1.This Act may be cited as
the Confluence National Heritage
Corridor Act
.
2.
(a)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)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.
3.In this Act:
(1)The term Heritage Corridor means the
Confluence National Heritage Corridor established by section 4(a).
(2)Local
Coordinating EntityThe term Local Coordinating
Entity means the Confluence National Heritage Corridor
Association.
(3)The term Management Plan means the management
plan developed under section 6.
(4)The
term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.
4.Confluence
national heritage corridor
(a)There
is established in the States of Missouri and Illinois a national heritage
corridor, to be known as the Confluence National Heritage
Corridor
.
(b)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)The final boundaries of the Heritage Corridor shall be
determined by the Local Coordinating Entity in the Management Plan.
(d)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.
5.Local
Coordinating Entity
(a)The Confluence
National Heritage Corridor Association shall serve as the local coordinating
entity for the Heritage Corridor.
(b)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)
(1)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)
(A)The Local Coordinating Entity shall meet at least
semiannually regarding the development and implementation of the Management
Plan.
(B)Meetings of the Local Coordinating Entity shall be
open to the public.
(3)
(A)The Local Coordinating Entity shall prepare and submit to
the Secretary a Management Plan in accordance with section 6.
(B)Factors for
considerationIn 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)
(A)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)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 propertyThe Local Coordinating Entity shall not use
funds received pursuant to section 9 to acquire real property.
6.
(a)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)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)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)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)
(A)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)
(i)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 SecretaryThe 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)Any substantial amendment to the Management Plan shall be
subject to approval by the Secretary in accordance with this subsection.
(B)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)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.
7.Assistance;
other Federal agencies
(a)Technical and
financial assistance
(1)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)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)The Secretary may enter into such cooperative
agreements to carry out this subsection as the Secretary determines to be
appropriate.
(b)
(1)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)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)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.
8.Land use
regulation and private property
(a)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)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.
9.
(a)Authorization
of appropriations
(1)Subject to paragraph (2), there is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this Act $10,000,000.
(2)Not
more than $1,000,000 shall be made available to carry out this Act during any
fiscal year.
(b)The Federal share of the cost of an activity carried out
under this Act shall not exceed 50 percent.
10.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.