[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 118 (Monday, September 13, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H8109-H8112]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1430
LACKAWANNA VALLEY NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA ACT OF 1999
Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 940) to establish the Lackawanna Heritage Valley American
Heritage Area, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 940
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 ``Lackawanna Valley National
Heritage Area Act of 1999''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
(1) The industrial and cultural heritage of northeastern
Pennsylvania inclusive of Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and
Susquehanna counties, related directly to anthracite and
anthracite-related industries, is nationally significant, as
documented in the United States Department of the Interior-
National Parks Service, National Register of Historic Places,
Multiple Property Documentation submittal of the Pennsylvania
Historic and Museum Commission (1996).
(2) These industries include anthracite mining, ironmaking,
textiles, and rail transportation.
(3) The industrial and cultural heritage of the anthracite
and related industries in this region includes the social
history and living cultural traditions of the people of the
region.
(4) The labor movement of the region played a significant
role in the development of the Nation including the formation
of many key unions such as the United Mine Workers of
America, and crucial struggles to improve wages and working
conditions, such as the 1900 and 1902 anthracite strikes.
(5) The Department of the Interior is responsible for
protecting the Nation's cultural and historic resources, and
there are significant examples of these resources within this
4-county region to merit the involvement of the Federal
Government to develop programs and projects, in cooperation
with the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority, the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and other local and
governmental bodies, to adequately conserve, protect, and
interpret this heritage for future generations, while
providing opportunities for education and revitalization.
(6) The Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority would be an
appropriate management entity for a Heritage Area established
in the region.
(b) Purpose.--The objectives of the Lackawanna Valley
National Heritage Area are as follows:
(1) To foster a close working relationship with all levels
of government, the private sector, and the local communities
in the anthracite coal region of northeastern Pennsylvania
and empower the communities to conserve their heritage while
continuing to pursue economic opportunities.
(2) To conserve, interpret, and develop the historical,
cultural, natural, and recreational resources related to the
industrial and cultural heritage of the 4-county region of
northeastern Pennsylvania.
SEC. 3. LACKAWANNA VALLEY NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.
(a) Establishment.--There is hereby established the
Lackawanna Valley National Heritage Area (in this Act
referred to as the ``Heritage Area'').
(b) Boundaries.--The Heritage Area shall be comprised of
all or parts of the counties of Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne,
and Susquehanna in Pennsylvania, determined pursuant to the
compact under section 4.
(c) Management Entity.--The management entity for the
Heritage Area shall be the Lackawanna Heritage Valley
Authority.
SEC. 4. COMPACT.
To carry out the purposes of this Act, the Secretary of the
Interior (in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall
enter into a compact with the management entity. The compact
shall include information relating to the objectives and
management of the area, including each of the following:
(1) A delineation of the boundaries of the Heritage Area.
(2) A discussion of the goals and objectives of the
Heritage Area, including an explanation of the proposed
approach to conservation and interpretation and a general
outline of the protection measures committed to by the
partners.
SEC. 5. AUTHORITIES AND DUTIES OF MANAGEMENT ENTITY.
(a) Authorities of the Management Entity.--The management
entity may, for purposes of preparing and implementing the
management plan developed under subsection (b), use funds
made available through this Act for the following:
(1) To make grants to, and enter into cooperative
agreements with States and their political subdivisions,
private organizations, or any person.
(2) To hire and compensate staff.
(3) To enter into contracts for goods and services.
(b) Management Plan.--The management entity shall develop a
management plan for the Heritage Area that presents
recommendations for the Heritage Area's conservation,
funding, management, and development. Such plan shall take
into consideration existing State, county, and local plans
and involve residents, public agencies, and private
organizations working in the Heritage Area. It shall include
recommendations for actions to be undertaken by units of
government and private organizations to protect the resources
of the Heritage Area. It shall specify the existing and
potential sources of funding to protect, manage, and develop
the Heritage Area. Such plan shall include, as appropriate,
the following:
(1) An inventory of the resources contained in the Heritage
Area, including a list of any property in the Heritage Area
that is related to the themes of the Heritage Area and that
should be preserved, restored, managed, developed, or
maintained because of its natural, cultural, historic,
recreational, or scenic significance.
(2) A recommendation of policies for resource management
which considers and details application of appropriate land
and water management techniques, including, but not limited
to, the development of intergovernmental cooperative
agreements to protect the Heritage Area's historical,
cultural, recreational, and natural resources in a manner
consistent with supporting appropriate and compatible
economic viability.
