I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2833
To establish the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SEPTEMBER 9, 1999
Mr. PASTOR introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Resources
A BILL
To establish the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; DEFINITIONS.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
‘‘Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Act of 1999’’.
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act:
(1) HERITAGE
AREA.—The term ‘‘Heritage
Area’’ means the Yuma Crossing National Heritage
Area established in section 3.
(2) MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—The term ‘‘man-
agement entity’’ shall mean the Yuma Crossing Na-
tional Heritage Area Board of Directors.
(3) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The term ‘‘manage-
ment plan’’ shall mean the management plan for the
Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area.
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of the Interior.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following:
(1) Certain events that led to the establishment
of the Yuma Crossing as a natural crossing place on
the Colorado River and to its development as the
epicenter of America’s westward expansion during
the mid 19th century are of national historic and
cultural significance in terms of their contribution to
the development of the new United States of Amer-
ica.
(2) It is in the national interest to promote,
preserve, and protect physical remnants of a commu-
nity with almost 500 years of recorded history which
has outstanding cultural, historic, and architectural
value for the education and benefit of present and
future generations.
(3) The designation of the Yuma Crossing as a
national heritage area would preserve Yuma’s his-
tory and provide related educational opportunities,
provide recreational opportunities, preserve natural
resources, optimize the use of riverfront property,
streamline government services, and improve the city
of Yuma’s ability to serve visitors and enhance the
local economy through the completion of the major
projects identified within the Yuma Crossing Na-
tional Heritage Area.
(4) The Department of the Interior is respon-
sible for protecting the Nation’s cultural and historic
resources. There are significant examples of these
resources within the Yuma region to merit the in-
volvement of the Federal Government in developing
programs and projects, in cooperation with the
Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area and other
local and governmental bodies, to adequately con-
serve, protect, and interpret this heritage for future
generations while providing opportunities for edu-
cation, revitalization, and economic development.
(5) The city of Yuma, the Arizona State Parks
Board, agencies of the Federal Government, cor-
porate entities, and citizens have completed a study
and master plan for the Yuma Crossing to deter-
mine the extent of its historic resources, preserve
and interpret these historic resources, and assess the
opportunities available to enhance the cultural expe-
rience for region’s visitors and residents.
(6) The Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area
Board of Directors would be an appropriate manage-
ment entity for a heritage area established in the re-
gion.
(b) PURPOSE.—The objectives of the Yuma Crossing
National Heritage Area are as follows:
(1) To recognize the role of the Yuma Crossing
in the development of the United States, in par-
ticular its position as the epicenter of America’s
westward expansion during the mid-19th century.
(2) To promote, interpret, and develop the
physical and recreational resources of the commu-
nities surrounding the Yuma Crossing, which has al-
most 500 years of recorded history and outstanding
cultural, historic, and architectural assets, for the
education and benefit of present and future genera-
tions.
(3) To foster a close working relationship with
all levels of government, the private sector, and the
local communities in the Yuma community and em-
power the community to conserve its heritage while
continuing to pursue economic opportunities.
(4) To provide recreational opportunities for
visitors to the Yuma Crossing and preserve natural
resources within the Heritage Area.
(5) To optimize the use of riverfront property
and streamline government services.
(6) To improve the Yuma region’s ability to
serve visitors and enhance the local economy through
the completion of the major projects identified with-
in the Heritage Area.
SEC. 3. YUMA CROSSING NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established
the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area.
(b) BOUNDARIES.—The Heritage Area shall be com-
prised of those portions of the county and city of Yuma,
Arizona, as determined in the compact entered into under
section 4.
(c) MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—The management entity
for the Heritage Area shall be the Yuma Crossing Na-
tional Heritage Area Board of Directors.
SEC. 4. COMPACT.
To carry out the purposes of this Act, the Secretary
of the Interior shall enter into a compact with the manage-
ment entity. The compact shall include information relat-
ing to the objectives and management of the Heritage
Area, including each of the following:
(1) A delineation of the boundaries of the Her-
itage Area.
(2) A discussion of the goals and objectives of
the Heritage Area, including an explanation of the
proposed approach to conservation and interpreta-
tion and a general outline of the protection measures
committed to by the management entity.
SEC. 5. AUTHORITIES AND DUTIES OF MANAGEMENT
ENTITY.
(a) AUTHORITIES OF THE MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—
The management entity may, for purposes of preparing
and implementing the management plan, use funds made
available through this Act for the following:
(1) To make grants to, and enter into coopera-
tive agreements with, States and their political sub-
divisions, private organizations, or any person.
(2) To hire and compensate staff.
(3) To enter into contracts for goods and serv-
ices.
(b) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Taking into consideration
existing State, county, and local plans, the manage-
ment entity shall develop a management plan for the
Heritage Area.
