Congressional Record, Volume 149 Issue 167 (Tuesday, November 18, 2003)

[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 167 (Tuesday, November 18, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H11448-H11459]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

ESTABLISHING NATIONAL AVIATION HERITAGE AREA

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 280) to establish the National Aviation Heritage Area, and
for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:

H.R. 280

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

TITLE I--NATIONAL AVIATION HERITAGE AREA

SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE.

This title may be cited as the ``National Aviation Heritage
Area Act''.

SEC. 102. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Few technological advances have transformed the world
or our Nation's economy, society, culture, and national
character as the development of powered flight.
(2) The industrial, cultural, and natural heritage legacies
of the aviation and aerospace industry in the State of Ohio
are nationally significant.
(3) Dayton, Ohio, and other defined areas where the
development of the airplane and aerospace technology
established our Nation's leadership in both civil and
military aeronautics and astronautics set the foundation for
the 20th Century to be an American Century.
(4) Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, is the
birthplace, the home, and an integral part of the future of
aerospace.
(5) The economic strength of our Nation is connected
integrally to the vitality of the aviation and aerospace
industry, which is responsible for an estimated 11,200,000
American jobs.
(6) The industrial and cultural heritage of the aviation
and aerospace industry in the State of Ohio includes the
social history and living cultural traditions of several
generations.
(7) The Department of the Interior is responsible for
protecting and interpreting the Nation's cultural and
historic resources, and there are significant examples of
these resources within Ohio to merit the involvement of the
Federal Government to develop programs and projects in
cooperation with the Aviation Heritage Foundation,
Incorporated, the State of Ohio, and other local and
governmental entities to adequately conserve, protect, and
interpret this heritage for the educational and recreational
benefit of this and future generations of Americans, while
providing opportunities for education and revitalization.
(8) Since the enactment of the Dayton Aviation Heritage
Preservation Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-419), partnerships
among the Federal, State, and local governments and the
private sector have greatly assisted the development and
preservation of the historic aviation resources in the Miami
Valley.
(9) An aviation heritage area centered in Southwest Ohio is
a suitable and feasible management option to increase
collaboration, promote heritage tourism, and build on

[[Page H11449]]

the established partnerships among Ohio's historic aviation
resources and related sites.
(10) A critical level of collaboration among the historic
aviation resources in Southwest Ohio cannot be achieved
without a congressionally established national heritage area
and the support of the National Park Service and other
Federal agencies which own significant historic aviation-
related sites in Ohio.
(11) The Aviation Heritage Foundation, Incorporated, would
be an appropriate management entity to oversee the
development of the National Aviation Heritage Area.
(12) Five National Park Service and Dayton Aviation
Heritage Commission studies and planning documents: ``Study
of Alternatives: Dayton's Aviation Heritage'', ``Dayton
Aviation Heritage National Historical Park Suitability/
Feasibility Study'', ``Dayton Aviation Heritage General
Management Plan'', ``Dayton Historic Resources Preservation
and Development Plan'', and Heritage Area Concept Study,
demonstrated that sufficient historical resources exist to
establish the National Aviation Heritage Area.
(13) With the advent of the 100th anniversary of the first
powered flight in 2003, it is recognized that the
preservation of properties nationally significant in the
history of aviation is an important goal for the future
education of Americans.
(14) Local governments, the State of Ohio, and private
sector interests have embraced the heritage area concept and
desire to enter into a partnership with the Federal
government to preserve, protect, and develop the Heritage
Area for public benefit.
(15) The National Aviation Heritage Area would complement
and enhance the aviation-related resources within the
National Park Service, especially the Dayton Aviation
Heritage National Historical Park, Ohio.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this title is to establish the
Heritage Area to--
(1) encourage and facilitate collaboration among the
facilities, sites, organizations, governmental entities, and
educational institutions within the Heritage Area to promote
heritage tourism and to develop educational and cultural
programs for the public;
(2) preserve and interpret for the educational and
inspirational benefit of present and future generations the
unique and significant contributions to our national heritage
of certain historic and cultural lands, structures,
facilities, and sites within the National Aviation Heritage
Area;
(3) encourage within the National Aviation Heritage Area a
broad range of economic opportunities enhancing the quality
of life for present and future generations;
(4) provide a management framework to assist the State of
Ohio, its political subdivisions, other areas, and private
organizations, or combinations thereof, in preparing and
implementing an integrated Management Plan to conserve their
aviation heritage and in developing policies and programs
that will preserve, enhance, and interpret the cultural,
historical, natural, recreation, and scenic resources of the
Heritage Area; and
(5) authorize the Secretary to provide financial and
technical assistance to the State of Ohio, its political
subdivisions, and private organizations, or combinations
thereof, in preparing and implementing the private Management
Plan.

SEC. 103. DEFINITIONS.

For purposes of this title:
(1) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the Board of Directors
of the Foundation.
(2) Financial assistance.--The term ``financial
assistance'' means funds appropriated by Congress and made
available to the management entity for the purpose of
preparing and implementing the Management Plan.
(3) Heritage area.--The term ``Heritage Area'' means the
National Aviation Heritage Area established by section 104 to
receive, distribute, and account for Federal funds
appropriated for the purpose of this title.
(4) Management plan.--The term ``Management Plan'' means
the management plan for the Heritage Area developed under
section 106.
(5) Management entity.--The term ``management entity''
means the Aviation Heritage Foundation, Incorporated (a
nonprofit corporation established under the laws of the State
of Ohio).
(6) Partner.--The term ``partner'' means a Federal, State,
or local governmental entity, organization, private industry,
educational institution, or individual involved in promoting
the conservation and preservation of the cultural and natural
resources of the Heritage Area.
(7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(8) Technical assistance.--The term ``technical
assistance'' means any guidance, advice, help, or aid, other
than financial assistance, provided by the Secretary.

SEC. 104. NATIONAL AVIATION HERITAGE AREA.

(a) Establishment.--There is established in the States of
Ohio and Indiana, the National Aviation Heritage Area.
(b) Boundaries.--The Heritage Area shall include the
following:
(1) A core area consisting of resources in Montgomery,
Greene, Warren, Miami, Clark, Champaign, Shelby, and Auglaize
Counties in Ohio.
(2) The Neil Armstrong Air & Space Museum, Wapakoneta,
Ohio.
(3) Sites, buildings, and districts within the core area
recommended by the Management Plan.
(c) Map.--A map of the Heritage Area shall be included in
the Management Plan. The map shall be on file in the
appropriate offices of the National Park Service, Department
of the Interior.
(d) Management Entity.--The management entity for the
Heritage Area shall be the Aviation Heritage Foundation.

SEC. 105. AUTHORITIES AND DUTIES OF THE MANAGEMENT ENTITY.

(a) Authorities.--For purposes of implementing the
Management Plan, the management entity may use Federal funds
made available through this title to--
(1) make grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements
with, the State of Ohio and political subdivisions of that
State, private organizations, or any person;
(2) hire and compensate staff; and
(3) enter into contracts for goods and services.
(b) Duties.--The management entity shall--
(1) develop and submit to the Secretary for approval the
proposed Management Plan in accordance with section 106;
(2) give priority to implementing actions set forth in the
Management Plan, including taking steps to assist units of
government and nonprofit organizations in preserving
resources within the Heritage Area;
(3) consider the interests of diverse governmental,
business, and nonprofit groups within the Heritage Area in
developing and implementing the Management Plan;
(4) maintain a collaboration among the partners to promote
heritage tourism and to assist partners to develop
educational and cultural programs for the public;
(5) encourage economic viability in the Heritage Area
consistent with the goals of the Management Plan;
(6) assist units of government and nonprofit organizations
in--
(A) establishing and maintaining interpretive exhibits in
the Heritage Area;
(B) developing recreational resources in the Heritage Area;
(C) increasing public awareness of and appreciation for the
historical, natural, and architectural resources and sites in
the Heritage Area; and
(D) restoring historic buildings that relate to the
purposes of the Heritage Area;
(7) conduct public meetings at least quarterly regarding
the implementation of the Management Plan;
(8) submit substantial amendments to the Management Plan to
the Secretary for the approval of the Secretary; and
(9) for any year in which Federal funds have been received
under this title--
(A) submit an annual report to the Secretary that sets
forth the accomplishments of the management entity and its
expenses and income;
(B) make available to the Secretary for audit all records
relating to the expenditure of such funds and any matching
funds; and
(C) require, with respect to all agreements authorizing
expenditure of Federal funds by other organizations, that the
receiving organizations make available to the Secretary for
audit all records concerning the expenditure of such funds.
(c) Use of Federal Funds.--
(1) In general.--The management entity shall not use
Federal funds received under this title to acquire real
property or an interest in real property.
(2) Other sources.--Nothing in this title precludes the
management entity from using Federal funds from other sources
for authorized purposes.

