[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 257 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 257

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine 
the feasibility of establishing the Columbia-Pacific National Heritage 
  Area in the States of Washington and Oregon, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 11, 2007

   Mr. Smith (for himself, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Wyden, and Ms. Cantwell) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
               Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine 
the feasibility of establishing the Columbia-Pacific National Heritage 
  Area in the States of Washington and Oregon, 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 ``Columbia-Pacific National Heritage 
Area Study Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the Chinookan people have--
                    (A) lived in the Columbia-Pacific region for over 
                6,000 years;
                    (B) developed a wealthy and vibrant culture from 
                the abundance of the Columbia River and the 
                sophisticated trade economy of the people; and
                    (C) established cultural centers in Chinook, 
                Washington, and Seaside, Oregon;
            (2) early European explorers, including Heceta, Vitus 
        Bering, Sir Francis Drake, and Captain Cook, began to explore 
        and chart the region in search of the Great River of the West, 
        the last remaining major land feature mapped by Europeans;
            (3) many people travel from around the world to the 
        Columbia-Pacific region to--
                    (A) experience the rich historical culture of the 
                region; and
                    (B) search for new business opportunities in the 
                region;
            (4) in 1792 Boston-based Captain Robert Gray was the first 
        to bring a sailing ship into the River, naming the River after 
        his ship, the COLUMBIA REDIVIVA;
            (5) Gray's trip through the Columbia River opened up the 
        River to trade with east coast cities, European countries, and 
        Asian kingdoms;
            (6) during the 13 years before the Lewis and Clark Corps of 
        Discovery arrived overland, more than 88 ships entered the 
        Columbia River as part of a sophisticated global trade network 
        that became known as the ``Golden Round'', which stimulated the 
        economy of the newly freed colonies and accelerated the 
        development of the international fur trade;
            (7) ports and communities along the Columbia River continue 
        to support the traditional industries of fishing, seafood 
        processing, timber harvesting, and trade;
            (8) in 1805 Lewis and Clark, seeking an all water route to 
        the Pacific Ocean for commerce to expand the American claim to 
        the Pacific Ocean, arrived at the mouth of the Columbia River 
        where the group built a fort to spend the winter;
            (9) the legacy of Lewis and Clark continues to be available 
        to the public at the newly expanded units of the Lewis and 
        Clark National Historical Park;
            (10) in 1811 John Jacob Astor established a permanent 
        settlement for commerce at the mouth of the Columbia River 
        known as ``Astoria'', which became the first American city west 
        of the Rocky Mountains;
            (11) Astoria was sold to the Hudson Bay Company and during 
        the period from 1812 to 1828, was a British territory;
            (12) Astoria was ultimately returned to the United States 
        making Astoria the only city in the United States to become the 
        territory of another country and then revert back to the United 
        States;
            (13) for several thousand years the approaches to the mouth 
        of the Columbia River have served as the original homeland 
        defense system as the Chinookan people established villages on 
        headlands and promontories of the River in order to watch the 
        traffic entering, leaving, and traveling on the River;
            (14) with the start of the Civil War, the native villages 
        were replaced with forts operated by the United States Army;
            (15) the Army forts at Cape Disappointment, Fort Columbia, 
        and Fort Stevens were in continuous operation through the end 
        of World War II;
            (16) the United States Coast Guard maintains a large 
        homeland security operation through Group Astoria with the Cape 
        Disappointment Motor Lifeboat Station, Astoria Air Station, 2 
        cutters operating out of Astoria, and the Tongue Point 
        maintenance yard;
            (17) through the United States Coast Guard operations, the 
        Columbia River continues to serve as the guard post for the 
        protection of international commerce of the largest river 
        transport system on the west coast;
            (18) the water offshore Clatsop County, Oregon, and Pacific 
        County, Washington, is known as the ``Graveyard of the 
        Pacific'', because thousands of vessels and lives have been 
        lost in the water, with survivors struggling ashore and seeking 
        refuge in the historic beach communities of Cannon Beach, 
        Seaside, Gearhart, Seaview, Long Beach, Ocean Park, and 
        Oysterville;
            (19) shipwrecks and storm waters are still a threat to 
        commercial and recreational boaters in the area;
            (20) modern navigation aids include lighthouses, 
        lightships, and lifesaving stations;
            (21) the United States Coast Guard continues to operate the 
        Cape Disappointment Lifesaving Station and the National Motor 
        Lifeboat School;
            (22) members of the United States Coast Guard from 
        throughout the United States are sent to the ``Top Gun'' 
        training center to--
                    (A) challenge some of the most dangerous waters in 
                the world; and
                    (B) prepare for service at stations throughout the 
                United States;
            (23) the Columbia River is home to 1 of the most abundant 
        commercial and sport fisheries in the world;
            (24) for centuries, the people in the Columbia-Pacific 
        region have made a living from the Columbia River, including--
                    (A) the Chinookan people, who developed a 
                sophisticated and vibrant culture using the resources 
                of the River; and
                    (B) beginning in the 1840's, American settlers and 
                European and Asian immigrants, who developed a vibrant 
                economy around the salmon fisheries;
            (25) the communities of Astoria, Warrenton, Hammond, 
        Chinook, and Ilwaco--
                    (A) have their roots in the development of the 
                early fishing industry; and
                    (B) continue to support both commercial and sport 
                fisheries that--
                            (i) provide--
                                    (I) economic opportunities for 
                                residents; and
                                    (II) recreational opportunities for 
                                visitors; and
                            (ii) preserve over a century of cultural 
                        traditions;
            (26) commercial timber harvesting has been an important 
        component of the culture of the Columbia River for over 150 
        years;
            (27) timber has been harvested and used in local mills or 
        transported, primarily along the Columbia River to the Pacific 
        Ocean; and
            (28) raw logs and forest products continue to be 
        transported along the Columbia River and across the Bar to 
        markets around the world.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Heritage area.--The term ``Heritage Area'' means the 
        Columbia-Pacific National Heritage Area.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (3) Study area.--The term ``study area'' means--
                    (A) the coastal areas of Clatsop County, Oregon, 
                and Pacific County, Washington, which are known as the 
                ``North Beach Peninsula''; and
                    (B) areas relating to Native American history, 
                local history, Euro-American settlement culture, and 
                related economic activities of the Columbia River 
                within a corridor along the Columbia River eastward in 
                Clatsop County, Oregon, and Pacific, Columbia, and 
                Wahkiakum Counties, Washington.

