[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 646 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 646

  To establish the Kentucky Artisan Heritage Trails National Heritage 
   Area Act in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 23, 2007

 Mr. Rogers of Kentucky (for himself, Mr. Davis of Kentucky, Mr. Lewis 
 of Kentucky, Mr. Whitfield, Mr. Chandler, and Mr. Yarmuth) introduced 
  the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
                               Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish the Kentucky Artisan Heritage Trails National Heritage 
   Area Act in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, 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 ``Kentucky Artisan Heritage Trails 
National Heritage Area Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the Kentucky Artisan Heritage Trails includes 48 
        counties in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. These counties 
        include: Adair, Bath, Bell, Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Casey, 
        Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cumberland, Elliott, Estill, Fleming, 
        Floyd, Garrard, Green, Harlan, Hart, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, 
        Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Lincoln, 
        Madison, Magoffin, Martin, McCreary, Menifee, Monroe, 
        Montgomery, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Powell, Pulaski, 
        Rockcastle, Rowan, Russell, Wayne, Whitley, and Wolfe;
            (2) has an assemblage of natural, historic, and cultural 
        resources that together represent distinctive aspects of 
        American heritage worthy of recognition, conservation, 
        interpretation, and continuing use, and are best managed 
        through partnerships among public and private entities and by 
        combining diverse and sometimes noncontiguous resources and 
        active communities;
            (3) reflects traditions, customs, beliefs, and folklife 
        that are a valuable part of the national story;
            (4) provides opportunities to conserve natural, historic, 
        cultural, or scenic features;
            (5) provides outstanding recreational and educational 
        opportunities;
            (6) includes residents, business interests, nonprofit 
        organizations, and Universities that are involved in the 
        planning, have developed a conceptual financial plan that 
        outlines the roles of all participants (including the Federal 
        government), and have demonstrated support for the concept of a 
        national heritage area;
            (7) has a potential management entity to work in 
        partnership with residents, business interests, nonprofit 
        organizations, and Universities to develop a national heritage 
        area consistent with continued local and State economic 
        activity; and
            (8) has a conceptual boundary map that is supported by the 
        public.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are as follows:
            (1) To establish the Kentucky Artisan Heritage Trails 
        National Heritage Area in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
            (2) To provide a management framework to foster a close 
        relationship with all levels of government, the private sector, 
        and the local communities in the Kentucky Artisan Heritage 
        Trails region to conserve the region's heritage while 
        continuing to pursue compatible economic opportunities.
            (3) To assist communities, organizations, and citizens in 
        the Commonwealth of Kentucky in identifying, preserving, 
        interpreting, and developing the historical, cultural, scenic, 
        and natural resources of the region for the educational and 
        inspirational benefit of current and future generations.

SEC. 3. DEFINITION.

    As used in this Act--
            (1) Area.--The term ``Area'' means the Kentucky Artisan 
        Heritage Trails, which includes 17 trails encompassing 48 
        counties in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
            (2) Association.--The term ``Association'' means the 
        Southern and Eastern Kentucky Tourism Development Association.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National 
        Park Service.

SEC. 4. KENTUCKY ARTISAN HERITAGE TRAILS NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.

