I
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3596
To provide for the establishment of the Oil Region National Heritage Area,
and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 6, 1996
Mr. CLINGER (for himself and Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources
A BILL
To provide for the establishment of the Oil Region National
Heritage Area, 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 ‘‘Oil Region National
Heritage Area Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—
(1) the Oil Region of Northwestern Pennsylva-
nia, with numerous sites and districts listed on the
National Register of Historic Places, and designated
by the Governor of Pennsylvania as one of the State
Heritage Park Areas, is a region with tremendous
physical and natural resources and possesses a story
of State, national, and international significance;
(2) the single event of Colonel Edwin Drake’s
drilling of the world’s first successful oil well in
1859 has affected the industrial, natural, social, and
political structures of the modern world;
(3) two national historic districts in Franklin
and Titusville as well as 18 separate National Reg-
ister sites are located within the State Heritage
Park boundary;
(4) The Allegheny River, which was designated
as a component of the national wild and scenic riv-
ers system in 1992 by Public Law 102–271, tra-
verses the Oil Region and connects several of its
major sites, as do some of the river’s tributaries
such as Oil Creek, French Creek, and Sandy Creek;
(5) the unspoiled rural character of the Oil Re-
gion provides many natural and recreational re-
sources, scenic vistas, and excellent water quality for
people throughout the United States to enjoy;
(6) remnants of the oil industry, visible on the
landscape to this day, provide a direct linkage to the
past for visitors, as do the historic valley settle-
ments, riverbed settlements, plateau developments,
farmlands, and industrial landscapes;
(7) the transformation of the region from an
agrarian economy to one of the world’s first indus-
trial economies and the site where many of the inno-
vations used in the oil industry today were devel-
oped, was a direct result of the discovery of oil in
the region;
(8) the Oil Region also represents a cross-sec-
tion of American history associated with Native
Americans, frontier settlements, the French and In-
dian War, African-Americans and the Underground
Railroad, and immigration of the Swedish and Pol-
ish, among others;
(9) despite the efforts of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, local subdivisions of the Common-
wealth, volunteer organizations, and private busi-
nesses, the cultural, national, and recreational re-
sources of the region have not realized their full po-
tential and may be lost without assistance from the
Federal Government; and
(10) many local, regional, and Commonwealth
agencies, businesses, and private citizens have ex-
pressed an overwhelming desire to combine forces
and work cooperatively to preserve and enhance the
resources of the Oil Region State Heritage Park,
and have completed the long-range plan for the Oil
Region Heritage Park to that end.
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to enhance
a cooperative management framework to assist the Com-
monwealth of Pennsylvania, its units of local government,
and area citizens in retaining, enhancing, and interpreting
the significant features of the lands, water, and structures
of the Oil Region, in a manner consistent with positive
economic impact and development for the benefit and in-
spiration of present and future generations in the Com-
monwealth of Pennsylvania and the United States.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) AREA.—The terms ‘‘Area’’ and ‘‘National
Heritage Area’’ mean the Oil Region National Herit-
age Area designated by section 4(a).
(2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’
means the Oil Region National Heritage Area Advi-
sory Commission established by section 5.
(3) COMMONWEALTH.—The term ‘‘Common-
wealth’’ means the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
(4) COMPACT.—The term ‘‘Compact’’ means an
agreement described in section 6.
(5) CORPORATION.—The term ‘‘Corporation’’
means the Oil Heritage Region Corporation, the
management entity incorporated by the Corporation
Bureau of the Pennsylvania Department of State on
October 16, 1995, and activated effective January 4,
1996, to preserve historic and cultural resources of
the Oil Region through the establishment, mainte-
nance, and operation of the Oil Heritage Region.
(6) GOVERNOR.—The term ‘‘Governor’’ means
the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
(7) PLAN.—The term ‘‘Plan’’ means a Manage-
ment Plan described in section 10(b).
(8) POLITICAL SUBDIVISION.—The term ‘‘politi-
cal subdivision’’ means a political subdivision of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (including a county,
city, township, water conservancy district, or special
district) any part of which is located in the Area.
(9) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of the Interior.
SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF OIL REGION NATIONAL HERITAGE
AREA.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Upon publication by the Sec-
retary in the Federal Register of notice that the Secretary
has signed the Compact (pursuant to section 6) there is
hereby designated in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
the Oil Region National Heritage Area.
(b) BOUNDARIES.—The boundaries of the Area shall
include those lands within the counties of Venango and
Crawford in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, com-
monly known as the Oil Region, as depicted in the ‘‘Plan
for the Oil Region Heritage Park’’, dated March 1994.
The ‘‘Plan for the Oil Region Heritage Park’’ shall be on
file and available for public inspection in the Office of the
Director of the National Park Service, Washington, Dis-
trict of Columbia. As soon as practicable after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior
shall publish in the Federal Register a detailed description
and map of the boundaries of the Area.
(c) ADMINISTRATION.—The Area shall be adminis-
tered in accordance with this Act.
SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF OIL REGION NATIONAL HERIT-
AGE AREA ADVISORY COMMISSION.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—To assist in carrying out the
purpose of this Act, there is established a Commission to
be known as the ‘‘Oil Region National Heritage Advisory
Commission’’. The Commission shall consist of 13 mem-
bers, appointed as follows:
(1) 1 member appointed by the Secretary to
represent the Department of the Interior.
(2) 1 member appointed by the Secretary of
Agriculture to represent the Department of Agri-
culture.
