistance, and sup-
port to ensure consistency and accountability of the 
National Heritage Area System. 
SEC. 5. FEASIBILITY STUDIES. 
The Secretary, in undertaking a feasibility study, or 
reviewing a feasibility study conducted by others, shall 
apply the following criteria to determine the suitability 
and feasibility of designating a proposed National Herit-
age Area: 
(1) The proposed area is worthy of designation 
as a National Heritage Area because— 
(A) the area includes natural, historic, cul-
tural, or scenic resources that are associated 
with nationally significant themes and events 
and these resources— 
(i) combine to form a distinct and co-
hesive landscape; and 
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(ii) retain enough integrity to support 
the themes and events associated with the 
area’s national importance; and 
(B) the area provides opportunities to con-
serve natural, historic, cultural, or scenic re-
source through local and regional partnerships. 
(2) A conceptual boundary for the proposed 
area is developed based upon community input and 
the resources and themes that support the area’s na-
tional importance. 
(3) Residents, business interests, nonprofit or-
ganizations, and governments, including Federal 
land management agencies and tribal governments 
within the proposed area, have been involved in the 
feasibility study process and have demonstrated sig-
nificant support through letters and other means for 
National Heritage Area designation. 
(4) A local coordinating entity has been selected 
to operate the proposed heritage area’s activities and 
the organization is supported by residents, business 
interests, nonprofit organizations, and governments 
within the proposed area. 
(5) The recommendations put forth in the feasi-
bility study are consistent with continued economic 
activity within the area. 
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