I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3411
To designate the Northwest Territory of the Great Lakes National Heritage
Area, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOVEMBER 16, 1999
Mr. SOUDER (for himself, Mr. HASTERT, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. GILLMOR, Mr.
LAHOOD, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr. BOEHNER, Mr. PORTMAN, Mr. STU-
PAK, Mr. ENGLISH, Mr. BARCIA, Mr. EWING, Mr. ROEMER, Mrs. JONES
of Ohio, Mr. HOEKSTRA, Mr. MCINTOSH, Mr. SAWYER, Mr. PHELPS, Mr.
GREEN of Wisconsin, Ms. STABENOW, and Mr. OXLEY) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources
A BILL
To designate the Northwest Territory of the Great Lakes
National Heritage Area, 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 ‘‘Northwest Territory
of the Great Lakes National Heritage Area Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following:
(1) The region which includes Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan, and Ohio was once known as the North-
west Territory. It was the first frontier region of the
new United States of America. Some of the indige-
nous peoples of the area were the Delaware,
Kikapoo, Miami, Ottawa, Piankeshaw, Potowatami,
Shawnee, Wea, and Wyandotte Indians.
(2) The distinctive landscape of this area was
largely defined by—
(A) the Ordinance of 1785, which estab-
lished a system of transferring land ownership
from the Indians to the United States Govern-
ment and then to private owners, and created
the system of land surveyance and township
and county plats which remains today;
(B) the Northwest Ordinance of 1787,
which established a process through which self-
government in this first frontier of the newly
organized United States could be established;
and
(C) the Treaty of Greeneville of 1795,
which signaled the end of Indian resistance in
the region.
(3) The local environmental and topographical
landscape of the area was largely defined in commer-
cial and strategic terms by—
(A) the area river systems, including but
not limited to—
(i) the Fox River, the Illinois River,
and the Kankakee River, in the State of Il-
linois;
(ii) the Eel River, the Elkhart River,
the Kankakee River, the Maumee River,
the St. Joseph River, the St. Mary’s River,
and the Wabash River in the State of Indi-
ana;
(iii) the Detroit River, the St. Mary’s
River, and the St. Joseph River in the
State of Michigan; and
(iv) the Great Miami River, the
Maumee River, and the St. Mary’s River in
the State of Ohio;
(B) the Great Lakes;
(C) the River Portage Trails, including but
not limited to—
(i) the 3 mile portage from the St. Jo-
seph River to the Little Wabash River in
Fort Wayne, which was the only separation
in the waterway from the upper Great
Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico; and
(ii) from the Great Miami River to the
St. Mary’s and Wabash Rivers in Ohio;
(D) the 13 forts which developed in the re-
gion, including but not limited to—
(i) Fort Dearborn, in Chicago, Illi-
nois;
(ii) Fort Wayne, in Fort Wayne, Indi-
ana;
(iii) Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Is-
land, Michigan; and
(iv) Fort Defiance, in Defiance, Ohio;
and
(E) the settlements, including Native
American villages, early trading posts, and ter-
ritorial capitals that developed in the region.
(4) The military history of the region includes,
but is not limited to—
(A) LaBalme’s Defeat in 1780;
(B) the defeat of General Harmar in 1790;
(C) the defeat of General St. Clair in
1791;
(D) the United States victory by General
‘‘Mad’’ Anthony Wayne at the Battle of Fallen
Timbers in 1794; and
(E) the Battle of Lake Erie in 1832.
(5) The confederacy of Indian Nations was or-
ganized by Tecumseh and ‘‘The Prophet’’ to stop
American advancement. General William Henry
Harrison defeated The Prophet at the Battle of Tip-
pecanoe in 1811. This was the last major battle east
of the Mississippi River with Indian Nations and led
to the famous slogan ‘‘Tippecanoe and Tyler too’’,
which propelled Harrison to the Presidency of the
United States.
(6) The War of 1812, during which the region
might have been lost to Canada without Commodore
Perry’s victory at Put-in-Bay on Lake Erie.
(7) The rush of settlers to the region after the
War of 1812 led to additional treaties and conflict
with the Native Americans. Most Indians were re-
moved in a series of events culminating with the so-
called ‘‘Black Hawk Wars’’, which ended in 1833.
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act include the
conservation, interpretation, and development of the his-
torical, cultural, natural, and recreational resources re-
lated to the region historically referred to as the North-
west Territory of the Great Lakes during the period from
1785 to 1835.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of this Act—
(1) the term ‘‘Authority’’ means the Northwest
Territory of the Great Lakes National Heritage
Area Authority;
(2) the term ‘‘Heritage Area’’ means the North-
west Territory of the Great Lakes National Heritage
Area established in section 4; and
(3) the term ‘‘Plan’’ means the management
plan required to be developed for the Heritage Area
pursuant to section 5(e)(1)(G).
SEC. 4. THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY OF THE GREAT
LAKES NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established
the Northwest Territory of the Great Lakes National Her-
itage Area.
(b) BOUNDARIES.—The Heritage Area shall be com-
prised of historically significant areas, as defined by the
Authority, within Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio (as
defined by the Northwest Ordinance of 1787), such as the
following historically significant locations:
(1) Fort Dearborn and Fort Clark in the State
of Illinois.
