[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2833 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2833

         To establish the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 9, 1999

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
         To establish the Yuma Crossing National 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; DEFINITIONS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Yuma Crossing 
National Heritage Area Act of 1999''.
    (b) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Heritage area.--The term ``Heritage Area'' means the 
        Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area established in section 3.
            (2) Management entity.--The term ``management entity'' 
        shall mean the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Board of 
        Directors.
            (3) Management plan.--The term ``management plan'' shall 
        mean the management plan for the Yuma Crossing National 
        Heritage Area.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Certain events that led to the establishment of the 
        Yuma Crossing as a natural crossing place on the Colorado River 
        and to its development as the epicenter of America's westward 
        expansion during the mid 19th century are of national historic 
        and cultural significance in terms of their contribution to the 
        development of the new United States of America.
            (2) It is in the national interest to promote, preserve, 
        and protect physical remnants of a community with almost 500 
        years of recorded history which has outstanding cultural, 
        historic, and architectural value for the education and benefit 
        of present and future generations.
            (3) The designation of the Yuma Crossing as a national 
        heritage area would preserve Yuma's history and provide related 
        educational opportunities, provide recreational opportunities, 
        preserve natural resources, optimize the use of riverfront 
        property, streamline government services, and improve the city 
        of Yuma's ability to serve visitors and enhance the local 
        economy through the completion of the major projects identified 
        within the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area.
            (4) The Department of the Interior is responsible for 
        protecting the Nation's cultural and historic resources. There 
        are significant examples of these resources within the Yuma 
        region to merit the involvement of the Federal Government in 
        developing programs and projects, in cooperation with the Yuma 
        Crossing National Heritage Area and other local and 
        governmental bodies, to adequately conserve, protect, and 
        interpret this heritage for future generations while providing 
        opportunities for education, revitalization, and economic 
        development.
            (5) The city of Yuma, the Arizona State Parks Board, 
        agencies of the Federal Government, corporate entities, and 
        citizens have completed a study and master plan for the Yuma 
        Crossing to determine the extent of its historic resources, 
        preserve and interpret these historic resources, and assess the 
        opportunities available to enhance the cultural experience for 
        region's visitors and residents.
            (6) The Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Board of 
        Directors would be an appropriate management entity for a 
        heritage area established in the region.
    (b) Purpose.--The objectives of the Yuma Crossing National Heritage 
Area are as follows:
            (1) To recognize the role of the Yuma Crossing in the 
        development of the United States, in particular its position as 
        the epicenter of America's westward expansion during the mid-
        19th century.
            (2) To promote, interpret, and develop the physical and 
        recreational resources of the communities surrounding the Yuma 
        Crossing, which has almost 500 years of recorded history and 
        outstanding cultural, historic, and architectural assets, for 
        the education and benefit of present and future generations.
            (3) To foster a close working relationship with all levels 
        of government, the private sector, and the local communities in 
the Yuma community and empower the community to conserve its heritage 
while continuing to pursue economic opportunities.
            (4) To provide recreational opportunities for visitors to 
        the Yuma Crossing and preserve natural resources within the 
        Heritage Area.
            (5) To optimize the use of riverfront property and 
        streamline government services.
            (6) To improve the Yuma region's ability to serve visitors 
        and enhance the local economy through the completion of the 
        major projects identified within the Heritage Area.

SEC. 3. YUMA CROSSING NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.

    (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established the Yuma Crossing 
National Heritage Area.
    (b) Boundaries.--The Heritage Area shall be comprised of those 
portions of the county and city of Yuma, Arizona, as determined in the 
compact entered into under section 4.
    (c) Management Entity.--The management entity for the Heritage Area 
shall be the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Board of Directors.

SEC. 4. COMPACT.

    To carry out the purposes of this Act, the Secretary of the 
Interior shall enter into a compact with the management entity. The 
compact shall include information relating to the objectives and 
management of the Heritage Area, including each of the following:
            (1) A delineation of the boundaries of the Heritage Area.
            (2) A discussion of the goals and objectives of the 
        Heritage Area, including an explanation of the proposed 
        approach to conservation and interpretation and a general 
        outline of the protection measures committed to by the 
        management entity.

SEC. 5. AUTHORITIES AND DUTIES OF MANAGEMENT 
              ENTITY.

