[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2114 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2114

To establish the Confluence National Heritage Corridor in the States of 
             Missouri and Illinois, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 15, 2005

  Mr. Talent introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish the Confluence National Heritage Corridor in the States of 
             Missouri and Illinois, 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 ``Confluence National Heritage 
Corridor Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the Confluence National Heritage Corridor is a 
        nationally important and cohesive assemblage of natural, 
        historic, cultural, educational, scenic, and recreational 
        resources geographically focused on the confluences of the 
        Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois Rivers in the St. Louis 
        region that--
                    (A) represents the center of the nationally 
                significant 3,740-mile transcontinental river system 
                and landscape that runs from Minnesota, the Great 
                Lakes, and the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico, 
                thence to the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Atlantic 
                coast, and drains approximately 40 percent of the 
                continental United States;
                    (B) forms a nationally distinctive Midwest riverine 
                landform, climate, and vegetation that for centuries 
                has attracted and supported a great variety of people 
                and activities as a place of economic, social, and 
                artistic exchange, encounter, and inspiration;
                    (C) has been instrumental in the creation and 
                perpetuation of American river culture and contains 
                numerous sites and structures that tell a nationally 
                significant story of economic growth, transportation 
                corridors, and artistic endeavors, all unique and 
                critical to the fabric of American life;
                    (D) expresses a confluence of diverse cultures, 
                traditions, customs, beliefs, and folk life spanning 
                more than 1,000 years, including confluences of 
                prehistoric Mississippian to Siouan, Spanish to French, 
                English to American, and others, making the Midwest a 
                valuable and distinctive part of the heritage of the 
                United States;
                    (E) served as America's Gateway to the West for 
                centuries and contains many of the most significant 
                crosscontinental trails;
                    (F) was the departing and returning point for Lewis 
                and Clark's Voyage of Discovery, a great scientific and 
                mapping expedition of the western half of the United 
                States; and
                    (G) has been the site of many nationally 
                significant stories, legal court cases, and debates in 
                the quest to realize the ideals of freedom, including 
                stories, cases, and debates relating to Dred and 
                Harriet Scott, Mary Meachum, Elijah Lovejoy, and 
                others;
            (2) the Heritage Corridor represents a distinctive 
        landscape reflecting many aspects of American heritage worthy 
        of recognition, conservation, interpretation, and continuing 
        use;
            (3) the Heritage Corridor provides outstanding 
        opportunities to conserve natural, cultural, and historic 
        features;
            (4) the Heritage Corridor provides outstanding recreational 
        and interpretive opportunities;
            (5) the Heritage Corridor has an identifiable theme, the 
        resources of which retain integrity capable of supporting 
        interpretation;
            (6) the Heritage Corridor and adjacent areas contain at 
        least--
                    (A) 1 designated and 2 pending United Nations 
                Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World 
                Heritage sites;
                    (B) 13 National Historic Landmarks;
                    (C) 62 districts of the National Register of 
                Historic Places;
                    (D) 250 National Register properties;
                    (E) the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail;
                    (F) 4 National Scenic Roads and Byways;
                    (G) 2 properties listed on the National Park 
                Service's National Underground Railroad Network to 
                Freedom that contribute to the Heritage Corridor; and
                    (H) other significant undesignated properties and 
                landscapes;
            (7) the importance of the Heritage Corridor and the role of 
        the Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois Rivers in the history 
        of the United States has been honored and recognized in many 
        ways, including--
                    (A) the designation by Congress of the site for the 
                Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in 1935;
                    (B) the authorization of that memorial in 1954; and
                    (C) the construction of Eero Saarinen's Arch, an 
                engineering marvel and a symbol of the gateway to the 
                West;
            (8) capturing the interconnected stories relating to the 
        Heritage Corridor through partnerships with the National Park 
        Service, Missouri and Illinois historical sites and programs, 
        local organizations, and citizens will augment the story 
        opportunities within the Heritage Corridor for the educational 
        and recreational benefit of this and future generations of 
        Americans;
            (9) residents, nonprofit organizations, other private 
        entities, and units of Federal, State, and local government 
        throughout the Heritage Corridor demonstrate support for--
                    (A) the designation of the Heritage Corridor as a 
                national heritage area; and
                    (B) the management of the Heritage Corridor in 
                accordance with that designation;
            (10) a well-organized collaboration of Federal, State, and 
        local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and 
        officials in the St. Louis region has come together during the 
        last decade to work collaboratively on efforts to feature and 
        promote the heritage, conservation, and recreation aspects of 
        the Heritage Corridor along the Mississippi River, through its 
        confluences with the Missouri River and the Illinois River;
            (11) the collaboration has completed sufficient planning 
        and community outreach, including--
                    (A) developing a master plan with implementation 
                strategies and a suitability and feasibility study for 
                the national heritage designation to document and 
                recognize a sufficient assemblage of nationally 
                distinctive, historical resources within the Heritage 
                Corridor;
                    (B) cultivating programs, projects, and sites that 
                honor the historic, cultural, and natural resources of 
                the confluence; and
                    (C) demonstrating the feasibility and need of 
                establishing the Heritage Corridor;
            (12) the St. Louis region officially recognized the 
        national significance of the Heritage Corridor when the St. 
        Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association and the East/West 
        Gateway Coordinating Council, St. Louis's regional planning 
        authority, endorsed the confluence project as a regional 
        priority, encouraging tourism and continued economic 
        development while improving the quality of life for all 
        residents and visitors;
            (13) public and private sector interests, having embraced 
        and endorsed the Heritage Corridor, intend to collaborate with 
        the Federal Government to conserve, develop, and promote the 
        Heritage Corridor; and
            (14) the Heritage Corridor is best managed by the 
        Confluence National Heritage Corridor Association, a nonprofit 
        corporation created for the purposes of preserving, 
        interpreting, developing, promoting, and making available to 
        the public the story and resources within the Heritage 
        Corridor.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to preserve, conserve, and interpret, for the 
        educational, cultural, and historic benefit of present and 
        future generations, the unique and significant contributions to 
        the national heritage of the people, land, water, and 
        structures within the Heritage Corridor;
            (2) to encourage within the Heritage Corridor a broad range 
        of economic opportunities to enhance the quality of life for 
        present and future generations;
            (3) to encourage collaboration and partnerships among 
        Federal, State, and local governments, nonprofit organizations, 
        and the private sector to conserve and manage resources and 
        opportunities in the Heritage Corridor by providing grants, 
        technical assistance, and training; and
            (4) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide 
        financial and technical assistance to the Heritage Corridor 
        through a nonprofit organization, in accordance with this Act 
        and in cooperation with local agencies, in a collaborative 
        effort to prepare and implement a Heritage Corridor management 
        plan.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Heritage corridor.--The term ``Heritage Corridor'' 
        means the Confluence National Heritage Corridor established by 
        section 4(a).
            (2) Local coordinating entity.--The term ``Local 
        Coordinating Entity'' means the Confluence National Heritage 
        Corridor Association.
            (3) Management plan.--The term ``Management Plan'' means 
        the management plan developed under section 6.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.