SEC. 106. MANAGEMENT PLAN.

(a) Preparation of Plan.--Not later than 3 years after the
date of the enactment of this title, the management entity
shall submit to the Secretary for approval a proposed
Management Plan that shall take into consideration State and
local plans and involve residents, public agencies, and
private organizations in the Heritage Area.
(b) Contents.--The Management Plan shall incorporate an
integrated and cooperative approach for the protection,
enhancement, and interpretation of the natural, cultural,
historic, scenic, and recreational resources of the Heritage
Area and shall include the following:
(1) An inventory of the resources contained in the core
area of the Heritage Area, including the Dayton Aviation
Heritage Historical Park, the sites, buildings, and districts
listed in section 202 of the Dayton Aviation Heritage
Preservation Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-419), and any other
property in the Heritage Area that is related to the themes
of the Heritage Area and that should be preserved, restored,
managed, or maintained because of its significance.
(2) An assessment of cultural landscapes within the
Heritage Area.
(3) Provisions for the protection, interpretation, and
enjoyment of the resources of the Heritage Area consistent
with the purposes of this title.
(4) An interpretation plan for the Heritage Area.
(5) A program for implementation of the Management Plan by
the management entity, including the following:
(A) Facilitating ongoing collaboration among the partners
to promote heritage tourism and to develop educational and
cultural programs for the public.
(B) Assisting partners planning for restoration and
construction.
(C) Specific commitments of the partners for the first 5
years of operation.

[[Page H11450]]

(6) The identification of sources of funding for
implementing the plan.
(7) A description and evaluation of the management entity,
including its membership and organizational structure.
(c) Disqualification From Funding.--If a proposed
Management Plan is not submitted to the Secretary within 3
years of the date of the enactment of this title, the
management entity shall be ineligible to receive additional
funding under this title until the date on which the
Secretary receives the proposed Management Plan.
(d) Approval and Disapproval of Management Plan.--The
Secretary, in consultation with the State of Ohio, shall
approve or disapprove the proposed Management Plan submitted
under this title not later than 90 days after receiving such
proposed Management Plan.
(e) Action Following Disapproval.--If the Secretary
disapproves a proposed Management Plan, the Secretary shall
advise the management entity in writing of the reasons for
the disapproval and shall make recommendations for revisions
to the proposed Management Plan. The Secretary shall approve
or disapprove a proposed revision within 90 days after the
date it is submitted.
(f) Approval of Amendments.--The Secretary shall review and
approve substantial amendments to the Management Plan. Funds
appropriated under this title may not be expended to
implement any changes made by such amendment until the
Secretary approves the amendment.

SEC. 107. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE; OTHER FEDERAL
AGENCIES.

(a) Technical and Financial Assistance.--Upon the request
of the management entity, the Secretary may provide technical
assistance, on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis, and
financial assistance to the Heritage Area to develop and
implement the management plan. The Secretary is authorized to
enter into cooperative agreements with the management entity
and other public or private entities for this purpose. In
assisting the Heritage Area, the Secretary shall give
priority to actions that in general assist in--
(1) conserving the significant natural, historic, cultural,
and scenic resources of the Heritage Area; and
(2) providing educational, interpretive, and recreational
opportunities consistent with the purposes of the Heritage
Area.
(b) Duties of Other Federal Agencies.--Any Federal agency
conducting or supporting activities directly affecting the
Heritage Area shall--
(1) consult with the Secretary and the management entity
with respect to such activities;
(2) cooperate with the Secretary and the management entity
in carrying out their duties under this title;
(3) to the maximum extent practicable, coordinate such
activities with the carrying out of such duties; and
(4) to the maximum extent practicable, conduct or support
such activities in a manner which the management entity
determines will not have an adverse effect on the Heritage
Area.

SEC. 108. COORDINATION BETWEEN THE SECRETARY AND THE
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE AND THE ADMINISTRATOR OF
NASA.

The decisions concerning the execution of this title as it
applies to properties under the control of the Secretary of
Defense and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration shall be made by such Secretary or such
Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of the
Interior.

SEC. 109. REQUIREMENTS FOR INCLUSION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY.

(a) Notification and Consent of Property Owners Required.--
No privately owned property shall be preserved, conserved, or
promoted by the management plan for the Heritage Area until
the owner of that private property has been notified in
writing by the management entity and has given written
consent for such preservation, conservation, or promotion to
the management entity.
(b) Landowner Withdraw.--Any owner of private property
included within the boundary of the Heritage Area shall have
their property immediately removed from the boundary by
submitting a written request to the management entity.

SEC. 110. PRIVATE PROPERTY PROTECTION.

(a) Access to Private Property.--Nothing in this title
shall be construed to--
(1) require any private property owner to allow public
access (including Federal, State, or local government access)
to such private property; or
(2) modify any provision of Federal, State, or local law
with regard to public access to or use of private property.
(b) Liability.--Designation of the Heritage Area shall not
be considered to create any liability, or to have any effect
on any liability under any other law, of any private property
owner with respect to any persons injured on such private
property.
(c) Recognition of Authority To Control Land Use.--Nothing
in this title shall be construed to modify the authority of
Federal, State, or local governments to regulate land use.
(d) Participation of Private Property Owners in Heritage
Area.--Nothing in this title shall be construed to require
the owner of any private property located within the
boundaries of the Heritage Area to participate in or be
associated with the Heritage Area.
(e) Effect of Establishment.--The boundaries designated for
the Heritage Area represent the area within which Federal
funds appropriated for the purpose of this title may be
expended. The establishment of the Heritage Area and its
boundaries shall not be construed to provide any nonexisting
regulatory authority on land use within the Heritage Area or
its viewshed by the Secretary, the National Park Service, or
the management entity.

SEC. 111. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

(a) In General.--To carry out this title there is
authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000, except that not
more than $1,000,000 may be appropriated to carry out this
title for any fiscal year.
(b) Fifty Percent Match.--The Federal share of the cost of
activities carried out using any assistance or grant under
this title shall not exceed 50 percent.

SEC. 112. SUNSET PROVISION.

The authority of the Secretary to provide assistance under
this title terminates on the date that is 15 years after the
date that funds are first made available for this title.

TITLE II--WRIGHT COMPANY FACTORY STUDY

SEC. 201. STUDY AND REPORT.

(a) Study.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct a special
resource study updating the study required under section 104
of the Dayton Aviation Heritage Preservation Act of 1992
(Public Law 102-419) and detailing alternatives for
incorporating the Wright Company factory as a unit of Dayton
Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.
(2) Contents.--The study shall include an analysis of
alternatives for including the Wright Company factory as a
unit of Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park
that detail management and development options and costs.
(3) Consultation.--In conducting the study, the Secretary
shall consult with the Delphi Corporation, the Aviation
Heritage Foundation, State and local agencies, and other
interested parties in the area.
(b) Report.--Not later than 3 years after funds are first
made available for this section, the Secretary shall submit
to the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the
Senate a report describing the results of the study conducted
under this section.

TITLE III--STEEL INDUSTRY NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE.

This title may be cited as the ``Steel Industry National
Historic Site Act''.

SEC. 302. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

(a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
(1) Certain sites and structures in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania symbolize in physical form the heritage of the
steel industry of the United States.
(2) Certain buildings and other structures in the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are nationally significant
historical resources, including the United States Steel
Homestead Works, the Carrie Furnace complex, and the Hot
Metal Bridge.
(3) Despite substantial efforts for cultural preservation
and historical interpretation by the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania and by individuals and public and private
entities in the Commonwealth, these buildings and other
structures may be lost without the assistance of the Federal
Government.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this title are to ensure the
preservation, interpretation, visitor enjoyment, and
maintenance of the nationally significant historical and
cultural sites and structures described in subsection (a) for
the benefit and inspiration of present and future
generations.

