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103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3707
To establish an American Heritage Areas Partnership Program in the
Department of the Interior.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOVEMBER 22, 1993
Mr. VENTO (for himself, Mr. HINCHEY, and Mr. BOUCHER) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
A BILL
To establish an American Heritage Areas Partnership
Program in the Department of the Interior.
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 ‘‘American Heritage
Areas Partnership Program Act of 1993’’.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of the American Heritage Areas Part-
nership Program are—
(1) to recognize that the natural, historic, cul-
tural, and recreational resources of the United
States represent the great and diverse character of
the Nation and are important thereto, and that
these resources 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 as they are geographically assembled and
thematically related form Heritage Areas which pro-
vide a unique framework for understanding the his-
torical, cultural and natural development of the com-
munity and it surroundings;
(3) to encourage linking such resources through
greenways, corridors, and trails;
(4) to preserve these nationally important rec-
reational, cultural, historic, and natural resources
which are worthy of joint Federal and State designa-
tion and assistance, but which may not qualify or be
managed as units of the National Park System;
(5) to provide for appropriate partnerships be-
tween all levels of government and the private sector
which will preserve those resources whose ownership
is generally not national but mostly State, local, and
private, accommodate economic viability and en-
hance the quality of life for our Nation’s present and
future generations; and
(6) to assist in the development of a framework
to preserve, conserve, and manage these resources,
which will include limited technical assistance from
the United States Government to States for develop-
ing and implementing operation and management
plans.
SEC. 3. HERITAGE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established
within the Department of the Interior the American Herit-
age Partnership Program.
(b) GENERAL AUTHORITY.—In accordance with the
purposes of this Act, the Secretary is authorized—
(1) to evaluate combinations of resources best
preserved, interpreted, and managed as American
Heritage Areas under a partnership model;
(2) to evaluate areas nominated for designation
under subsection (d) as American Heritage Areas in
accordance with the criteria established in subsection
(c);
(3) to advise States and their political subdivi-
sions or assigns as to appropriate methods of
recognizing and preserving thematically and geo-
graphically linked cultural, historic, natural, and
recreational resources;
(4) to provide technical assistance for the pur-
poses of nominating areas for inclusion in the Amer-
ican Heritage Area Program and to provide grants
for developing management plans for designated
areas and for capital projects and improvements
pursuant to such management plans, in amounts not
to exceed the amounts specifically authorized by this
Act; and
(5) to enter into contractual agreements with
States and their political subdivisions or assigns spe-
cific to an American Heritage Area designated by
this Act to provide limited technical assistance for
the development and implementation of management
plans for American Heritage Areas.
(c) CRITERIA.—Each American Heritage Area shall
include, but not be limited to—
(1) an assemblage of resources—natural, cul-
tural, and recreational—that include nationally sig-
nificant resources that together represent a distinc-
tive aspect of American heritage worthy of recogni-
tion, preservation, interpretation and continuing use
which are best managed as such, combining partner-
ships among public and private entities, diverse and
noncontiguous resources and active communities;
(2) resources with demonstrated national im-
portance, such as National Landmarks or distinctive
properties listed on the National Register of Historic
Places;
(3) resources representing concepts which have
been identified by the Thematic Framework of the
National Park Service; and
(4) a variety of appropriate natural, rec-
reational, historic, and cultural resources and
themes.
(d) CONDITIONS FOR DESIGNATION.—The Congress
may designate an area as an American Heritage Area only
after the following conditions are met:
(1) The State in which the area to be consid-
ered is located has nominated to the Secretary the
area for inclusion in the Program.
(2) The Secretary has determined and reported
to the Congress that the area is suitable for inclu-
sion in the program, based on the criteria referred
to in subsection (c) and demonstrated strong com-
mitment and interest by the State, local and private
organizations involved to operate and maintain the
area on a long-term basis and to provide appropriate
regulatory assistance in preserving the area.
tion of how the project proposed to be funded will further
the purposes of the American Heritage Area in which the
project is located.
(2) Funds made available pursuant to this Act for
a capital project shall not exceed 50 percent of the total
costs of the project to be funded.
(3) In making such funds available, the Secretary
shall give consideration to projects which provide a greater
leverage of Federal funds. Any payment made shall be
subject to an agreement that conversion, use, or disposal
of the project so assisted for purposes contrary to the pur-
poses of this Act, as determined by the Secretary, shall
result in a right of the United States of reimbursement
of all funds made available to such project or the propor-
tion of the increased value of the project attributable to
such funds as determined at the time of such conversion,
use, or disposal, whichever is greater.
(g) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Secretary shall submit
an annual report to Congress on the American Heritage
Partnership Program. Such report shall include—
(1) the number, amount, and recipients of any
grants provided by the Secretary and the nature of
any technical assistance provided pursuant to this
Act;
(2) a description of the areas nominated for the
program;
(3) the Secretary’s recommendations for areas
to be designated by Congress, including areas which
have been nominated and those the Secretary has
determined are eligible but have not been nominated;
and
(4) the status of the implementation of contrac-
tual agreements entered into by the Secretary under
this program.
(h) AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
is authorized to be appropriated from the Historic Preser-
vation Fund—
(1) $500,000 annually for technical assistance
pursuant to subsection (b) for areas before their
nomination, of which not more than $50,000 in total
may be made available for a specific area;
(2) $2,500,000 annually for the purposes au-
thorized by section 3(b)(1), of which not more than
$250,000 in total may be made available for a spe-
cific management plan under subsections (b)(1) and
(4); and
(3) $10,000,000 annually for capital projects
and improvements carried out pursuant to an ap-
proved plan, of which not more than $3,000,000 in
total may be made available to any one American
Heritage Area.
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