I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1798
To establish the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area in the 
State of Connecticut and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 11, 2003
Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut (for herself and Mr. OLVER) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources 
A BILL 
To establish the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage 
Area in the State of Connecticut and the Commonwealth 
of Massachusetts, 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 ‘‘Upper Housatonic Val-
ley National Heritage Area Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) The upper Housatonic Valley, encompassing 
29 towns in the hilly terrain of western Massachu-
setts and northwestern Connecticut, is a singular 
geographical and cultural region that has made sig-
nificant national contributions through its literary, 
artistic, musical, and architectural achievements, its 
iron, paper, and electrical equipment industries, and 
its scenic beautification and environmental conserva-
tion efforts. 
(2) The upper Housatonic Valley has 139 prop-
erties and historic districts listed on the National 
Register of Historic Places including—
(A) five National Historic Landmarks—
(i) 
Edith 
Wharton’s 
home, 
The 
Mount, Lenox, Massachusetts; 
(ii) Herman Melville’s home, Arrow-
head, Pittsfield, Massachusetts; 
(iii) W.E.B. DuBois’ Boyhood Home-
site, Great Barrington, Massachusetts; 
(iv) Mission House, Stockbridge, Mas-
sachusetts; and 
(v) Crane and Company Old Stone 
Mill Rag Room, Dalton, Massachusetts; 
and 
(B) four National Natural Landmarks—
(i) Bartholomew’s Cobble, Sheffield, 
Massachusetts, and Salisbury, Connecticut;
(ii) 
Beckley 
Bog, 
Norfolk, 
Con-
necticut; 
(iii) Bingham Bog, Salisbury, Con-
necticut; and 
(iv) Cathedral Pines, Cornwall, Con-
necticut. 
(3) Writers, artists, musicians, and vacationers 
have visited the region for more than 150 years to 
enjoy its scenic wonders, making it one of the coun-
try’s leading cultural resorts. 
(4) The upper Housatonic Valley has made sig-
nificant national cultural contributions through such 
writers as Herman Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne, 
Edith Wharton, and W.E.B. DuBois, artists Daniel 
Chester French and Norman Rockwell, and the per-
forming arts centers of Tanglewood, Music Moun-
tain, Norfolk (Connecticut) Chamber Music Festival, 
Jacob’s Pillow, and Shakespeare & Company. 
(5) The upper Housatonic Valley is noted for 
its pioneering achievements in the iron, paper, and 
electrical generation industries and has cultural re-
sources to interpret those industries. 
(6) The region became a national leader in sce-
nic beautification and environmental conservation ef-
forts following the era of industrialization and defor-
estation and maintains a fabric of significant con-
servation 
areas 
including 
the 
meandering 
Housatonic River. 
(7) Important historical events related to the 
American Revolution, Shays’ Rebellion, and early 
civil rights took place in the upper Housatonic Val-
ley. 
(8) The region had an American Indian pres-
ence going back 10,000 years and Mohicans had a 
formative role in contact with Europeans during the 
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. 
(9) The Upper Housatonic Valley National 
Heritage Area has been proposed in order to height-
en appreciation of the region, preserve its natural 
and historical resources, and improve the quality of 
life and economy of the area. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are as fol-
lows: 
(1) To establish the Upper Housatonic Valley 
National Heritage Area in the State of Connecticut 
and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 
(2) To implement the national heritage area al-
ternative as described in the document entitled 
‘‘Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area 
Feasibility Study, 2003’’.
(3) To provide a management framework to 
foster a close working relationship with all levels of 
government, the private sector, and the local com-
munities in the upper Housatonic Valley region to 
conserve the region’s heritage while continuing to 
pursue compatible economic opportunities. 
(4) To assist communities, organizations, and 
citizens in the State of Connecticut and the Com-
monwealth of Massachusetts in identifying, pre-
serving, interpreting, and developing the historical, 
cultural, scenic, and natural resources of the region 
for the educational and inspirational benefit of cur-
rent and future generations. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) HERITAGE
AREA.—The term ‘‘Heritage 
Area’’ means the Upper Housatonic Valley National 
Heritage Area, established in section 4. 
(2) MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—The term ‘‘Man-
agement Entity’’ means the management entity for 
the Heritage Area designated by section 4(d). 
(3) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The term ‘‘Manage-
ment Plan’’ means the management plan for the 
Heritage Area specified in section 6.
(4) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map en-
titled ‘‘Boundary Map Upper Housatonic Valley Na-
tional Heritage Area’’, numbered P17/80,000, and 
dated February 2003. 
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 
of Connecticut and the Commonwealth of Massachu-
setts. 
SEC. 4. UPPER HOUSATONIC VALLEY NATIONAL HERITAGE 
AREA. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the 
Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area. 