SEC. 303. STEEL INDUSTRY NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE,
PENNSYLVANIA.

(a) Establishment.--The Steel Industry National Historic
Site is hereby established as a unit of the National Park
System in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
(b) Description.--
(1) Inclusion of certain property.--Subject to paragraph
(2), the historic site shall consist of the following
properties, each of which relate to the former United States
Steel Homestead Works, as depicted on the map entitled
``Steel Industry National Historic Site'', dated November
2003, and numbered 80,000:
(A) The historic location of the Battle of Homestead site
in the borough of Munhall, Pennsylvania, consisting of
approximately 3 acres of land, including the pumphouse and
water tower and related structures, within the property
bounded by the Monongahela River, the CSX railroad,
Waterfront Drive, and the Damascus-Marcegaglia Steel Mill.
(B) The historic location of the Carrie Furnace complex in
the boroughs of Swissvale and Rankin, Pennsylvania,
consisting of approximately 35 acres of land, including blast
furnaces 6 and 7, the ore yard, the cast house, the blowing
engine house, the AC power house, and related structures,
within the property bounded by the proposed southwesterly
right-of-way line needed to accommodate the Mon/Fayette
Expressway and the relocated CSX railroad right-of-way, the
Monongahela River, and a property line drawn northeast to
southwest approximately 100 yards east of the AC power house.
(C) The historic location of the Hot Metal Bridge,
consisting of the Union railroad

[[Page H11451]]

bridge and its approaches, spanning the Monongahela River and
connecting the mill sites in the boroughs of Rankin and
Munhall, Pennsylvania.
(2) Availability of map.--The map referred to in paragraph
(1) shall be available for public inspection in an
appropriate office of the National Park Service.
(c) Acquisition of Property.-- To further the purposes of
this section, the Secretary of the Interior may acquire, only
by donation, property for inclusion in the historic site as
follows:
(1) Any land or interest in land with respect to the
property identified in subsection (b)(1).
(2) Up to 10 acres of land adjacent to or in the general
proximity of the property identified in such subsection, for
the development of visitor, administrative, museum,
curatorial, and maintenance facilities.
(3) Personal property associated with, and appropriate for,
the interpretation of the historic site.
(d) Private Property Protections.--Nothing in this title
shall be construed--
(1) to require any private property owner to permit public
access (including Federal, State, or local government access)
to the private property; or
(2) to modify any provision of Federal, State, or local law
with regard to public access to or use of private property.
(e) Administration.--The Secretary of the Interior shall
administer the historic site in accordance with this title
and the provisions of law generally applicable to units of
the National Park System, including the Act of August 25,
1916 (16 U.S.C. 1 et seq.), and the Act of August 21, 1935
(16 U.S.C. 461 et seq.).
(f) Cooperative Agreements.--
(1) In general.--Until such time as the Secretary of the
Interior has acquired the property identified in subsection
(b)(1), as depicted on the map referred to in such
subsection, the Secretary may enter into a cooperative
agreement with any interested individual, public or private
agency, organization, or institution to further the purposes
of the historic site.
(2) Contrary purposes.--Any payment made by the Secretary
pursuant to a cooperative agreement under this subsection
shall be subject to an agreement that conversion, use, or
disposal of the project so assisted for purposes contrary to
the purpose of the historic site, as determined by the
Secretary, shall result in a right of the United States to
reimbursement of all funds made available to such a project
or the proportion of the increased value of the project
attributable to such funds as determined at the time of such
conversion, use, or disposal, whichever is greater.
(g) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary of the Interior
may provide technical assistance to any person for--
(1) the preservation of historic structures within the
historic site; and
(2) the maintenance of the natural and cultural landscape
of the historic site.
(h) General Management Plan.--
(1) Preparation.--Not later than three years after the date
on which funds are first made available to carry out this
title, the Secretary of the Interior shall prepare a general
management plan for the historic site that will incorporate
or otherwise address substantive comments made during the
consultation required by paragraph (2).
(2) Consultation.--The Secretary shall prepare the general
management plan in consultation with--
(A) an appropriate official of each appropriate political
subdivision of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that has
jurisdiction over all or a portion of the lands included in
the historic site;
(B) an appropriate official of the Steel Industry Heritage
Corporation; and
(C) private property owners in the vicinity of the historic
site.
(3) Submission of plan to congress.--Upon the completion of
the general management plan, the Secretary shall submit a
copy of the plan to the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Resources of the
House of Representatives.

SEC. 304. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There is authorized to be appropriated for the purposes of
this title not more than $40,000,000.

TITLE IV--ST. CROIX NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA STUDY

SEC. 401. ST. CROIX NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA STUDY.

(a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``St.
Croix National Heritage Area Study Act''.
(b) Study.--The Secretary of the Interior, in consultation
with appropriate State historic preservation officers, States
historical societies, and other appropriate organizations,
shall conduct a study regarding the suitability and
feasibility of designating the island of St. Croix as the St.
Croix National Heritage Area. The study shall include
analysis, documentation, and determination regarding whether
the island of St. Croix--
(1) has an assemblage of natural, historic, and cultural
resources that together represent distinctive aspects of
American heritage worthy of recognition, conservation,
interpretation, and continuing use, and are best managed
through partnerships among public and private entities and by
combining diverse and sometimes noncontiguous resources and
active communities;
(2) provides outstanding opportunities to conserve natural,
historic, cultural, or scenic features;
(3) provides outstanding recreational and educational
opportunities;
(4) contains resources important to the identified theme or
themes of the island of St. Croix that retain a degree of
integrity capable of supporting interpretation;
(5) includes residents, business interests, nonprofit
organizations, and local and State governments that are
involved in the planning, have developed a conceptual
financial plan that outlines the roles of all participants
(including the Federal Government), and have demonstrated
support for the concept of a national heritage area;
(6) has a potential management entity to work in
partnership with residents, business interests, nonprofit
organizations, and local and State governments to develop a
national heritage area consistent with continued local and
State economic activity; and
(7) has a conceptual boundary map that is supported by the
public.
(c) Private Property.--In conducting the study required by
this section, the Secretary of the Interior shall analyze the
potential impact that designation of the area as a national
heritage area is likely to have on land within the proposed
area or bordering the proposed area that is privately owned
at the time that the study is conducted.
(d) Report.--Not later than 3 fiscal years after the date
on which funds are first made available for this section, the
Secretary of the Interior shall submit to the Committee on
Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report on the
findings, conclusions, and recommendations as the Secretary
deems appropriate.

TITLE V--ARABIA MOUNTAIN NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA

SEC. 501. SHORT TITLE.

This title may be cited as the ``Arabia Mountain National
Heritage Area Act''.

SEC. 502. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The Arabia Mountain area contains a variety of natural,
cultural, historical, scenic, and recreational resources that
together represent distinctive aspects of the heritage of the
United States that are worthy of recognition, conservation,
interpretation, and continuing use.
(2) The best methods for managing the resources of the
Arabia Mountain area would be through partnerships between
public and private entities that combine diverse resources
and active communities.
(3) Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, a 535-acre
park in DeKalb County, Georgia--
(A) protects granite outcrop ecosystems, wetland, and pine
and oak forests; and
(B) includes federally-protected plant species.
(4) Panola Mountain, a national natural landmark, located
in the 860-acre Panola Mountain State Conservation Park, is a
rare example of a pristine granite outcrop.
(5) The archaeological site at Miners Creek Preserve along
the South River contains documented evidence of early human
activity.
(6) The city of Lithonia, Georgia, and related sites of
Arabia Mountain and Stone Mountain possess sites that display
the history of granite mining as an industry and culture in
Georgia, and the impact of that industry on the United
States.
(7) The community of Klondike is eligible for designation
as a National Historic District.
(8) The city of Lithonia has 2 structures listed on the
National Register of Historic Places.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this title are as follows:
(1) To recognize, preserve, promote, interpret, and make
available for the benefit of the public the natural,
cultural, historical, scenic, and recreational resources in
the area that includes Arabia Mountain, Panola Mountain,
Miners Creek, and other significant sites and communities.
(2) To assist the State of Georgia and the counties of
DeKalb, Rockdale, and Henry in the State in developing and
implementing an integrated cultural, historical, and land
resource management program to protect, enhance, and
interpret the significant resources within the heritage area.

