I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5485 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine 
the feasibility of establishing the Columbia-Pacific National Heritage 
Area in the States of Washington and Oregon, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 25, 2006 
Mr. BAIRD (for himself and Mr. WU) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Resources 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study 
to determine the feasibility of establishing the Columbia- 
Pacific National Heritage Area in the States of Wash-
ington and Oregon, 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 ‘‘Columbia-Pacific Na-
tional Heritage Area Study Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) the Chinookan people have— 
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(A) lived in the Columbia-Pacific region for 
over 6,000 years; 
(B) developed a wealthy and vibrant cul-
ture from the abundance of the Columbia River 
and the sophisticated trade economy of the peo-
ple; and 
(C) established cultural centers in Chinook, 
Washington, and Seaside, Oregon; 
(2) early European explorers, including Heceta, 
Vitus Bering, Sir Francis Drake, and Captain Cook, 
began to explore and chart the region in search of 
the Great River of the West, the last remaining 
major land feature mapped by Europeans; 
(3) many people travel from around the world 
to the Columbia-Pacific region to— 
(A) experience the rich historical culture of 
the region; and 
(B) search for new business opportunities 
in the region; 
(4) in 1792 Boston-based Captain Robert Gray 
was the first to bring a sailing ship into the River, 
naming the River after his ship, the COLUMBIA 
REDIVIVA; 
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(5) Gray’s trip through the River opened up the 
River to trade with east coast cities, European coun-
tries, and Asian kingdoms; 
(6) during the 13 years before the Lewis and 
Clark Corps of Discovery arrived overland, more 
than 88 ships entered the River as part of a sophis-
ticated global trade network that became known as 
the ‘‘Golden Round’’, which stimulated the economy 
of the newly freed colonies and accelerated the devel-
opment of the international fur trade; 
(7) ports and communities along the River con-
tinue to support the traditional industries of fishing, 
seafood processing, timber harvesting, and trade; 
(8) in 1805 Lewis and Clark, seeking an all 
water route to the Pacific Ocean for commerce to ex-
pand the American claim to the Pacific Ocean, ar-
rived at the mouth of the Columbia River where the 
group built a fort to spend the winter; 
(9) the legacy of Lewis and Clark continues to 
be available to the public at the newly expanded 
units of the Lewis and Clark National Historical 
Park; 
(10) in 1811 John Jacob Astor established a 
permanent settlement for commerce at the mouth of 
the Columbia River known as ‘‘Astoria’’, which be-
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came the first American city west of the Rocky 
Mountains; 
(11) Astoria was sold to the Hudson Bay Com-
pany and during the period from 1812 to 1828, was 
a British territory; 
(12) Astoria was ultimately returned to the 
United States making Astoria the only city in the 
United States to become the territory of another 
country and then revert back to the United States; 
(13) for several thousand years the approaches 
to the mouth of the River have served as the original 
homeland defense system as the Chinookan people 
established villages on headlands and promontories 
of the River in order to watch the traffic entering, 
leaving, and traveling on the River; 
(14) with the start of the Civil War, the native 
villages were replaced with forts operated by the 
United States Army; 
(15) the Army forts at Cape Disappointment, 
Fort Columbia, and Fort Stevens were in continuous 
operation through the end of World War II; 
(16) the United States Coast Guard maintains 
a large homeland security operation through Group 
Astoria with the Cape Disappointment Motor Life-
boat Station, Astoria Air Station, 2 cutters oper-
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ating out of Astoria, and the Tongue Point mainte-
nance yard; 
(17) through the United States Coast Guard 
operations, the River continues to serve as the guard 
post for the protection of international commerce of 
the largest river transport system on the west coast; 
(18) the water offshore Clatsop County, Or-
egon, and Pacific County, Washington, is known as 
the ‘‘Graveyard of the Pacific’’, because thousands 
of vessels and lives have been lost in the water, with 
survivors struggling ashore and seeking refuge in the 
historic beach communities of Cannon Beach, Sea-
side, Gearhart, Seaview, Long Beach, Ocean Park, 
and Oysterville; 
(19) shipwrecks and storm waters are still a 
threat to commercial and recreational boaters in the 
area; 
(20) modern navigation aids include light-
houses, lightships, and lifesaving stations; 
