I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1301
To establish the American Heritage Areas Partnership Program, and for
other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 22, 1995
Mr. VENTO (for himself, Mr. REGULA, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. NEAL of Massachu-
setts, Mr. TORKILDSEN, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. BLUTE, Mr. COYNE, Mr.
SAWYER, Mr. TRAFICANT, Mr. HALL of Ohio, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. REED,
Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. MOLLOHAN and Mr. HOKE) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Re-
sources
A BILL
To establish the American Heritage Areas Partnership
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 AND TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
‘‘American Heritage Areas Act of 1995’’.
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for
this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.
TITLE I—AMERICAN HERITAGE AREAS PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
Sec. 101. Short title.
Sec. 102. Congressional findings.
Sec. 103. Statement of purpose.
Sec. 104. Definitions.
Sec. 105. American Heritage Areas Partnership Program.
Sec. 106. Feasibility studies, compacts, management plans, and early actions.
Sec. 107. Management entities.
Sec. 108. Withdrawal of designation.
Sec. 109. Duties and authorities of Federal agencies.
Sec. 110. Lack of effect on land use regulation.
Sec. 111. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 112. Expiration of authorities.
Sec. 113. Report.
Sec. 114. Savings provision.
TITLE II—DESIGNATION OF AMERICAN HERITAGE AREAS
Sec. 201. American Coal Heritage Area.
Sec. 202. Essex American Heritage Area.
Sec. 203. Hudson River Valley American Heritage Area.
Sec. 204. Ohio & Erie Canal American Heritage Area.
Sec. 205. Shenandoah Valley Battlefields American Heritage Area.
Sec. 206. Steel Industry American Heritage Area.
Sec. 207. Wheeling American Heritage Area.
TITLE III—STUDIES REGARDING POTENTIAL AMERICAN
HERITAGE AREAS
Sec. 301. Ohio River Corridor.
Sec. 302. Fox and Lower Wisconsin River Corridors.
Sec. 303. Northern Frontier.
TITLE IV—BLACKSTONE RIVER VALLEY NATIONAL HERITAGE
CORRIDOR AMENDMENTS
Sec. 401. Boundaries, commission, and revision of plan.
Sec. 402. Implementation of plan.
Sec. 403. Authorization of appropriations.
TITLE V—BRAMWELL NATIONAL HISTORIC DISTRICT
Sec. 501. Bramwell National Historic District.
TITLE VI—SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA AMERICAN
HERITAGE AREA AMENDMENTS
Sec. 601. Short title.
Sec. 602. Designation of Southwestern Pennsylvania American Heritage Area.
Sec. 603. Powers of the commission.
Sec. 604. Federal participation.
Sec. 605. Congressional oversight.
Sec. 606. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 607. Path of progress.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) The term ‘‘compact’’ means a compact de-
scribed in section 106(a)(2).
(2) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary
of the Interior.
TITLE I—AMERICAN HERITAGE
AREAS PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ‘‘American Heritage
Areas Partnership Program Act of 1995’’.
SEC. 102. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that—
(1) certain areas of the United States represent
the diversity of the national character through the
interaction of natural processes, distinctive land-
scapes, cultural traditions, and economic and social
forces that have combined to create a particular pat-
tern of human settlement and activity;
(2) in these areas, natural, historic, or cultural
resources, or some combination thereof, combine to
form a cohesive, nationally distinctive landscape aris-
ing from patterns of human activity shaped by geog-
raphy;
(3) these areas represent the national experi-
ence through the physical features that remain and
the traditions that have evolved in the areas;
(4) continued use and adaptive reuses of the
natural and cultural fabric within these areas by
people whose traditions helped to shape the land-
scapes enhance the significance of the areas;
(5) despite existing Federal programs and exist-
ing efforts by States and localities, the natural, his-
toric, and cultural resources and recreational oppor-
tunities in these areas are often at risk; and
(6) the complexity and character of these areas
distinguish them and call for a distinctive system of
recognition, protection, and partnership manage-
ment.
SEC. 103. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.
The purposes of this title are—
(1) to recognize that the natural, historic, and
cultural resources and recreational opportunities of
the United States represent and are important to
the great and diverse character of the Nation, and
that these resources and opportunities must be
guarded, preserved, and wisely managed so they may
be passed on to future generations;
(2) to recognize that combinations of such re-
sources and opportunities, as they are geographically
assembled and thematically related, form areas that
provide unique frameworks for understanding the
historical, cultural, and natural development of the
community and its surroundings;
(3) to preserve such assemblages that are wor-
thy of national recognition, designation, and assist-
ance, and to encourage linking such resources within
such areas through greenways, corridors, and trails;
(4) to encourage appropriate partnerships
among Federal agencies, State and local govern-
ments, nonprofit organizations, and the private sec-
tor, or combinations thereof, to preserve, conserve,
and manage those resources and opportunities, ac-
commodate economic viability, and enhance the qual-
ity of life for the present and future generations of
the Nation;
(5) to authorize Federal financial and technical
assistance to State and local governments and pri-
vate nonprofit organizations, or combinations there-
of, to study and promote the potential for conserving
and interpreting these areas; and
(6) to prescribe the process by which, and the
standards according to which, prospective American