SEC. 503. DEFINITIONS.

For the purposes of this title, the following definitions
apply:
(1) Heritage area.--The term ``heritage area'' means the
Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area established by section
504.
(2) Management entity.--The term ``management entity''
means the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance or a
successor of the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance.
(3) Management plan.--The term ``management plan'' means
the management plan for the heritage area developed under
section 506.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(5) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Georgia.

SEC. 504. ARABIA MOUNTAIN NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.

(a) Establishment.--There is established the Arabia
Mountain National Heritage Area in the State.
(b) Boundaries.--The heritage area shall consist of certain
parcels of land in the counties of DeKalb, Rockdale, and
Henry in the State, as generally depicted on the map entitled
``Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area'', numbered AMNHA/
80,000, and dated October, 2003.

[[Page H11452]]

(c) Availability of Map.--The map shall be on file and
available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of
the National Park Service.
(d) Management Entity.--The Arabia Mountain Heritage Area
Alliance shall be the management entity for the heritage
area.

SEC. 505. AUTHORITIES AND DUTIES OF THE MANAGEMENT ENTITY.

(a) Authorities.--For purposes of developing and
implementing the management plan, the management entity may--
(1) make grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements
with, the State, political subdivisions of the State, and
private organizations;
(2) hire and compensate staff; and
(3) enter into contracts for goods and services.
(b) Duties.--
(1) Management plan.--
(A) In general.--The management entity shall develop and
submit to the Secretary the management plan.
(B) Considerations.--In developing and implementing the
management plan, the management entity shall consider the
interests of diverse governmental, business, and nonprofit
groups within the heritage area.
(2) Priorities.--The management entity shall give priority
to implementing actions described in the management plan,
including assisting units of government and nonprofit
organizations in preserving resources within the heritage
area.
(3) Public meetings.--The management entity shall conduct
public meetings at least quarterly on the implementation of
the management plan.
(4) Annual report.--For any year in which Federal funds
have been made available under this title, the management
entity shall submit to the Secretary an annual report that
describes the following:
(A) The accomplishments of the management entity.
(B) The expenses and income of the management entity.
(5) Audit.--The management entity shall--
(A) make available to the Secretary for audit all records
relating to the expenditure of Federal funds and any matching
funds; and
(B) require, with respect to all agreements authorizing
expenditure of Federal funds by other organizations, that the
receiving organizations make available to the Secretary for
audit all records concerning the expenditure of those funds.
(c) Use of Federal Funds.--
(1) In general.--The management entity shall not use
Federal funds made available under this title to acquire real
property or an interest in real property.
(2) Other sources.--Nothing in this title precludes the
management entity from using Federal funds made available
under other Federal laws for any purpose for which the funds
are authorized to be used.

SEC. 506. MANAGEMENT PLAN.

(a) In General.--The management entity shall develop a
management plan for the heritage area that incorporates an
integrated and cooperative approach to protect, interpret,
and enhance the natural, cultural, historical, scenic, and
recreational resources of the heritage area.
(b) Basis.--The management plan shall be based on the
preferred concept in the document entitled ``Arabia Mountain
National Heritage Area Feasibility Study'', dated February
28, 2001.
(c) Consideration of Other Plans and Actions.--The
management plan shall--
(1) take into consideration State and local plans; and
(2) involve residents, public agencies, and private
organizations in the heritage area.
(d) Requirements.--The management plan shall include the
following:
(1) An inventory of the resources in the heritage area,
including--
(A) a list of property in the heritage area that--
(i) relates to the purposes of the heritage area; and
(ii) should be preserved, restored, managed, or maintained
because of the significance of the property; and
(B) an assessment of cultural landscapes within the
heritage area.
(2) Provisions for the protection, interpretation, and
enjoyment of the resources of the heritage area consistent
with the purposes of this title.
(3) An interpretation plan for the heritage area.
(4) A program for implementation of the management plan
that includes--
(A) actions to be carried out by units of government,
private organizations, and public-private partnerships to
protect the resources of the heritage area; and
(B) the identification of existing and potential sources of
funding for implementing the plan.
(5) A description and evaluation of the management entity,
including the membership and organizational structure of the
management entity.
(e) Submission to Secretary for Approval.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the management entity shall submit
the management plan to the Secretary for approval.
(2) Effect of failure to submit.--If a management plan is
not submitted to the Secretary by the date specified in
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall not provide any additional
funding under this title until such date as a management plan
for the heritage area is submitted to the Secretary.
(f) Approval and Disapproval of Management Plan.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after receiving the
management plan submitted under subsection (e), the
Secretary, in consultation with the State, shall approve or
disapprove the management plan.
(2) Action following disapproval.--
(A) Revision.--If the Secretary disapproves a management
plan submitted under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall--
(i) advise the management entity in writing of the reasons
for the disapproval;
(ii) make recommendations for revisions to the management
plan; and
(iii) allow the management entity to submit to the
Secretary revisions to the management plan.
(B) Deadline for approval of revision.--Not later than 90
days after the date on which a revision is submitted under
subparagraph (A)(iii), the Secretary shall approve or
disapprove the revision.
(g) Revision of Management Plan.--
(1) In general.--After approval by the Secretary of a
management plan, the management entity shall periodically--
(A) review the management plan; and
(B) submit to the Secretary, for review and approval by the
Secretary, the recommendations of the management entity for
any revisions to the management plan that the management
entity considers to be appropriate.
(2) Expenditure of funds.--No funds made available under
this title shall be used to implement any revision proposed
by the management entity under paragraph (1)(B) until the
Secretary approves the revision.

SEC. 507. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.

(a) In General.--At the request of the management entity,
the Secretary may provide technical and financial assistance
to the heritage area to develop and implement the management
plan.
(b) Priority.--In providing assistance under subsection
(a), the Secretary shall give priority to actions that
facilitate--
(1) the conservation of the significant natural, cultural,
historical, scenic, and recreational resources that support
the purposes of the heritage area; and
(2) the provision of educational, interpretive, and
recreational opportunities that are consistent with the
resources and associated values of the heritage area.

SEC. 508. EFFECT ON CERTAIN AUTHORITY.

(a) Occupational, Safety, Conservation, and Environmental
Regulation.--Nothing in this title--
(1) imposes an occupational, safety, conservation, or
environmental regulation on the heritage area that is more
stringent than the regulations that would be applicable to
the land described in section 504(b) but for the
establishment of the heritage area by section 504; or
(2) authorizes a Federal agency to promulgate an
occupational, safety, conservation, or environmental
regulation for the heritage area that is more stringent than
the regulations applicable to the land described in section
504(b) as of the date of enactment of this Act, solely as a
result of the establishment of the heritage area by section
504.
(b) Land Use Regulation.--Nothing in this title--
(1) modifies, enlarges, or diminishes any authority of the
Federal Government or a State or local government to regulate
any use of land as provided for by law (including
regulations) in existence on the date of enactment of this
Act; or
(2) grants powers of zoning or land use to the management
entity.

SEC. 509. REQUIREMENTS FOR INCLUSION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY.

SEC. 510. PRIVATE PROPERTY PROTECTION.

[[Page H11453]]

title shall be construed to require the owner of any private
property located within the boundaries of the Heritage Area
to participate in or be associated with the Heritage Area.
(e) Effect of Establishment.--The boundaries designated for
the Heritage Area represent the area within which Federal
funds appropriated for the purpose of this title may be
expended. The establishment of the Heritage Area and its
boundaries shall not be construed to provide any nonexisting
regulatory authority on land use within the Heritage Area or
its viewshed by the Secretary, the National Park Service, or
the management entity.

SEC. 511. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this title $10,000,000, to remain available until
expended, of which not more than $1,000,000 may be used in
any fiscal year.
(b) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of any
project or activity carried out using funds made available
under this title shall not exceed 50 percent.

SEC. 512. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.