(2) CONTENTS.—The management plan re-
quired by this subsection shall include—
(A) comprehensive recommendations for
conservation, funding, management, and devel-
opment of the Heritage Area;
(B) actions to be undertaken by units of
government and private organizations to protect
the resources of the Heritage Area;
(C) a list of specific existing and potential
sources of funding to protect, manage, and de-
velop the Heritage Area;
(D) an inventory of the resources con-
tained in the Heritage Area, including a list of
any property in the Heritage Area that is re-
lated to the themes of the Heritage Area and
that should be preserved, restored, managed,
developed, or maintained because of its natural,
cultural, historic, recreational, or scenic signifi-
cance;
(E) a recommendation of policies for re-
source management which considers and details
application of appropriate land and water man-
agement techniques, including the development
of intergovernmental cooperative agreements to
protect the historical, cultural, recreational, and
natural resources of the Heritage Area in a
manner consistent with supporting appropriate
and compatible economic viability;
(F) a program for implementation of the
management plan by the management entity,
including plans for restoration and construc-
tion, and specific commitments of the identified
partners for the first 5 years of operation;
(G) an analysis of ways in which local,
State, and Federal programs may best be co-
ordinated to promote the purposes of this Act;
and
(H) an interpretation plan for the Heritage
Area.
(3) SUBMISSION TO SECRETARY.—The manage-
ment entity shall submit the management plan to
the Secretary for approval not later than 3 years
after the date of enactment of this Act. If a manage-
ment plan is not submitted to the Secretary as re-
quired within the specified time, the Heritage Area
shall no longer qualify for Federal funding.
(c) DUTIES OF MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—In addition
to its duties under subsection (b), the management entity
shall—
(1) give priority to implementing actions set
forth in the compact and management plan, includ-
ing steps to assist units of government, regional
planning organizations, and nonprofit organizations
in preserving the Heritage Area;
(2) assist units of government, regional plan-
ning organizations, and nonprofit organizations
with—
(A) establishing and maintaining interpre-
tive exhibits in the Heritage Area;
(B) developing recreational resources in
the Heritage Area;
(C) increasing public awareness of and ap-
preciation for the natural, historical, and archi-
tectural resources and sites in the Heritage
Area;
(D) restoring any historic building relating
to the themes of the Heritage Area; and
(E) ensuring that clear, consistent, and en-
vironmentally appropriate signs identifying ac-
cess points and sites of interest are put in place
throughout the Heritage Area;
(3) encourage, by appropriate means, economic
viability in the Heritage Area consistent with the
goals of the management plan;
(4) encourage local governments to adopt land
use policies consistent with the management of the
Heritage Area and the goals of the management
plan;
(5) consider the interests of diverse govern-
mental, business, and nonprofit groups within the
Heritage Area;
(6) conduct public meetings at least quarterly
regarding the implementation of the management
plan; and
(7) for any year in which Federal funds have
been received under this Act, make available for
audit all records pertaining to the expenditure of
such funds and any matching funds, and require, for
all agreements authorizing expenditure of Federal
funds by other organizations, that the receiving or-
ganizations make available for audit all records per-
taining to the expenditure of such funds.
(d) PROHIBITION ON THE ACQUISITION OF REAL
PROPERTY.—The management entity may not use Fed-
eral funds received under this Act to acquire real property
or an interest in real property. Nothing in this Act shall
preclude any management entity from using Federal funds
from other sources for their permitted purposes.
(e) SPENDING FOR NON-FEDERALLY OWNED PROP-
ERTY.—The management entity may spend Federal funds
directly on non-federally owned property to further the
purposes of this Act, especially in assisting units of gov-
ernment in appropriate treatment of districts, sites, build-
ings, structures, and objects listed or eligible for listing
on the National Register of Historic Places.
SEC. 6. DUTIES AND AUTHORITIES OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.
(a) TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.—The
Secretary may, upon request of the management entity,
provide technical and financial assistance to the manage-
ment entity to develop and implement the management
plan. In assisting the management entity, the Secretary
shall give priority to actions that in general assist in—
(1) conserving the significant natural, historic,
and cultural resources which support the themes of
the Heritage Area; and
(2) providing educational, interpretive, and rec-
reational opportunities consistent with resources and
associated values of the Heritage Area.
(b) APPROVAL AND DISAPPROVAL OF MANAGEMENT
PLANS.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Yuma
Crossing National Heritage Area Board of Directors, shall
approve or disapprove a management plan submitted
under this Act not later than 90 days after receiving such
management plan.
(c) ACTION FOLLOWING DISAPPROVAL.—If the Sec-
retary disapproves a submitted compact or management
plan, the Secretary shall advise the management entity in
writing of the reasons therefore and shall make rec-
ommendations for revisions in the management plan. The
Secretary shall approve or disapprove a proposed revision
within 90 days after the date it is submitted.
(d) APPROVING AMENDMENTS.—The Secretary shall
review substantial amendments to the management plan
for the Heritage Area. Funds appropriated pursuant to
this Act may not be expended to implement the changes
made by such amendments until the Secretary approves
the amendments.
(e) 
DOCUMENTATION.—The 
Historic 
American
Building Survey/Historic American Engineering Record
shall conduct those studies necessary to document the cul-
tural, historic, architectural, and natural resources of the
Heritage Area.
SEC. 7. SUNSET.
The Secretary may not make any grant or provide
any assistance under this Act after September 30, 2015.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated under 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.