(21) the United States Coast Guard continues 
to operate the Cape Disappointment Lifesaving Sta-
tion and the National Motor Lifeboat School; 
(22) members of the United States Coast 
Guard from throughout the United States are sent 
to the ‘‘Top Gun’’ training center to— 
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(A) challenge some of the most dangerous 
waters in the world; and 
(B) 
prepare 
for 
service 
at 
stations 
throughout the United States; 
(23) the River is home to one of the most abun-
dant commercial and sport fisheries in the world; 
(24) for centuries, the people in the Columbia- 
Pacific region have made a living from the River, in-
cluding— 
(A) the Chinookan people, who developed a 
sophisticated and vibrant culture using the re-
sources of the River; and 
(B) beginning in the 1840’s, American set-
tlers and European and Asian immigrants, who 
developed a vibrant economy around the salmon 
fisheries; 
(25) the communities of Astoria, Warrenton, 
Hammond, Chinook, and Ilwaco— 
(A) have their roots in the development of 
the early fishing industry; and 
(B) continue to support both commercial 
and sport fisheries that— 
(i) provide— 
(I) economic opportunities for 
residents; and 
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(II) recreational opportunities for 
visitors; and 
(ii) preserve over a century of cultural 
traditions; 
(26) commercial timber harvesting has been an 
important component of the culture of the River for 
over 150 years; 
(27) timber has been harvested and used in 
local mills or transported, primarily along the River 
to the Pacific Ocean; and 
(28) raw logs and forest products continue to 
be transported along the River and across the Bar 
to markets around the world. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) HERITAGE
AREA.—The term ‘‘Heritage 
Area’’ means the Columbia-Pacific National Herit-
age Area. 
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(3) STUDY
AREA.—The term ‘‘study area’’ 
means— 
(A) the coastal areas of Clatsop and Pa-
cific Counties (also known as the North Beach 
Peninsula); and 
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(B) areas relating to Native American his-
tory, local history, Euro-American settlement 
culture, and related economic activities of the 
Columbia River within a corridor along the Co-
lumbia River eastward in Clatsop, Pacific, Co-
lumbia, and Wahkiakum Counties. 
SEC. 4. COLUMBIA-PACIFIC NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA 
STUDY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation 
with the managers of any Federal land within the Herit-
age Area, appropriate State and local governmental agen-
cies, and any interested organizations, shall conduct a 
study to determine the feasibility of designating the study 
area as the Columbia-Pacific National Heritage Area. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—The study shall include anal-
ysis, documentation, and determinations on whether— 
(1) the study area— 
(A) has an assemblage of natural, historic, 
cultural, educational, scenic, or recreational re-
sources that together are nationally important 
to the heritage of the United States; 
(B) represent distinctive aspects of the 
heritage of the United States worthy of recogni-
tion, conservation, interpretation, and con-
tinuing use; 
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(C) are best managed through agreements 
between public and private entities at the local 
or regional level; 
(D) reflects traditions, customs, beliefs, 
and folklife that are a valuable part of the her-
itage of the United States; 
(E) provides outstanding opportunities to 
conserve natural, historical, cultural, or scenic 
features; 
(F) provides outstanding recreational and 
educational opportunities; and 
(G) has resources and traditional uses that 
have national importance; 
(2) residents, business interests, nonprofit orga-
nizations, the Federal Government (including rel-
evant Federal land management agencies), and 
State, local, and tribal governments within the study 
area— 
(A) are involved in the planning; and 
(B) have demonstrated significant support 
through letters and other means for designation 
and management of the Heritage Area; and 
(3) the study area has been identified and sup-
ported by the public, private business, and local and 
State agencies. 
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SEC. 5. REPORT. 
Not later than 3 fiscal years after the date on which 
funds are made available to carry out the study, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Nat-
ural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Re-
sources of the House of Representatives a report that de-
scribes the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of 
the Secretary with respect to the study. 
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary such sums as may be necessary to carry out this 
Act. 
Æ 
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