I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3237
To establish the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area in the State of
Georgia, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOVEMBER 6, 2001
Ms. MCKINNEY (for herself, Mr. LINDER, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, and Mr.
BONIOR) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Resources
A BILL
To establish the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area
in the State of Georgia, 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 ‘‘Arabia Mountain Na-
tional Heritage Area Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
(1) The Arabia Mountain area contains a vari-
ety of natural, cultural, historical, scenic, and rec-
reational resources that together represent distinc-
tive aspects of the heritage of the United States that
are worthy of recognition, conservation, interpreta-
tion, and continuing use.
(2) The best methods for managing the re-
sources of the Arabia Mountain area would be
through partnerships between public and private en-
tities that combine diverse resources and active com-
munities.
(3) Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Pre-
serve, a 535-acre park in DeKalb County, Georgia—
(A) protects granite outcrop ecosystems,
wetland, and pine and oak forests; and
(B) includes federally-protected plant spe-
cies.
(4) Panola Mountain, a national natural land-
mark, located in the 860-acre Panola Mountain
State Conservation Park, is a rare example of a
pristine granite outcrop.
(5) The archaeological site at Miners Creek
Preserve along the South River contains documented
evidence of early human activity.
(6) The city of Lithonia, Georgia, and related
sites of Arabia Mountain and Stone Mountain pos-
sess sites that display the history of granite mining
as an industry and culture in Georgia, and the im-
pact of that industry on the United States.
(7) The community of Klondike is eligible for
designation as a National Historic District.
(8) The city of Lithonia has 2 structures listed
on the National Register of Historic Places.
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are as fol-
lows:
(1) To recognize, preserve, promote, interpret,
and make available for the benefit of the public the
natural, cultural, historical, scenic, and recreational
resources in the area that includes Arabia Mountain,
Panola Mountain, Miners Creek, and other signifi-
cant sites and communities.
(2) To assist the State of Georgia and the
counties of DeKalb, Rockdale, and Henry in the
State in developing and implementing an integrated
cultural, historical, and land resource management
program to protect, enhance, and interpret the sig-
nificant resources within the heritage area.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of this Act, the following definitions
apply:
(1) HERITAGE
AREA.—The term ‘‘heritage
area’’ means the Arabia Mountain National Heritage
Area established by section 4.
(2) MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—The term ‘‘man-
agement entity’’ means the Arabia Mountain Herit-
age Area Alliance or a successor of the Arabia
Mountain Heritage Area Alliance.
(3) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The term ‘‘manage-
ment plan’’ means the management plan for the her-
itage area developed under section 6.
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of the Interior.
(5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State
of Georgia.
SEC. 4. ARABIA MOUNTAIN NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the Ara-
bia Mountain National Heritage Area in the State.
(b) BOUNDARIES.—The heritage area shall consist of
certain parcels of land in the counties of DeKalb,
Rockdale, and Henry in the State, as generally depicted
on the map entitled ‘‘The Preferred Concept’’ contained
in the document entitled ‘‘Arabia Mountain National Her-
itage Area Feasibility Study’’, dated February 28, 2001.
(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.
(d) MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—The Arabia Mountain
Heritage Area Alliance shall be the management entity for
the heritage area.
SEC. 5. AUTHORITIES AND DUTIES OF THE MANAGEMENT
ENTITY.
(a) AUTHORITIES.—For purposes of developing and
implementing the management plan, the management en-
tity may—
(1) make grants to, and enter into cooperative
agreements with, the State, political subdivisions of
the State, and private organizations;
(2) hire and compensate staff; and
(3) enter into contracts for goods and services.
(b) DUTIES.—
(1) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The management entity
shall develop and submit to the Secretary the
management plan.
(B) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing and
implementing the management plan, the man-
agement entity shall consider the interests of
diverse governmental, business, and nonprofit
groups within the heritage area.
(2) PRIORITIES.—The management entity shall
give priority to implementing actions described in
the management plan, including the following:
(A) Assisting units of government and
nonprofit organizations in preserving resources
within the heritage area.
