H. R. 1154 
One Hundred Seventeenth Congress 
of the 
United States of America 
AT THE SECOND SESSION 
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, 
the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-two 
An Act 
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability 
and feasibility of designating certain land as the Great Dismal Swamp National 
Heritage Area, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Great Dismal Swamp National 
Heritage Area Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) HERITAGE AREA.—The term ‘‘Heritage Area’’ means the 
Great Dismal Swamp National Heritage Area. 
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 
of the Interior. 
(3) STATES.—The term ‘‘States’’ means the States of Vir-
ginia and North Carolina. 
(4) STUDY AREA.—The term ‘‘study area’’ means— 
(A) the cities of Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and 
Suffolk in the State of Virginia; 
(B) Isle of Wight County in the State of Virginia; 
(C) Camden, Currituck, Gates, and Pasquotank coun-
ties in the State of North Carolina; and 
(D) any other areas in the States that— 
(i) have heritage aspects that are similar to the 
areas described in subparagraphs (A), (B), or (C); and 
(ii) are adjacent to, or in the vicinity of, those 
areas. 
SEC. 3. STUDY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation with State 
and local organizations and governmental agencies, Tribal govern-
ments, non-profit organizations, and other appropriate entities, 
shall conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of 
designating the study area as a National Heritage Area, to be 
known as the ‘‘Great Dismal Swamp National Heritage Area’’. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—The study shall include analysis, docu-
mentation, and determinations on whether the study area— 
(1) has an assemblage of natural, historic, and cultural 
resources that— 
(A) represent distinctive aspects of the people and cul-
tures of the United States;
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(B) are worthy of recognition, conservation, interpreta-
tion, and continuing use; and 
(C) would be best managed— 
(i) through partnerships among public and private 
entities; and 
(ii) by linking diverse and sometimes noncontig-
uous resources and active communities; 
(2) reflects traditions, customs, beliefs, and folklife that 
are a valuable part of the story of the United States; 
(3) provides outstanding opportunities— 
(A) to conserve natural, historic, cultural, or scenic 
features; and 
(B) for recreation and education; 
(4) contains resources that— 
(A) are important to any identified themes of the study 
area; and 
(B) retain a degree of integrity capable of supporting 
interpretation; 
(5) 
includes 
residents, 
business 
interests, 
nonprofit 
organizations, and State, local, and Tribal governments, and 
other appropriate entities that— 
(A) are involved in the planning of the Heritage Area; 
(B) have developed a conceptual financial plan that 
outlines the roles of all participants in the Heritage Area, 
including the Federal Government; and 
(C) have demonstrated support for the designation of 
the Heritage Area; 
(6) has a potential management entity to work in partner-
ship with the individuals and entities described in paragraph 
(5) to develop the Heritage Area while encouraging State and 
local economic activity; and 
(7) has a conceptual boundary map that is supported by 
the public. 
SEC. 4. REPORT. 
Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds are 
first made available to carry out this Act, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate a report that describes— 
(1) the findings of the study under section 3; and
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(2) any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary. 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.