Saint Croix Island Heritage Act
PL 106-529 (S.2485), enacted 11/22/2000

114 STAT. 2524 
PUBLIC LAW 106-529—NOV. 22, 2000 
Public Law 106-529 
106th Congress 
An Act 
Nov. 22, 2000 
[S. 2485] 
Saint Croix 
Island Heritage 
Act 
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To direct the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance in planning and con-
structing a regional heritage center in Calais, Maine. 
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 "Saint Croix Island Heritage 
Act". 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 
(1) Saint Croix Island is located in the Saint Croix River, 
a river that is the boundary between the State of Maine and 
Canada; 
(2) the Island is the only international historic site in 
the National Park System; 
(3) in 1604, French nobleman Pierre Dugua Sieur de Mons, 
accompanied by a courageous group of adventurers that 
included Samuel Champlain, landed on the Island and began 
the construction of a settlement; 
(4) the French settlement on the Island in 1604 and 1605 
was the initial site of the first permanent settlement in the 
New World, predating the English settlement of 1607 at James-
town, Virginia; 
(5) many people view the expedition that settled on the 
Island in 1604 as the beginning of the Acadian culture in 
North America; 
(6) in October, 1998, the National Park Service completed 
a general management plan to manage and interpret the Saint 
Croix Island International Historic Site; 
(7) the plan addresses a variety of management alter-
natives, and concludes that the best management strategy 
entails developing an interpretive trail and ranger station at 
Red Beach, Maine, and a regional heritage center in downtown 
Calais, Maine, in cooperation with Federal, State, and local 
agencies; 
(8) a 1982 memorandum of understanding, signed by the 
Department of the Interior and the Canadian Department for 
the Environment, outlines a cooperative program to commemo-
rate the international heritage of the Saint Croix Island site 
and specifically to prepare for the 400th anniversary of the 
settlement in 2004; and 
PUBLIC LAW 106-529—NOV. 22, 2000 
114 STAT. 2525 
(9) only 4 years remain before the 400th anniversary of 
the settlement at Saint Croix Island, an occasion that should 
be appropriately commemorated. 
(b) PURPOSE.—^The purpose of this Act is to direct the Secretary 
of the Interior to take all necessary and appropriate steps to work 
with Federal, State, and local agencies, historical societies, and 
nonprofit organizations to facilitate the development of a regional 
heritage center in downtown Calais, Maine before the 400th 
anniversary of the settlement of Saint Croix Island. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ISLAND.—^The term "Island" means Saint Croix Island, 
located in the Saint Croix River, between Canada and the 
State of Maine. 
(2) SECRETARY.—The term "Secretary" means the Secretary 
of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National 
Park Service. 
SEC. 4. SAINT CROIX ISLAND REGIONAL HERITAGE CENTER. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—^The Secretary shall provide assistance in 
planning, constructing, and operating a regional heritage center 
in downtown Calais, Maine, to facilitate the management and 
interpretation of the Saint Croix Island International Historic Site. 
(b) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—^To carry out subsection (a), 
in administering the Saint Croix Island International Historic Site, 
the Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements under appro-
priate terms and conditions with other Federal agencies, State 
and local agencies and nonprofit organizations— 
(1) to provide exhibits, interpretive services (including 
employing individuals to provide such services), and technical 
assistance; 
(2) to conduct activities that facilitate the dissemination 
of information relating to the Saint Croix Island International 
Historic Site; 
(3) to provide financial assistance for the construction of 
the regional heritage center in exchange for space in the center 
that is sufficient to interpret the Saint Croix Island Inter-
national Historic Site; and 
(4) to assist with the operation and maintenance of the 
regional heritage center. 
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—^There is authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out this Act (including the design and construction 
of the regional heritage center) $2,000,000. 
(2) EXPENDITURE.—Paragraph (1) authorizes funds to be 
appropriated on the condition that any expenditure of those 
funds shall be matched on a dollar-for-doUar basis by funds 
from non-Federal sources. 
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114 STAT. 2526 
PUBLIC LAW 106-529—NOV. 22, 2000 
(b) OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE.—There are authorized to 
be appropriated such sums as are necessary to maintain and operate 
interpretive exhibits in the regional heritage center. 
Approved November 22, 2000. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 2485: 
S E N A T E REPORTS: No. 106-319 (Comm. on Energy and Natural Resources). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 146 (2000): 
Oct. 5, considered and passed Senate. 
Oct. 30, considered and passed House.