SEC. 4. CONFLUENCE NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the States of Missouri 
and Illinois a national heritage corridor, to be known as the 
``Confluence National Heritage Corridor''.
    (b) Boundaries.--The boundaries of the Heritage Corridor are as 
follows:
            (1) The corridor consisting of the land and water within 
        the area generally bounded--
                    (A) in the State of Illinois, from the confluence 
                of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers at Pere 
                Marquette State Park along the Illinois Bluffs adjacent 
                to the Mississippi River and the National Scenic Byway 
                to Alton, Illinois, thence along Great River Road/State 
                Route 3 to MacArthur Bridge; and
                    (B) in the State of Missouri, from the area of the 
                MacArthur Bridge, Jefferson National Expansion 
                Memorial, and Eads Bridge in the south, thence north 
                along Broadway Street and Riverview Drive to the 
                Columbia Bottom Conservation Area and the confluence of 
                the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, thence along the 
                Missouri Bluffs adjacent to the Missouri River, to 
                Interstate Route 370 at St. Charles, thence north to 
                the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.
            (2) Of sites connected to the corridor, the following:
                    (A) Cahokia Mounds (a United Nations Educational, 
                Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage 
                Site and a National Historic Landmark).
                    (B) Sites in adjacent neighborhoods and cities, 
                including--
                            (i) downtown St. Louis;
                            (ii) north St. Louis and north St. Louis 
                        county communities;
                            (iii) the Village of Brooklyn; and
                            (iv) the cities of Cahokia, East St. Louis, 
                        Venice, Brooklyn, Hartford, Wood River, and 
                        Godfrey.
                    (C) Such sites, such as Calvary Cemetery, 
                Bellefontaine Cemetery, Fort Bellefontaine, and 
                Horseshoe Lake State Park, as the Local Coordinating 
                Entity determines to be appropriate.
                    (D) Other contributing communities, sites, 
                buildings, and districts in the area of the Heritage 
                Corridor, in accordance with the Management Plan.
    (c) Final Boundaries.--The final boundaries of the Heritage 
Corridor shall be determined by the Local Coordinating Entity in the 
Management Plan.
    (d) Map.--A map of the Heritage Corridor shall--
            (1) be included in the Management Plan; and
            (2) be on file in the appropriate offices of the National 
        Park Service and the Department of the Interior, as determined 
        by the Secretary.

