I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1297 
To establish the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area in the States of 
Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 1, 2007 
Mr. OLVER (for himself, Mr. TIERNEY, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. 
MARKEY, and Mr. HODES) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To establish the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area 
in the States of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, 
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 ‘‘Freedom’s Way Na-
tional Heritage Area Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds as follows: 
(1) The cultural and natural legacies of an area 
encompassing 37 communities in Massachusetts and 
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8 communities in New Hampshire have made impor-
tant and distinctive contributions to the national 
character of America. 
(2) Recognizing and protecting those legacies 
will help sustain the quality of life in the future. 
(3) Significant legacies of the area include— 
(A) the early settlement of the United 
States and the early evolution of democratic 
forms of government; 
(B) the development of intellectual tradi-
tions of the philosophies of freedom, democracy, 
and conservation; 
(C) the evolution of social ideas and reli-
gious freedom; 
(D) the role of immigrants and industry in 
contributing to ethnic diversity; 
(E) Native American and African Amer-
ican resources; and 
(F) the role of innovation and invention in 
cottage industries. 
(4) The communities in the area know the value 
of the legacies but need a cooperative framework 
and technical assistance to achieve important goals 
by working together. 
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(5) There is a Federal interest in supporting 
the development of a regional framework to assist 
the States, local governments, local organizations, 
and other persons in the region with conserving, pro-
tecting, and bringing recognition to the heritage of 
the area for the educational and recreational benefit 
of future generations of Americans. 
(6) Significant examples of the area’s resources 
include— 
(A) Walden Pond State Reservation in 
Concord, Massachusetts; 
(B) Minute Man National Historical Park 
in the State of Massachusetts; 
(C) Shaker Villages in Shirley and Har-
vard in the State of Massachusetts; 
(D) Wachusett Mountain State Reserva-
tion, Fitchburg Art Museum, and Barrett 
House in New Ipswich, New Hampshire; and 
(E) Beaver Brook Farms and Lost City of 
Monson in Hollis, New Hampshire. 
(7) The study entitled ‘‘Freedom’s Way Herit-
age Area Feasibility Study’’, prepared by the Free-
dom’s Way Heritage Association, Inc., and the Mas-
sachusetts Department of Environmental Manage-
ment, demonstrates that there are sufficient nation-
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ally distinctive historical resources necessary to es-
tablish the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area. 
(8) The Freedom’s Way Heritage Association, 
Inc., should oversee the development of the Free-
dom’s Way National Heritage Area. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 
(1) to foster a close working relationship be-
tween the Secretary and all levels of government, the 
private sector, and local communities in the States 
of Massachusetts and New Hampshire; 
(2) to assist the entities referred to in para-
graph (1) in preserving the special historic identity 
of the Heritage Area; and 
(3) to manage, preserve, protect, and interpret 
the cultural, historical, and natural resources of the 
Heritage Area for the educational and inspirational 
benefit of future generations. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) HERITAGE
AREA.—The term ‘‘Heritage 
Area’’ means the Freedom’s Way National Heritage 
Area established by section 4(a). 
(2) MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—The term ‘‘man-
agement entity’’ means the management entity for 
the Heritage Area designated by section 4(d). 
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(3) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The term ‘‘manage-
ment plan’’ means the management plan for the 
Heritage Area developed under section 5. 
(4) MAP.—The term ‘‘Map’’ means the map en-
titled ‘‘lllllllllllll’’, numbered 
llllllllllllll 
and 
dated 
lllllllll. 
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
SEC. 4. FREEDOM’S WAY NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the Free-
dom’s Way National Heritage Area in the States of Mas-
sachusetts and New Hampshire. 
(b) BOUNDARIES.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Heritage Area shall 
consist of the land within the boundaries of the Her-
itage Area, as depicted on the Map. 
(2) REVISION.—The boundaries of the Heritage 
Area may be revised if the revision is— 
(A) proposed in the management plan; 
(B) approved by the Secretary in accord-
ance with section 5(c); and 
(C) placed on file in accordance with sub-
section (c). 
(c) MAP AND LEGAL DESCRIPTION.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—As soon as practicable after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall publish in the Federal Register a legal descrip-
tion of the Heritage Area. 
(2) AVAILABILITY.—The Map shall be on file 
and available for public inspection in the appropriate 
offices of the National Park Service. 
(d) MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—The Freedom’s Way 
Heritage Association, Inc. shall serve as the management 
entity for the Heritage Area. 
SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the management entity 
shall develop and submit to the Secretary for approval a 
management plan for the Heritage Area that presents 
comprehensive recommendations and strategies for the 
conservation, funding, management, and development of 
the Heritage Area. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—The management plan shall— 
(1) take into consideration and coordinate Fed-
eral, State, and local plans to present a unified his-
toric preservation and interpretation plan; 
(2) involve residents, public agencies, and pri-
vate organizations in the Heritage Area; 
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(3) describe actions that units of government 
and private organizations recommend for the protec-
tion of the resources of the Heritage Area; 
(4) identify existing and potential sources of 
Federal and non-Federal funding for the conserva-
tion, management, and development of the Heritage 
Area; and 
(5) include— 
(A) an inventory of the cultural, historic, 
natural, or recreational resources contained in 
the Heritage Area, including a list of property 
that— 
(i) is related to the themes of the 
Heritage Area; and 
(ii) should be conserved, restored, 
managed, developed, or maintained; 
(B) a recommendation of policies for re-
source management and protection that— 
(i) apply appropriate land and water 
management techniques; 
(ii) develop intergovernmental cooper-
ative agreements to manage and protect 
the cultural, historic, and natural resources 
and recreation opportunities of the Herit-
age Area; and 
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(iii) support economic revitalization 
efforts; 
(C) a program of strategies and actions to 
implement the management plan that— 
(i) identifies the roles of agencies and 
organizations that are involved in the im-
plementation of the management plan and 
the role of the management entity; and 
(ii) includes— 
(I) restoration and construction 
plans or goals; 
(II) a program of public involve-
ment; 
(III) annual work plans; and 
(IV) annual reports; 
(D) an analysis of ways in which Federal, 
State, and local programs may best be coordi-
nated to promote the purposes of this Act; 
(E) an interpretive and educational plan 
for the Heritage Area; 
(F) any revisions proposed by the manage-
ment entity to the boundaries of the Heritage 
Area and requested by the affected local gov-
ernment; and 
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(G) a process to provide public access to 
the management entity for the purpose of at-
tempting to resolve informally any disputes 
arising from the management plan. 
(c) FAILURE TO SUBMIT.—If the management entity 
fails to submit the management plan to the Secretary in 
accordance with subsection (a), the Heritage Area shall 
no longer qualify for Federal funding. 
(d) APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF MANAGEMENT 
PLAN.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 
receipt of the management plan under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall approve or disapprove the 
management plan. 
(2) CRITERIA.—In determining whether to ap-
prove the management plan, the Secretary shall con-
sider whether— 
(A) the management entity afforded ade-
quate opportunity, including public hearings, 
for public and governmental involvement in the 
preparation of the management plan; 
(B) the resource protection and interpreta-
tion strategies contained in the management 
plan would adequately protect the cultural and 
historic resources of the Heritage Area; and 
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