(3) A program for implementation of the management plan by
the management entity, including plans for restoration and
construction, and specific commitments of the identified
partners for the first 5 years of operation.
[[Page H8110]]
(4) An analysis of ways in which local, State, and Federal
programs may best be coordinated to promote the purposes of
this Act.
(5) An interpretation plan for the Heritage Area.
The management entity shall submit the management plan to the
Secretary for approval within 3 years after the date of
enactment of this Act. If a management plan is not submitted
to the Secretary as required within the specified time, the
Heritage Area shall no longer qualify for Federal funding.
(c) Duties of Management Entity.--The management entity
shall--
(1) give priority to implementing actions set forth in the
compact and management plan, including steps to assist units
of government, regional planning organizations, and nonprofit
organizations in preserving the Heritage Area;
(2) assist units of government, regional planning
organizations, and nonprofit organizations in establishing
and maintaining interpretive exhibits in the Heritage Area;
assist units of government, regional planning organizations,
and nonprofit organizations in developing recreational
resources in the Heritage Area;
(3) assist units of government, regional planning
organizations, and nonprofit organizations in increasing
public awareness of and appreciation for the natural,
historical, and architectural resources and sites in the
Heritage Area; assist units of government, regional
planning organizations and nonprofit organizations in the
restoration of any historic building relating to the
themes of the Heritage Area;
(4) encourage economic viability in the Heritage Area
consistent with the goals of the plan; encourage local
governments to adopt land use policies consistent with the
management of the Heritage Area and the goals of the plan;
(5) assist units of government, regional planning
organizations, and nonprofit organizations to ensure that
clear, consistent, and environmentally appropriate signs
identifying access points and sites of interest are put in
place throughout the Heritage Area;
(6) consider the interests of diverse governmental,
business, and nonprofit groups within the Heritage Area;
(7) conduct public meetings at least quarterly regarding
the implementation of the management plan; and
(8) for any year in which Federal funds have been received
under this Act, make available for audit all records
pertaining to the expenditure of such funds and any matching
funds, and require, for all agreements authorizing
expenditure of Federal funds by other organizations, that the
receiving organizations make available for audit all records
pertaining to the expenditure of such funds.
(d) Prohibition on the Acquisition of Real Property.--The
management entity may not use Federal funds received under
this Act to acquire real property or an interest in real
property. Nothing in this Act shall preclude any management
entity from using Federal funds from other sources for their
permitted purposes.
(e) Spending for Non-Federally Owned Property.--The
management entity may spend Federal funds directly on non-
federally owned property to further the purposes of this Act,
especially in assisting units of government in appropriate
treatment of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and
objects listed or eligible for listing on the National
Register of Historic Places.
SEC. 6. DUTIES AND AUTHORITIES OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.
(a) Technical and Financial Assistance.--The Secretary may,
upon request of the management entity, provide technical and
financial assistance to the management entity to develop and
implement the management plan. In assisting the management
entity, the Secretary shall give priority to actions that in
general assist in--
(1) conserving the significant natural, historic, and
cultural resources which support its themes; and
(2) providing educational, interpretive, and recreational
opportunities consistent with its resources and associated
values.
(b) Approval and Disapproval of Management Plans.--The
Secretary, in consultation with the Governor of Pennsylvania,
shall approve or disapprove a management plan submitted under
this Act not later than 90 days after receiving such
management plan.
(c) Action Following Disapproval.--If the Secretary
disapproves a submitted management plan, the Secretary shall
advise the management entity in writing of the reasons
therefore and shall make recommendations for revisions in the
plan. The Secretary shall approve or disapprove a proposed
revision within 90 days after the date it is submitted.
(d) Approving Amendments.--The Secretary shall review
substantial amendments to the management plan for the
Heritage Area. Funds appropriated pursuant to this Act may
not be expended to implement the changes made by such
amendments until the Secretary approves the amendments.
SEC. 7. ADDITIONAL ANTHRACITE COAL REGION DESIGNATION.
(a) Designation.--Upon publication by the Secretary in the
Federal Register of notice that the Secretary has signed a
compact (as provided for in subsection (b)) there is hereby
designated the Schuylkill River National Heritage Area.
(b) Compact.--The compact submitted under this section with
respect to the Schuylkill River National Heritage Area shall
consist of an agreement between the Secretary and the
Schuylkill River Greenway Association (who shall serve as the
management entity for the area). Such agreement shall define
the area (including a delineation of the boundaries),
describe anticipated programs for the area, and include
information relating to the objectives and management of the
area. Such information shall include, but not be limited to,
an explanation of the proposed approach to the conservation
and interpretation of the area and a general outline of the
protection measures committed to by the partners.