SEC. 5. LOCAL COORDINATING ENTITY.

    (a) In General.--The Confluence National Heritage Corridor 
Association shall serve as the local coordinating entity for the 
Heritage Corridor.
    (b) Authority.--In carrying out the Management Plan, the Local 
Coordinating Entity may use funds made available pursuant to this Act--
            (1) to enter into cooperative agreements with and provide 
        technical assistance to the States of Missouri and Illinois, 
        including political jurisdictions, nonprofit organizations, and 
        other interested parties of those States;
            (2) to hire and compensate staff;
            (3) to obtain money or services from any source, including 
        money or services provided under any other Federal law or 
        program;
            (4) to enter into contracts for goods and services; and
            (5) to encourage any other activity that, as determined by 
        the Local Coordinating Entity--
                    (A) furthers the purposes of the Heritage Corridor; 
                and
                    (B) is consistent with the Management Plan.
    (c) Duties.--
            (1) In general.--To further the purposes of the Heritage 
        Corridor, the Local Coordinating Entity shall--
                    (A) determine the final boundaries of, and prepare 
                a map with respect to, the Heritage Corridor;
                    (B) prepare and submit to the Secretary a 
                Management Plan in accordance with section 6;
                    (C) assist units of local government, regional 
                planning organizations, and nonprofit organizations 
                to--
                            (i) carry out programs and projects that 
                        recognize, conserve, and enhance important 
                        resource values in the Heritage Corridor;
                            (ii) establish and maintain interpretive 
                        exhibits and programs in the Heritage Corridor;
                            (iii) develop recreational and educational 
                        opportunities in the Heritage Corridor;
                            (iv) increase public awareness and 
                        appreciation of natural, historic, scenic, and 
                        cultural resources of the Heritage Corridor;
                            (v) conserve and restore historic sites and 
                        buildings in the Heritage Corridor in 
                        accordance with heritage area themes; and
                            (vi) ensure that clear, consistent, and 
                        appropriate signs identifying points of public 
                        access and sites of interest are posted 
                        throughout the Heritage Corridor;
                    (D) promote a wide range of partnerships among 
                agencies, organizations, and individuals to further the 
                purposes of the Heritage Corridor; and
                    (E) encourage economic viability that is consistent 
                with the purposes of the Heritage Area.
            (2) Meetings.--
                    (A) In general.--The Local Coordinating Entity 
                shall meet at least semiannually regarding the 
                development and implementation of the Management Plan.
                    (B) Public participation.--Meetings of the Local 
                Coordinating Entity shall be open to the public.
            (3) Management plan.--
                    (A) In general.--The Local Coordinating Entity 
                shall prepare and submit to the Secretary a Management 
                Plan in accordance with section 6.
                    (B) Factors for consideration.--In preparing the 
                Management Plan, the Local Coordinating Entity shall 
                take into consideration the interests of units of 
                government, businesses, organizations, and individuals 
                in the Heritage Corridor.
            (4) Reports; audits.--
                    (A) Reports.--For any fiscal year during which the 
                Local Coordinating Entity receives funds under section 
                9, the Local Coordinating Entity shall submit to the 
                Secretary a report describing the activities of the 
                Local Coordinating Entity during that fiscal year, 
                including--
                            (i) the accomplishments, expenses, and 
                        income of the Local Coordinating Entity; and
                            (ii) any grant made by the Local 
                        Coordinating Entity to another entity during 
                        the fiscal year.
                    (B) Audits.--For any fiscal year during which the 
                Local Coordinating Entity receives funds under section 
                9, the Local Coordinating Entity shall--
                            (i) make available for audit any 
                        information relating to the expenditure of the 
                        funds and any matching funds; and
                            (ii) require any other organization that 
                        receives funds pursuant to the Management Plan 
                        to make available for the audit all records and 
                        other information relating to the expenditure 
                        of the funds.
    (d) Prohibition on Acquisition of Real Property.--The Local 
Coordinating Entity shall not use funds received pursuant to section 9 
to acquire real property.