The authority of the Secretary to make any grant or
provide any assistance under this title shall terminate on
September 30, 2016.

TITLE VI--UPPER HOUSATONIC VALLEY NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA

SEC. 601. SHORT TITLE.

This title may be cited as the ``Upper Housatonic Valley
National Heritage Area Act''.

SEC. 602. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The upper Housatonic Valley, encompassing 29 towns in
the hilly terrain of western Massachusetts and northwestern
Connecticut, is a singular geographical and cultural region
that has made significant national contributions through its
literary, artistic, musical, and architectural achievements,
its iron, paper, and electrical equipment industries, and its
scenic beautification and environmental conservation efforts.
(2) The upper Housatonic Valley has 139 properties and
historic districts listed on the National Register of
Historic Places including--
(A) five National Historic Landmarks--
(i) Edith Wharton's home, The Mount, Lenox, Massachusetts;
(ii) Herman Melville's home, Arrowhead, Pittsfield,
Massachusetts;
(iii) W.E.B. DuBois' Boyhood Homesite, Great Barrington,
Massachusetts;
(iv) Mission House, Stockbridge, Massachusetts; and
(v) Crane and Company Old Stone Mill Rag Room, Dalton,
Massachusetts; and
(B) four National Natural Landmarks--
(i) Bartholomew's Cobble, Sheffield, Massachusetts, and
Salisbury, Connecticut;
(ii) Beckley Bog, Norfolk, Connecticut;
(iii) Bingham Bog, Salisbury, Connecticut; and
(iv) Cathedral Pines, Cornwall, Connecticut.
(3) Writers, artists, musicians, and vacationers have
visited the region for more than 150 years to enjoy its
scenic wonders, making it one of the country's leading
cultural resorts.
(4) The upper Housatonic Valley has made significant
national cultural contributions through such writers as
Herman Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edith Wharton, and
W.E.B. DuBois, artists Daniel Chester French and Norman
Rockwell, and the performing arts centers of Tanglewood,
Music Mountain, Norfolk (Connecticut) Chamber Music Festival,
Jacob's Pillow, and Shakespeare & Company.
(5) The upper Housatonic Valley is noted for its pioneering
achievements in the iron, paper, and electrical generation
industries and has cultural resources to interpret those
industries.
(6) The region became a national leader in scenic
beautification and environmental conservation efforts
following the era of industrialization and deforestation and
maintains a fabric of significant conservation areas
including the meandering Housatonic River.
(7) Important historical events related to the American
Revolution, Shays' Rebellion, and early civil rights took
place in the upper Housatonic Valley.
(8) The region had an American Indian presence going back
10,000 years and Mohicans had a formative role in contact
with Europeans during the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries.
(9) The Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area has
been proposed in order to heighten appreciation of the
region, preserve its natural and historical resources, and
improve the quality of life and economy of the area.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this title are as follows:
(1) To establish the Upper Housatonic Valley National
Heritage Area in the State of Connecticut and the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
(2) To implement the national heritage area alternative as
described in the document entitled ``Upper Housatonic Valley
National Heritage Area Feasibility Study, 2003''.
(3) To provide a management framework to foster a close
working relationship with all levels of government, the
private sector, and the local communities in the upper
Housatonic Valley region to conserve the region's heritage
while continuing to pursue compatible economic opportunities.
(4) To assist communities, organizations, and citizens in
the State of Connecticut and the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts in identifying, preserving, interpreting, and
developing the historical, cultural, scenic, and natural
resources of the region for the educational and inspirational
benefit of current and future generations.

SEC. 603. DEFINITIONS.

In this title:
(1) Heritage area.--The term ``Heritage Area'' means the
Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area, established
in section 604.
(2) Management entity.--The term ``Management Entity''
means the management entity for the Heritage Area designated
by section 604(d).
(3) Management plan.--The term ``Management Plan'' means
the management plan for the Heritage Area specified in
section 606.
(4) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled
``Boundary Map Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage
Area'', numbered P17/80,000, and dated February 2003.
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(6) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of
Connecticut and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

SEC. 604. UPPER HOUSATONIC VALLEY NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.

(a) Establishment.--There is established the Upper
Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area.
(b) Boundaries.--The Heritage Area shall be comprised of--
(1) part of the Housatonic River's watershed, which extends
60 miles from Lanesboro, Massachusetts to Kent, Connecticut;
(2) the towns of Canaan, Colebrook, Cornwall, Kent,
Norfolk, North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon, and Warren in
Connecticut; and
(3) the towns of Alford, Becket, Dalton, Egremont, Great
Barrington, Hancock, Hinsdale, Lanesboro, Lee, Lenox,
Monterey, Mount Washington, New Marlboro, Pittsfield,
Richmond, Sheffield, Stockbridge, Tyringham, Washington, and
West Stockbridge in Massachusetts.
(c) Availability of Map.--The map shall be on file and
available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of
the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
(d) Management Entity.--The Upper Housatonic Valley
National Heritage Area, Inc. shall be the management entity
for the Heritage Area.

SEC. 605. AUTHORITIES, PROHIBITIONS AND DUTIES OF THE
MANAGEMENT ENTITY.

(a) Duties of the Management Entity.--To further the
purposes of the Heritage Area, the management entity shall--
(1) prepare and submit a management plan for the Heritage
Area to the Secretary in accordance with section 606;
(2) assist units of local government, regional planning
organizations, and nonprofit organizations in implementing
the approved management plan by--
(A) carrying out programs and projects that recognize,
protect and enhance important resource values within the
Heritage Area;
(B) establishing and maintaining interpretive exhibits and
programs within the Heritage Area;
(C) developing recreational and educational opportunities
in the Heritage Area;
(D) increasing public awareness of and appreciation for
natural, historical, scenic, and cultural resources of the
Heritage Area;
(E) protecting and restoring historic sites and buildings
in the Heritage Area that are consistent with heritage area
themes;
(F) ensuring that signs identifying points of public access
and sites of interest are posted throughout the Heritage
Area; and
(G) promoting a wide range of partnerships among
governments, organizations and individuals to further the
purposes of the Heritage Area;
(3) consider the interests of diverse units of government,
businesses, organizations and individuals in the Heritage
Area in the preparation and implementation of the management
plan;
(4) conduct meetings open to the public at least semi-
annually regarding the development and implementation of the
management plan;
(5) submit an annual report to the Secretary for any fiscal
year in which the management entity receives Federal funds
under this title, setting forth its accomplishments,
expenses, and income, including grants to any other entities
during the year for which the report is made;
(6) make available for audit for any fiscal year in which
it receives Federal funds under this title, all information
pertaining to the expenditure of such funds and any matching
funds, and require in all agreements authorizing expenditures
of Federal funds by other organizations, that the receiving
organizations make available for such audit all records and
other information pertaining to the expenditure of such
funds; and
(7) encourage by appropriate means economic development
that is consistent with the purposes of the Heritage Area.
(b) Authorities.--The management entity may, for the
purposes of preparing and implementing the management plan
for the Heritage Area, use Federal funds made available
through this title to--

[[Page H11454]]

(1) make grants to the State of Connecticut and the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, their political subdivisions,
nonprofit organizations and other persons;
(2) enter into cooperative agreements with or provide
technical assistance to the State of Connecticut and the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, their subdivisions, nonprofit
organizations, and other interested parties;
(3) hire and compensate staff, which shall include
individuals with expertise in natural, cultural, and
historical resources protection, and heritage programming;
(4) obtain money or services from any source including any
that are provided under any other Federal law or program;
(5) contract for goods or services; and
(6) undertake to be a catalyst for any other activity that
furthers the purposes of the Heritage Area and is consistent
with the approved management plan.
(c) Prohibitions on the Acquisition of Real Property.--The
management entity may not use Federal funds received under
this title to acquire real property, but may use any other
source of funding, including other Federal funding outside
this authority, intended for the acquisition of real
property.

SEC. 606. MANAGEMENT PLAN.