(B) Encouraging local governments to
adopt land use policies consistent with the man-
agement of the heritage area and the goals of
the management plan.
(3) PUBLIC MEETINGS.—The management enti-
ty shall conduct public meetings at least quarterly
on the implementation of the management plan.
(4) ANNUAL REPORT.—For any year in which
Federal funds have been made available under this
Act, the management entity shall submit to the Sec-
retary an annual report that describes the following:
(A) The accomplishments of the manage-
ment entity.
(B) The expenses and income of the man-
agement entity.
(5) AUDIT.—The management entity shall—
(A) make available to the Secretary for
audit all records relating to the expenditure of
Federal funds and any matching funds; and
(B) require, with respect to all agreements
authorizing expenditure of Federal funds by
other organizations, that the receiving organiza-
tions make available to the Secretary for audit
all records concerning the expenditure of those
funds.
(c) USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The management entity
shall not use Federal funds made available under
this Act to acquire real property or an interest in
real property.
(2) OTHER SOURCES.—Nothing in this Act pre-
cludes the management entity from using Federal
funds made available under other Federal laws for
any purpose for which the funds are authorized to
be used.
SEC. 6. MANAGEMENT PLAN.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The management entity shall de-
velop a management plan for the heritage area that incor-
porates an integrated and cooperative approach to protect,
interpret, and enhance the natural, cultural, historical,
scenic, and recreational resources of the heritage area.
(b) BASIS.—The management plan shall be based on
the preferred concept in the document entitled ‘‘Arabia
Mountain National Heritage Area Feasibility Study’’,
dated February 28, 2001.
(c) CONSIDERATION
OF OTHER PLANS
AND AC-
TIONS.—The management plan shall—
(1) take into consideration State and local
plans; and
(2) involve residents, public agencies, and pri-
vate organizations in the heritage area.
(d) REQUIREMENTS.—The management plan shall
include the following:
(1) An inventory of the resources in the herit-
age area, including—
(A) a list of property in the heritage area
that—
(i) relates to the purposes of the herit-
age area; and
(ii) should be preserved, restored,
managed, or maintained because of the sig-
nificance of the property; and
(B) an assessment of cultural landscapes
within the heritage area.
(2) Provisions for the protection, interpretation,
and enjoyment of the resources of the heritage area
consistent with the purposes of this Act.
(3) An interpretation plan for the heritage area.
(4) A program for implementation of the man-
agement plan that includes—
(A) actions to be carried out by units of
government, private organizations, and public-
private partnerships to protect the resources of
the heritage area; and
(B) the identification of existing and po-
tential sources of funding for implementing the
plan.
(5) A description and evaluation of the manage-
ment entity, including the membership and organiza-
tional structure of the management entity.
(e) SUBMISSION TO SECRETARY FOR APPROVAL.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the manage-
ment entity shall submit the management plan to
the Secretary for approval.
(2) EFFECT
OF
FAILURE
TO
SUBMIT.—If a
management plan is not submitted to the Secretary
by the date specified in paragraph (1), the Secretary
shall not provide any additional funding under this
Act until such date as a management plan for the
heritage area is submitted to the Secretary.
(f) APPROVAL AND DISAPPROVAL OF MANAGEMENT
PLAN.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after
receiving the management plan submitted under
subsection (e), the Secretary, in consultation with
the State, shall approve or disapprove the manage-
ment plan.
(2) ACTION FOLLOWING DISAPPROVAL.—
(A) REVISION.—If the Secretary dis-
approves a management plan submitted under
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall—
(i) advise the management entity in
writing of the reasons for the disapproval;
(ii) make recommendations for revi-
sions to the management plan; and
(iii) allow the management entity to
submit to the Secretary revisions to the
management plan.
(B) DEADLINE FOR APPROVAL OF REVI-
SION.—Not later than 90 days after the date on
which a revision is submitted under subpara-
graph (A)(iii), the Secretary shall approve or
disapprove the revision.