(2) In Indiana—
(A) Anthony Wayne, Chief Little Turtle,
and Chief Richardville sites (Fort Wayne);
(B) The Historic Forks of the Wabash
Park and Chief LaFontaine Home (Hun-
tington);
(C) Kokomo Village (Kokomo);
(D) Deaf Man’s Village (Peru);
(E) Munsee Town (Muncie);
(F) Chief Menominee Monument (Plym-
outh);
(G) Historic Vincennes (Vincennes);
(H) Prophetstown (Lafayette); and
(I) Historic Corydon (Corydon).
(3) In Michigan—
(A) 
Fort 
Michilimackinac 
(Mackinaw
City); and
(B) Fort Mackinac (Mackinac Island).
(4) In Ohio—
(A) 
Fallen 
Timbers 
State 
Memorial
(Maumee);
(B) Fort Defiance State Memorial (Defi-
ance);
(C) Fort Adams/Ft. Amanda State Memo-
rial (Wapakoneta);
(D) Fort Recovery State Memorial (Fort
Recovery);
(E) Fort Greeneville/Treaty of Greeneville
Memorial (Greeneville);
(F) Fort Jefferson State Memorial (Ft.
Jefferson);
(G) Fort St. Clair State Memorial (Eaton);
(H) Fort Hamilton Monument (Hamilton);
(I) Fort Washington (Cincinnati); and
(J) Perry’s Victory and International
Peace Memorial (Put-in-Bay).
SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT ENTITY AND DUTIES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The management entity for the
Heritage Area shall be the Northwest Territory of the
Great Lakes National Heritage Area Authority.
(b) COMPOSITION.—The Authority shall be composed
of 18 members appointed as follows:
(1) 3 members appointed by each of the fol-
lowing:
(A) The Governor of Illinois or the Gov-
ernor’s designee.
(B) The Governor of Indiana or the Gov-
ernor’s designee.
(C) The Governor of Michigan or the Gov-
ernor’s designee.
(D) The Governor of Ohio or the Gov-
ernor’s designee.
(2) 1 member appointed by each of the fol-
lowing:
(A) The Historical Society of the State of
Illinois.
(B) The Historical Society of the State of
Indiana.
(C) The Historical Society of the State of
Michigan.
(D) The Historical Society of the State of
Ohio.
(3) 2 members appointed by the Secretary of
the Interior of the United States or the Secretary’s
designee.
(4) Of the 3 members appointed by each Gov-
ernor of a State under paragraph (1)—
(A) at least 1 member shall be a member
of the governing body of an Indian tribe located
within the State, or a designee of such a mem-
ber; and
(B) at least 1 member shall be an elected
official of a unit of local government located
within the State which has 1 or more historic
sites significant to the Heritage Area.
(c) TERMS.—The term of office shall be 2 years. No
member of the Authority shall serve more than 4 terms.
(d) COMPENSATION.—Compensation for members of
the Authority shall be determined by the Authority as part
of the Plan.
(e) DUTIES AND POWERS.—
(1) DUTIES.—The Authority shall—
(A) receive funds from various sources for
the implementation of this Act;
(B) disburse funds in accordance with this
Act;
(C) make grants to and enter into coopera-
tive agreements with States and their political
subdivisions, private organizations, or other in-
dividuals or entities as appropriate for the exe-
cution of this Act;
(D) hire and compensate staff;
(E) enter into contracts for goods and
services;
(F) develop a management plan for the
Heritage Area;
(G) help ensure the conservation, interpre-
tation, and development of the historical, cul-
tural, natural, and recreational resources re-
lated to the region historically referred to as the
Northwest Territory of the Great Lakes during
the period from 1785 through 1835;
(H) foster a close working relationship
with all levels of government, the private sector,
philanthropic and educational organizations,
local communities, and regional metroparks sys-
tems through a coalition organization to both
conserve the heritage of this region and utilize
its resources for tourism and economic develop-
ment;
(I) develop an Internet web site and other
marketing programs to further the purposes of
this Act; and
(J) in accordance with Federal, State, and
local laws, erect signs to promote the Heritage
Area.
(2) POWERS.—The Authority may develop vis-
itor centers and interpretive facilities for the Herit-
age Area.
(f) PLAN.—The Plan shall—
(1) present recommendations for the Heritage
Area’s conservation, funding, management, and de-
velopment, taking into consideration existing State
and local plans and the comments of residents, pub-
lic agencies, and private organizations working in
the Heritage Area;
(2) not be final until it has been approved by
the Governors of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and
Ohio;
(3) include—
(A) an inventory of the resources contained
in the Heritage Area, including a list of any
property in the Heritage Area that is related to
the themes of the Heritage Area and that
should be preserved, restored, managed, devel-
oped, or maintained because of its natural, cul-
tural, historical, or recreational significance;
and
(B) a program for the implementation of
the management plan by the Authority.
(g) SPECIFIC PROHIBITIONS.—The Authority—
(1) shall not take any action which jeopardizes
the sovereignty of the United States; and
(2) shall not infringe upon the private property
rights of individuals or other property owners.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this Act not more than $1,000,000
for any fiscal year. Not more than a total of $10,000,000
may be appropriated for the Heritage Area.
(b) 50 PERCENT MATCH.—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.
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