[Senate Hearing 117-450]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                        S. Hrg. 117-450

                          PENDING LEGISLATION

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

                            SUBCOMMITTEE ON 
                             NATIONAL PARKS

                                 OF THE

                              COMMITTEE ON
                      ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES
                          UNITED STATES SENATE

                    ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

                             FIRST SESSION

                                   ON


	S. 336                   S. 1112               S. 2158
	S. 378                   S. 1224               S. 2296
	S. 511                   S. 1258               S. 2438
	S. 635                   S. 1284               S. 2441
	S. 654                   S. 1318               S. 2482
	S. 787                   S. 1329               S. 2490
	S. 825                   S. 1620               S. 2580
	S. 972                   S. 1643               S. 2648
	S. 990                   S. 1942               S. 2763
	S. 1004                  S. 1954
 
                               __________

                            OCTOBER 6, 2021
                               __________

                  [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
                  
                       Printed for the use of the
               Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

        Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov
                               __________

                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
                    
45-811                   WASHINGTON : 2023           


               COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

                JOE MANCHIN III, West Virginia, Chairman
RON WYDEN, Oregon                    JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming
MARIA CANTWELL, Washington           JAMES E. RISCH, Idaho
BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont             MIKE LEE, Utah
MARTIN HEINRICH, New Mexico          STEVE DAINES, Montana
MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii              LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska
ANGUS S. KING, JR., Maine            JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota
CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada       JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma
MARK KELLY, Arizona                  BILL CASSIDY, Louisiana
JOHN W. HICKENLOOPER, Colorado       CINDY HYDE-SMITH, Mississippi
                                     ROGER MARSHALL, Kansas
                                 ------                                

                     Subcommittee on National Parks

                      ANGUS S. KING, JR., Chairman

BERNARD SANDERS                      STEVE DAINES
MARTIN HEINRICH                      MIKE LEE
MAZIE K. HIRONO                      LISA MURKOWSKI
MARK KELLY                           JOHN HOEVEN
                                     JAMES LANKFORD

                      Renae Black, Staff Director
                      Sam E. Fowler, Chief Counsel
                     David Brooks, General Counsel
             Richard M. Russell, Republican Staff Director
              Matthew H. Leggett, Republican Chief Counsel
        John Tanner, Republican Deputy Staff Director for Lands
                   James Willson, Republican Counsel

                            C O N T E N T S

                              ----------                              

                           OPENING STATEMENTS

                                                                   Page
King, Jr., Hon. Angus S., Subcommittee Chairman and a U.S. 
  Senator from Maine.............................................     1
Daines, Hon. Steve, Subcommittee Ranking Member and a U.S. 
  Senator from Montana...........................................     2
Heinrich, Hon. Martin, a U.S. Senator from New Mexico............    76
Cortez Masto, Hon. Catherine, a U.S. Senator from Nevada.........    77

                               WITNESSES

Beasley, Joy, Associate Director of Cultural Resources, 
  Partnerships, and Science, National Park Service, U.S. 
  Department of the Interior.....................................    78
Capen, Sara, Chairwoman, Alliance of National Heritage Areas; and 
  Executive Director, Niagara Falls National Heritage Area, Inc..    99

