[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 54 (Thursday, May 4, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3529-S3530]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. MURKOWSKI (for himself and Mr. Stevens):
  S. 2511. A bill to establish the Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm 
National Heritage Area in the State of Alaska, and for other purposes; 
to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.


 kenai mountains-turnagain arm national heritage corridor area act of 
                                  2000

 Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill 
to establish the Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area 
in my State of Alaska.
  The Heritage Area, when enacted, will include the first leg of the 
Iditarod National Historic Trail and most of the Seward Highway 
National Scenic Byway. Through National Heritage designation these 
routes will be portrayed and interpreted as part of the whole picture 
of human history in the wider transportation corridor through the 
mountains, which includes early Native trade routes, connections by 
waterway, the railroad, and other trails and roadways.
  This proposal differs from the 16 existing National Heritage Areas. 
The fact that it would be one of a kind strengthens the case for 
designation.
  Unlike any of the existing National Heritage Areas, the Kenai 
Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Historic Corridor will highlight the 
experience of the western frontier--of transportation and settlement in 
a difficult landscape--of the gold rush and resource development in a 
remote area. These are the themes of the proposal--themes that formed 
our perception of ourselves as a nation. The proposed Heritage Area 
wonderfully expresses these themes.
  Within the proposed Heritage Area there are a number of small 
historic communities that developed around transportation and the gold 
rush. They are dwarfed by the sweeping landscapes of the region, by the 
magnificence of the mountains, and the dominance and strength of 
nature.
  Turnagain Arm, once a critical transportation link, has the world's 
second largest tidal range. Visitors can stand along the shore lines 
and actually watch 30-foot tides move in and out of the arm. On 
occasion, the low roar of an oncoming bore tide can be heard as a wall 
of water sweeps up the Turnagain.
  A traveler through the alpine valleys and mountain passes of the 
Heritage Area can see evidence of retreating glaciers, earthquake 
subsidence, and avalanches. Dall sheep, beluga whales, moose, bald 
eagles, trumpeter swans, and Artic terns give glimpses of their 
presence.
  Through this rugged terrain humans have developed transportation 
routes into South-central and Interior Alaska. Travel was channeled 
through the valleys and on the rivers and fjord-like lakes. First came 
Alaska Natives, establishing trading paths. Later the Russians, gold 
rush stampeders, and all types of people arrived seeking access into 
the resource-rich land. The famous Iditarod Trail to Nome, which was 
used to haul mail in and gold out, started at Seward.
  A series of starts and stops by railroad entrepreneurs eventually 
culminated in the completion of the railroad from Seward to Fairbanks 
by the federal government. President Harding boarded the train in 
Seward in 1923 to drive the golden spike at Nenana (and died on the 
boat returning to Seattle). It was only in the last half of this 
century that the highway from Seward to Anchorage was opened. Before 
then the small communities of the area were linked to the rest of 
Alaska by wagon trail, rail, and by boat across Turnagain Arm and the 
Kenai River.
  The Heritage Area contains one of the earliest mining regions in 
Alaska. Russians left evidence of their search for gold at Bear Creek 
near Hope. In 1895, discovery of a rich deposit at Canyon Creak 
precipitated the Turnagain Arm Gold Rush, predating the stampede to the 
Klondike.
  The early settlements and communities of the area are still very much 
as they were in the past. But, as in the early days, this is a region 
where ``nature is boss,'' and historic trails and evidence of mining 
history are often embedded and nearly hidden in the landscape. What can 
be seen stands as powerful testimony to the human fortitude, 
perseverance, and resourcefulness that is America's proudest heritage 
from the people who settled the Alaskan frontier.
  People living in the Kenai Mountains--Turnagain Arm areas share a 
sense that it is a special place. In part, this is simply because of 
the sheer natural beauty; but it is also because the Alaska frontier is 
relative recent. Memories of the times when the inhabitants were 
dependent on their own resources, and on each other, are still very 
much alive.
  Communities are small, but they are alive with volunteerism. All have 
active historical societies. Groups in Seward and Girdwood have 
organized to rebuild the Iditarod Trail. In the town of Hope citizens 
constructed a museum of mining history, building it themselves out of 
logs and donated materials. Local people have conducted historic 
building surveys, written books and short histories, collected and 
published old diaries, and created web pages to record and share the 
history of their communities. Seward, the corridor's gateway, has 
created a delightful array of visitor opportunities that display and 
interpret the region's natural setting, Native culture, and history. 
National Heritage Area designation would greatly encourage and expand 
these good efforts.
  Mr. President, it is important to note that this National Heritage 
Area is a local grass roots effort and it will remain a locally driven 
grass roots effort. Decisions will be made by locals, not by Federal 
bureaucrats. The only role of the Federal Government is to provide 
technical expertise, mostly in the areas of the interpretation of the 
many historic sites and tremendous natural resource features that are 
found throughout the entire region. There will be no additional land 
ownership by the Federal Government or by the local management entity 
that is charged with putting together a coordinated plan to interpret 
the Heritage Area. The Heritage Area is about local people working 
together.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the bill be printed in the 
Record and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2511

       Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives of the United States of America in Congress 
     assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Kenai Mountains-Turnagain 
     Arm National Heritage Corridor Area Act of 2000''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) the Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm transportation 
     corridor is a major gateway to Alaska and includes a range of 
     transportation routes used first by indigenous people who 
     were followed by pioneers who settled the nation's last 
     frontier;
       (2) the natural history and scenic splendor of the region 
     are equally outstanding; vistas of nature's power include 
     evidence of earthquake subsidence, recent avalanches, 
     retreating glaciers and tidal action along Turnagain Arm, 
     which has the world's second greatest tidal range;
       (3) the cultural landscape formed by indigenous people and 
     then by settlement, transportation and modern resource 
     development in this rugged and often treacherous natural 
     setting stands as powerful testimony to the human fortitude, 
     perseverance and resourcefulness that is America's proudest 
     heritage from the people who settled the frontier;
       (4) there is a national interest in recognizing, 
     preserving, promoting and interpreting these resources;
       (5) the Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm region is 
     geographically and culturally cohesive because it is defined 
     by a corridor of historic routes--trail, water, railroad, and 
     roadways through a distinct landscape of mountains, lakes and 
     fjords;
       (6) national significance of separate elements of the 
     region include, but are not limited to, the Iditarod National 
     Historic Trail, the Seward Highway National Scenic Byway and 
     the Alaska Railroad National Scenic Railroad;
       (7) national heritage area designation provides for the 
     interpretation of these routes, as well as the national 
     historic districts and numerous historic routes in the region 
     as

[[Page S3530]]

     part of the whole picture of human history in the wider 
     transportation corridor including early Native trade routes, 
     connections by waterway, mining trail and other routes;
       (8) national heritage area designation also provides 
     communities within the region with the motivation and means 
     for ``grass roots'' regional coordination and partnerships 
     with each other and with borough, State and federal agencies; 
     and
       (9) resolution and letters of support have been received 
     from the Kenai Peninsula Historical Association, the Seward 
     Historical Commission, the Seward City Council, the Hope and 
     Sunrise Historical Society, the Hope Chamber of Commerce, the 
     Alaska Association for Historic Preservation, the Cooper 
     Landing Community Club, the Alaska Wilderness Recreation and 
     Tourism Association, Anchorage Historic Properties, the 
     Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Cook Inlet 
     Historical Society, the Moose Pass Sportsman's Club, the 
     Alaska Historical Commission, the Girdwood Board of 
     Supervisors, the Kenai River Special Management Area 
     Advisory Board, the Bird/Indian Community Council, the 
     Kenai Peninsula Borough Trails Commission, the Alaska 
     Division of Parks and Recreation, the Kenai Peninsula 
     Borough, the Kenai Peninsula Tourism Marketing Council, 
     and the Anchorage Municipal Assembly.
       (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
       (1) to recognize, preserve and interpret the historic and 
     modern resource development and cultural landscapes of the 
     Kenai Mountains--Turnagain Arm historic transportation 
     corridor, and to promote and facilitate the public enjoyment 
     of these resources; and
       (2) to foster, through financial and technical assistance, 
     the development of cooperative planning and partnerships 
     among the communities and borough, state and federal 
     government entities.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Heritage area.--The term ``Heritage Area'' means the 
     Kenai Mountains--Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area 
     establish by section 4(a) of this Act.
       (2) Management entity.--The term ``management entity'' 
     means the 11 member Board of Directors of the Kenai 
     Mountains--Turnagain Arm National Area Commission.
       (3) Management plan.--The term ``management plan'' means 
     the management plan for the Heritage Area.
       (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.

     SEC. 4. KENAI MOUNTAINS--TURNAGAIN ARM NATIONAL HERITAGE 
                   AREA.

       (a) Establishment.--There is established the Kenai 
     Mountains--Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area.
       (b) Boundaries.--The Heritage Area shall comprise the lands 
     in the Kenai Mountains and upper Turnagain Arm region 
     generally depicted on the map entitled ``Kenai Peninsula/
     Turnagain Arm National Heritage Corridor'', numbered ``Map 
     #KMTA--1, and dated ``August 1999''. The map shall be on file 
     and available for public inspection in the offices of the 
     Alaska Regional Office of the National Park Service and in 
     the offices of the Alaska State Heritage Preservation 
     Officer.

     SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT ENTITY.

