[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 123 (Thursday, October 5, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9977-S9978]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    SAINT CROIX ISLAND HERITAGE ACT

  The Senate proceeded to consider the bill (S. 2485) to require the 
Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance in planning and 
constructing a regional heritage center in Calais, Maine, which had 
been reported by the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources with an 
amendment.
  (Omit the past in black brackets and insert the part printed in 
italic.)

                                S. 2485

       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 ``Saint Croix Island Heritage 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) Saint Croix Island is located in the Saint Croix River, 
     a river that is the boundary between the State of Maine and 
     Canada;
       (2) the Island is the only international historic site in 
     the National Park System;
       (3) in 1604, French nobleman Pierre Dugua Sieur de Mons, 
     accompanied by a courageous group of adventurers that 
     included Samuel Champlain, landed on the Island and began the 
     construction of a settlement;
       (4) the French settlement on the Island in 1604 and 1605 
     was the initial site of the first permanent settlement in the 
     New World, predating the English settlement of 1607 at 
     Jamestown, Virginia;
       (5) many people view the expedition that settled on the 
     Island in 1604 as the beginning of the Acadian culture in 
     North America;
       (6) in October, 1998, the National Park Service completed a 
     general management plan to manage and interpret the Saint 
     Croix Island International Historic Site;
       (7) the plan addresses a variety of management 
     alternatives, and concludes that the best management strategy 
     entails developing an interpretive trail and ranger station 
     at Red Beach, Maine, and a regional heritage center in 
     downtown Calais, Maine, in cooperation with Federal, State, 
     and local agencies;
       (8) a 1982 memorandum of understanding, signed by the 
     Department of the Interior and

[[Page S9978]]

     the Canadian Department for the Environment, outlines a 
     cooperative program to commemorate the international heritage 
     of the Saint Croix Island site and specifically to prepare 
     for the 400th anniversary of the settlement in 2004; and
       (9) only 4 years remain before the 400th anniversary of the 
     settlement at Saint Croix Island, an occasion that should be 
     appropriately commemorated.
       (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to direct the 
     Secretary of the Interior to take all necessary and 
     appropriate steps to work with Federal, State, and local 
     agencies, historical societies, and nonprofit organizations 
     to facilitate the development of a regional heritage center 
     in downtown Calais, Maine before the 400th anniversary of the 
     settlement of Saint Croix Island.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Island.--The term ``Island'' means Saint Croix Island, 
     located in the Saint Croix River, between Canada and the 
     State of Maine.
       (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National 
     Park Service.

     SEC. 4. SAINT CROIX ISLAND REGIONAL HERITAGE CENTER.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall provide assistance in 
     planning, constructing, and operating a regional heritage 
     center in downtown Calais, Maine, to facilitate the 
     management and interpretation of the Saint Croix Island 
     International Historic Site.
       (b) Cooperative Agreements.--To carry out subsection (a), 
     in administering the Saint Croix Island International 
     Historic Site, the Secretary may enter into cooperative 
     agreements under appropriate terms and conditions [with State 
     and local agencies] with other Federal agencies, State and 
     local agencies and nonprofit organizations--
       (1) to provide exhibits, interpretive services (including 
     employing individuals to provide such services), and 
     technical assistance;
       (2) to conduct activities that facilitate the dissemination 
     of information relating to the Saint Croix Island 
     International Historic Site;
       (3) to provide financial assistance for the construction of 
     the regional heritage center in exchange for space in the 
     center that is sufficient to interpret the Saint Croix Island 
     International Historic Site; and
       (4) to assist with the operation and maintenance of the 
     regional heritage center.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) Design and Construction.--
       (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
     carry out this Act (including the design and construction of 
     the regional heritage center) $2,000,000.
       (2) Expenditure.--Paragraph (1) authorizes funds to be 
     appropriated on the condition that any expenditure of those 
     funds shall be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis by funds 
     from non-Federal sources.
       (b) Operation and Maintenance.--There are authorized to be 
     appropriated such sums as are necessary to maintain and 
     operate interpretive exhibits in the regional heritage 
     center.
  The committee amendment was agreed to.
  The bill (S. 2485), as amended, was read the third time and passed, 
as follows:

