was involved in the process, and how and when 
the stakeholders were involved; 
(2) include an inventory of the natural, historic, 
cultural, or scenic resources of the National Herit-
age Area related to the nationally significant themes 
and events of the region that should be protected, 
enhanced, interpreted, managed, or developed; 
(3) identify comprehensive goals, strategies, 
policies, and recommendations for telling the story 
of the region’s heritage and encouraging long-term 
resource protection, enhancement, interpretation, 
and development; 
(4) include recommendations for ways in which 
local, State, tribal, and Federal entities may best be 
coordinated, including the role of the National Park 
Service and other Federal agencies associated with 
the National Heritage Area, to further the purposes 
of this Act; 
(5) outline a strategy for the local coordinating 
entity to achieve financial sustainability; 
(6) include an implementation program that 
identifies— 
(A) prioritized actions and criteria for se-
lecting future projects; 
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(B) the ways in which stakeholders will be 
involved in their implementation; 
(C) existing and potential sources of fund-
ing; 
(D) performance goals; and 
(E) the manner in which the plan will be 
evaluated and updated; and 
(7) include a business plan for the local coordi-
nating entity that, at minimum, addresses manage-
ment and operation, products or services offered, the 
target market for products and services, and revenue 
streams. 
(b) EXCEPTIONS.—The requirements in subsection 
(b) shall not apply to management plans in effect on the 
date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 7. DESIGNATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The designation of a National 
Heritage Area shall be— 
(1) by Federal statute; and 
(2) contingent on the prior completion of a 
management plan and an affirmative determination 
by the Secretary that the area meets the criteria re-
quired under this Act. 
(b) COMPONENT OF THE NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA 
SYSTEM.—Any National Heritage Area designated under 
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subsection (a) shall be a component of the National Herit-
age Area System. 
SEC. 8. EVALUATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than every 10 years 
after the date on which a National Heritage Area is des-
ignated, the Secretary shall— 
(1) conduct an evaluation of the accomplish-
ments of that National Heritage Area; and 
(2) prepare a report with recommendations for 
the National Park Service’s continued role with re-
spect to that National Heritage Area. 
(b) EVALUATION COMPONENTS.—An evaluation pre-
pared under subsection (a) shall— 
(1) assess the progress of the local coordinating 
entity with respect to— 
(A) accomplishing the purposes of the au-
thorizing legislation for the National Heritage 
Area; and 
(B) achieving the goals and objectives of 
the approved management plan for the National 
Heritage Area; 
(2) analyze the Federal, State, local, and pri-
vate investments in the National Heritage Area to 
determine the leverage and impact of the invest-
ments; and 
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(3) review the management structure, partner-
ship relationships, and funding of the National Her-
itage Area for purposes of identifying the critical 
components for sustainability of the National Herit-
age Area. 
(c) RECOMMENDATIONS.—Based upon the evaluation 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall prepare a report 
with recommendations for the National Park Service’s 
continued role with respect to the National Heritage Area. 
If the report recommends that Federal funding for the 
National Heritage Area be— 
(1) continued, the report shall include an anal-
ysis of— 
(A) ways in which Federal funding for the 
National Heritage Area may be reduced or 
eliminated over time; and 
(B) the appropriate time period necessary 
to achieve the recommended reduction or elimi-
nation; and 
(2) eliminated, the report to Congress shall in-
clude a description of potential impacts on conserva-
tion, interpretation, and sustainability of the part-
nership. 
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(d) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—On completion of a 
report under subsection (c), the Secretary shall submit the 
report to— 
(1) the Committee on Energy and Natural Re-
sources of the Senate; and 
(2) the Committee on Natural Resources of the 
House of Representatives. 
SEC. 9. LOCAL COORDINATING ENTITIES. 
(a) DUTIES.—To further the purposes of the Na-
tional Heritage Area, the local coordinating entity shall— 
(1) prepare and submit a management plan for 
the National Heritage Area to the Secretary in ac-
cordance with section 7; 
(2) submit an annual report to the Secretary 
for any fiscal year in which it receives Federal funds 
under this Act, setting forth its specific performance 
goals and accomplishments, expenses and income, 
amounts and sources of matching funds as appro-
priate, the amounts leveraged with Federal funds 
and sources of such leveraging, and grants made to 
any other entities during the year for which the re-
port is made; 
(3) make available for audit for any fiscal year 
in which it receives Federal funds under this Act, all 
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information pertaining to the expenditure of such 
funds and any matching funds; and 
(4) encourage by appropriate means economic 
viability and sustainability that is consistent with 
the purposes of the National Heritage Area. 