(c) Authorities and Duties.--The authorities and duties of
the management entity and other Federal agencies for the
Schuylkill River National Heritage Area shall be the same as
provided for by sections 5 and 6 of this Act, except that for
such purposes any reference in such sections to the
``Heritage Area'' shall be deemed to be a reference to the
Schuylkill River National Heritage Area and any reference to
the ``management entity'' shall be deemed a reference to the
Schuylkill River Greenway Association.
SEC. 8. CULTURE AND HERITAGE OF ANTHRACITE COAL REGION.
All authorized existing and future heritage area management
entities in the Anthracite Coal Region in Pennsylvania are
authorized and directed to coordinate with one another in the
management of such areas. Each such management entity is
authorized to use funds appropriated for such heritage areas
for the purposes of this section.
SEC. 9. SUNSET.
The Secretary may not make any grant or provide any
assistance under this Act after September 30, 2012.
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated
under this Act not more than $1,000,000 for any fiscal year
for each heritage area designated by this Act. Not more than
a total of $10,000,000 may be appropriated for each heritage
area under this Act.
(b) 50 Percent Match.--Federal funding provided under this
Act, after the designation of each heritage area, may not
exceed 50 percent of the total cost of any assistance or
grant provided or authorized under this Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Foley). Pursuant to the rule, the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Sherwood) and the gentleman from
American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Sherwood).
(Mr. Sherwood asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I am pleased that we are considering H.R. 940, the Lackawanna Valley
National Heritage Area Act, a similar version which was passed by the
House in the last Congress.
There are many excellent reasons to support the designation of this
historic heritage area. The Lackawanna Valley National Heritage Area
Act would ensure the conservation of northeastern Pennsylvania's
significant natural, historic and cultural resources. The Lackawanna
Valley was the first heritage area designated by the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania and is recognized as nationally significant through its
documentation into the U.S. Department of Interior's Register of
Historic Places.
In the last decade, for every dollar contributed by the National Park
Service to the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority, the ``management
entity'' cited in my bill, has leveraged $10 in other federal, State,
local and private sector funds to finance preservation activities. The
Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority would continue to foster these
important relationships with all levels of Government, the private
sector, and local communities.
The Lackawanna Valley encompasses the counties of Lackawanna, Wayne,
Susquehanna, and Luzerne in northeastern Pennsylvania. The Valley tells
the story of the development of anthracite coal, one of North America's
greatest natural resources. From early in the 19th century,
Pennsylvania's coal provided an extraordinary source of energy which
fueled America's economic growth for over 100 years. At the center of
the world's most productive anthracite field, the Lackawanna Valley
witnessed the inception, spectacular growth, and eventual deterioration
of an industry which led our country to unparalleled prosperity.
The landscape of the Valley conveys the story of the industrial
revolution most clearly. Miles of track and hundreds of industrial
sites and abandoned mines are daily reminders of the importance of the
regent industry. Heritage sites like Pennsylvania's Anthracite Heritage
Museum, the Scranton Iron Furnace Historic Site, the Lackawanna County
Coal Mine, and the Steamtown National Historic Site help to commemorate
the hardships of the industrial revolution which has led us to our
current prosperity. These sites provide the framework for the historic
preservation which will be cemented by my proposed legislation.
A hearing was held on June 10 in the Subcommittee on National Parks
and
[[Page H8111]]
Public Lands in which testimony was heard from the National Park
Service, private citizens, and elected officials in strong support of
the legislation. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 940 was subsequently amended in the
full Committee on Resources to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
designate the Schuylkill River Corridor as a national heritage area.
This addition to the bill will allow the history and culture of the
major anthracite coal regions in Pennsylvania to be preserved for
future generations. The amended bill passed by voice vote.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen),
the chairman of the Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands,
and the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), the chairman of the full
Committee on Resources, for their support and leadership on this
important legislation. H.R. 940 is a bipartisan bill which deserves our
support.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
(Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume. I do want to commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania for his
sponsorship of this piece of legislation.
H.R. 940, as introduced by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.
Sherwood), my colleague of the Committee on Resources, would have
established the Lackawanna Valley Heritage Area in northeastern
Pennsylvania.
