[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2646 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2646

To direct the Director of the National Park Service to prepare a report 
  on the sustainability of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley 
  National Heritage Corridor and the John H. Chafee Blackstone River 
                  Valley National Heritage Commission.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 13, 2004

    Mr. Chafee (for himself, Mr. Reed, Mr. Kerry, and Mr. Kennedy) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
               Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Director of the National Park Service to prepare a report 
  on the sustainability of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley 
  National Heritage Corridor and the John H. Chafee Blackstone River 
                  Valley National Heritage Commission.

    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 ``John H. Chafee Blackstone River 
Valley National Heritage Corridor Sustainability Report Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor 
        (redesignated the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley 
        National Heritage Corridor in 1999) was established in 1986 in 
        recognition of the national importance of the region as the 
        birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution;
            (2) the Corridor has become a national model of how the 
        National Park Service can work cooperatively with local 
        communities and a multi-agency partnership to create a seamless 
        system of parks, preserved historic sites, and open spaces that 
        enhance the protection and understanding of America's heritage, 
        without Federal ownership and regulations;
            (3) the Corridor is managed by a bi-State, 19-member 
        Federal commission representing Federal, State and local 
        authorities from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the 
        State of Rhode Island whose mandate has been to implement an 
        approved integrated resource management plan;
            (4) the authorization and funding for the John H. Chafee 
        Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Commission are 
        scheduled to expire in November 2006, while the Federal 
        designation of the area and its boundaries continues in 
        perpetuity; and
            (5) the National Park System Advisory Board will be 
        reviewing the future of all national heritage areas and making 
        recommendations to the Director of the National Park Service 
        and the Secretary of the Interior.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to explore the options for preserving, enhancing, and 
        interpreting the resources of the John H. Chafee Blackstone 
        River Corridor and the partnerships that sustain those 
        resources; and
            (2) to direct the Director of the National Park Service to 
        submit to Congress a report that--
                    (A) analyzes the sustainability of the Corridor; 
                and
                    (B) provides recommendations for the future of the 
                Corridor.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Corridor.--The term ``Corridor'' means the John H. 
        Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor.
            (2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the John H. 
        Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Commission.
            (3) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the National Park Service.

SEC. 4. REPORT.

    (a) In General.--The Director shall prepare a report on the 
sustainability of the Corridor.
    (b) Components.--The report prepared under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) document the progress that has been made in 
        accomplishing the purpose of Public Law 99-647 (6 U.S.C. 461 
        note; 100 Stat. 3625) and the strategies and goals set forth in 
        the Cultural Heritage and Land Management Plan for the 
        Corridor, including--
                    (A) historic preservation;
                    (B) interpretation and education;
                    (C) environmental recovery;
                    (D) recreational development; and
                    (E) economic improvement;
            (2) based on the results documented under paragraph (1), 
        identify further actions and commitments that are needed to 
        protect, enhance, and interpret the Corridor;
            (3)(A) determine the extent of Federal funding provided to 
        the Corridor; and
            (B) determine how the Federal funds have leveraged 
        additional Federal, State, local, and private funding for the 
        Corridor since the establishment of the Corridor; and
            (4)(A) evaluate the Commission form of authority and 
        management structure for the Corridor, as established by Public 
        Law 99-647 (6 U.S.C. 461 note; 100 Stat. 3625); and
            (B) identify and evaluate options for a permanent National 
        Park Service designation or a State park or regional entity as 
        a sustainable framework to achieve the national interest of the 
        Blackstone Valley.
    (c) Coordination.--To the maximum extent practicable, the Director 
shall prepare the report in coordination with the National Park System 
Advisory Board.
    (d) Submission to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
on which funds are made available to carry out this Act, the Director 
shall submit to the Committee on Resources of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate the report prepared under subsection (a).
    (e) Funding.--Funding to prepare the report under this Act shall be 
made available from annual appropriations for the Commission.
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