    (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established in the Commonwealth 
of Kentucky, the Kentucky Artisan Heritage Trails National Heritage 
Area.
    (b) Management Entity.--Southern and Eastern Kentucky Tourism 
Development Association (SEKTDA) shall be the management entity for the 
Kentucky Artisan Heritage Trails National Heritage Area.
    (c) Availability of Map.--The map shall be on file and available 
for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park 
Service, Department of Interior.
    (d) Boundaries.--The heritage area should include 48 counties in 
Kentucky, including: Adair, Bath, Bell, Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Casey, 
Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cumberland, Elliott, Estill, Fleming, Floyd, 
Garrard, Green, Harlan, Hart, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Laurel, 
Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Lincoln, Madison, Magoffin, 
Martin, McCreary, Menifee, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, 
Pike, Powell, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Rowan, Russell, Wayne, Whitley, and 
Wolfe.
    (e) Specific Sites.--The heritage area includes the following 
sites:
            (1) National park service sites.--
                    (A) Red Bird Trail begins in the Cumberland Gap 
                National Historical Park and leads travelers 143 miles 
                through the Daniel Boone National Forest along Pine 
                Mountain. A museum dedicated to the recovered WWII Lost 
                Squadron airplane ``Glacier Girl'' can be seen along 
                this trail that covers Bell, Harlan, Leslie and Clay 
                counties.
                    (B) Cave Country Trail is named for the numerous 
                caves and caverns that populate 127 miles through the 
                Mammoth Cave National Park covering Hart, Green and 
                Monroe counties. This region includes the Kentucky 
                Repertory Theatre, historic tours of Greensburg and 
                Munfordsville, Kentucky, and the Old Mulkey Meeting 
                House State Historic Park.
                    (C) Moonbow Trail leads travelers 126 miles through 
                portions of the Big South Fork National River and 
                Recreation area, and the Cumberland Falls State Resort 
                Park. The trail includes beautiful Kentucky landscapes 
                such as Eagle Falls, Big South Fork Scenic Railway, and 
                historic mining communities in Pulaski, Wayne and 
                McCreary counties.
            (2) Other federal lands.--
                    (A) Buckhorn Trail is 100 miles in length and leads 
                travelers through the Daniel Boone National Forest. 
                Site of interest include a log cathedral, outdoor 
                recreation and scenic beauty of Buckhorn Lake State 
                Park in Owsley, Clay, Leslie, Perry and Breathitt 
                counties.
                    (B) Millstone Trail leads travelers through the 
                Daniel Boone National Forest and includes the Levi 
                Jackson Wilderness State Park. This 108 mile trail 
                includes Cumberland Falls and home of the original 
                Kentucky Fried Chicken in Laurel, Knox, Whitley, Clay 
                and Jackson counties.
                    (C) Red River Gorge Trail travels 141 miles through 
                the Daniel Boone National Forest and includes the Nada 
                Tunnel in the Red River Gorge Geological Area's 
                beautiful mountain region covering Montgomery, Menifee, 
                Wolfe, Powell and Clark counties.
                    (D) Gateway Trail travels 105 miles through the 
                Daniel Boone National Forest and includes the Kentucky 
                Music Hall of Fame and Museum and the well-known music 
                venue Renfro Valley Entertainment Center. The trail 
                includes Madison, Rockcastle, Laurel and Jackson 
                counties.
                    (E) Battlefield Trail, named for the Battle of 
                Richmond and Civil War history, spans 93 miles through 
                the Daniel Boone National Forest in Madison and Estill 
                counties. Historic points of interest include Valley 
                View Ferry, Bybee Pottery, Fitchburg Furnace and Fort 
                Boonesborough.
                    (F) Tygart's Creek Trail leads travelers through 
                the Daniel Boone National Forest and 153 miles through 
                the Carter Caves State Park which includes the Kentucky 
                Folk Art Museum and Cave Run Lake covering Rowan, 
                Morgan, Elliott, Carter, Lewis, Fleming and Bath 
                counties.
                    (G) Natural Bridge Trail leads travelers 122 miles 
                through the Red River Gorge National Geological Area 
                and includes portions of the Daniel Boone National 
                Forest. Sites of interest include regional restaurants 
                and artisan shops along the Menifee, Morgan, Wolfe, 
                Breathitt, Lee and Powell counties.
            (3) Other public lands.--
                    (A) Lilley's Woods Trail offers destinations such 
                as the Hindman Settlement School, the Kentucky 
                Appalachian Artisan Center, restored historic mining 
                camps and museum along the 118 mile trail through 
                Knott, Letcher, Harlan, Leslie and Perry counties.
                    (B) Pine Hollows Trail is part of the Jenny Wiley 
                State Park and includes the Mountain Arts Center 
                encompassing 109 miles through Floyd, Knott, Letcher 
                and Pike counties.
                    (C) Berea Trail, known as the Arts and Crafts 
                Capital of Kentucky, the trails begins at the Kentucky 
                Artisan Center at Berea in Madison County and is 22 
                miles in length.
                    (D) Fiddlehead Trail is named after the 
                ``Fiddlehead'' fern, and includes an outdoor theater, 
                Jenny Wiley Theater, Coal Miner's Museum and Loretta 
                Lynn's childhood home in Butcher Holler. The trail is 
                118 miles and includes Morgan, Elliott, Lawrence, 
                Johnson, Floyd, Magoffin and Wolfe counties.
                    (E) Frontier Trail includes 108 miles in Garrard, 
                Lincoln, Casey, Pulaski and Rockcastle counties and 
                points of interest are a Jail Museum and the Louisville 
                and Nashville Depot Museum.
                    (F) Mountain Music Trail named for the musical 
                heritage in the area once home to Dwight Yoakum, The 
                Judds, Ricky Skaggs, Loretta Lynn, Crystal Gayle, Bill 
                Ray Cyrus and others. This trail covers 118 miles in 
                Boyd, Carter, Lawrence, Johnson and Martin counties.
                    (G) Cumberland Lakes Trail is part of both the Lake 
                Cumberland State Resort Park and Dale Hollow Lake State 
                Resort Park, encompassing 95 miles of regional 
                restaurants and Civil War enthusiasts' artistry in 
                Adair, Russell, Clinton and Cumberland counties.

SEC. 5. AUTHORITY AND DUTIES OF THE ASSOCIATION.