SEC. 6. MANAGEMENT PLAN.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the first date on 
which funds are made available pursuant to section 9, the Local 
Coordinating Entity shall submit to the Secretary a Management Plan 
relating to the Heritage Corridor.
    (b) Requirements.--The Management Plan shall--
            (1) include comprehensive policies, strategies, and 
        recommendations for conservation, funding, management, and 
        development of the Heritage Corridor;
            (2) include provisions relating to existing State, county, 
        and local plans regarding the Heritage Corridor;
            (3) include a description of any action of a State or local 
        government, private organization, or individual to conserve the 
        natural, historical, and cultural resources of the Heritage 
        Corridor;
            (4) specify each existing and potential source of funding 
        to conserve, manage, and develop the Heritage Corridor during 
        the first 5 years of implementation of the Management Plan;
            (5) include an inventory of the natural, historical, 
        cultural, educational, scenic, and recreational resources of 
        the Heritage Corridor with respect to themes of the Heritage 
        Corridor that should be preserved, restored, managed, 
        developed, or maintained, as determined by the Local 
        Coordinating Entity;
            (6) describe a program for implementing the Management 
        Plan, including--
                    (A) plans for resource conservation, restoration, 
                construction; and
                    (B) any agreement relating to the implementation 
                between the Local Coordinating Entity and any unit of 
                government, organization, or individual for the first 5 
                years of implementation of the Management Plan; and
            (7) include an interpretive plan for the Heritage Corridor.
    (c) Determination of Secretary.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall approve or disapprove 
        a Management Plan under subsection (a) by not later than 90 
        days after the date on which the Management Plan is submitted.
            (2) Criteria for approval.--In making a determination under 
        paragraph (1), the Secretary shall take into consideration--
                    (A) whether the Local Coordinating Entity 
                accurately represents the diverse interests of the 
                Heritage Area, including--
                            (i) units of State and local government;
                            (ii) natural and historic resource 
                        conservation organizations;
                            (iii) educational institutions;
                            (iv) businesses; and
                            (v) recreational organizations;
                    (B) whether the Local Coordinating Entity afforded 
                adequate opportunity, including public hearings, for 
                public and governmental involvement in the preparation 
                of the Management Plan;
                    (C) whether the resource conservation and 
                interpretation strategies contained in the Management 
                Plan, if implemented, would adequately conserve the 
                natural, historical, and cultural resources of the 
                Heritage Area; and
                    (D) whether the Management Plan is supported by 
                State and local officials the cooperation of which is 
                needed to ensure the effective implementation of the 
                State and local aspects of the Management Plan.
            (3) Disapproval.--
                    (A) In general.--If the Secretary disapproves the 
                Management Plan under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
                shall provide to the Local Coordinating Entity--
                            (i) a written explanation of the reasons 
                        for the disapproval; and
                            (ii) recommendations for revisions to the 
                        Management Plan.
                    (B) Revised management plan.--
                            (i) In general.--On disapproval of the 
                        Secretary under this paragraph, the Local 
                        Coordinating Entity shall prepare and submit to 
                        the Secretary a revised Management Plan, taking 
                        into consideration any recommendation of the 
                        Secretary under subparagraph (A)(ii).
                            (ii) Determination by secretary.--The 
                        Secretary shall approve or disapprove a revised 
                        Management Plan under clause (i) by not later 
                        than 60 days after the date on which the 
                        Management Plan is submitted.
            (4) Amendments to management plan.--
                    (A) In general.--Any substantial amendment to the 
                Management Plan shall be subject to approval by the 
                Secretary in accordance with this subsection.
                    (B) Use of funds.--The Local Coordinating Entity 
                shall not use funds made available pursuant to section 
                9 to carry out an amendment to the Management Plan 
                until the Secretary has approved the amendment.
    (d) Disqualification.--If the Local Coordinating Entity fails to 
submit to the Secretary a Management Plan by the deadline described in 
subsection (a), the Local Coordinating Entity shall be ineligible to 
receive funds under this Act until the date on which the Secretary 
receives the Management Plan.

