St. Croix National Heritage Area Act
Bill: S.4222 | Sponsor: Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. (I-ME)
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
St. Croix National Heritage Area Act
This bill establishes the St. Croix National Heritage Area in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
The bill designates the Virgin Islands State Historic Preservation Office as the local coordinating entity.
The preservation office shall prepare and submit a management plan for the heritage area for the protection, enhancement, and interpretation of its resources.

To establish the St. Croix National Heritage Area, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``St. Croix National Heritage Area 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Heritage area.--The term ``Heritage Area'' means the 
        St. Croix National Heritage Area established by section 3(a).
            (2) Local coordinating entity.--The term ``local 
        coordinating entity'' means the local coordinating entity for 
        the Heritage Area designated by section 3(d)(1).
            (3) Management plan.--The term ``management plan'' means 
        the management plan for the Heritage Area required under 
        section 5(a).
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (5) St. croix.--The term ``St. Croix'' means St. Croix, 
        United States Virgin Islands.
            (6) State.--The term ``State'' means the United States 
        Virgin Islands.

SEC. 3. ST. CROIX NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the State the St. Croix 
National Heritage Area.
    (b) Boundaries.--The Heritage Area shall consist of the entire 
island of St. Croix.
    (c) Map.--A map of the Heritage Area shall be--
            (1) included in the management plan; and
            (2) on file and available for public inspection in the 
        appropriate offices of the National Park Service.
    (d) Local Coordinating Entity.--
            (1) In general.--The local coordinating entity for the 
        Heritage Area shall be the Virgin Islands State Historic 
        Preservation Office.
            (2) Consultation requirement.--The local coordinating 
        entity shall consult with a broad cross section of businesses, 
        individuals, agencies, and organizations within the boundaries 
        of the Heritage Area described in subsection (b) that were 
        involved in the planning and development of the Heritage Area 
        before the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) Authorities.--For purposes of carrying out the management plan, 
the Secretary, acting through the local coordinating entity, may use 
amounts made available under this Act--
            (1) to make grants to the State or a political subdivision 
        of the State, Indian Tribes, nonprofit organizations, and other 
        persons;
            (2) to enter into cooperative agreements with, or provide 
        technical assistance to, the State or a political subdivision 
        of the State, Indian Tribes, nonprofit organizations, and other 
        interested parties;
            (3) to hire and compensate staff, which shall include 
        individuals with expertise in natural, cultural, and historical 
        resources protection and heritage programming;
            (4) to obtain funds or services from any source, including 
        any funds or services that are provided under any other Federal 
        law or program;
            (5) to contract for goods or services; and
            (6) to undertake to be a catalyst for any other activity 
        that--
                    (A) furthers the Heritage Area; and
                    (B) is consistent with the approved management 
                plan.
    (b) Duties.--The local coordinating entity shall--
            (1) assist Federal agencies, the State or a political 
        subdivision of the State, Indian Tribes, regional planning 
        organizations, nonprofit organizations, and other interested 
        parties in carrying out the management plan by--
                    (A) carrying out programs and projects that 
                recognize, protect, and enhance important resource 
                values in the Heritage Area;
                    (B) establishing and maintaining interpretive 
                exhibits and programs in the Heritage Area;
                    (C) developing recreational and educational 
                opportunities in the Heritage Area;
                    (D) increasing public awareness of, and 
                appreciation for, natural, historical, scenic, and 
                cultural resources of the Heritage Area;
                    (E) protecting and restoring historic sites and 
                buildings in the Heritage Area that are consistent with 
                the themes of the Heritage Area;
                    (F) ensuring that clear, consistent, and 
                appropriate signs identifying points of public access 
                and sites of interest are posted throughout the 
                Heritage Area; and
                    (G) promoting a wide range of partnerships among 
                governments, organizations, and individuals to further 
                the purposes of the Heritage Area;
            (2) consider the interests of diverse units of government, 
        businesses, organizations, and individuals in the Heritage Area 
        in the preparation and implementation of the management plan;
            (3) conduct meetings open to the public at least 
        semiannually regarding the development and implementation of 
        the management plan;
            (4) for any year for which Federal funds have been received 
        under this Act--
                    (A) submit to the Secretary an annual report that 
                describes, for the period covered by the report--
                            (i) the activities of the local 
                        coordinating entity;
                            (ii) the expenses and income of the local 
                        coordinating entity; and
                            (iii) any entities to which the local 
                        coordinating entity made grants;
                    (B) make available to the Secretary for audit all 
                records relating to the expenditure of the Federal 
                funds and any matching funds; and
                    (C) require, with respect to all agreements 
                authorizing the expenditure of Federal funds by other 
                organizations, that the receiving organizations make 
                available to the Secretary for audit all records 
                relating to the expenditure of the Federal funds; and
            (5) encourage by appropriate means economic viability that 
        is consistent with the purposes of the Heritage Area.
    (c) Prohibition on the Acquisition of Real Property.--The local 
coordinating entity may not use Federal funds made available under this 
Act to acquire real property or any interest in real property.

SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT PLAN.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the local coordinating entity shall submit to the 
Secretary for approval a proposed management plan for the Heritage 
Area.
    (b) Requirements.--The management plan shall--
            (1) incorporate an integrated and cooperative approach for 
        the protection, enhancement, and interpretation of the natural, 
        cultural, historic, scenic, and recreational resources of the 
        Heritage Area;
            (2) take into consideration Federal, State, and Tribal 
        plans and treaty rights;
            (3) include--
                    (A) an inventory of--
                            (i) the resources located in the Heritage 
                        Area; and
                            (ii) any other property in the Heritage 
                        Area that--
                                    (I) is related to the themes of the 
                                Heritage Area; and
                                    (II) should be preserved, restored, 
                                managed, or maintained because of the 
                                significance of the property;
                    (B) comprehensive policies, strategies, and 
                recommendations for the conservation, funding, 
                management, and development of the Heritage Area;
                    (C) a description of actions that governments, 
                private organizations, and individuals have agreed to 
                take to protect the natural, historical, cultural, 
                scenic, and recreational resources of the Heritage 
                Area;
                    (D) a program of implementation for the management 
                plan by the local coordinating entity that includes a 
                description of--
                            (i) actions to facilitate ongoing 
                        collaboration among partners to promote plans 
                        for resource protection, restoration, and 
                        construction; and
                            (ii) specific commitments for 
                        implementation that have been made by the local 
                        coordinating entity or any government, 
                        organization, or individual for the first 5 
                        years of operation;
                    (E) the identification of sources of funding for 
                carrying out the management plan;
                    (F) analysis and recommendations for means by which 
                Federal, State, and Tribal programs, including the role 
                of the National Park Service in the Heritage Area, may 
                best be coordinated to carry out this Act; and
                    (G) an interpretive plan for the Heritage Area; and
            (4) recommend policies and strategies for resource 
        management that consider and describe the application of 
        appropriate land and water management techniques, including the 
        development of intergovernmental and interagency cooperative 
        agreements to protect the natural, historical, cultural, 
        educational, scenic, and recreational resources of the Heritage 
        Area.
    (c) Deadline.--If a proposed management plan is not submitted to 
the Secretary by the date that is 3 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the local coordinating entity may not receive additional 
funding under this Act until the date on which the Secretary approves 
the management plan.
    (d) Approval or Disapproval of Management Plan.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        receipt of the management plan under subsection (a), the 
        Secretary, in consultation with the State, shall approve or 
        disapprove the management plan.
            (2) Considerations.--In determining whether to approve the 
        management plan, the Secretary shall consider whether--
                    (A) the local coordinating entity is representative 
                of the diverse interests of the Heritage Area;
                    (B) the local coordinating entity has provided 
                adequate opportunity (including public hearings) for 
                public and governmental involvement in the preparation 
                of the management plan; and
                    (C) the resource protection and interpretation 
                strategies contained in the management plan, if 
                implemented, would adequately protect the natural, 
                historical, and cultural resources of the Heritage 
                Area.
            (3) Action following disapproval.--If the Secretary 
        disapproves the management plan under paragraph (1), the 
        Secretary shall--
                    (A) advise the local coordinating entity in writing 
                of the reasons for the disapproval;
                    (B) make recommendations for revisions to the 
                management plan; and
                    (C) not later than 180 days after the date of 
                receipt of any proposed revision of the management plan 
                from the local coordinating entity, approve or 
                disapprove the proposed revision.
            (4) Amendments.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary shall review and 
                approve or disapprove substantial amendments to the 
                management plan.
                    (B) Use of funds.--The local coordinating entity 
                shall not use Federal funds appropriated under this Act 
                to carry out any amendments to the management plan 
                until the Secretary has approved the amendments.