    (a) Duties of the Association.--To further the purposes of the 
Heritage Area, the association shall--
            (1) not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment 
        of this Act, the association shall develop and forward to the 
        Secretary a management plan for the heritage area; and
            (2) develop and implement the management plan in 
        cooperation with affected communities and local governments and 
        shall provide for public involvement in the development and 
        implementation of the management plan.
    (b) Management Plan.--The management plan shall, at a minimum--
            (1) provide recommendations for the conservation, funding, 
        management, and development of the resources of the heritage 
        area;
            (2) include an inventory of the cultural, historical, 
        natural, and recreational resources of the heritage area;
            (3) develop recreational and educational opportunities in 
        the heritage area;
            (4) increase public awareness of an appreciation for 
        natural, historical, scenic and cultural resources of the 
        heritage area;
            (5) promote a wide range of partnerships among governments, 
        businesses, organizations and individuals in the heritage area 
        in the preparation and implementation of the management plan;
            (6) include an analysis of ways in which local, State and 
        Federal programs may best be coordinated to promote the 
        purposes of this Act; and
            (7) encourage by appropriate means economic development 
        that is consistent with the purposes of the Heritage Area.
    (c) Approval of Plan.--The Secretary shall approve or disapprove 
the management plan not later than 60 days after the date of 
submission. If the Secretary disapproves of the management plan, the 
Secretary shall advise the association in writing of the reasons and 
shall make recommendations for revisions to the plan.
    (d) Review of Plan.--The association shall periodically review the 
management plan and submit to the Secretary any recommendations for 
proposed revisions to the management plan. Any major revisions to the 
management plan must be approved by the Secretary.
    (e) Authority.--The association may make grants and provide 
technical assistance to local governments, and other public and private 
entities to carry out the management plan.
    (f) Duties.--The association shall--
            (1) give priority in implementing actions set forth in the 
        management plan;
            (2) encourage by appropriate means economic viability in 
        the heritage area consistent with the goals of the management 
        plan; and
            (3) assist local government and non-profit organizations 
        in--
                    (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 cultural, historical, and natural 
                resources in the heritage area;
                    (D) the restoration of historic structures related 
                to the heritage area; and
                    (E) carrying out other actions that the association 
                determines appropriate to fulfill the purposes of this 
                Act, consistent with the management plan.
    (g) Prohibition of Acquiring Real Property.--The association may 
not use Federal funds received under this Act to acquire real property 
or an interest in real property.

SEC. 6. MANAGEMENT PLAN.

    (a) In General.--The management plan for the Heritage Area shall--
            (1) include comprehensive policies, strategies, and 
        recommendations for conservation, funding, management, and 
        development of the Heritage Area;
            (2) include a description of actions that governments, 
        private organizations, and individuals have agreed to take to 
        protect the natural, historical, and cultural resources of the 
        Heritage Area; and
            (3) specify the existing and potential sources of funding 
        to protect, manage, and develop the Heritage Area in the first 
        5 years of implementation.

SEC. 7. DUTIES AND AUTHORITIES OF THE SECRETARY.

    (a) Technical and Financial Assistance.--The Secretary may, upon 
the request of the association, provide technical assistance on a 
reimbursable or non-reimbursable basis and financial assistance to the 
Heritage Area to develop and implement the approved management plan. 
The Secretary is authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with 
the association and other public or private entities for this purpose. 
In assisting the Heritage Area, the Secretary shall give priority to 
actions that in general assist in--
            (1) conserving the significant natural, historical, 
        cultural and scenic resources of the Heritage Area; and
            (2) providing educational, interpretive, and recreational 
        opportunities consistent with the purposes of the Heritage 
        Area.
    (b) Approval of Management Plan.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall approve or disapprove 
        the management plan not later than 60 days after receiving the 
        management plan.
            (2) Criteria for approval.--In determining to approve the 
        management plan, the Secretary shall consider whether--
                    (A) the association is representative of the 
                diverse interests of the heritage area including 
                governments, natural and historic resource protection 
                organizations, education, business and recreation;
                    (B) the association has afforded adequate 
                opportunity, including public hearings, for public and 
                government involvement in the preparations of the 
                management plan;
                    (C) the resource protection and interpretation 
                strategies contained in the management plan, if 
                implemented, would adequately protect the natural, 
                historical, and cultural resources of the Heritage 
                Area; and
                    (D) the management plan is supported by the 
                appropriate State and local officials whose cooperation 
                is needed to ensure the effective implementation of the 
                State and local aspects of the management plan.
    (c) Actions Following Disapproval.--If the Secretary disapproves 
the management plan, the Secretary shall advise the association in 
writing of the reasons and shall make recommendations for revisions to 
the management plan. The Secretary shall approve or disapprove a 
proposed revision not later than 60 days after the date it is 
submitted.
    (d) Approval of Amendments.--Substantial amendments to the 
management plan shall be reviewed by the Secretary and approved in the 
same manner as provided for the original management plan. The 
association shall not use Federal funds authorized by this Act to 
implement any amendments until the Secretary has approved the 
amendments.

SEC. 8. DUTIES OF OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.

    Any Federal agency conducting or supporting activities directly 
affecting the Heritage Area shall--
            (1) consult with the Secretary and the association with 
        respect to such activities;
            (2) cooperate with the Secretary and the association with 
        respect to such activities; and
            (3) to the maximum extent practicable, conduct or support 
        such activities in a manner which the association determines 
        will not have an adverse effect on the Heritage Area.

SEC. 9 AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated for the 
purposes of 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 
Association under this Act.
    (b) Matching Funds.--Federal funding provided under this Act may 
not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of any assistance or grant 
provided or authorized under this Act.

SEC. 10 SUNSET.

    The authority of the Secretary to provide assistance under this Act 
shall terminate on the day occurring 15 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
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