          ALPHABETICAL LISTING AND APPENDIX MATERIAL SUBMITTED

African American Fire Fighters Historical Association:
    Letter for the Record........................................   327
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center:
    Letter for the Record........................................   248
Alliance of National Heritage Areas:
    List of letters submitted in support of S. 1942..............   100
Amache Preservation Society:
    Letter for the Record dated April 14, 2021...................   141
    Letter for the Record dated September 1, 2021................   143
Amache Preservation Society et al.:
    Letter for the Record........................................   148
Anchorage Park Foundation:
    Letter for the Record........................................   249
Armstrong Air & Space Museum:
    Letter for the Record........................................    54
Asian and Pacific Islander Americans for Historic Preservation:
    Letter for the Record........................................   150
Assumption Parish Police Jury:
    Letter for the Record........................................     5
Baca, Kaitlin:
    Letter for the Record........................................   147
Baca County Commissioners:
    Letter for the Record........................................   152
Barrasso, Hon. John:
    Background on Amache (H.R. 2497) for the Record..............   153
Baughn, Harry:
    Letter for the Record........................................   286
Beasley, Joy:
    Opening Statement............................................    78
    Written Testimony............................................    80
    Responses to Questions for the Record........................   138
Beauregard Tourist Commission:
    Letter for the Record........................................    36
Ben Johnson Educational Center:
    Letter for the Record........................................    34
Ben Johnson LLC:
    Letter for the Record........................................    44
Berks County (PA) Commissioners:
    Letter for the Record........................................   291
Bernard, Louie:
    Letter for the Record........................................    32
Bina, Randy:
    Letter for the Record........................................   332
Blackwell, Jack:
    Letter for the Record........................................   250
Bollwage, J. Christian:
    Letter for the Record........................................   333
Bona, Monte:
    Letter for the Record........................................    74
Boosinger, Laura:
    Letter for the Record........................................   271
Boulet, Monique B.:
    Letter for the Record........................................     6
Breedlove, Nick:
    Letter for the Record........................................   273
Butler, Rhonda:
    Letter for the Record........................................     7
Campbell, Ben Nighthorse:
    Letter for the Record........................................   156
Canyons & Plains:
    Letter for the Record dated September 20, 2021...............   157
    Letter for the Record dated November 23, 2021................   159
Capen, Sara:
    Opening Statement............................................    99
    Written Testimony............................................   118
Cardin, Hon. Benjamin L.:
    Letter for the Record........................................   296
Central Iowa Tourism Region:
    Letter for the Record........................................   337
Chatham, MA (Town of):
    Letter for the Record........................................   228
City of Natchitoches Planning and Zoning Department and 
  Natchitoches Historic Commission:
    Letter for the Record........................................    41
City of Wheeling Historic Landmarks Commission:
    Letter for the Record........................................   357
Clark, Bonnie J.:
    Letter for the Record........................................   160
Cleary, Steve:
    Letter for the Record........................................   251
Cle Elum, WA (City of):
    Letter for the Record........................................   334
Coalition to Protect America's National Parks:
    Letter for the Record dated April 14, 2021...................   161
    Letter for the Record dated April 18, 2021...................   163
Coleman, Dominic:
    Letter for the Record........................................   145
Colorado Preservation, Inc.:
    Letter for the Record........................................   165
Concordia Parish Police Jury:
    Letter for the Record........................................     8
Concord Museum:
    Letter for the Record........................................   214
Cook Inlet Historical Society:
    Letter for the Record........................................   252
Cooper Landing Trails:
    Letter for the Record........................................   254
Corbett, Kathleen:
    Letter for the Record........................................   166
Cortez Masto, Hon. Catherine:
    Opening Statement............................................    77
Cortez, Patrick Page:
    Letter for the Record........................................    19
Coventry (CT) Planning and Zoning Commission:
    Letter for the Record........................................   362
Crawford County (PA) Board of Commissioners:
    Letter for the Record........................................   292
Cultice, Elton:
    Letter for the Record........................................    55
Daines, Hon. Steve:
    Opening Statement............................................     2
Dayton Convention and Visitors Bureau:
    Letter for the Record........................................    56
Decatur Area Convention and Visitors Bureau:
    Letter for the Record........................................   335
Decker, Julie:
    Letter for the Record........................................   255
Delaney, Richard:
    Letter for the Record........................................   235
Destination Salem:
    Letter for the Record........................................   215
DeVillier, Phillip R.:
    Letter for the Record........................................     9
DeWine, Hon. Mike, Governor of Ohio:
    Letter for the Record........................................    57
Distl Public Relations:
    Letter for the Record........................................   274
Dollar, David:
    Letter for the Record........................................    33
Dorgan, Darrell:
    Letter for the Record........................................   290
Eastham, MA (Town of):
    Letter for the Record........................................   230
Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina:
    Letter for the Record........................................   276
Edmonston, Kathy:
    Statement for the Record.....................................    10
Essex, Deb:
    Letter for the Record........................................   256
Eunice, LA (City of):
    Letter for the Record........................................    47
Farnum, Leslie:
    Letter for the Record........................................    11
Finkelstein, Lori:
    Letter for the Record........................................   345
First Parish Meetinghouse Preservation Society of Shirley:
    Letter for the Record........................................   217
Foret, Jonathan:
    Letter for the Record........................................    23
Fort Devens Museum:
    Letter for the Record........................................   218
Fort-Rouge Gateway Partnership:
    Letter for the Record........................................   348
Friends and Family of Nisei Veterans:
    Letter for the Record........................................   168
Gann Mahoney, Sylvia:
    Letter for the Record........................................   298
Girdwood Trails Committee:
    Letter for the Record........................................   258
Grantham, Anjuli:
    Letter for the Record........................................   260
Greater Hudson Heritage Network:
    Letter for the Record........................................   352
Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce:
    Letter for the Record........................................   340
Greenagers:
    Letter for the Record........................................   336
Green, Lilli-Ann:
    Letter for the Record........................................   219
Grimes Flying Lab Foundation:
    Letter for the Record........................................   326
Groton Conservation Trust:
    Letter for the Record........................................   221
Grove, Jeff:
    Letter for the Record........................................   338
Grube, Donna:
    Letter for the Record........................................    58
Halsey, Barbara:
    Letter for the Record........................................   277
Harris, Annie C.:
    Statement for the Record on S. 972...........................   241
    Statement for the Record S. 1942.............................   243
Harrison, Kalie:
    Letter for the Record........................................   259
Hart, Lee:
    Letter for the Record........................................   261
Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation:
    Letter for the Record........................................   207
Heinrich, Hon. Martin:
    Opening Statement............................................    76
Historical Museum of Fort Missoula:
    Letter for the Record........................................   173
History Colorado:
    Letter for the Record........................................   175
Hoagland, Jeffrey C.:
    Letter for the Record........................................    59
Hollenbeck, Jim:
    Letter for the Record........................................   339
Homma, Mitch:
    Letter for the Record........................................   177
Honda, Mike:
    Letter for the Record dated April 15, 2021...................   178
    Letter for the Record dated April 22, 2021...................   179
Hopkins, Johns W.:
    Letter for the Record........................................   347
Hubler, Erica:
    Letter for the Record........................................    60
Huval, Mike:
    Letter for the Record........................................    12
Ihlenfeld II, William J.:
    Letter for the Record........................................   358
Imhoff, Michael P.:
    Letter for the Record........................................    50