SEC. 6. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.

    (a) In General.--Nothing in this Act affects the authority of a 
Federal agency to provide technical or financial assistance under any 
other law.
    (b) Consultation and Coordination.--The head of any Federal agency 
planning to conduct activities that may have an impact on the Heritage 
Area is encouraged to consult and coordinate the activities with the 
Secretary and the local coordinating entity to the maximum extent 
practicable.
    (c) Other Federal Agencies.--Nothing in this Act--
            (1) modifies, alters, or amends any law or regulation 
        authorizing a Federal agency to manage Federal land under the 
        jurisdiction of the Federal agency;
            (2) limits the discretion of a Federal land manager to 
        implement an approved land use plan within the boundaries of 
        the Heritage Area; or
            (3) modifies, alters, or amends any authorized use of 
        Federal land under the jurisdiction of a Federal agency.

SEC. 7. PRIVATE PROPERTY AND REGULATORY PROTECTIONS.

    Nothing in this Act--
            (1) abridges the rights of any owner of private or public 
        property, including the right to refrain from participating in 
        any plan, project, program, or activity conducted within the 
        Heritage Area;
            (2) requires any property owner--
                    (A) to permit public access (including access by 
                Federal or State agencies) to the property of the 
                property owner; or
                    (B) to modify public access or use of property of 
                the property owner under any other Federal or State 
                law;
            (3) alters any duly adopted land use regulation, approved 
        land use plan, or other regulatory authority of any Federal or 
        State agency;
            (4) conveys any land use or other regulatory authority to 
        the local coordinating entity;
            (5) authorizes or implies the reservation or appropriation 
        of water or water rights;
            (6) enlarges or diminishes the treaty rights of any Indian 
        Tribe within the Heritage Area;
            (7) diminishes--
                    (A) the authority of the State to manage fish and 
                wildlife, including the regulation of fishing and 
                hunting, within the Heritage Area; or
                    (B) the authority of Indian Tribes to regulate 
                members of Indian Tribes with respect to fishing, 
                hunting, and gathering in the Heritage Area in the 
                exercise of treaty rights; or
            (8) creates any liability, or affects any liability under 
        any other law, of any private property owner with respect to 
        any person injured on the private property.

SEC. 8. EVALUATION AND REPORT.

    Not later than 3 years before the date on which authority for 
Federal funding terminates for the Heritage Area under section 10, the 
Secretary shall--
            (1) conduct an evaluation of the accomplishments of the 
        Heritage Area, under which the Secretary shall--
                    (A) assess the progress of the local coordinating 
                entity with respect to--
                            (i) accomplishing the purposes of this Act 
                        for the Heritage Area; and
                            (ii) achieving the goals and objectives of 
                        the approved management plan for the Heritage 
                        Area;
                    (B) analyze the Federal, State, and private 
                investments in the Heritage Area to determine the 
                impact of the investments; and
                    (C) review the management structure, partnership 
                relationships, and funding of the Heritage Area for 
                purposes of identifying the critical components for 
                sustainability of the Heritage Area; and
            (2) based on the evaluation conducted under paragraph (1), 
        submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
        Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
        Representatives a report that includes recommendations for the 
        future role of the National Park Service, if any, with respect 
        to the Heritage Area.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this Act $10,000,000, of which not more than $1,000,000 may be made 
available for any fiscal year.
    (b) Availability.--Amounts made available under subsection (a) 
shall remain available until expended.
    (c) Cost-Sharing Requirement.--
            (1) In general.--The Federal share of the total cost of any 
        activity carried out using funds made available under this Act 
        shall be not more than 50 percent.
            (2) Form.--The non-Federal share of the total cost of any 
        activity carried out using funds made available under this Act 
        may be in the form of in-kind contributions of goods or 
        services fairly valued.

SEC. 10. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.

    The authority of the Secretary to provide financial assistance 
under this Act terminates on the date that is 15 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act.
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