    (a) Authorities of the Management Entity.--The management entity 
may, for purposes of preparing and implementing the management plan, 
use funds made available through this Act for the following:
            (1) To make grants to, and enter into cooperative 
        agreements with, States and their political subdivisions, 
        private organizations, or any person.
            (2) To hire and compensate staff.
            (3) To enter into contracts for goods and services.
    (b) Management Plan.--
            (1) In general.--Taking into consideration existing State, 
        county, and local plans, the management entity shall develop a 
        management plan for the Heritage Area.
            (2) Contents.--The management plan required by this 
        subsection shall include--
                    (A) comprehensive recommendations for conservation, 
                funding, management, and development of the Heritage 
                Area;
                    (B) actions to be undertaken by units of government 
                and private organizations to protect the resources of 
                the Heritage Area;
                    (C) a list of specific existing and potential 
                sources of funding to protect, manage, and develop the 
                Heritage Area;
                    (D) an inventory of the resources contained in the 
                Heritage Area, including a list of any property in the 
                Heritage Area that is related to the themes of the 
                Heritage Area and that should be preserved, restored, 
                managed, developed, or maintained because of its 
                natural, cultural, historic, recreational, or scenic 
                significance;
                    (E) a recommendation of policies for resource 
                management which considers and details application of 
                appropriate land and water management techniques, 
                including the development of intergovernmental 
                cooperative agreements to protect the historical, 
                cultural, recreational, and natural resources of the 
                Heritage Area in a manner consistent with supporting 
                appropriate and compatible economic viability;
                    (F) a program for implementation of the management 
                plan by the management entity, including plans for 
                restoration and construction, and specific commitments 
                of the identified partners for the first 5 years of 
                operation;
                    (G) an analysis of ways in which local, State, and 
                Federal programs may best be coordinated to promote the 
                purposes of this Act; and
                    (H) an interpretation plan for the Heritage Area.
            (3) Submission to secretary.--The management entity shall 
        submit the management plan to the Secretary for approval not 
        later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act. If 
        a management plan is not submitted to the Secretary as required 
        within the specified time, the Heritage Area shall no longer 
        qualify for Federal funding.
    (c) Duties of Management Entity.--In addition to its duties under 
subsection (b), the management entity shall--
            (1) give priority to implementing actions set forth in the 
        compact and management plan, including steps to assist units of 
        government, regional planning organizations, and nonprofit 
        organizations in preserving the Heritage Area;
            (2) assist units of government, regional planning 
        organizations, and nonprofit organizations with--
                    (A) establishing and maintaining interpretive 
                exhibits in the Heritage Area;
                    (B) developing recreational resources in the 
                Heritage Area;
                    (C) increasing public awareness of and appreciation 
                for the natural, historical, and architectural 
                resources and sites in the Heritage Area;
                    (D) restoring any historic building relating to the 
                themes of the Heritage Area; and
                    (E) ensuring that clear, consistent, and 
                environmentally appropriate signs identifying access 
                points and sites of interest are put in place 
                throughout the Heritage Area;
            (3) encourage, by appropriate means, economic viability in 
        the Heritage Area consistent with the goals of the management 
        plan;
            (4) encourage local governments to adopt land use policies 
        consistent with the management of the Heritage Area and the 
        goals of the management plan;
            (5) consider the interests of diverse governmental, 
        business, and nonprofit groups within the Heritage Area;
            (6) conduct public meetings at least quarterly regarding 
        the implementation of the management plan; and
            (7) for any year in which Federal funds have been received 
        under this Act, make available for audit all records pertaining 
        to the expenditure of such funds and any matching funds, and 
        require, for all agreements authorizing expenditure of Federal 
        funds by other organizations, that the receiving organizations 
        make available for audit all records pertaining to the 
        expenditure of such funds.
    (d) Prohibition on the Acquisition of Real Property.--The 
management entity may not use Federal funds received under this Act to 
acquire real property or an interest in real property. Nothing in this 
Act shall preclude any management entity from using Federal funds from 
other sources for their permitted purposes.
    (e) Spending for Non-Federally Owned Property.--The management 
entity may spend Federal funds directly on non-federally owned property 
to further the purposes of this Act, especially in assisting units of 
government in appropriate treatment of districts, sites, buildings, 
structures, and objects listed or eligible for listing on the National 
Register of Historic Places.

SEC. 6. DUTIES AND AUTHORITIES OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.

    (a) Technical and Financial Assistance.--The Secretary may, upon 
request of the management entity, provide technical and financial 
assistance to the management entity to develop and implement the 
management plan. In assisting the management entity, the Secretary 
shall give priority to actions that in general assist in--
            (1) conserving the significant natural, historic, and 
        cultural resources which support the themes of the Heritage 
        Area; and
            (2) providing educational, interpretive, and recreational 
        opportunities consistent with resources and associated values 
        of the Heritage Area.
    (b) Approval and Disapproval of Management Plans.--The Secretary, 
in consultation with the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Board of 
Directors, shall approve or disapprove a management plan submitted 
under this Act not later than 90 days after receiving such management 
plan.
    (c) Action Following Disapproval.--If the Secretary disapproves a 
submitted compact or management plan, the Secretary shall advise the 
management entity in writing of the reasons therefore and shall make 
recommendations for revisions in the management plan. The Secretary 
shall approve or disapprove a proposed revision within 90 days after 
the date it is submitted.
    (d) Approving Amendments.--The Secretary shall review substantial 
amendments to the management plan for the Heritage Area. Funds 
appropriated pursuant to this Act may not be expended to implement the 
changes made by such amendments until the Secretary approves the 
amendments.
    (e) Documentation.--The Historic American Building Survey/Historic 
American Engineering Record shall conduct those studies necessary to 
document the cultural, historic, architectural, and natural resources 
of the Heritage Area.

SEC. 7. SUNSET.

    The Secretary may not make any grant or provide any assistance 
under this Act after September 30, 2015.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated under this 
Act not more than $1,000,000 for any fiscal year. Not more than a total 
of $10,000,000 may be appropriated for the Heritage Area under this 
Act.
    (b) 50 Percent Match.--Federal funding provided under this Act, 
after the designation of the Heritage Area, may not exceed 50 percent 
of the total cost of any assistance or grant provided or authorized 
under this Act.
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