Inafuku, Les:
    Letter for the Record........................................   180
Jaffa, Bruce:
    Letter for the Record........................................   262
Japan-America Society of Southern Colorado:
    Letter for the Record........................................   182
Japanese American Citizens League-Mile High Chapter:
    Letter for the Record........................................   183
Japanese American Confinement Sites Consortium:
    Letter for the Record dated April 14, 2021...................   209
    Letter for the Record dated May 18, 2021.....................   211
Japanese American National Museum:
    Letter for the Record........................................   185
Johns, Ronnie:
    Letter for the Record........................................    13
Justice, Hon. Jim, Governor of West Virginia:
    Letter for the Record........................................   359
Kelley, Kyle:
    Letter for the Record........................................   264
Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area:
    Letter for the Record........................................   265
Kenai Peninsula Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area:
    Letter for the Record........................................   267
King, Jr., Hon. Angus S.:
    Opening Statement............................................     1
Kitajima, Kenneth et al.:
    Letter for the Record........................................   187
Knowles, Jerry:
    Letter for the Record........................................   293
Kraisinger, Gary and Margaret:
    Letter for the Record........................................   299
La Junta, CO (City of):
    Letter for the Record........................................   190
Lemoine, Justin K.:
    Letter for the Record........................................    14
Leong, Kirsten:
    Letter for the Record........................................   191
Lexington Historical Society:
    Letter for the Record........................................   343
Lisonbee, Stephen:
    Letter for the Record........................................   363
Littleton Conservation Trust:
    Letter for the Record........................................   344
Louisiana Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus:
    Letter for the Record........................................    15
Louisiana Travel Association:
    Letter for the Record dated February 10, 2021................    16
    Letter for the Record dated April 9, 2021....................    31
Ludwig, Wayne et al.:
    Graphic presentation entitled ``Proposed Chisholm National 
      Historic Trail v. Historic Maps''..........................   301
Markey, Hon. Edward J. and Hon. Elizabeth Warren:
    Letter for the Record........................................   224
Meister, Pamela:
    Letter for the Record........................................   278
Miami County (OH) Historical Museum:
    Letter for the Record........................................    72
Miller, Timothy:
    Letter for the Record........................................   268
Mills, Jr., Fred H.:
    Letter for the Record........................................    17
Mississippi Humanities Council:
    Letter for the Record........................................   350
Murkowski, Hon. Lisa:
    Statement for the Record.....................................   246
Nashua International Sculpture Symposium:
    Letter for the Record........................................   351
Natchitoches Area Chamber of Commerce:
    Letter for the Record........................................    39
Natchitoches Historic District Business Association and 
  Natchitoches Main Street:
    Letter for the Record........................................    38
Natchitoches, LA (City of):
    Letter for the Record........................................    46
Natchitoches, LA (Parish of):
    Letter for the Record........................................    45
Natchitoches Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau:
    Letter for the Record........................................    37
National Aviation Hall of Fame:
    Letter for the Record........................................    62
National Aviation Heritage Alliance Board of Trustees:
    Letter for the Record........................................    63
National Parks Conservation Association:
    Letter for the Record........................................   193
National Park Service:
    Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve Proposed 
      Boundary Revision and Disposal.............................    48
New River Gateway Convention and Visitors Bureau:
    Letter for the Record........................................   360
Niagara Falls, NY (City of):
    Letter for the Record........................................   353
    Resolution No. 2021-48.......................................   354
Nicholls, Douglas J:
    Letter for the Record........................................   328
Northwestern State University:
    Letter for the Record........................................    40
Nungesser, Billy:
    Letter for the Record dated September 24, 2021...............    18
    Letter for the Record dated April 9, 2021....................    42
    Letter for the Record dated May 12, 2021.....................    49
Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition:
    Letter for the Record........................................    52
Ohio History Connection:
    Letter for the Record........................................    61
Olvera, Edgar D.:
    Letter for the Record........................................   330
Orleans, MA (Town of):
    Letter for the Record........................................   231
Otero County (CO) Commissioners:
    Letter for the Record........................................   195
Otero County (CO) Historic Preservation Board:
    Letter for the Record........................................   197
Park, Lisa Sun-Hee:
    Letter for the Record........................................   199
Perry, Tony:
    Letter for the Record........................................   294
Pierite, Marshall:
    Letter for the Record........................................    20
Polis, Hon. Jared, Governor of Colorado:
    Letter for the Record........................................   201
Princi, Patrick:
    Letter for the Record........................................   226
Provincetown, MA (Town of):
    Letter for the Record........................................   233
Prowers County (CO) Board of Commissioners:
    Letter for the Record........................................   155
Roberts, Jessica:
    Letter for the Record........................................   280
Rogers, Julie A.:
    Letter for the Record........................................    73
Russo, Vincent J.:
    Letter for the Record........................................    65
Sabine Parish Tourist Commission:
    Letter for the Record........................................    35
Sakura Foundation:
    Letter for the Record........................................   203
Salley, Thomas:
    Letter for the Record........................................   282
Sand Creek Massacre Foundation:
    Letter for the Record........................................   204
Schexnayder, Clay:
    Letter for the Record........................................    21
Scott and Wesley Gerrish Library and Girdwood Community Center 
  Boosters:
    Letter for the Record........................................   257
Shiffer, Dave:
    Letter for the Record........................................    66
Shirley Historical Society:
    Letter for the Record........................................   222
Smith, Jr., Gary L.:
    Letter for the Record........................................    22
South Central Planning and Development Commission:
    Letter for the Record........................................     4
Stiassny, Ari:
    Letter for the Record........................................   269
Sullivan, Briana:
    Letter for the Record........................................   270
Tambellini, Marla:
    Letter for the Record........................................   284
Taro Hada, Calvin:
    Letter for the Record dated April 12, 2021...................   170
    Letter for the Record dated April 19, 2021...................   172
Tarver, Phillip E.:
    Letter for the Record........................................    24
Terrebonne Parish Council:
    Letter of transmittal and Resolution No. 21-050..............    25
Thibaut, Major:
    Letter for the Record........................................    28
Truro, MA (Town of):
    Letter for the Record........................................   237
Wei, William:
    Letter for the Record........................................   205
Weld, Ryan W.:
    Letter for the Record........................................   361
Wellfleet, MA (Town of):
    Letter for the Record........................................   239
Westford Historical Society & Museum:
    Letter for the Record........................................   223
Westmoreland Museum of American Art:
    Letter for the Record........................................   295
Whaley, Nan:
    Statement for the Record.....................................    67
Wheeling, WV (City of):
    Letter for the Record........................................   356
Wheeling Department of Economic and Community Development:
    Letter for the Record........................................   355
Wildermuth, Jane S.:
    Letter for the Record........................................    68
(The) Wilderness Society:
    Statement for the Record.....................................   364
Wiley, Jamey:
    Letter for the Record........................................    29
Will and Deni McIntyre Foundation:
    Letter for the Record........................................   288
Wright Image Group:
    Letter for the Record........................................    70
Wright, Kathleen:
    Letter for the Record........................................    69
Wright Lane, Amanda:
    Letter for the Record........................................    71
Wyandotte County Museum:
    Letter for the Record........................................   342
Yanez-Rojas, Ivan:
    Letter for the Record........................................   146
Yasui, Robin:
    Letter for the Record........................................   206
Zeringue, Jerome ``Zee'':
    Letter for the Record........................................    30