(b) AUTHORITIES.—The local coordinating entity 
may, subject to the prior approval of the Secretary, for 
the purposes of preparing and implementing the approved 
management plan for the National Heritage Area, use 
Federal funds made available through this Act to— 
(1) make grants to political jurisdictions, non-
profit organizations, and other parties within the 
National Heritage Area; 
(2) enter into cooperative agreements with or 
provide technical assistance to political jurisdictions, 
nonprofit organizations, Federal agencies, and other 
interested parties; 
(3) hire and compensate staff, which may in-
clude individuals with expertise in natural, cultural, 
and historic resources conservation; economic and 
community development; and heritage planning; 
(4) obtain money or services from any source 
including any that are provided under other Federal 
laws or programs; 
(5) contract for goods or services; and 
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(6) support activities of partners and any other 
activities that further the purposes of the National 
Heritage Area and are consistent with the approved 
management plan. 
(c) PROHIBITIONS ON THE ACQUISITION OF REAL 
PROPERTY.—The local coordinating entity may not use 
Federal funds received under this Act to acquire any inter-
est in real property. 
SEC. 10. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES. 
(a) PROVISION OF ASSISTANCE.—This Act shall not 
affect the authority of any Federal official to provide tech-
nical or financial assistance under any other law. 
(b) COORDINATION.—The head of any Federal agen-
cy planning to conduct activities that may have an impact 
on a designated National Heritage Area shall consult and 
coordinate these activities with the Secretary and the local 
coordinating entity. 
(c) OTHER LAWS
AND REGULATIONS.—This Act 
shall not modify any law or regulation authorizing Federal 
officials to manage Federal land under their control or 
limit the discretion of Federal land managers to imple-
ment approved land use plans within the boundaries of 
a National Heritage Area, nor shall this Act be construed 
to modify, alter, or amend any authorized uses of these 
Federal lands. 
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SEC. 11. PROPERTY OWNERS AND REGULATORY PROTEC-
TIONS. 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to— 
(1) abridge the rights of any property owner, 
whether public or private, including the right to re-
frain from participating in any plan, project, pro-
gram, or activity conducted within the National Her-
itage Area; 
(2) require any property owner to permit public 
access (including Federal, State, tribal, or local gov-
ernment access) to such property or to modify any 
provisions of Federal, State, tribal, or local law with 
regard to public access or use of private lands; 
(3) alter any duly adopted land use regulation 
or any approved land use plan or any other regu-
latory authority of any Federal, State, or local agen-
cy or tribal government, or to convey any land use 
or other regulatory authority to any local coordi-
nating entity; 
(4) authorize or imply the reservation or appro-
priation of water or water rights; 
(5) diminish the authority of the State to man-
age fish and wildlife including the regulation of fish-
ing and hunting within the National Heritage Area; 
or 
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(6) create any liability, or to have any effect on 
any liability under any other law, of any private 
property owner with respect to any persons injured 
on such private property. 
SEC. 12. FUNDING. 
(a) FEDERAL FUNDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out the activities under section 
9 not more than $700,000 for any fiscal year for 
each National Heritage Area. 
(2) 
FEASIBILITY
STUDIES; 
MANAGEMENT 
PLANS.—In addition to amounts authorized in para-
graph (1), there are authorized to be appropriated to 
the Secretary— 
(A) not more than $300,000 for any fiscal 
year, to conduct feasibility studies by the Na-
tional Park Service in accordance with the pro-
visions of section 5, with not more than 
$100,000 allocated in the fiscal year for any 
one feasibility study for a proposed National 
Heritage Area; and 
(B) not more than $750,000 for any fiscal 
year, to conduct management plans by the Na-
tional Park Service in accordance with the pro-
visions of section 6, with not more than 
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$250,000 allocated in the fiscal year for any 
one management plan for a proposed National 
Heritage Area. 
(3) GRANTS.—Funding provided under para-
graph (2) shall be in the form of grants approved by 
the National Park Service and provided to the local 
coordinating entity conducting the feasibility study 
or management plan. 
(b) MATCHING FUNDS.— 
(1) AMOUNT.—As a condition of providing fi-
nancial assistance under this section to a local co-
ordinating entity, the Secretary shall require the en-
tity to provide matching funds equal to— 
(A) the amount of the Federal funds re-
ceived by that National Heritage Area for any 
fiscal year under subsection (a)(1); 
(B) 25 percent of the amount of the Fed-
eral funds received by that National Heritage 
Area for feasibility studies under subsection (a); 
and 
(C) 50 percent of the amount of the Fed-
eral funds received by that National Heritage 
Area for a management plan under subsection 
(a). 
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(2) SOURCE; FORM.—The local coordinating en-
tity’s matching funds required under paragraph (1) 
shall be— 
(A) from non-Federal sources; or 
(B) made in the form of in-kind contribu-
tions of goods or services fairly valued. 
SEC. 13. SUNSET. 
The National Heritage Area System shall expire on 
the date that is 20 years after the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
Æ 
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