SEC. 7. ASSISTANCE; OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.

    (a) Technical and Financial Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--On request of the Local Coordinating 
        Entity, the Secretary may provide technical and financial 
        assistance on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis to 
        entities in the Heritage Corridor to develop and implement the 
        Management Plan.
            (2) Priority.--In providing assistance under paragraph (1), 
        the Secretary shall give priority to activities that, as 
        determined by the Secretary, facilitate--
                    (A) the conservation of significant natural, 
                historical, cultural, and scenic resources of the 
                Heritage Corridor; and
                    (B) the provision of educational, interpretive, and 
                recreational opportunities in accordance with the 
                purposes of the Heritage Corridor.
            (3) Cooperative agreements.--The Secretary may enter into 
        such cooperative agreements to carry out this subsection as the 
        Secretary determines to be appropriate.
    (b) Other Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--On request of the Local Coordinating 
        Entity, the Superintendent of the Jefferson National Expansion 
        Memorial may provide to the Local Coordinating Entity and other 
        public and private organizations in the Heritage Corridor such 
        assistance as the Superintendent determines to be appropriate 
        to support the implementation of the Management Plan, subject 
        to the availability of funds.
            (2) Cooperative agreements.--The Superintendent may enter 
        into such cooperative agreements with public and private 
        organizations to carry out this subsection as the 
        Superintendent determines to be appropriate.
    (c) Other Federal Agencies.--A Federal agency carrying out an 
activity that affects the Heritage Corridor shall--
            (1) take into consideration the potential effect of the 
        activity on the Management Plan; and
            (2) consult with the Local Coordinating Entity regarding 
        the activity to minimize any adverse effects on the Heritage 
        Corridor.

SEC. 8. LAND USE REGULATION AND PRIVATE PROPERTY.

    (a) In General.--Nothing in this Act--
            (1) grants any power of zoning or land use to the Local 
        Coordinating Entity; or
            (2) modifies, enlarges, or diminishes any authority of the 
        Federal Government or any State or local government to regulate 
        any use of land under any law (including regulations).
    (b) Private Property.--Nothing in this Act--
            (1) abridges the rights of any person with respect to 
        private property;
            (2) affects any authority of the State or local government 
        with respect to private property; or
            (3) imposes any additional burden on any property owner.

SEC. 9. FUNDING.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), there is 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
        $10,000,000.
            (2) Limitation.--Not more than $1,000,000 shall be made 
        available to carry out this Act during any fiscal year.
    (b) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of an activity 
carried out under this Act shall not exceed 50 percent.

SEC. 10. TERMINATION.

    This Act and the authority of the Secretary to provide assistance 
under this Act terminate on the date that is 15 years after the date on 
which funds are first made available under section 9.
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