(a) In General.--The management plan for the Heritage Area
shall--
(1) include comprehensive policies, strategies and
recommendations for conservation, funding, management and
development of the Heritage Area;
(2) take into consideration existing State, county, and
local plans in the development of the management plan and its
implementation;
(3) include a description of actions that governments,
private organizations, and individuals have agreed to take to
protect the natural, historical and cultural resources of the
Heritage Area;
(4) specify the existing and potential sources of funding
to protect, manage, and develop the Heritage Area in the
first 5 years of implementation;
(5) include an inventory of the natural, historical,
cultural, educational, scenic, and recreational resources of
the Heritage Area related to the themes of the Heritage Area
that should be preserved, restored, managed, developed, or
maintained;
(6) describe a program of implementation for the management
plan including plans for resource protection, restoration,
construction, and specific commitments for implementation
that have been made by the management entity or any
government, organization, or individual for the first 5 years
of implementation; and
(7) include an interpretive plan for the Heritage Area.
(b) Deadline and Termination of Funding.--
(1) Deadline.--The management entity shall submit the
management plan to the Secretary for approval within 3 years
after funds are made available for this title.
(2) Termination of funding.--If the management plan is not
submitted to the Secretary in accordance with this
subsection, the management entity shall not qualify for
Federal funding under this title until such time as the
management plan is submitted to the Secretary.

SEC. 607. DUTIES AND AUTHORITIES OF THE SECRETARY.

(a) Technical and Financial Assistance.--The Secretary may,
upon the request of the management entity, provide technical
assistance on a reimbursable or non-reimbursable basis and
financial assistance to the Heritage Area to develop and
implement the approved management plan. The Secretary is
authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with the
management entity and other public or private entities for
this purpose. In assisting the Heritage Area, the Secretary
shall give priority to actions that in general assist in--
(1) conserving the significant natural, historical,
cultural, and scenic resources of the Heritage Area; and
(2) providing educational, interpretive, and recreational
opportunities consistent with the purposes of the Heritage
Area.
(b) Approval and Disapproval of Management Plan.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall approve or disapprove
the management plan not later than 90 days after receiving
the management plan.
(2) Criteria for approval.--In determining the approval of
the management plan, the Secretary shall consider whether--
(A) the management entity is representative of the diverse
interests of the Heritage Area including governments, natural
and historic resource protection organizations, educational
institutions, businesses, and recreational organizations;
(B) the management entity has afforded adequate
opportunity, including public hearings, for public and
governmental involvement in the preparation of the management
plan;
(C) the resource protection and interpretation strategies
contained in the management plan, if implemented, would
adequately protect the natural, historical, and cultural
resources of the Heritage Area; and
(D) the management plan is supported by the appropriate
State and local officials whose cooperation is needed to
ensure the effective implementation of the State and local
aspects of the management plan.
(3) Action following disapproval.--If the Secretary
disapproves the management plan, the Secretary shall advise
the management entity in writing of the reasons therefore and
shall make recommendations for revisions to the management
plan. The Secretary shall approve or disapprove a proposed
revision within 60 days after the date it is submitted.
(4) Approval of amendments.--Substantial amendments to the
management plan shall be reviewed by the Secretary and
approved in the same manner as provided for the original
management plan. The management entity shall not use Federal
funds authorized by this title to implement any amendments
until the Secretary has approved the amendments.

SEC. 608. DUTIES OF OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.

Any Federal agency conducting or supporting activities
directly affecting the Heritage Area shall--
(1) consult with the Secretary and the management entity
with respect to such activities;
(2) cooperate with the Secretary and the management entity
in carrying out their duties under this title and, to the
maximum extent practicable, coordinate such activities with
the carrying out of such duties; and,
(3) to the maximum extent practicable, conduct or support
such activities in a manner which the management entity
determines will not have an adverse effect on the Heritage
Area.

SEC. 609. REQUIREMENTS FOR INCLUSION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY.

SEC. 610. PRIVATE PROPERTY PROTECTION.

SEC. 611. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated for
the purposes of 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 Heritage Area under this title.
(b) Matching Funds.--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. 612. SUNSET.

The authority of the Secretary to provide assistance under
this title shall terminate on the day occurring 15 years
after funds are first made available for this title.

TITLE VII--OIL REGION NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA

SEC. 701. SHORT TITLE; DEFINITIONS.

(a) Short Title.--This title may be cited as the ``Oil
Region National Heritage Area Act''.
(b) Definitions.--For the purposes of this title, the
following definitions shall apply:
(1) Heritage area.--The term ``Heritage Area'' means the
Oil Region National Heritage Area established in section
703(a).
(2) Management entity.--The term ``management entity''
means the Oil Heritage Region, Inc., or its successor entity.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.

SEC. 702. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

(a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
(1) The Oil Region of Northwestern Pennsylvania, with
numerous sites and districts listed on the National Register
of Historic Places, and designated by the Governor of
Pennsylvania as one of the State Heritage Park Areas, is a
region with tremendous

[[Page H11455]]

physical and natural resources and possesses a story of
State, national, and international significance.
(2) The single event of Colonel Edwin Drake's drilling of
the world's first successful oil well in 1859 has affected
the industrial, natural, social, and political structures of
the modern world.
(3) Six national historic districts are located within the
State Heritage Park boundary, in Emlenton, Franklin, Oil
City, and Titusville, as well as 17 separate National
Register sites.
(4) The Allegheny River, which was designated as a
component of the national wild and scenic rivers system in
1992 by Public Law 102-271, traverses the Oil Region and
connects several of its major sites, as do some of the
river's tributaries such as Oil Creek, French Creek, and
Sandy Creek.
(5) The unspoiled rural character of the Oil Region
provides many natural and recreational resources, scenic
vistas, and excellent water quality for people throughout the
United States to enjoy.
(6) Remnants of the oil industry, visible on the landscape
to this day, provide a direct link to the past for visitors,
as do the historic valley settlements, riverbed settlements,
plateau developments, farmlands, and industrial landscapes.
(7) The Oil Region also represents a cross section of
American history associated with Native Americans, frontier
settlements, the French and Indian War, African Americans and
the Underground Railroad, and immigration of Swedish and
Polish individuals, among others.
(8) Involvement by the Federal Government shall serve to
enhance the efforts of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
local subdivisions of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
volunteer organizations, and private businesses, to promote
the cultural, national, and recreational resources of the
region in order to fulfill their full potential.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this title is to enhance a
cooperative management framework to assist the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, its units of local government, and area
citizens in conserving, enhancing, and interpreting the
significant features of the lands, water, and structures of
the Oil Region, in a manner consistent with compatible
economic development for the benefit and inspiration of
present and future generations in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania and the United States.

SEC. 703. OIL REGION NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.

(a) Establishment.--There is hereby established the Oil
Region National Heritage Area.
(b) Boundaries.--The boundaries of the Heritage Area shall
include all of those lands depicted on a map entitled ``Oil
Region National Heritage Area'', numbered OIRE/20,000 and
dated October, 2000. The map shall be on file in the
appropriate offices of the National Park Service. The
Secretary of the Interior shall publish in the Federal
Register, as soon as practical after the date of the
enactment of this Act, a detailed description and map of the
boundaries established under this subsection.
(c) Management Entity.--The management entity for the
Heritage Area shall be the Oil Heritage Region, Inc., the
locally based private, nonprofit management corporation which
shall oversee the development of a management plan in
accordance with section 705(b).

SEC. 704. COMPACT.

To carry out the purposes of this title, 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 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 Secretary and management entity.

SEC. 705. AUTHORITIES AND DUTIES OF MANAGEMENT ENTITY.