----------
The text for each of the bills addressed in this hearing can be found 
on the Committee's website at: https://www.energy.senate.gov/hearings/
2021/10/national-parks-subcommittee-legislative-hearing

 
                          PENDING LEGISLATION

                              ----------                              


                       WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2021

                               U.S. Senate,
                    Subcommittee on National Parks,
                 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:01 a.m. in 
Room SD-366, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Angus S. 
King, Jr. presiding.

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ANGUS S. KING, JR., U.S. SENATOR FROM 
                             MAINE

    Senator King [presiding]. Good morning, and welcome to our 
second National Parks Subcommittee legislative hearing of the 
117th Congress. Our focus today will be on 29 bills, most of 
which are related to national heritage areas. Four of these 
bills would create new national heritage areas in Alabama, 
Illinois, Maryland, and Virginia. Other bills we will consider 
would establish national heritage sites, national historic 
trails, national historical parks, and reauthorize existing 
national heritage areas.
    National heritage areas are designated by Congress as 
places where natural, cultural, and historical resources come 
together to create a nationally important landscape. These 
areas tell a nationally important story and help us celebrate 
our country's diverse heritage and history. These areas are 
lived-in landscapes, and therefore require community 
collaboration to make sure the heritage areas are relevant to 
local interests and needs. Many of these areas start as 
community-driven efforts, focused on conservation and economic 
development. Just this week, a community-led feasibility study 
on establishing a heritage area in Downeast, Maine was 
published. I look forward to reviewing that study and hearing 
input from the community about the possibility of creating a 
heritage area there in the future.
    There are currently 55 national heritage areas across the 
country, and today we will consider legislation that would add 
four more to their ranks. We will also consider reauthorization 
of many of these existing heritage areas, which will ensure 
that they will continue to receive federal support. While I 
support the reauthorization efforts under consideration here 
today, I think it is important to look at efforts to make 
national heritage areas more self-sustaining. If we continue to 
reauthorize all 55 of the existing areas while adding new ones, 
the amount of available federal funds continues to get divided 
by a larger number, leaving fewer resources available for the 
newest heritage areas that may need additional support to get 
off the ground.
    Another bill we will consider today is S. 2580, the 
Alexander Lofgren Veterans in Parks Act. This bill would make 
passes to national parks and federal lands available to certain 
members of the armed forces, including Gold Star Families and 
military veterans. I was proud last year that a bill many of us 
supported, the Gold Star Families Parks Pass Act, which 
provided annual passes for Gold Star Families, passed in the 
Annual National Defense Authorization Act and codified a 
program that the Department of the Interior had implemented in 
November 2020. S. 2580 would build on that legislation and give 
these families lifetime passes and expand the free pass program 
to all military veterans. I look forward to hearing more about 
this legislation, particularly the Department's position.
    Now, for a procedural note, I will first recognize Ranking 
Member Daines--Vice Chair Daines--for his opening statement, 
and then Senator Heinrich. Following these remarks, I will 
recognize members of the Committee who wish to make other 
statements about their bills, followed by any members not on 
the Committee seeking to make a statement. After that, we will 
go on to the rest of our witness panel before getting to 
questions.
    Without objection, all members may submit letters of 
support or opposition or any additional materials regarding 
measures on today's agenda for the record.
    Now, Senator Daines.

            OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. STEVE DAINES, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM MONTANA

    Senator Daines. Chairman King, thank you.
    As the Chairman laid out, we will be examining 29 bills--in 
fact, 22 of those deal with heritage areas. It is my 
understanding that the heritage area designations all have 
expired and this Subcommittee has the important job of 
reviewing each designation and the associated legislation. I 
very much look forward to working with the Chairman to get 
these processed for our colleagues. I also want to learn more 
about the process for the designation of new heritage areas, 
including the role that local voices play in their 
establishment. Senate bill 1942, by Senators Stabenow and 
Blunt, would standardize heritage area designations. It is very 
important that this process includes extensive local feedback. 
So I am eager to hear more from the witnesses and explore this 
legislation further.
    Today's hearing also has a Veterans' bill I want to explore 
more. Senate bill 2580--the Chairman talked about this--the 
Veterans in Parks Act, or the VIP Act, sponsored by Senators 
Sinema and Boozman, would make access to our parks for veterans 
and Gold Star Families free. This is something that Chairman 
King and I worked on together last Congress. Our Gold Star 
Family Parks Pass Act was signed into law in 2020 as part of 
the NDAA, which made access for Gold Star Families to our 
national parks free. Last Congress, I also worked with Senator 
Cortez Masto to get the Accelerating Veterans Recovery Outdoors 
Act signed into law, which would help get more veterans into 
our parks. I look forward to hearing how the VIP Act 
complements the efforts we have worked so hard to get signed 
into law.
    Before I close, I do have a large stack of letters of 
support for the following bills and ask that they be included 
in the record, and that is in support of Senate bills 1329, 
1942, 336, 2438, 787, 1004, and Senate bill 2490. Here's the 
stack.
    Senator King. Without objection.
    [Letters of support follow:]

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
    
    Senator Daines. Mr. Chairman, thank you.
    And with that, I turn it back to you and look forward to 
hearing from our witnesses.
    Senator King. Senator Heinrich.

 OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. MARTIN HEINRICH, U.S. SENATOR FROM 
                           NEW MEXICO

    Senator Heinrich. Thank you, Chairman King and Ranking 
Member Daines, for today's important hearing and discussion on 
national heritage areas and including my legislation to 
reauthorize the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area 
through 2036.
    Today, we will discuss numerous bills that would extend 
federal funding for heritage areas across the country. For 
Northern New Mexico, the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage 
Area has become a key resource in preserving and celebrating 
the region's unique cultures. Established back in 2006, the 
area spans three counties and eight native pueblo communities. 
It draws visitors from around the world telling the story of 
New Mexico's complex and unique history while sharing our 
state's unmatched art, culture, and natural resources. Over the 
years, my constituents have shared with me the collaborative 
on-the-ground work between the heritage area and local tribes, 
schools, colleges, and grassroots community organizations. 
Recent projects have included support for a tribal youth farm 
at San Ildefonso Pueblo, community planning between the Village 
of Chimayo in Santa Fe County, and grant funding to preserve 
recreational buildings like La Sala de Galisteo community 
center.
    Ongoing projects include the heritage area's essential work 
to preserve the region's expansive linguistic diversity, with 
languages such as Tewa, Tiwa, Apache, and Spanish being spoken 
and shared among residents today. Funding through the National 
Park Service for the heritage area is set to expire at the end 
of this year, and communities across Northern New Mexico are 
still recovering from the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Reauthorization would mean that important projects, jobs, and 
economic initiatives that support our state can continue.
    However, funding for heritage areas nationwide is also in 
jeopardy. This year, 30 of our country's 55 national heritage 
areas are set to expire, with an additional 15 expiring by 
2024. National heritage areas are also consistently left in 
limbo, as no common criteria for their funding, management, or 
designation has been implemented since their creation back in 
the 1980's. Every national heritage area offers irreplaceable 
cultural and economic significance to local communities 
attempting to rebound and rebuild from the past two years. That 
is why I am proud to be an original 
co-sponsor of Senator Stabenow's National Heritage Area Act, 
which would authorize an annual $1 million for existing and 
future national heritage areas, while streamlining their 
designation process. In addition, S. 1942 would establish a 
national heritage area system with oversight for national 
heritage areas under the Department of the Interior. We know 
just how beneficial heritage areas are to growing our local 
economies while sharing our history and cross-cultural 
traditions with one another. I am confident that today's 
witnesses will drive home a point we already understand--
heritage areas are essential, cost-effective investments in our 
communities, and federal spending must reflect that fact.
    Mr. Chairman, thank you for your inclusion of S. 990 and S. 
1942 in today's hearing, and I look forward to hearing from our 
witnesses.
    Senator King. Thank you.
    Senator Cortez Masto, would you like to make a statement?

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, U.S. SENATOR 
                          FROM NEVADA

    Senator Cortez Masto. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking 
Member Daines, for holding this hearing and including my bill 
on the agenda for today.
    My bill is the Great Basin National Heritage Area and 
Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area Extension Act. It would 
extend the authorization for the Great Basin and Mormon Pioneer 
National Heritage areas for the next 15 years, ensuring their 
continued ability to preserve and promote the cultural and 
historic heritage of the Great Basin region. It would also 
support our local businesses and expand recreation and 
conservation opportunities.
    National heritage areas help preserve our history and 
traditions, while also promoting tourism and community 
revitalization. The Great Basin National Heritage Area, 
Nevada's sole national heritage area, is unique in the Silver 
State, encompassing stunning western landscapes, historical and 
archeological sites, state parks, tribal areas, and Great Basin 
National Park. It was created by Congress in 2006. The Great 
Basin National Heritage Area encompasses over 13,000 years of 
human endeavors. The Great Basin National Heritage Area and the 
neighboring Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area extend across 
the Nevada/Utah state line, spanning an area as large as the 
states of Connecticut and Massachusetts combined, and are home 
to 21,000 residents. My bipartisan legislation will help 
safeguard this unique part of our nation's history, and I am 
proud to work across the aisle with my colleagues in Utah and 
Nevada to protect our region's rich cultural and environmental 
resources for future generations.
    Now, I know there are several other national heritage areas 
across the country seeking to renew their authorization as 
well, and I support quick Committee action to process these 
bills and get this done for the sake of our communities. Thank 
you, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator King. Thank you, Senator.
    Now we will turn to our witnesses, the first of whom is Ms. 
Joy Beasley, Associate Director of Cultural Resources, 
Partnerships, and Science at the National Park Service. Ms. 
Beasley has more than 20 years of experience in historical 
preservation, and her current role involves developing policy 
guidance for more than 82,000 identified archeological sites, 
850 cultural landscapes, 26,000 historic structures, 400 
ethnographic resources, over 48.3 million museum objects, and 
more than 85,000 linear feet of National Park Service archives.
    Ms. Beasley, what do you do in your spare time is what I 
want to know. Ms. Beasley also oversees the management of the 
National Historic Landmarks, National Register of Historic 
Places, which represents more than 1.8 million buildings, 
structures, sites, and objects.
    Ms. Beasley, your testimony.

   STATEMENT OF JOY BEASLEY, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF CULTURAL 
 RESOURCES, PARTNERSHIPS, AND SCIENCE, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, 
                U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

