[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 118 (Monday, September 13, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H8121-H8123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
QUINEBAUG AND SHETUCKET RIVERS VALLEY NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR
REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1999
Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1619) to amend the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley
National Heritage Corridor Act of 1994 to expand the boundaries of the
Corridor, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 1619
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; REFERENCE.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Quinebaug
and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor
Reauthorization Act of 1999''.
(b) Reference.--Whenever in this Act a section or other
provision is amended or repealed, such amendment or repeal
shall be considered to be made to that section or other
provision of the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley
National Heritage Corridor Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-449;
16 U.S.C. 461 note).
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Section 102 of the Act is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``and the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts'' after ``State of Connecticut'';
(2) by striking paragraph (2) and redesignating paragraphs
(3) through (9) as paragraphs (2) through (8), respectively;
and
(3) in paragraph (3) (as so redesignated), by inserting
``New Haven,'' after ``Hartford,''.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF QUINEBAUG AND SHETUCKET RIVERS
VALLEY NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR; PURPOSE.
(a) Establishment.--Section 103(a) of the Act is amended by
inserting ``and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts'' after
``State of Connecticut''.
(b) Purpose.--Section 103(b) of the Act is amended to read
as follows:
``(b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this title to provide
assistance to the State of Connecticut and the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts, their units of local and regional
government and citizens in the development and implementation
of integrated natural, cultural, historic, scenic,
recreational, land, and other resource management programs in
order to retain, enhance, and interpret the significant
features of the lands, water, structures, and history of the
Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley.''.
SEC. 4. BOUNDARIES AND ADMINISTRATION.
(a) Boundaries.--Section 104(a) of the Act is amended--
(1) by inserting ``Union,'' after ``Thompson,''; and
(2) by inserting after ``Woodstock'' the following: ``in
the State of Connecticut, and the towns of Brimfield,
Charlton, Dudley, E. Brookfield, Holland, Oxford,
Southbridge, Sturbridge, and Webster in the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, which are contiguous areas in the Quinebaug
and Shetucket Rivers Valley, related by shared natural,
cultural, historic, and scenic resources''.
(b) Administration.--Section 104 of the Act is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(b) Administration.--
``(1) In general.--(A) The Corridor shall be managed by the
management entity in accordance with the management plan, in
consultation with the Governor and pursuant to a compact with
the Secretary.
``(B) The management entity shall amend its by-laws to add
the Governor of Connecticut (or the Governor's designee) and
the Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (or the
Governor's designee) as a voting members of its Board of
Directors.
``(C) The management entity shall provide the Governor with
an annual report of its activities, programs, and projects.
An annual report prepared for any other purpose shall satisfy
the requirements of this paragraph.
``(2) Compact.--To carry out the purposes of this Act, the
Secretary shall enter into a compact with the management
entity. The compact shall include information relating to the
objectives and management of the Corridor, including, but not
limited to, each of the following:
``(A) A delineation of the boundaries of the Corridor.
``(B) A discussion of goals and objectives of the Corridor,
including an explanation of the proposed approaches to
accomplishing the goals set forth in the management plan.
``(C) A description of the role of the State of Connecticut
and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
``(3) Authorities of management entity.--For the purpose of
achieving the goals set forth in the management plan, the
management entity may use Federal funds provided under this
Act--
``(A) to make grants to the State of Connecticut and the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, their political subdivisions,
nonprofit organizations, and other persons;
``(B) to enter into cooperative agreements with or provide
technical assistance to the State of Connecticut and the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, their political subdivisions,
nonprofit organizations, and other persons;
``(C) to hire and compensate staff; and
``(D) to contract for goods and services.
``(4) Prohibition on acquisition of real property.--The
management entity may not use Federal funds received under
this Act to acquire real property or any interest in real
property.''.
SEC. 5. STATES CORRIDOR PLAN.
