[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4692 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4692

            To establish the Appalachian Coal Heritage Area.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 30, 1994

 Mr. Boucher introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
            To establish the Appalachian Coal Heritage Area.

    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 ``Appalachian Coal Heritage Area Act 
of 1994''.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) the rise of American industry in the late 19th and 
        early 20th century led to tremendous growth in the Appalachian 
        coal fields, creating an area of national historic significance 
        in terms of its contributions to American industry, 
        architecture, culture, and diversity;
            (2) within the Appalachian coal belt, the area surrounding 
        and including Pocahontas, Virginia, has a particularly rich 
        history because the Pocahontas mine produced some of the 
        Nation's purest and most sought-after coal and now serves as an 
        invaluable historical and educational resource;
            (3) to accommodate the growing population in the area, the 
        coal mining companies built the town of Pocahontas, one of the 
        oldest and most important company towns in America's coal 
        region;
            (4) the town of Pocahontas is blessed with a rich 
        architectural heritage that testifies to American cultural 
        ability;
            (5) this heritage is unique and must be preserved;
            (6) the influx of labor needed to support the Pocahontas 
        mine created a unique cultural convergence, bringing together 
        Americans from northern mining areas, African-Americans from 
        the South, recent immigrants from Southern and Southeastern 
        Europe, and native Appalachians into a diverse yet integrated 
        community that represents the distinctive American heritage;
            (7) it is in the national interest to preserve and protect 
        physical remnants of the late 19th and early 20th century rise 
        of American industry for the education and benefit of present 
        and future generations; and
            (8) there is a need to provide assistance for the 
        preservation and promotion of the vestiges of the coal heritage 
        of Appalachia that have outstanding cultural, historic, and 
        architectural value.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.

    It is the purpose of this Act to provide a management framework to 
assist the Commonwealth of Virginia, its units of local and regional 
government, and its citizens in the development and implementation of 
integrated cultural, historical, and recreational land resource 
management programs in order to retain, enhance, and interpret the 
significant features of the lands, water, and structures of the 
Appalachian Coal Heritage Area in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF APPALACHIAN COAL HERITAGE AREA.

    There is hereby established in the Commonwealth of Virginia the 
Appalachian Coal Heritage Area (hereinafter in this Act referred to as 
the ``Area''). The Area shall consist of the area generally depicted on 
the map entitled ``Appalachian Coal Heritage Area Master Plan'', 
numbered ____________, and dated ____________, which shall be on file 
and available for public inspection in the Office of the Director of 
the National Park Service.

SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT PLAN.

    (a) Preparation of Plan.--The town of Pocahontas may submit a 
management plan (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ``Plan'') 
for the Area to the Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter in this Act 
referred to as the ``Secretary'') for the review and concurrence of the 
Secretary. The Plan shall be based on existing Federal, State, and 
local plans, and shall coordinate such plans and present an integrated 
plan for the protection, enhancement, and interpretation of the 
cultural, natural, scenic, and recreational resources of the Area. The 
Plan shall specify a management entity with respect to the Appalachian 
Coal Heritage Area. The Secretary is authorized to provide technical 
assistance in the preparation of the Plan.
    (b) Implementation.--If a Plan referred to in subsection (a) is 
submitted to the Secretary within 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and the Secretary concurs with the Plan, the 
Secretary is authorized to enter into a cooperative agreement with the 
management entity specified in the Plan to provide technical assistance 
for the protection, enhancement, and interpretation of the resources 
identified in the Plan.

SEC. 6. CONTINGENCY IF HERITAGE COMPACT NOT SUBMITTED.

    (a) In General.--The establishment of the Area under section 4 and 
the authorization of the Secretary under section 5(b) shall cease to be 
effective if, within 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, a Heritage Compact for the Area is not--
            (1) submitted to the Secretary;
            (2) approved by the Secretary, after consultation with the 
        Advisory Council on Historic Preservation in accordance with 
        section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act; and
            (3) submitted to the Congress, together with any comments 
        that the Secretary deems appropriate.
    (b) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary may provide technical 
assistance to a unit of government or private nonprofit organization in 
the preparation of a Heritage Compact.
    (c) Definition of Heritage Compact.--For purposes of this section, 
the term ``Heritage Compact'' means a compact that--
            (1) is prepared with public participation;
            (2) contains information relating to the objectives and 
        management of the Area, including--
                    (A) a delineation of the boundaries of the Area;
                    (B) a discussion of the goals and objectives of the 
                Area, including an explanation of the proposed approach 
                to conservation and interpretation and a general 
                outline of the protection measures committed to by the 
                partners;
                    (C) an identification and description of the 
                management entity that will administer the Area;
                    (D) a list of the initial partners to be involved 
                in developing and implementing the management plan for 
                the Area, as well as a statement of the financial 
                commitment of such partners; and
                    (E) a description of the role of the Commonwealth 
                of Virginia regarding the Area;
            (3) outlines an implementation program that is likely to be 
        initiated within a reasonable time after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act and that ensures effective implementation 
        of the State and local aspects of the Plan; and
            (4) is accompanied by the comments of the Governor of the 
        Commonwealth of Virginia.

SEC. 7. DUTIES OF FEDERAL ENTITIES.

    Any Federal entity conducting or supporting activities directly 
affecting the Area shall--
            (1) consult with the Secretary and the town of Pocahontas 
        with respect to the activities;
            (2) cooperate with the Secretary and the town of Pocahontas 
        with respect to the activities and, to the maximum extent 
        practicable, coordinate the activities with the Secretary and 
        the town of Pocahontas; and
            (3) to the maximum extent practicable, conduct or support 
        the activities in a manner that will not have an adverse effect 
        on the Area, as determined by the Secretary and the town of 
        Pocahontas.
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