    Ms. Beasley. Chairman King, Ranking Member Daines, thank 
you for the opportunity to present the Department of the 
Interior's views on the 29 bills on today's agenda. I would 
like to submit our full statements on each of these bills for 
the record and summarize our views.
    Senator King. So ordered.
    Ms. Beasley. The Department supports the following bills:
    S. 1112, which would establish the Chisholm National 
Historic Trail and the Western National Historic Trail as part 
of the National Trail System. We recommend technical amendments 
for this bill.
    S. 1620, which would convey the NPS-owned annex of the 
Liberty Theater to the city of Eunice, Louisiana. The city is 
the owner of the Liberty Theater.
    S. 2158, which would reauthorize the Cape Cod National 
Seashore Advisory Commission until September 26, 2029. We 
recommend a technical change to this bill.
    S. 2438, which would expand the legislative boundary of 
Cane River Creole National Historical Park in Louisiana to 
include additional portions of the Magnolia Plantation. We 
recommend the development of a revised legislative map.
    S. 2580, which would make an annual National Parks and 
Federal Recreation Lands Pass available to members of the Armed 
Forces and a lifetime pass to veterans and Gold Star Families, 
free of charge. We recommend technical amendments to enhance 
implementation.
    The Department supports the goals of the following bills:
    S. 1284 and H.R. 2497, which would establish the Amache 
National Historic Site in Colorado as a unit of the National 
Park Service. The Department recommends aligning the text of S. 
1284 with the text of H.R. 2497 as amended.
    S. 2490, which would establish the Blackwell School 
National Historic Site in Marfa, Texas as a unit of the 
National Park Service. We recommend amending the bill to 
provide for a special resource study rather than the 
establishment of a new unit.
    Several bills on today's agenda relate to the National 
Heritage Area system. The Department recognizes that every 
national heritage area established by Congress serves an 
important role in preserving, interpreting, and promoting the 
unique characteristics of the area it encompasses.
    S. 1942 would recognize national heritage areas as a system 
rather than solely as individual entities, establishing a 
statutory framework for the National Park Service's role in 
administering the National Heritage Area program and explicitly 
providing authority for the NPS's ongoing, important 
responsibilities, as this bill would do. We recommend 
clarifying amendments for this bill.
    The Department supports S. 2296, which would designate the 
Northern Neck National Heritage Area and S. 2441, which would 
designate the Southern Campaign of the Revolution National 
Heritage Corridor. These proposed areas have been found to meet 
the National Park Service's criteria for establishment of a 
national heritage area.
    And while they may have merit, the Department recommends 
Congress consider deferring action on S. 511, which would 
establish the Bronzeville-Black Metropolis National Heritage 
Area, S. 825, which would establish the Southern Maryland 
National Heritage Area, and S. 1643, which would establish the 
Alabama Black Belt National Heritage Area, while the NPS works 
with the sponsoring organizations to ensure their feasibility 
studies meet the criteria for National Heritage Area 
designation.
    For all five establishment bills, the Department recommends 
conforming the bill language to that that is typically used in 
other national heritage area legislation, and we also recommend 
developing maps for the proposed national heritage areas where 
needed.
    Sixteen bills would extend authorities for existing 
national heritage areas. The Department supports these bills' 
provisions for reauthorization of federal funding for each 
national heritage area. We recommend standardizing the approach 
to federal funding limitations, as only some of the bills 
eliminate the funding limitation.
    Chairman King, this concludes my statement, and I would be 
pleased to answer any questions you may have.
    [The prepared statement of Ms. Beasley follows:]

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
    
    Senator King. Thank you very much, and thank you for your 
attention to the variety and depth of the various bills.
    Our next witness is Ms. Sara Capen, who is the Chair of the 
Alliance of National Heritage Areas, and also the Executive 
Director of Niagara Falls National Heritage Area. Ms. Capen has 
worked with the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area since its 
inception in 2011, when she worked to develop the management 
plan and build community partnerships to protect and preserve 
the natural, cultural, and historic resources along the Niagara 
River corridor. She is also Chair, as I mentioned, of the 
Alliance for National Heritage Areas, an organization of 
national heritage areas and partnership organizations that 
promote the benefits of the national heritage area program 
through advocacy and education.
    I cannot help but point out, Ms. Capen, it looks like you 
have your raincoat on. Are you at the Niagara Falls?
    Ms. Capen. No, I am not.
    [Laughter.]
    Senator King. I couldn't resist when you had that yellow 
sweater.
    Ms. Capen, your testimony, please.

   STATEMENT OF SARA CAPEN, CHAIRWOMAN, ALLIANCE OF NATIONAL 
  HERITAGE AREAS; EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NIAGARA FALLS NATIONAL 
                      HERITAGE AREA, INC.

    Ms. Capen. Good morning, thank you, Chairman King, Ranking 
Member Daines, and other distinguished members of the 
Subcommittee. I am Sara Capen, the Executive Director of the 
Niagara Falls National Heritage Area and Chairwoman of the 
Alliance of National Heritage Areas. I am respectfully 
requesting this Committee to support passage of the National 
Heritage Area Act of 2021, introduced by Senator Debbie 
Stabenow and Senator Roy Blunt, with strong bipartisan support 
from 14 Senate co-sponsors. In just one week's time, national 
heritage areas have collected over 650 letters of support for 
this bill from a cross-section of stakeholders who recognize 
the critical importance of NHAs. I respectfully request that 
these letters be entered into the record. In addition, I would 
also like to express my strong support for the other national 
heritage area related bills the Committee is considering today.

    [The Alliance of National Heritage Areas submitted more 
than 600 letters of support for S. 1942, which are available 
for inspection in the Committee's files. A complete list of 
individuals and organizations who submitted letters through 
ANHA follows:]

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

    Ms. Capen. While we are making progress, the fact remains 
that 30 national heritage areas are presently experiencing an 
unprecedented sunset crisis, a crisis that was merely delayed 
until December, thanks to last week's continuing resolution. 
For too long now, the lack of a long-term legislative solution 
has led to a challenging two-year cycle of reauthorizations 
that expends the time and energy of this Committee, Members of 
Congress, the National Park Service, and National Heritage Area 
boards and staff. Most significant though, this never-ending 
cycle of funding uncertainty takes away from important work we 
do in communities across the country. As an example of this, 
there are currently 23 reauthorization bills in the House, and 
another 16 in the Senate, all awaiting Committee action. The 
National Heritage Area Act of 2021 would solve this problem. It 
would establish a system of national heritage areas and confirm 
their position as an integral part of the National Park 
Service, ensuring uniform standards for the way NHAs are 
funded, designated, managed, and assessed. The bill will also 
provide Congress with an enhanced ability to conduct oversight 
of the program.
    The National Heritage Area program is one of the Department 
of the Interior's most cost-effective initiatives, relying on a 
public-private partnership in which every federal dollar is 
matched with an average of $5.50 in non-federal funding. In 
2020, NHAs leveraged $88.5 million in cash and in-kind support, 
greatly increasing the impact of the $20.9 million in federal 
funding received. More important than the return on federal 
investment, national heritage areas are catalysts for economic 
revitalization and job creation in their communities. They are 
often located in places that have suffered economic setbacks 
due to declining industries. Utilizing a grassroots and 
community-driven approach, national heritage areas help these 
communities build a new economic platform based on heritage 
tourism, and outdoor recreation that revitalizes the economy 
and instills a pride of place for the people who live there. 
National heritage areas also bring the National Park Service 
mission out from behind the enclaves of federal lands, 
providing direct access to the people living across the 
country.
    Indeed, over the 35-plus years, national heritage areas 
have lived up to President Reagan's vision of a new kind of 
national park, which he expressed when he effectively created 
the program by signing legislation for the Illinois and 
Michigan Canal National Heritage Area in 1984. Furthermore, 
national heritage areas have been and will continue to be 
committed to the preservation of private property rights. The 
program has always been entirely voluntary and cooperative, and 
we are completely supportive of the protections written into 
the proposed legislation--protections that strengthen and 
affirm the existing regulations for all NHAs.
    In closing, there are few federal programs that epitomize 
the democratic principles on which our nation was built like 
National Heritage Areas. National heritage areas truly are of 
the people, by the people, and for the people, and celebrate 
nearly every aspect of American history, culture, industry, and 
landscape. It is not an exaggeration to say that there is a 
national heritage area that appeals and relates to every 
American. Over the course of the last three years, the Alliance 
has pursued every possible legislative pathway to ensure that 
the National Heritage Area Program can continue to fulfill this 
critical mission without concern about a funding lapse. It has 
become increasingly clear that the most straightforward and 
sensible way to achieve this goal and eliminate the uncertain 
biennial reauthorization process is through a uniform system 
for authorizing funding and reviewing both existing and 
proposed national heritage areas. The National Heritage Area 
Act of 2021 will achieve these important goals and set national 
heritage areas on a firm foundation on which they can build and 
thrive. Thank you for your support from this Committee. I look 
forward to your questions.
    [The prepared statement of Ms. Capen follows:]