Section 105 of the Act is amended--
(1) by striking subsections (a) and (b);
(2) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (a);
(3) in subsection (a) (as so redesignated)--
(A) by striking the first sentence and all that follows
through ``Governor,'' and inserting the following: ``The
management entity shall implement the management plan. Upon
request of the management entity,''; and
(B) in paragraph (5), by striking ``identified pursuant to
the inventory required by section 5(a)(1)''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(b) Grants and Technical Assistance.--For the purposes of
implementing the management plan, the management entity may
make grants or provide technical assistance to the State of
Connecticut and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, their
political subdivisions, nonprofit organizations, and other
persons to further the goals set forth in the management
plan.''.
SEC. 6. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.
Section 106 of the Act is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by striking ``Governor'' each place it appears and
inserting ``management entity'';
(B) by striking ``preparation and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following: ``Such assistance
shall include providing funds authorized under section 109
and technical assistance necessary to carry out this Act.'';
and
(2) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
``(b) Termination of Authority.--The Secretary may not make
any grants or provide any assistance under this Act after
September 30, 2009.''.
SEC. 7. DUTIES OF OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.
Section 107 of the Act is amended by striking ``Governor''
and inserting ``management entity''.
SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.
Section 108 of the Act is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting before the period the
following: ``and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts''.
(2) in paragraph (3), by inserting before the period the
following: ``and the Governor of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts'';
(3) in paragraph (5), by striking ``each of'' and all that
follows and inserting the following: ``the Northeastern
Connecticut Council of Governments, the Windham Regional
Council of Governments, and the Southeastern Connecticut
Council of Governments in Connecticut, (or their successors),
and the Pioneer Valley Regional Planning Commission and the
Southern Worcester County Regional Planning Commission (or
their successors) in Massachusetts.''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(6) The term `management plan' means the document
approved by the Governor of the State of Connecticut on
February 16, 1999, and adopted by the management entity,
entitled `Vision to Reality: A Management Plan', the
management plan for the Corridor, as it may be amended or
replaced from time to time.
``(7) The term `management entity' means Quinebaug-
Shetucket Heritage Corridor, Inc., a not-for-profit
corporation (or its successor) incorporated in the State of
Connecticut.''.
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 109 of the Act is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 109. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated
under this title not more than $1,000,000 for any fiscal
year. Not more than a total of $10,000,000 may be
appropriated for the Corridor under this title after the date
of the enactment of the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley
National Heritage Corridor Reauthorization Act of 1999.
``(b) 50 Percent Match.--Federal funding provided under
this title may not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of any
assistance or grant provided or authorized under this
title.''.
SEC. 10. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
(a) Long Title.--The long title of the Act is amended to
read as follows: ``An Act to establish the Quinebaug and
Shetucket Rivers Valley
[[Page H8122]]
National Heritage Corridor in the State of Connecticut and
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and for other purposes.''.
(b) Heading.--The heading for section 110 of the Act is
amended by striking ``service'' and inserting ``system''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. 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.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1619 amends the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers
National Heritage Corridor Act of 1994 by expanding the boundaries of
the Corridor.
Specifically, this bill authorizes the expansion of the Corridor into
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Corridor currently is wholly
contained within the State of Connecticut. These river valleys contain
significant natural and historical resources, including scenic vistas,
archaeological sites, and recreational opportunity.
As a college student, I canoed down through this river. It is a
beautiful river valley.
{time} 1530
The bill, as amended, assures that both the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts and the State of Connecticut remain involved in the
management of the corridor. Furthermore, the legislation provides for a
sunset of the funding and assistance from the Federal Government which
may not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of that assistance or
grant.
This bill has local and State support and is also supported by the
administration. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1619, as amended.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I do want to commend first the
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson) and the gentleman from
Massachusetts (Mr. Neal) for their sponsorship of this legislation. I
also want to commend the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) and the
gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Romero-Barcelo), the chairman and
ranking member of the Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands,
for their sponsorship and support of this legislation; and definitely
both the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) and the gentleman from
California (Mr. George Miller), the chairman and the ranking member of
the full committee, for their support.