                                S. 2485

       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 ``Saint Croix Island Heritage 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) Saint Croix Island is located in the Saint Croix River, 
     a river that is the boundary between the State of Maine and 
     Canada;
       (2) the Island is the only international historic site in 
     the National Park System;
       (3) in 1604, French nobleman Pierre Dugua Sieur de Mons, 
     accompanied by a courageous group of adventurers that 
     included Samuel Champlain, landed on the Island and began the 
     construction of a settlement;
       (4) the French settlement on the Island in 1604 and 1605 
     was the initial site of the first permanent settlement in the 
     New World, predating the English settlement of 1607 at 
     Jamestown, Virginia;
       (5) many people view the expedition that settled on the 
     Island in 1604 as the beginning of the Acadian culture in 
     North America;
       (6) in October, 1998, the National Park Service completed a 
     general management plan to manage and interpret the Saint 
     Croix Island International Historic Site;
       (7) the plan addresses a variety of management 
     alternatives, and concludes that the best management strategy 
     entails developing an interpretive trail and ranger station 
     at Red Beach, Maine, and a regional heritage center in 
     downtown Calais, Maine, in cooperation with Federal, State, 
     and local agencies;
       (8) a 1982 memorandum of understanding, signed by the 
     Department of the Interior and the Canadian Department for 
     the Environment, outlines a cooperative program to 
     commemorate the international heritage of the Saint Croix 
     Island site and specifically to prepare for the 400th 
     anniversary of the settlement in 2004; and
       (9) only 4 years remain before the 400th anniversary of the 
     settlement at Saint Croix Island, an occasion that should be 
     appropriately commemorated.
       (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to direct the 
     Secretary of the Interior to take all necessary and 
     appropriate steps to work with Federal, State, and local 
     agencies, historical societies, and nonprofit organizations 
     to facilitate the development of a regional heritage center 
     in downtown Calais, Maine before the 400th anniversary of the 
     settlement of Saint Croix Island.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Island.--The term ``Island'' means Saint Croix Island, 
     located in the Saint Croix River, between Canada and the 
     State of Maine.
       (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National 
     Park Service.

     SEC. 4. SAINT CROIX ISLAND REGIONAL HERITAGE CENTER.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall provide assistance in 
     planning, constructing, and operating a regional heritage 
     center in downtown Calais, Maine, to facilitate the 
     management and interpretation of the Saint Croix Island 
     International Historic Site.
       (b) Cooperative Agreements.--To carry out subsection (a), 
     in administering the Saint Croix Island International 
     Historic Site, the Secretary may enter into cooperative 
     agreements under appropriate terms and conditions with other 
     Federal agencies, State and local agencies and nonprofit 
     organizations--
       (1) to provide exhibits, interpretive services (including 
     employing individuals to provide such services), and 
     technical assistance;
       (2) to conduct activities that facilitate the dissemination 
     of information relating to the Saint Croix Island 
     International Historic Site;
       (3) to provide financial assistance for the construction of 
     the regional heritage center in exchange for space in the 
     center that is sufficient to interpret the Saint Croix Island 
     International Historic Site; and
       (4) to assist with the operation and maintenance of the 
     regional heritage center.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) Design and Construction.--
       (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
     carry out this Act (including the design and construction of 
     the regional heritage center) $2,000,000.
       (2) Expenditure.--Paragraph (1) authorizes funds to be 
     appropriated on the condition that any expenditure of those 
     funds shall be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis by funds 
     from non-Federal sources.
       (b) Operation and Maintenance.--There are authorized to be 
     appropriated such sums as are necessary to maintain and 
     operate interpretive exhibits in the regional heritage 
     center.

                          ____________________