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
    
    Senator King. Thank you.
    Ms. Capen, you have worked with the Niagara Falls Heritage 
Area since its inception. Give us a flavor of what it has meant 
to the community. Has it had the kind of economic development 
and tourism impacts that you hoped for back in 2011?
    Ms. Capen. Most certainly. I think that the community would 
testify to that. Our accomplishments in the last ten years 
included creating a tourism infrastructure system that evolved 
around transportation. They actually brought tourists out of 
Niagara Falls State Park, which receives millions of tourists, 
to other destinations, which extended their stay, which 
generated more economic impact for small businesses, small 
organizations, our historical sites, like Old Fort Niagara. We 
created the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, 
which is an interpretive site that tells the story, shares the 
story, and celebrates and honors the story of the Underground 
Railroad. Again, that is outside of Niagara Falls State Park, 
which brings people from that enclave of a state park into 
other places. That specific site is located in an area of the 
city that has seen really tough times over the last 30 years.
    The city of Niagara Falls is presently just under 50 
percent of the poverty rate. And so these small efforts with a 
small amount of federal investment matched by a lot of non-
federal funding have begun to transform our region. And in 
addition to that--and I think this is very important for 
communities that have suffered economic setbacks like Niagara 
Falls--it is beginning to instill a sense of pride in place for 
the people who live here to really look at the history, 
celebrate it, honor it, but also to create jobs surrounding it. 
So through both of those programs, the Discover Niagara Shuttle 
and the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, we 
have had significant economic impact, but we have also created 
jobs around that.
    Senator King. Has the five-to-one ratio that you suggested 
in terms of funding borne out across the country at other 
national heritage areas? This is mostly local support, is that 
accurate?
    Ms. Capen. It is mostly local support, so I can speak to 
Niagara Falls, you know, each year is a little bit different, 
but we have gone up as far as nine-to-one matched to that 
federal funding. We have never received more than $400,000 for 
federal funding. So that is a significant amount of match when 
you are matching at eight-to-one, nine-to-one. Other national 
heritage areas are even higher than that, but every national 
heritage area, at the very least, matches at one-to-one.
    Senator King. Thank you.
    Ms. Beasley, last year, the Department started providing 
the park passes for Gold Star Families, and you testified, I 
believe, in support of the bill that would extend this benefit 
to veterans. I guess the first question is, do we have enough 
data to know how the free pass program worked? And I am 
particularly interested in whether there were problems at the 
park gate in terms of identifying yourself with the group that 
has the free pass. How do you anticipate handling that in the 
future, and what do you anticipate would be the fiscal impact 
of this free pass to all veterans? Thank you.
    Ms. Beasley. Sure, thank you for your question.
    We certainly know that there will be a revenue impact as a 
result of the bill, but we do not have specific data on that at 
this time. As you are aware, there were certain passes that 
went into effect under Secretarial Order in 2020, but that was 
all occurring at a time when a lot of parks were already 
experiencing decreased visitation as a result of the pandemic. 
So we just do not have a lot of clear data on what the revenue 
impacts ultimately will be.
    Senator King. But I take it that in your testimony where 
you supported the bill, you believed that the revenue impact 
will be manageable. Is that accurate?
    Ms. Beasley. Yes, sir. We believe that veterans and members 
of the armed forces and their families should have free access 
to public lands. And in terms of part of your earlier question, 
the amendments that we are recommending, we believe, would help 
facilitate the implementation of the bill and would ensure that 
folks who are accessing those benefits would have a great 
customer service experience and kind of a seamless experience 
being able to visit their public lands, irrespective of whether 
it was a national park unit or not.
    Senator King. Thank you, I appreciate the Administration's 
support of this legislation.
    Senator Daines.
    Senator Daines. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Ms. Beasley, Ms. Capen, Montana currently does not have a 
national heritage area, but recently, there has been interest 
in a proposal to designate the Big Sky Heritage Area in Cascade 
County. The City of Great Falls is the county seat there in 
Cascade County. Can you explain to me the process that a 
proposed heritage area must go through before it is designated, 
and what role does local support or local opposition play in 
that process?
    We will start with Ms. Beasley.
    Ms. Beasley. Thank you.
    So we believe it is vitally important for us to have the 
ability to assess whether the conditions exist to form and 
implement a successful heritage area. And we access that 
information through a feasibility study process, ideally prior 
to Congress acting to designate a heritage area. Feasibility 
studies can be undertaken by the National Park Service if we 
are authorized to do so by Congress, or they can be undertaken 
by a local entity, and then we review those feasibility 
studies. And those studies help us gather information to 
determine whether an area contains the kinds of resources that 
tell a nationally significant story, whether there are 
partnership opportunities, whether there is organizational 
capacity to manage a heritage area, and so forth.
    And one of the feasibility criteria that is considered is 
community support, and those feasibility studies include a 
substantive public engagement process. So there are many 
opportunities for the community's voice to be heard during the 
process of the feasibility study. And as you are well aware, 
ultimately, it is up to Congress to determine whether a 
heritage area will be designated.
    Senator Daines. Great.
    Ms. Capen.
    Ms. Capen. So my experience with the national heritage 
area, particularly in Niagara Falls, is that community support 
is essential. It is essential for the development of the 
management plan. This is my management plan [the witness holds 
up a booklet]. You can see that it is well-loved, but that was 
all developed--not from the top-down, but from the bottom-up. 
That was developed by stakeholder groups in the community--
focus groups in the community--but most importantly, once you 
get past that management plan, that's all community driven. The 
implementation of the management plan for projects and for 
programs depends on those community stakeholders. It is not a 
prescription that comes from the Federal Government. The ideas 
that are shared in the management plan for the preservation and 
protection of the natural, cultural, and historic assets 
actually are driven from the community, and then they are 
implemented in partnership with community organizations.
    So to answer your question directly, community is 
essential, not only to the beginning on the feasibility stages 
of a national heritage area, but also to the long-term success 
of that national heritage area implementing the ideas that the 
community wanted to have implemented when they created the 
management plan.
    Senator Daines. Ms. Capen, thank you.
    Back to Ms. Beasley--what would happen if the Park Service 
received a feasibility study for an area when there is a lot of 
opposition to the creation of a new heritage area?
    Ms. Beasley. Yes, sir. Well, as I mentioned, public support 
is one of the ten criteria that are considered through the 
feasibility study process. And as I mentioned, public 
engagement is a big part of the feasibility study process, and 
the study team can and should take into consideration the 
public comments that they receive through that consultation 
process. But again, ultimately, it is up to the Congress to 
determine whether a heritage area should be designated.
    Senator Daines. Thank you.
    Ms. Beasley, Senate bill 1942 seeks to standardize the 
establishment of heritage areas. Does the bill have any 
requirements for the park service or others to solicit feedback 
from local community members or elected officials?
    Ms. Beasley. S. 1942 would basically codify the existing 
feasibility study process and the existing study requirements, 
including the demonstration of public support. So the current 
study process already includes that stakeholder engagement.
    Senator Daines. Thank you, Ms. Beasley.
    Finally, I have a question about Senate bill 2580, the 
Veterans in Parks Act, allowing free access to our parks for 
veterans and Gold Star Families. As I talked about earlier, 
Chairman King and I were successful in enacting the Gold Star 
Families Parks Pass Act last year, and this Committee has 
worked on numerous veterans in parks bills before. How does 
Senate bill 2580 differ, and how might it complement the work 
we have already completed?
    Ms. Beasley. Yes, sir, that's a great question.
    So the bill would build on the important work that the 
Congress has already done in this area. Some of the benefits in 
the bill are already available, but under an administrative 
authority. So if this bill were enacted, it would provide 
certainty about the availability of those passes in the future.
    Senator Daines. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator King. Senator Heinrich.
    Senator Heinrich. Ms. Capen, independent studies have shown 
that national heritage areas offer indisputable economic 
benefits to their respective communities, and that revenue 
consistently overmatches any federal funding that may be 
applied to these NHAs. Can you just share some of the reasons 
why national heritage areas seem to offer such rewarding 
economic opportunities for local communities?
    Ms. Capen. Certainly. So I think that the premise in the 
model that is set forward as a public-private partnership is 
part of it. That small amount of federal investment brings 
other partners to the table and those partners do not just 
commit their resources, but they commit their time and energy, 
and this creates better synergy. It creates better partnerships 
for communities, but is a direct impact to businesses. It is 
such a great value, because what we do is, we just contribute a 
small amount, and then others come in to match, which brings a 
greater amount and often leads to the execution and 
implementation of projects that simply would not otherwise 
happen.
    And then there are the effects that come after the 
implementation of the project. I certainly cited our Discover 
Niagara Shuttle and its benefit. That shuttle brings people to 
other places within our national heritage area that they would 
not naturally have gone to, and that brings them to small 
businesses, that brings them to those historical sites, and 
those small ripple effects then lead to those businesses and 
those historical sites maybe adding additional jobs, maybe 
gaining additional revenue and gift shops, maybe giving people 
a compelling reason to stay longer, whether it is in the 
Northern Rio Grande Heritage Area, or Niagara Falls, or the 
National Coal Heritage Area, but heritage tourism and outdoor 
recreation are two of the largest growing sectors in the 
tourism industry field, and this is what national heritage 
areas do best. And it has also shown that cultural tourists 
spent more money than just regular tourists.
    And so, you know, national heritage areas fit into that 
wheelhouse of tourism, but specifically generate a significant 
amount of economic impact, especially in small rural 
communities that might have been overlooked in larger industry 
sectors.
    Senator Heinrich. That has certainly been our experience in 
the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area.
    Ms. Beasley, I wanted to ask you a little bit about the 
coordination between the Park Service and communities, state 
and local governments, and that coordinated work that really 
enhances and supports existing national heritage areas. Can you 
talk a little bit about what that looks like? And if you have 
any particular examples from the Northern Rio Grande Heritage 
Area, please share those as well.
    Ms. Beasley. Thank you. As Ms. Capen has already talked 
about, that public-private partnership is really key and 
foundational to the success of the programs, and because 
heritage areas and their coordinating entities are grassroots 
and on the ground, they are able to really connect with the 
local communities and their stakeholders and identify the kinds 
of projects and services and benefits that are important to 
that community.
    In your opening statement, you spoke about the La Sala de 
San Jose preservation project in Galisteo, New Mexico, which 
was a great partnership. The heritage area worked directly with 
the state historic preservation office to ensure that the work 
that was being done was appropriate to the building. I will 
also share--in Dixon, New Mexico, the heritage area provided a 