(b) BOUNDARIES.—The Heritage Area shall be com-
prised of—
(1) part of the Housatonic River’s watershed, 
which extends 60 miles from Lanesboro, Massachu-
setts to Kent, Connecticut; 
(2) the towns of Canaan, Colebrook, Cornwall, 
Kent, Norfolk, North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon, 
and Warren in Connecticut; 
(3) the towns of Alford, Becket, Dalton, 
Egremont, Great Barrington, Hancock, Hinsdale, 
Lanesboro, Lee, Lenox, Monterey, Mount Wash-
ington, New Marlboro, Pittsfield, Richmond, Shef-
field, Stockbridge, Tyringham, Washington, and 
West Stockbridge in Massachusetts; and 
(4) the land and water within the boundaries of 
the Heritage Area, as depicted on the map. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The map shall be on file 
and available for public inspection in the appropriate of-
fices of the National Park Service, Department of the In-
terior. 
(d) MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—The Upper Housatonic 
Valley National Heritage Area, Inc. shall be the manage-
ment entity for the Heritage Area. 
SEC. 5. AUTHORITIES, PROHIBITIONS AND DUTIES OF THE 
MANAGEMENT ENTITY. 
(a) DUTIES OF THE MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—To fur-
ther the purposes of the Heritage Area, the management 
entity shall—
(1) prepare and submit a management plan for 
the Heritage Area to the Secretary in accordance 
with section 6; 
(2) assist units of local government, regional 
planning organizations, and nonprofit organizations 
in implementing the approved management plan 
by—
(A) carrying out programs and projects 
that recognize, protect and enhance important 
resource values within the Heritage Area; 
(B) establishing and maintaining interpre-
tive exhibits and programs within the Heritage 
Area; 
(C) developing recreational and educational 
opportunities in the Heritage Area; 
(D) increasing public awareness of and ap-
preciation for natural, historical, scenic, and 
cultural resources of the Heritage Area; 
(E) protecting and restoring historic sites 
and buildings in the Heritage Area that are 
consistent with heritage area themes; 
(F) ensuring that clear, consistent, and ap-
propriate signs identifying points of public ac-
cess and sites of interest are posted throughout 
the Heritage Area; and 
(G) promoting a wide range of partner-
ships among governments, organizations and in-
dividuals to further the purposes of the Herit-
age Area; 
(3) consider the interests of diverse units of 
government, businesses, organizations and individ-
uals in the Heritage Area in the preparation and im-
plementation of the management plan; 
(4) conduct meetings open to the public at least 
semi-annually regarding the development and imple-
mentation of the management plan; 
(5) submit an annual report to the Secretary 
for any fiscal year in which the management entity 
receives Federal funds under this Act, setting forth 
its accomplishments, expenses, and income, includ-
ing grants to any other entities during the year for 
which the report is made; 
(6) make available for audit for any fiscal year 
in which it receives Federal funds under this Act, all 
information pertaining to the expenditure of such 
funds and any matching funds, and require in all 
agreements authorizing expenditures of Federal 
funds by other organizations, that the receiving or-
ganizations make available for such audit all records 
and other information pertaining to the expenditure 
of such funds; and 
(7) encourage by appropriate means economic 
viability that is consistent with the purposes of the 
Heritage Area. 
(b) AUTHORITIES.—The management entity may, for 
the purposes of preparing and implementing the manage-
ment plan for the Heritage Area, use Federal funds made 
available through this Act to—
(1) make grants to the State of Connecticut 
and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, their po-
litical subdivisions, nonprofit organizations and other 
persons; 
(2) enter into cooperative agreements with or 
provide technical assistance to the State of Con-
necticut and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 
their political jurisdictions, nonprofit organizations, 
and other interested parties; 
(3) hire and compensate staff, which shall in-
clude individuals with expertise in natural, cultural, 
and historical resources protection, and heritage pro-
gramming; 
(4) obtain money or services from any source 
including any that are provided under any other 
Federal law or program; 
(5) contract for goods or services; and 
(6) undertake to be a catalyst for any other ac-
tivity that furthers the purposes of the Heritage 
Area and is consistent with the approved manage-
ment plan. 
(c) PROHIBITIONS ON THE ACQUISITION OF REAL 
PROPERTY.—The management entity may not use Fed-
eral funds received under this Act to acquire real property, 
but may use any other source of funding, including other 
Federal funding outside this authority, intended for the 
acquisition of real property. 