Mr. Speaker, the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National
Heritage Corridor is an 850-square-mile area, including more than 25
towns, along the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers in Northeastern
Connecticut. The area includes lush woodlands, clean rivers and
streams, as well as many historically and culturally significant sites.
This corridor has been referred to as the ``last green valley'' in the
area between Boston and Washington.
The 103rd Congress designated the area as a National Heritage
Corridor. None of the land within the corridor is federally owned but
the designation has allowed the National Park Service to provide
important technical assistance, coordination and funding to what began,
and has continued to be, a grassroots effort to preserve this area and
to educate people about its importance.
Mr. Speaker, a management plan for the corridor, approved by the
Governor of Connecticut, was adopted earlier this year and a private,
nonprofit organization has been designated to implement the plan.
The bill, H.R. 1619, sponsored, as I said earlier, by the gentleman
from Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson) and the gentleman from Massachusetts
(Mr. Neal) would reauthorize the corridor and extend its reach in the
process. This legislation would add several counties in Massachusetts
to the corridor and amend the original enabling legislation to reflect
adoption of the management plan. Importantly, this measure was amended
by the Committee on Resources to increase oversight of the corridor's
management entity.
Mr. Speaker, creation of this heritage corridor has led to important
educational and preservation efforts. It has worked so well, in fact,
that another State now wants to be included. This bill, H.R. 1619,
would allow more people to experience and benefit from the beauty and
history of this area. Again, I urge my colleagues to support this
legislation.
Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, as the sponsor of H.R. 1619 along with
Congressman Neal, I rise in strong support of this measure. I would
like to begin by thanking Chairmen Young and Hansen and Ranking Members
Miller and Romero-Barcelo and their staffs for their support in moving
this legislation through the Committee process. I truly appreciate
their efforts.
The bill before us today represents a consensus reached between
residents of Connecticut and Massachusetts to expand the Quinebaug and
Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor. The new communities
in Massachusetts and Connecticut are linked to the existing 25 towns in
the Corridor by geography, history, culture and, most importantly, the
rivers they share.
The bill before us today has been slightly modified from the measure
Congressman Neal an I introduced in late April. I am pleased to report
that the amended version has the support of the National Park Service,
the States of Connecticut and Massachusetts, the management authority
and citizens in both states.
The bill expands the boundary of the Corridor to include Union,
Connecticut and the towns of Brimfield, Charlton, Dudley, E.
Brookfield, Holland, Oxford, Southbridge, Sturbridge, and Webster,
Massachusetts. It designates a local, nonprofit entity--Quinebaug-
Shetucket Heritage Corridor, Inc.--as the management entity. It
provides a continuing role for the Governors of Connecticut and
Massachusetts in Corridor management. Finally, the measure increases
federal support for the Corridor.
I believe the increase in funding is reasonable. It would provide the
necessary funds to expand programs into the new communities in
Massachusetts and Connecticut. It would also bring the Quinebaug and
Shetucket in line with other Corridors created since 1996. The National
Park Service has also supported the increase in testimony before the
subcommittee on Parks and Public Lands.
I want to note that this bill does not change the non-regulatory
nature of the Corridor. Land use and zoning regulations will remain
completely under the control of local governments. Moreover, the
management entity does not have the authority to purchase land with
federal funds. Land will remain in private hands and local residents
will continue to chart the region's direction. The Corridor has always
been, and continues to be, a mechanism for organizing many efforts to
achieve common goals.
The Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers National Heritage Corridor is a
nationally significant resource which deserves continued federal
support. The Corridor has proven to be successful over the last four
years in preserving cultural, natural and historic resources and in
promoting to better understanding of the importance of this region to
our country. Passing this legislation today will allow citizens in
Connecticut and Massachusetts to build on this record of success.
I urge my colleagues would join me in voting in support of H.R. 1619.
Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of an
extremely worthwhile piece of legislation, the Quinebaug and Shetucket
Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor Reauthorization Act of 1999,
House Resolution 1619. H.R. 1619 expands the boundaries of this
National Heritage Corridor by ten towns, nine of which are in my home
state of Massachusetts. I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank
Mr. Gejdenson for his tireless efforts on behalf of this bill.
The Quinebaug and Shetucket region's history and significance begins
with the Native Americans, as it was largely a frontier zone between
tribes. European settlement began in the late 1650s, and the area soon
became a center of fiscal, religious, and political radicalism. The
Industrial Revolution began on a small scale here, with water powered
textile structures on lesser streams and as a spillover from the
adjoining Blackstone Valley. However, the latter half of the nineteenth
century saw the construction of the great mills that characterize the
valley. Staffed by immigrants from Europe and Canada, these factories
were the region's prime economic engine.
However, the twentieth century brought steady declines of the textile
industry, leaving many formerly busy mills empty or only marginally
used. Thus, the region entered a long period of economic recession and
the need to
[[Page H8123]]
develop a more diversified economy, a condition that brings us to the
present day.
The region into which we wish to expand this Heritage Corridor is
clearly both culturally and environmentally part of ``the Last Green
Valley.'' The expansion area shares a history, a desire to protect
resources and a view to economic revitalization. The mill towns and
farmland offer residents and visitors a special view into the American
experience and allow them to explore New England's agrarian and
industrial past.
Environmental protection is one of the most important tasks facing
the American people as we go forth into the new millennium. As such,
the goal of this legislation is to develop and implement natural,
cultural, historic, scenic, recreational, land and other resource
management programs. The purpose is to retain and enhance the
significant features of lands, water, structures, and history of the
Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley. The National Heritage Corridor
designation allows local governments and grassroots organizations to
carry out their visions for a healthier, more sustainable society. As
always, the delicate balance between environmental protection and
economic growth is at the heart of the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers
Valley National Heritage Corridor.
Since the authorization of the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley
National Heritage Corridor in 1994, the State of Connecticut, via the
Quinebaug-Shetucket Heritage Corridor, Inc., has worked efficiently
under a constrained budget by combining the financial resources of the
public and private sectors. As a result, the economic aspect of the
Corridor has been as successful as the environmental protection
programs. The Corridor Commission has been able to match federal funds
at a ratio of 12:1. The Commission and its partners have revitalized
Industrial Revolution era mills, enhanced greenways and waterways, and
have increased preservation of open space and wildlife habitats,
resulting in an increase in tourism. The proximity of the Corridor to
the major metropolitan areas of Springfield, Worcester, Boston,
Hartford, Providence, and New York City serves as further evidence that
this expansion is an economically viable venture.
In order to ensure that the projects selected reflect the needs and
desires of the states, the Corridor Commission Board of Directors will
include voting members from the offices of the Governors of
Massachusetts and Connecticut. The Commission will also be linked to,
and under the guidance of, the Secretary of the Interior via a compact.
Mr. Speaker, the most important people involved in the environmental
and historical preservation process are the locals. These are the
people involved in the actual work that our legislation authorizes. I
would like my colleagues to understand that the local governments and
local business along the Corridor are in overwhelming support of this
legislation. I have received numerous calls from businessmen and women
looking for ways to get involved and the Boards of Selectmen of the
affected towns have been pressing the issue in their town halls. The
people have spoken out and they are in favor of the Corridor Expansion.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that we in Massachusetts are not
stepping on the toes of our Connecticut neighbors. The members of the
Massachusetts State Heritage Corridor Commission have been working with
their successful counterparts from Connecticut for a long time now. The
two groups have come to an understanding and are looking forward to
working together. In order for the Corridor Expansion to be a success,
the experience of those on the Connecticut side must be utilized.
Mr. Speaker, once again I would like to thank Mr. Gejdenson for all
of his work, and I would like to thank the members of the Corridor
Commission who have been the driving force behind this legislation.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I have no requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Foley). 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. 1619, 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.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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