(a) Authorities of the Management Entity.--The management
entity may use funds made available under this title for
purposes of preparing, updating, and implementing the
management plan developed under subsection (b). Such purposes
may include--
(1) making grants to, and entering into cooperative
agreements with, States and their political subdivisions,
private organizations, or any other person;
(2) hiring and compensating staff; and
(3) undertaking initiatives that advance the purposes of
the Heritage Area.
(b) Management Plan.--The management entity shall develop a
management plan for the Heritage Area that--
(1) presents comprehensive strategies and recommendations
for conservation, funding, management, and development of the
Heritage Area;
(2) takes into consideration existing State, county, and
local plans and involves residents, public agencies, and
private organizations working in the Heritage Area;
(3) includes a description of actions that units of
government and private organizations have agreed to take to
protect the resources of the Heritage Area;
(4) specifies the existing and potential sources of funding
to protect, manage, and develop the Heritage Area;
(5) includes 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;
(6) describes a program for implementation of the
management plan by the management entity, including plans for
restoration and construction, and specific commitments for
that implementation that have been made by the management
entity and any other persons for the first 5 years of
implementation;
(7) lists any revisions to the boundaries of the Heritage
Area proposed by the management entity and requested by the
affected local government; and
(8) includes an interpretation plan for the Heritage Area.
(c) Deadline; Termination of Funding.--
(1) Deadline.--The management entity shall submit the
management plan to the Secretary within 2 years after the
funds are made available for this title.
(2) Termination of funding.--If a management plan is not
submitted to the Secretary in accordance with this
subsection, the management entity shall not qualify for
Federal assistance under this title.
(d) Duties of Management Entity.--The management entity
shall--
(1) give priority to implementing actions set forth in the
compact and management plan;
(2) assist units of government, regional planning
organizations, and nonprofit organizations in--
(A) establishing and maintaining interpretive exhibits in
the Heritage Area;
(B) developing recreational resources in the Heritage Area;
(C) increasing public awareness of and appreciation for the
natural, historical, and architectural resources and sites in
the Heritage Area;
(D) the restoration of any historic building relating to
the themes of the Heritage Area;
(E) ensuring that clear signs identifying access points and
sites of interest are put in place throughout the Heritage
Area; and
(F) carrying out other actions that the management entity
determines to be advisable to fulfill the purposes of this
title;
(3) encourage by appropriate means economic viability in
the Heritage Area consistent with the goals of the management
plan;
(4) consider the interests of diverse governmental,
business, and nonprofit groups within the Heritage Area; and
(5) for any year in which Federal funds have been provided
to implement the management plan under subsection (b)--
(A) conduct public meetings at least annually regarding the
implementation of the management plan;
(B) submit an annual report to the Secretary setting forth
accomplishments, expenses and income, and each person to
which any grant was made by the management entity in the year
for which the report is made; and
(C) require, for all agreements entered into by the
management entity authorizing expenditure of Federal funds by
any other person, that the person making the expenditure make
available to the management entity for audit all records
pertaining to the expenditure of such funds.
(e) Prohibition on the Acquisition of Real Property.--The
management entity may not use Federal funds received under
this title to acquire real property or an interest in real
property.

SEC. 706. DUTIES AND AUTHORITIES OF THE SECRETARY.

(a) Technical and Financial Assistance.--
(1) In general.--
(A) Overall assistance.--The Secretary may, upon the
request of the management entity, and subject to the
availability of appropriations, provide technical and
financial assistance to the management entity to carry out
its duties under this title, including updating and
implementing a management plan that is submitted under
section 705(b) and approved by the Secretary and, prior to
such approval, providing assistance for initiatives.
(B) Other assistance.--If the Secretary has the resources
available to provide technical assistance to the management
entity to carry out its duties under this title (including
updating and implementing a management plan that is submitted
under section 705(b) and approved by the Secretary and, prior
to such approval, providing assistance for initiatives), upon
the request of the management entity the Secretary shall
provide such assistance on a reimbursable basis. This
subparagraph does not preclude the Secretary from providing
nonreimbursable assistance under subparagraph (A).
(2) Priority.--In assisting the management entity, the
Secretary shall give priority to actions that assist in the--
(A) implementation of the management plan;
(B) provision of educational assistance and advice
regarding land and water management techniques to conserve
the significant natural resources of the region;
(C) development and application of techniques promoting the
preservation of cultural and historic properties;
(D) preservation, restoration, and reuse of publicly and
privately owned historic buildings;
(E) design and fabrication of a wide range of interpretive
materials based on the management plan, including guide
brochures, visitor displays, audio-visual and interactive

[[Page H11456]]

exhibits, and educational curriculum materials for public
education; and
(F) implementation of initiatives prior to approval of the
management plan.
(3) Documentation of structures.--The Secretary, acting
through the Historic American Building Survey and the
Historic American Engineering Record, shall conduct studies
necessary to document the industrial, engineering, building,
and architectural history of the Heritage Area.
(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 title not later than 90 days after receiving such plan.
In approving the plan, the Secretary shall take into
consideration the following criteria:
(1) The extent to which the management plan adequately
preserves and protects the natural, cultural, and historical
resources of the Heritage Area.
(2) The level of public participation in the development of
the management plan.
(3) The extent to which the board of directors of the
management entity is representative of the local government
and a wide range of interested organizations and citizens.
(c) Action Following Disapproval.--If the Secretary
disapproves a management plan, the Secretary shall advise the
management entity in writing of the reasons for the
disapproval and shall make recommendations for revisions in
the management plan. The Secretary shall approve or
disapprove a proposed revision within 90 days after the date
it is submitted.
(d) Approving Changes.--The Secretary shall review and
approve amendments to the management plan under section
705(b) that make substantial changes. Funds appropriated
under this title may not be expended to implement such
changes until the Secretary approves the amendments.
(e) Effect of Inaction.--If the Secretary does not approve
or disapprove a management plan, revision, or change within
90 days after it is submitted to the Secretary, then such
management plan, revision, or change shall be deemed to have
been approved by the Secretary.

SEC. 707. DUTIES OF OTHER FEDERAL ENTITIES.

Any Federal entity conducting or supporting activities
directly affecting the Heritage Area shall--
(1) consult with the Secretary and the management entity
with respect to such activities;
(2) cooperate with the Secretary and the management entity
in carrying out their duties under this title and, to the
maximum extent practicable, coordinate such activities with
the carrying out of such duties; and
(3) to the maximum extent practicable, conduct or support
such activities in a manner that the management entity
determines shall not have an adverse effect on the Heritage
Area.

SEC. 708. SUNSET.

The Secretary may not make any grant or provide any
assistance under this title after the expiration of the 15-
year period beginning on the date that funds are first made
available for this title.

SEC. 709. REQUIREMENTS FOR INCLUSION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY.

SEC. 710. PRIVATE PROPERTY PROTECTION.

SEC. 711. USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS FROM OTHER SOURCES.

Nothing in this title shall preclude the management entity
from using Federal funds available under Acts other than this
title for the purposes for which those funds were authorized.

SEC. 712. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this title--
(1) not more than $1,000,000 for any fiscal year; and
(2) not more than a total of $10,000,000.
(b) 50 Percent Match.--Financial assistance provided under
this title may not be used to pay more than 50 percent of the
total cost of any activity carried out with that assistance.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Indiana (Mr. Souder) and the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr.
Faleomavaega) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder).

General Leave

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Indiana?
There was no objection.
Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
H.R. 280, as amended by the Committee on Resources, contains seven
titles, a sort of national heritage area omnibus bill.
Title I of the bill would establish the National Aviation Heritage
Area across eight counties in Ohio consisting of historically
significant sites, buildings and districts associated with the
development of the aviation and aerospace industry in America.
Title II would authorize a special resource study that would update
the study required under section 104 of the Dayton Aviation Heritage
Preservation Act of 1992 and detail alternatives for incorporating the
Wright Company factory as a unit of the Dayton Aviation Heritage
National Historical Park.
Title III would establish the Steel Industry National Historic Park
in southwestern Pennsylvania encompassing the United States Steel
Homestead Works, site of the 1862 bloody Homestead Steel strike, the
Carrie Furnace complex from the Homestead Works, and the famous Hot
Metal Bridge.
Title IV would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a
study of the suitability and feasibility of establishing the St. Croix
National Heritage Area in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
The fifth title would establish the Arabia Mountain National Heritage
Area in the State of Georgia, highlighting the archaeological
settlement of the Lithonia region and the unique granite outcroppings
that characterize the region's topography.
Title VI would establish the Upper Housatonic Valley National
Heritage Area in the State of Connecticut and the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, preserving its national contributions in literature,
art, music, architecture, iron and paper, and its electrical equipment
industries.
Finally, title VII of the bill would establish the Oil Region
National Heritage Area in northwestern Pennsylvania, home of the first
oil drilling site in North America.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 280, as amended, is supported by the majority and
the minority of the committee. I urge my colleagues to support this
bill.
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 would like to offer my commendation
to the gentleman from Ohio for his sponsorship of this legislation,
which passed the committee on a bipartisan basis.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 280 as brought to the House today is a bipartisan
package of legislation dealing with several heritage areas and historic
sites. All of