SEC. 6. MANAGEMENT PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The management plan for the 
Heritage Area shall—
(1) include comprehensive policies, strategies 
and recommendations for conservation, funding, 
management and development of the Heritage Area; 
(2) take into consideration existing State, coun-
ty, and local plans in the development of the man-
agement plan and its implementation; 
(3) include a description of actions that govern-
ments, private organizations, and individuals have 
agreed to take to protect the natural, historical and 
cultural resources of the Heritage Area; 
(4) specify the existing and potential sources of 
funding to protect, manage, and develop the Herit-
age Area in the first 5 years of implementation; 
(5) include an inventory of the natural, histor-
ical, cultural, educational, scenic, and recreational 
resources of the Heritage Area related to the themes 
of the Heritage Area that should be preserved, re-
stored, managed, developed, or maintained;
(6) recommend policies and strategies for re-
source management that consider and detail the ap-
plication of appropriate land and water management 
techniques including, but not limited to, the develop-
ment of intergovernmental and interagency coopera-
tive agreements to protect the Heritage Area’s nat-
ural, historical, cultural, educational, scenic and rec-
reational resources; 
(7) describe a program of implementation for 
the management plan including plans for resource 
protection, restoration, construction, and specific 
commitments for implementation that have been 
made by the management entity or any government, 
organization, or individual for the first 5 years of 
implementation; 
(8) include an analysis and recommendations 
for ways in which local, State, and Federal pro-
grams, including the role of the National Park Serv-
ice in the Heritage Area, may best be coordinated to 
further the purposes of this Act; and 
(9) include an interpretive plan for the Heritage 
Area. 
(b) DEADLINE AND TERMINATION OF FUNDING.—
(1) DEADLINE.—The management entity shall 
submit the management plan to the Secretary for
approval within 3 years after funds are made avail-
able for this Act. 
(2) TERMINATION OF FUNDING.—If the man-
agement plan is not submitted to the Secretary in 
accordance with this subsection, the management en-
tity shall not qualify for Federal funding under this 
Act until such time as the management plan is sub-
mitted to and approved by the Secretary. 
SEC. 7. DUTIES AND AUTHORITIES OF THE SECRETARY. 
(a) TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may, upon 
the request of the management entity, provide tech-
nical assistance on a reimbursable or non-reimburs-
able basis and financial assistance to the Heritage 
Area to develop and implement the approved man-
agement plan. The Secretary is authorized to enter 
into cooperative agreements with the management 
entity and other public or private entities for this 
purpose. In assisting the Heritage Area, the Sec-
retary shall give priority to actions that in general 
assist in—
(A) conserving the significant natural, his-
torical, cultural, and scenic resources of the 
Heritage Area; and
(B) providing educational, interpretive, and 
recreational opportunities consistent with the 
purposes of the Heritage Area. 
(2) SPENDING
FOR
NON-FEDERALLY
OWNED 
PROPERTY.—The Secretary may spend Federal 
funds directly on non-federally owned property to 
further the purposes of this Act, especially in assist-
ing units of government in appropriate treatment of 
districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects list-
ed or eligible for listing on the National Register of 
Historic Places. 
(b) APPROVAL AND DISAPPROVAL OF MANAGEMENT 
PLAN.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall approve 
or disapprove the management plan not later than 
90 days after receiving the management plan. 
(2) CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL.—In determining 
the approval of the management plan, the Secretary 
shall consider whether—
(A) the management entity is representa-
tive of the diverse interests of the Heritage 
Area including governments, natural and his-
toric resource protection organizations, edu-
cational 
institutions, 
businesses, 
and 
rec-
reational organizations;
(B) the management entity has afforded 
adequate opportunity, including public hearings, 
for public and governmental involvement in the 
preparation of the management plan; 
(C) the resource protection and interpreta-
tion strategies contained in the management 
plan, if implemented, would adequately protect 
the natural, historical, and cultural resources of 
the Heritage Area; and 
(D) the Secretary has received adequate 
assurances from the appropriate State and local 
officials whose support is needed to ensure the 
effective implementation of the State and local 
aspects of the management plan. 
(3) ACTION FOLLOWING DISAPPROVAL.—If the 
Secretary disapproves the management plan, the 
Secretary shall advise the management entity in 
writing of the reasons therefore and shall make rec-
ommendations for revisions to the management plan. 
The Secretary shall approve or disapprove a pro-
posed revision within 60 days after the date it is 
submitted. 
(4) APPROVAL OF AMENDMENTS.—Substantial 
amendments to the management plan shall be re-
viewed by the Secretary and approved in the same
manner as provided for the original management 
plan. The management entity shall not use Federal 
funds authorized by this Act to implement any 
amendments until the Secretary has approved the 
amendments. 
SEC. 8. DUTIES OF OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES. 
Any Federal agency conducting or supporting activi-
ties directly affecting the Heritage Area shall—
(1) consult with the Secretary and the manage-
ment entity with respect to such activities; 
(2) cooperate with the Secretary and the man-
agement entity in carrying out their duties under 
this Act and, to the maximum extent practicable, co-
ordinate such activities with the carrying out of such 
duties; and, 
(3) to the maximum extent practicable, conduct 
or support such activities in a manner which the 
management entity determines will not have an ad-
verse effect on the Heritage Area. 
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated for the purposes of 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 
under this Act.
(b) MATCHING FUNDS.—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. 
SEC. 10. SUNSET. 
The authority of the Secretary to provide assistance 
under this Act shall terminate on the day occurring 15 
years after the date of enactment of the Act.
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