       (a) The management entity shall consist of 7 
     representatives, appointed by the Secretary from a list of 
     recommendations submitted by the Governor of Alaska, from the 
     communities of Seward, Lawing, Moose Pass, Cooper Landing, 
     Hope, Girdwood, Bird-Indian and 4 at-large representatives, 
     from such organizations as Native Associations, the Iditarod 
     Trail Committee, historical societies, visitor associations 
     and private or business entities. Upon appointment, the 
     Commission shall establish itself as a non-profit corporation 
     under laws of the State of Alaska.
       (1) Terms.--Members of the management entity appointed 
     under section 5(a) shall each serve for a term of 5 years, 
     except that of the members first appointed 3 shall serve for 
     a term of 4 years and 2 shall serve for a term of 3 years; 
     however, upon the expiration of his or her term, an appointed 
     member may continue to serve until his or her successor has 
     been appointed.
       (2) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Commission shall be 
     filled in the same manner in which the original appointment 
     was made, and any member appointed to fill a vacancy shall 
     serve for the remainder of that term for which his or her 
     predecessor was appointed.
       (b) Non-voting Ex-officio representatives, invited by the 
     non-profit corporation from such organizations as the State 
     Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, State Division 
     Mining, Land and Water, Forest Service, State Historic 
     Preservation Office, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Municipality of 
     Anchorage, Alaska Railroad, Alaska Department of 
     Transportation and the National Park Service.
       (c) Representation of ex-officio members in the non-profit 
     corporation shall be established under the by-laws of the 
     management entity.

     SEC. 6. AUTHORITIES AND DUTIES OF MANAGEMENT ENTITY.

       (a) Management Plan.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the Secretary 
     enters into a cooperative agreement with the management 
     entity, the management entity shall develop a management plan 
     for the Heritage Area, taking into consideration existing 
     federal, State, borough, and local plans.
       (2) Contents.--The management plan shall include, but not 
     be limited to--
       (A) comprehensive recommendations for conservation, 
     funding, management, and development of the Heritage Area;
       (B) a description of agreements on actions to be carried 
     out by government and private organizations to protect the 
     resources of the Heritage Area;
       (C) a list of specific and potential sources of funding to 
     protect, manage and develop the Heritage Area;
       (D) an inventory of the resources contained in the Heritage 
     Area: and
       (E) a description of the role and participation of other 
     Federal, State and local agencies that have jurisdiction on 
     lands within the Heritage Area.
       (b) Priorities.--The management entity shall given priority 
     to the implementation of actions, goals, and policies set 
     forth in the cooperative agreement with the Secretary and the 
     heritage plan, including assisting communities within the 
     region in--
       (1) carrying out programs which recognize important 
     resource values in the heritage corridor;
       (2) encouraging economic viability in the affected 
     communities;
       (3) establishing and maintaining interpretive exhibits in 
     the Heritage Area;
       (4) improving and interpreting heritage trails;
       (5) increasing public awareness and appreciation for the 
     natural, historical and cultural resources and modern 
     resource development of the Heritage Area;
       (6) restoring historic buildings and structures that are 
     located within the boundaries of the heritage corridor; and
       (7) ensuring that clear, consistent and appropriate signs 
     identifying public access points and sites of interest are 
     placed throughout the Heritage Area
       (c) Consideration of Interest of Local Groups.--Projects 
     incorporated in the heritage plan by the management entity 
     shall be initiated by local groups and developed with the 
     participation and support of the affected local communities. 
     Other organizations may submit projects or proposals to the 
     local groups for consideration.
       (d) Public Meetings.--The management entity shall conduct 2 
     or more public meetings each year regarding the initiation 
     and implementation of the management plan for the Heritage 
     Area. The management entity shall place a notice of each such 
     meeting in a newspaper of general circulation in the Heritage 
     Area and shall make the minutes of the meeting available to 
     the public.

     SEC. 7. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.

       (a) The Secretary, in consultation with the Governor of 
     Alaska, or his designee, is authorized to enter into a 
     cooperative agreement with the management entity. The 
     cooperative agreement shall be prepared with public 
     participation.
       In accordance with the terms and conditions of the 
     cooperative agreement and upon the request of the management 
     entity, subject to the availability of funds, the Secretary 
     shall provide administrative, technical, financial, design, 
     development and operations assistance to carry out the 
     purposes of this Act.

     SEC. 8. SAVINGS PROVISIONS.

       (a) Regulatory Authority.--Nothing in this Act shall be 
     construed to grant powers of zoning or management of land use 
     to the management entity of the Heritage Area.
       (b) Effect on Authority of Governments.--Nothing in this 
     Act shall be construed to modify, enlarge or diminish any 
     authority of the Federal, State or local governments to 
     regulate any use of land as provided for by law or 
     regulation.
       (c) Effect on Business.--Nothing in this Act shall be 
     construed to obstruct or limit business activity on private 
     development or resource development activities.

     SEC. 9. PROHIBITION ON THE ACQUISITION OR REAL PROPERTY.

       (a) The management entity may not use funds appropriated to 
     carry out the purposes of this Act to acquire real property 
     or interest in real property.

     SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) First Year.--For the first year $350,000 is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out the purposes of this Act, and 
     is made available upon the Secretary and the management 
     entity completing a cooperative agreement.
       (b) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated not 
     more than $1,000,000 to carry out the purposes of this Act 
     for any fiscal year after the first year. Not more than 
     $10,000,000, in the aggregate, may be appropriated for the 
     Heritage Area.
       (c) Matching Funds.--Federal funding provided under this 
     Act shall be matched at least 25 percent by other funds or 
     in-kind services.
       (d) Sunset Provision.--The Secretary may not make any grant 
     or provide any assistance under this Act beyond 15 years from 
     the date that the Secretary and management entity complete a 
     cooperative agreement.
                                 ______