(3) 4 members appointed by the Governor of
Pennsylvania, of which 1 represents the Pennsylva-
nia Department of Conservation and Natural Re-
sources and 3 represent agencies participating in the
Pennsylvania State Heritage Park Interagency Task
Force.
(4) 7 members appointed by the Governor of
Pennsylvania, subject to the concurrence of the
United States Representative to the Congress from
the Fifth Congressional District of Pennsylvania, to
represent private and public interests from the prin-
cipal communities in the Oil Region National Herit-
age Area.
(b) TIME
OF APPOINTMENTS.—Appointments de-
scribed in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a) shall
be made not later than 6 months after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
(c) DUTIES.—The Commission shall serve in an advi-
sory capacity to the Oil Heritage Region, Inc., the locally
based private, nonprofit management corporation which
will oversee the development of the Oil Region National
Heritage Park, as described in the ‘‘Plan for the Oil Re-
gion Heritage Park’’. The Commission shall confer with
the Oil Heritage Region, Inc., on a regular basis regarding
matters which involve State or Federal policy, technical
assistance, and funding.
(d) TERMS.—Each member of the Commission shall
be appointed for a term of 5 years, except as provided
in subsection (e).
(e) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the Commission
shall be filled in the same manner in which the original
appointment was made. Any member appointed to fill a
vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for
which the member’s predecessor was appointed shall be
appointed only for the remainder of that term.
(f) CHAIRPERSON.—The Commission shall elect a
chairperson from among its members. The term of office
of the chairperson shall be 2 years.
(g) QUORUM.—A simple majority of Commission
members shall constitute a quorum.
(h) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at the
call of the chairperson or a majority of its members, but
not less than 2 times each year.
(i) COMPENSATION.—Members of the Commission
shall serve without compensation.
(j) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate
10 years after its initial meeting, unless the Secretary
elects to extend the duration of the Commission for an
additional 5 years. In no event shall the duration of the
Commission extend beyond 15 years.
SEC. 6. APPROVAL OF COMPACT.
(a) SUBMISSION.—The Area may be designated
under section 4 only if the Corporation, within 180 days
of the date of the enactment of this Act, submits to the
Secretary for approval a proposed Compact for the Area
signed by the Governor of Pennsylvania.
(b) COMPACT.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Compact submitted
under this Act with respect to an area proposed for
designation as a National Heritage Area shall con-
sist of an agreement between the Secretary and the
Governor of Pennsylvania. Such agreement shall de-
fine the area, describe anticipated programs for the
area, and include information relating to the objec-
tives and management of the area. Such information
shall include, but need not be limited to, each of the
following:
(A) BOUNDARIES.—A delineation of the
boundaries of the proposed National Heritage
Area.
(B) MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—An identifica-
tion and description of the management entity
that will administer the proposed National Her-
itage Area.
(C) PARTNERS.—A list of the initial part-
ners to be involved in developing and imple-
menting the Management Plan for the proposed
Area, and a statement of the financial commit-
ment of the partners.
(D) GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND
CONCEP-
TUAL FRAMEWORK.—A discussion of the goals,
objectives, and cost of the proposed National
Heritage Area, including an explanation of—
(i) the conceptual framework, pro-
posed by the partners referred to in sub-
paragraph (C), for development and imple-
mentation of the Plan for the National
Heritage Area; and
(ii) the costs associated with the con-
ceptual framework.
(E) ROLE OF STATE.—A description of the
role of the State in which the proposed National
Heritage Area is located.
(2) CONSISTENCY
WITH
ECONOMIC
VIABIL-
ITY.—The Compact submitted under this Act with
respect to an area proposed for designation under
this Act shall be consistent with continued economic
viability in the communities within the area.
(3) PREPARATION OF COMPACT.—The Compact
submitted under this Act shall be prepared with
public participation and in compliance with the Na-
tional Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C.
4321 et seq.).
(4) INITIATION OF ACTIONS.—Actions called for
in the Compact shall be initiated within a reasonable
time after designation of the National Heritage Area
and shall ensure effective implementation of the
State and local aspects of the Compact.
(c) APPROVAL, DISAPPROVAL, AND REVISIONS OF
COMPACT.—The Secretary shall approve or disapprove the
Compact submitted under this Act. If the Secretary dis-
approves the Compact, the Secretary shall advise the Cor-
poration and Commission, in writing, of the reasons for
the disapproval and shall make recommendations for revi-
sions of the Compact. The Secretary shall approve or dis-
approve a proposed revision to the Compact within 90
days after the date on which the revision is submitted to
the Secretary.
SEC. 7. ADVICE BY SECRETARY.
In accordance with the purpose of this Act, the Sec-
retary may advise the Commonwealth and political sub-
divisions thereof, the Corporation, the Commission, non-
profit organizations, and other appropriate entities re-
garding suitable methods of recognizing and conserving
thematically and geographically linked natural, historic,
and cultural resources and recreational opportunities in
the Area.
SEC. 8. WITHDRAWAL OF DESIGNATION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The designation of the Area
under this Act, after taking effect under section 4, shall
continue unless—
(1) the Secretary determines that—
(A) the National Heritage Area no longer
meets the criteria referred to in section 9;
(B) the use, condition, or development of
the Area is inconsistent with the criteria re-
ferred to in section 9, the Compact, or the
Plan; or
(C) the National Heritage Area is no
longer supported by the residents of the Area
(which may be demonstrated by a request from
the Governor of Pennsylvania or a petition re-
flecting the interest of residents of the Area);
and
(2) after making a determination referred to in
paragraph (1), the Secretary submits to the Con-