SEC. 4. COLUMBIA-PACIFIC NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA STUDY.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, in consultation with the managers 
of any Federal land within the Heritage Area, appropriate State and 
local governmental agencies, and any interested organizations, shall 
conduct a study to determine the feasibility of designating the study 
area as the Columbia-Pacific National Heritage Area.
    (b) Requirements.--The study shall include analysis, documentation, 
and determinations on whether--
            (1) the study area--
                    (A) has an assemblage of natural, historic, 
                cultural, educational, scenic, or recreational 
                resources that together are nationally important to the 
                heritage of the United States;
                    (B) represent distinctive aspects of the heritage 
                of the United States worthy of recognition, 
                conservation, interpretation, and continuing use;
                    (C) are best managed through agreements between 
                public and private entities at the local or regional 
                level;
                    (D) reflects traditions, customs, beliefs, and 
                folklife that are a valuable part of the heritage of 
                the United States;
                    (E) provides outstanding opportunities to conserve 
                natural, historical, cultural, or scenic features;
                    (F) provides outstanding recreational and 
                educational opportunities; and
                    (G) has resources and traditional uses that have 
                national importance;
            (2) residents, business interests, nonprofit organizations, 
        the Federal Government (including relevant Federal land 
        management agencies), and State, local, and tribal governments 
        within the study area--
                    (A) are involved in the planning; and
                    (B) have demonstrated significant support through 
                letters and other means for designation and management 
                of the Heritage Area; and
            (3) the study area--
                    (A) has been identified; and
                    (B) is supported by State and local agencies, the 
                public, and private businesses.

SEC. 5. REPORT.

    Not later than 3 fiscal years after the date on which funds are 
made available to carry out the study, the Secretary shall submit to 
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the 
Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives a report that 
describes the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the 
Secretary with respect to the study.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums 
as are necessary to carry out this Act.
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