The Lackawanna Valley covers the four counties of Lackawanna,
Luzerne, Wayne, and Susquehanna Counties. In 1991, local citizens and
governments established the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority to
foster a partnership among State and local governments, business and
civic organizations in the promotion of the Valley's historic,
cultural, natural and economic resources.
Unlike other proposed heritage areas, the Lackawanna Valley has
received significant federal funding prior to its establishment. Since
1989, a total of $3.147 million in the National Park Service funds has
been earmarked in appropriations bills for a variety of unauthorized
purposes.
In hearings on H.R. 940 before the Committee on Resources, the
National Park Service testified in general support of the legislation,
but did note several concerns with the bill's language, especially in
regards to the lending authority and the requirement for certain
studies. The bill was amended by the committee to address those
concerns.
Mr. Speaker, in addition, the Committee on Resources adopted an
amendment that provides for the designation of an additional heritage
area so that the preservation and interpretation of the resources of
the anthracite coal region will also include those resources found in
the southern anthracite coal fields of the Schuylkill River Valley
located in the district of our colleague, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Holden).
The bill already anticipated such cooperative heritage efforts by
directing that the various management entities to coordinate with one
another in the management of the heritage of the anthracite coal region
in Pennsylvania. The changes made by the amendment will provide more
complete coverage of the heritage of this entire coal region.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 940, as amended, is a good piece of legislation for
heritage preservation, and I do urge my colleagues to support this
bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I have no more requests for time, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Holden).
Mr. HOLDEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 940 this afternoon. I
would like to thank the chairmen of the committee and the subcommittee
for bringing this legislation to the floor, and I thank the ranking
members of the committee and subcommittee for their assistance, as well
as the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Sherwood), my good friend, for
the way that he cooperated and extended his hand so that we were able
to include the entire anthracite coal field in this heritage corridor,
and I do truly appreciate the cooperation of the gentleman.
The link between the Schuylkill Heritage Corridor and the Lackawanna
Heritage Corridor, as the gentleman mentioned, is anthracite coal, the
anthracite coal that fueled the industrial revolution in this country,
first by way of the Schuylkill Canal and then by way of the railroads.
We should all be proud of that heritage, and I am certain that our
managing entities are going to work very closely together so that we
can highlight that proud history of anthracite coal.
Along with the coal fields in Pennsylvania came the first real effort
for organized labor to set foot in the United States. I am very pleased
to say that the work of the association started in Schuylkill County
and was the forerunner to the United Mine Workers of America, where men
fought long and hard for equitable pay and for working privileges and
working rights that they were not able to have in the days when
anthracite coal was first begun to be mined in Pennsylvania.
Through their efforts and through their long and hard work, they were
able to have decent salaries and decent wages and decent working
conditions in the anthracite fields right now. We should continue to
honor the heritage of what was done in organized labor.
Mr. Speaker, there is much more to be told about the Schuylkill River
Heritage. As we leave Schuylkill County and move down the Schuylkill
River, we have a proud heritage in agriculture, a proud heritage in
textiles, and in iron ore. All of these industries have a great
tradition, and we all have great pride in what was accomplished right
down the Schuylkill River as we get to Valley Forge and to
Philadelphia. It was our link to get our goods to the marketplace, and
we should make every effort possible to be appreciative as to what was
done, but also try to highlight through Heritage Corridor what was done
in the past and continue to move for economic development.
I am absolutely positive that when this Schuylkill River Heritage
Corridor gets into a working agreement and hits the ground running,
that it is going to be able to model itself after the Lackawanna
Corridor, as my friend mentioned, where they were able to leverage with
federal money, with private money, and State money and county money to
do so much good in the Lackawanna Valley, and I am hoping we are going
to use that example as we do in the Schuylkill River Corridor.
So I would just like to take this opportunity to say that this is a
good piece of legislation. It certainly has been done in a very
bipartisan manner. I think we all cooperated very well. Again, I would
like to extend my gratification for that effort that was made to assist
in making sure that anthracite coal and all of the treasures of the
Schuylkill River can have a heritage corridor that we can work on.
Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I certainly want to thank both gentlemen from Pennsylvania for their
introduction of this piece of legislation. I note with interest the
mentioning of Susquehanna County as part of a very strong cultural
heritage as part of our American history. In my little reading of
history, I recall that the Susquehanna River has a very profound
historical event that transpired as far as the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints is concerned, and I wanted to note that as a
matter of record. I do want to thank my good friend, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Holden) for his comments.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Sherwood) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 940, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to
designate the Lackawanna Valley National Heritage Area and for other
purposes.''.
[[Page H8112]]
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________