subgrant to the Embudo Valley Library and Community Center, 
where they were able to fund student and community volunteer 
projects to create a community mural. They also did a landscape 
documentation project that identified some of the important 
historic features of the area, and did some landscaping work to 
beautify the grounds. The heritage area provided funding to the 
Ohkay Owingeh Housing Authority to put together Adobe mud 
plastering training that helped the members of the community 
learn traditional preservation methods that they could apply to 
the buildings that are important to them. And in Questa, New 
Mexico, the heritage area partnered with the Park Service's 
River Trails and Conservation Assistance Program to plan and 
provide signage for an interpretive trail that goes around the 
town and highlights significant properties, including the 
historic acequias and other important landscape features. And 
so the RTCA grant provided the planning dollars, and then the 
heritage area provided the interpretive signage.
    So these are very much examples of on-the-ground, 
community-based activities.
    Senator Heinrich. And Chairman, I know it sounds fairly 
trivial, but something like training people how to do adobe mud 
plastering, for example--it is very easy to really 
inadvertently destroy some of our historic structures in the 
Southwest by not knowing the proper methodologies for actually 
protecting them. If you put concrete or stucco over adobe mud 
plaster, you actually end up trapping moisture inside, and then 
structures that have stood for hundreds and hundreds of years, 
like older than the United States as a country, end up being 
inadvertently destroyed. So the work that they are doing around 
preservation is really, really critical to our history.
    Senator King. Senator Kelly is on his way. I have a couple 
of questions in the meantime.
    Ms. Capen, how do people know about a heritage area? Is 
there signage? Is there a national registry? Is there someplace 
you can go and say, ``I am going through New England, and I 
wonder where the heritage areas are?'' How do people find out 
about what's going on in these special regions?
    Ms. Capen. Well, I think one of the best ways, if you are 
traveling through New England or other places, is to go to the 
NPS.gov site, where national heritage areas have websites that 
are not only maintained by the National Park Service, but also 
direct you to our individual websites. Some heritage areas do 
have signage. Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is a 
good example. They have signage all the way from Albany to 
Buffalo. Again, what makes it individual is that the national 
heritage area is based on the resources and based on what the 
community feels that they want, and will utilize those 
resources to tell their story.
    So again, I know I am using examples of Niagara Falls. We 
didn't focus on signage because we have Niagara Falls State 
Park, which is the oldest state park in the country, and quite 
frankly, we have too many signs, and so we focused on 
connecting to people who might be traveling to Niagara Falls 
through social media and through websites, but there are a lot 
of ways. We also have the Alliance of National Heritage Areas 
website, where people can learn more there, too.
    Senator King. Ms. Beasley, a question about funding. Are 
the national heritage areas funded en masse in one line, or are 
they funded individually? How does the administration of the 
support work?
    Ms. Beasley. Each heritage area is individually designated. 
It has its own legislation and its own specificity that comes 
from that. So the funding levels for heritage areas are subject 
to appropriations, but they vary based on the terms of when the 
heritage area was authorized.
    Senator King. So in the appropriations process, there is a 
line for each area that could be different.
    Ms. Beasley. Yes, well there is a total appropriated 
amount, and then there is a series of tiered formulas that 
identify the amount of funding from that overall appropriation 
that individual heritage areas receive.
    Senator King. And what is the overall appropriation this 
year for national heritage areas?
    Ms. Beasley. I believe it was $20.9 million.
    Senator King. Thank you.
    We are waiting for Senator Kelly. We will wait a few more 
minutes.
    Are there questions that we haven't addressed that you 
would like to bring forward to the Committee?
    [Laughter.]
    Senator King. In other words, this is an opportunity to 
make a statement that we haven't covered. We have asked all the 
good questions.
    [Laughter.]
    We will wait a few minutes for Senator Kelly. Oh, Senator 
Hickenlooper is here.
    Senator Hickenlooper, are you ready to----
    Senator Hickenlooper. I am.
    Senator King. Thank you.
    Senator Hickenlooper. Ms. Beasley, I will start with you, 
and we were listening to your testimony. I apologize for being 
late. Somehow, they have scheduled multiple hearings that are 
all of importance to Colorado, but nothing more important than 
this.
    Ms. Beasley, I want to thank you for your work with the 
National Parks. The Amache National Historic site, I think, 
would provide an unparalleled opportunity for Coloradans and 
Americans to learn about the horrors of Japanese internment, 
and ensure that our collective memory of these atrocities does 
not diminish with time. Survivors and descendants are engaged. 
They are watching closely. In many cases, they have been 
waiting their whole lives for this designation.
    So can you speak a little bit about the cultural benefits 
of passing this legislation now, while we still have the 
ability to hear their stories and make sure those stories are 
preserved and passed along?
    Ms. Beasley. Yes, sir, thank you for your question.
    As you are probably aware, there is currently a special 
resource study focused on Amache that is currently underway 
that was authorized under the Dingell Act. You know, Amache 
tells the story of the Granada Relocation Center, which was one 
of ten relocation centers that were built during World War II 
to detain Japanese Americans, who were forcibly removed from 
the West Coast under the terms of an executive order. And over 
10,000 people passed through Amache, which, at its peak, housed 
over 7,300 incarcerees, about two-thirds of whom were U.S. 
citizens. So without question, Amache tells the story of a 
painful and shameful time in our nation's history.
    Senator Hickenlooper. Yes, thank you very much. I 
appreciate that. I think it's important to make sure that we 
are all on that same page.
    Ms. Capen, thank you for joining us, even if by Zoom. We 
have all become so accustomed to Zoom. It is almost as good as 
being in person.
    You mentioned in your testimony that the national historic 
sites can often revitalize communities economically. And I know 
firsthand--I opened one of the first brewpubs in the country 
back in 1988, and got a historic designation for our building 
and then eventually our neighborhood, and then did the same 
thing in Omaha and Des Moines and Rapid City, South Dakota. And 
we saw a great benefit from taking history and making sure that 
it was preserved and available, and I think the Amache National 
Historic Site, the cultural benefits there are so numerous, and 
I think even when our history is shameful, we need to make sure 
we preserve it.
    So I thought I would ask you about the economic benefits of 
establishing a national historic site in a place like Grenada, 
Colorado, which is an agricultural community. It has a 
population of little over 500. There are some smaller 
communities around it, but it is a place still trying to grow 
and trying to add businesses.
    Ms. Capen. National heritage areas span a lot of different 
landscapes. They span urban to rural communities. So when you 
add a historical site, not only is it--and this is the most 
important part--it is deeply meaningful to preserving our 
history and sharing it, as you said, so that we do not lose 
that collective memory. And oftentimes in places like that, 
people pause and reflect and they need to pause and reflect, 
but they often stay in a place and that can create new small 
businesses whether it is a cafe, whether it is a small 
restaurant, whether it is, you know, additional interpretations 
that just keep people to stay a little bit longer there, to 
think more deeply about that story.
    That's what we see throughout national heritage areas and 
that's part of the significance of historic preservation, is 
that it should be deeply reflective and it should be 
meaningful. It is very different than an amusement park, where 
you can go through and get out and you know, it is exciting. 
History is exciting as well, but it is also reflective, and 
economic benefits to communities often surround that. So if you 
go to Old Fort Niagara here in Niagara Falls National Heritage 
Area, it makes you really think about the layers of history 
that were shaped there, and you are more likely to stay. You 
are more likely to have a meal in the nearby community. You are 
more likely to say, ``next time when I want to schedule a trip, 
maybe I'll go back there.''
    Senator Hickenlooper. Yes, I couldn't agree more. While I 
was Governor, in Colorado, we moved our cultural affairs into 
the Office of Economic Development for many of those same 
reasons.
    I yield back, Mr. Chair, thank you.
    Senator King. Thank you.
    Senator Kelly.
    Senator Kelly. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to 
take a moment to thank you and the Subcommittee for adding to 
the agenda, S. 2580, the Alexander Lofgren Veterans in Parks 
Act. This bill has a special place in the hearts of Arizonans, 
including myself, Senator Sinema, and especially Congressman 
Grijalva in the House. The bill honors a Congressional case 
worker and an Army veteran, Alex Lofgren, who lost his life in 
April of this year. Alex was deeply passionate about serving 
veterans and serving Arizonans, but he also had a great love 
for the outdoors. Passage of this bill is important for 
memorializing Alex's service to Arizona, to our veterans, and 
to our nation. I hope that we can move quickly to send this 
bill to the President. So thank you for that, Mr. Chairman, and 
thank you to the Subcommittee.
    Ms. Beasley, good morning. Thank you for being here today. 
I want to ask you about S. 1318. It is my bill to reauthorize 
grant funding for the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, and 
thank you for supporting this bill. Yuma Crossing played an 
important role in the history of the West. It is a natural 
granite outcrop used by indigenous people, Spanish explorers, 
and tens of thousands of gold rush pioneers, as it is the 
narrowest point across the Colorado River into California from 
Arizona, and the crossing made Yuma a center for interstate 
commerce in the late 1800's and later supported a vital bridge 
for locomotives and motor vehicles.
    Yuma's NHA is funded primarily through donations from local 
and tribal governments and private individuals. According to a 
2015 Park Service review of the Yuma NHA, only one-fifth of the 
Yuma NHA budget is funded by the Park Service. In fact, Yuma 
NHA only receives one-third of the full $1 million that is 
authorized from the Park Service each year. Even with so few 
resources, the return on investment for the Federal Government 
is quite remarkable. The Yuma NHA has an estimated economic 
impact of about $22.7 million annually.
    So Ms. Beasley, how successful would you rate Yuma's 
leveraging of Park Service funding to that of most other 
national heritage areas?
    Ms. Beasley. Thank you, sir.
    So Yuma Crossing, at least since 2015, has continued to 
meet its non-federal match requirement, and as you point out, 
has leveraged other sources of funding and grown their 
partnerships. They are doing great. And we always encourage 
heritage areas that are having success in seeking other funding 
sources--those best practices are great examples that they can 
share with other national heritage areas. And you know, Yuma 
Crossing is an on-the-ground example of the leverage that the 
$20.9 million in federal funding that we provided in 2020 
translates into $85.5 million in cash and in-kind donations 
that are coming from other sources. So keep up the good work, 
Yuma Crossing. Yes, sir.
    Senator Kelly. Well, thank you for that, Ms. Beasley. Our 
national heritage areas and our national parks in Arizona are 
so important, not only to the folks that like to enjoy them, 
but also to the economy. So thank you.
    And I yield back the remainder of my time.
    Senator King. No further questions?
    If there are no further questions, I would like to thank 
our witnesses for their testimony today. Members of the 
Committee may submit additional questions in writing, and if so 
we would ask you to submit answers for the record. Committee 
members will have until 6:00 p.m. tomorrow to submit any 
additional questions for the record. We will keep the hearing 
record open for two weeks to receive any additional comments.
    I want to thank our witnesses once again for your excellent 
and illuminating testimony. We appreciate your work on behalf 
of your communities and the country.
    This hearing is adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 10:57 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.]

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