[[Page H11457]]

the components of the amended H.R. 280 have been considered and
approved by the Committee on Resources as stand-alone legislation, but
have been combined into one bill to simplify its consideration.
The various provisions of the amended H.R. 280 dealing with private
property represent a compromise between the majority and the minority.
As with most good compromises, there are elements that we do not wholly
agree with, but which overall are acceptable as a means to advance the
legislation that is now before us.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 280, as amended, represents the efforts of many
Members and organizations to advance the preservation and
interpretation of certain historic resources. I congratulate the
sponsors for their work and support the adoption of H.R. 280, as
amended, by the House this evening.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my friend and near
neighbor, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson).
Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman, the ranking
member, and those gentlemen carrying the bill on the floor today for
their great work on this piece of legislation. This is, as they said, a
combination of a number of pieces of legislation that they have worked
very hard to bring together. This is not an easy task to do. The staff
did a great job of working this out with everybody involved to where we
have a piece of legislation today that I think on a bipartisan fashion
works for everybody. That is when I think this legislature is at its
best, when we come together and work together to get bills such as this
done.
I certainly am strong for the part of the bill that relates to the
National Aviation Heritage Area, but I also am supportive of all the
rest of the bill. I thank all the Members and would urge the passage of
the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 280, the National
Aviation Heritage Area Act of 2003. I would first like to thank
Chairman Pombo, and the Members of the Resources Committee, as well as
the Chairman of the National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands
Subcommittee, George Radanovich, for their leadership and cooperation
in advancing this bill.
I have introduced this legislation with Representatives Mike Turner,
John Boehner, and virtually all of the Ohio Delegation to create a
National Aviation Heritage Area to enhance significant historical
resources of interest to all Americans and to further national
awareness of Ohio's key role in the history of aviation. I can think of
no better way to preserve and carry on the years of hard work and
preparation leading up to this year's 100th anniversary of the first
powered flight, than to establish this heritage area.
Few technological advances have transformed the world or our Nation's
economy, society, culture, and national character as the development of
powered flight. Ohioans such as the Wright Brothers, John Glenn, and
Neil Armstrong have been at the forefront of every major development
associated with flight. But just as important are the inventors,
scientists and engineers that have made it possible in less than 100
years to not only fly between continents, but also to fly to the moon
and maintain a presence in space.
This legislation is fully in the spirit of President Bush's recent
``Preserve America'' executive order which declared, ``It is the policy
of the Federal Government to provide leadership in preserving America's
heritage . . . by promoting intergovernmental cooperation and
partnerships for the preservation and use of historic properties.''
The Members of Congress from Ohio have a long record of promoting the
preservation of aviation sites in Central Ohio. We have previously
worked together to secure funding for the U.S. Air Force Museum, the
Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, and the National
Aviation Hall of Fame. We have worked closely with the community to
make sure that this year's Centennial of Flight celebration was a huge
success.
For these reasons, it is vitally important that we move forward with
this legislation and I urge a ``yes'' vote on the National Aviation
Heritage Area Act of 2003.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Olver).

{time} 1915

Mr. OLVER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 280, which
includes as title VI the establishment of the Upper Housatonic Valley
National Heritage area in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Let me start by thanking the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs.
Johnson) for her hard work on this initiative. It has been a pleasure
working with her.
During the 106th Congress, H.R. 4312 authorized the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a feasibility study of the Upper Housatonic as a
potential national heritage area. That study documents that the Upper
Housatonic Valley meets the Interior Department's criteria for such a
designation. The Park Service recognizes the valley as ``distinctive
for having a landscape that includes a blend of industrial innovations,
environmental conservation initiatives, and cultural achievements of
national significance.''
The Upper Housatonic Valley includes 29 communities in western
Massachusetts and northwestern Connecticut. And I would like to
highlight a few of the many contributions this region of New England
brings to our national heritage.
Herman Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edith Wharton, Oliver Wendell
Holmes, Jr.; Norman Rockwell; Suzy Frelinghuesen are just a few of the
prominent artists and writers who have made the Housatonic Valley their
home and the subject of their work. Today visitors can see these
artists' work on display as local museums before taking in a classical
music concert at Tanglewood or visiting the magnificently restored
Shaker Village in Hancock. The Upper Housatonic has a rich cultural
heritage and thriving artistic community to this day.
The Members may not be familiar with the name Elizabeth ``Mumbet''
Freeman today, but her role in our national history is rightfully
recognized in the newly reopened National Archives ``Charters of
Freedom'' exhibit. A slave from Sheffield, Massachusetts, Mumbet sued
in Massachusetts's court for her freedom, leading to the abolition of
slavery in Massachusetts in 1793. Many years later the great civil
rights leader W.E.B. Dubois made his home in Great Barrington,
Massachusetts. His papers are archived and open to the public today at
the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.
As I hoped to highlight today, the Upper Housatonic Valley is an area
rich in culture, history, and innovation against the backdrop of scenic
landscapes. Its designation as a National Heritage Area will help
preserve this treasure for years to come. I urge an aye vote in support
of this legislation.
Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Peterson), committee member and also another
appropriator.
Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
Indiana for yielding me this time, and I would like to thank committee
and all those involved in bringing forward this heritage region omnibus
bill which includes the Oil Heritage Region bill. I come from the Oil
Valley where oil was discovered. In fact, I live 5 miles from Drake's
Well where the first oil well that produced oil, ever, in the world was
dug. Colonel Drake, in the middle of the 19th Century, came to
Titusville, and it was sort of Drake's folly. He was going to drill for
oil. They could not get the drilling rigs, and so they actually dug a
well 68 feet deep. And one would wonder why they chose that valley.
Because that creek was already Oil Creek that ran between Oil City and
Titusville, Titusville to Oil City, because that stream always had oil
on it. The gas pressure, the oil sand being only 68 feet below the
surface, oil was always oozing up into springs and small streams and
into Oil Creek; so it was always named Oil Creek because there was
always a scum of oil on Oil Creek. That valley changed the world. It
changed our whole transportation system. And here 150 years later, we
still use for vehicle oil, the same kind of oil that was discovered
back when Drake's oil was dug. It was the home base of all the major
oil companies. Every major oil company in this country has its roots in
Titusville and Oil City. Cities Service and Sunoco, all of those
started there. In my lifetime, the companies that used to be there,
Quaker State, Pennzoil, and Kendall, were the Penn-grade crude
refineries that remained because Pennsylvania-grade crude is a
paraffin-based crude, not an asphalt-based crude as in other parts of
the world.

[[Page H11458]]

I want to make sure that everyone realizes that the Oil Heritage Area
in no way threatens private property rights. There are those who
believe that a heritage area somehow is going to take away personal
private property rights. This legislation speaks clearly to that issue,
that those with private property will only be involved in the heritage
area if they so choose to. In our area, we have a lot of State land,
local land, and Federal properties that are a part of the area, and in
1994 the State started the State Oil Heritage Area, and we are now in
the process of making that the National Oil Heritage Area. Why do we
want to do that? It is about preserving the history of oil. The one
item that I say changed the world more than any other discovery,
except, maybe today, the computer, as we look at how the computer has
changed the world. Oil changed the whole world in how we travel, how we
manufacture. The industrial revolution came from it, and it all started
by Colonel Drake's digging a well in Titusville, Pennsylvania, Colonel
Drake's Well.
Drake Well Park is there. Oil Creek State Park is there. And Oil
Creek today is one of the finest fishing streams in Pennsylvania. Trout
and bass propagate there naturally. That is a sign of a pretty good
stream. And 150 years ago, that whole area was drilled, oil wells were
beside each other, and today it is a pristine State park and a
beautiful area, and we just want to tell the story of oil which we
think should be told and the whole world should be able to hear it.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, again, I urge my colleagues to support
this bill. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I thank all the sponsors of the bill that went into this historic
omnibus. It is very important that we preserve the natural sites but
also the tremendous history of our country, the oil, the National
Aviation Heritage out of Dayton. Alexander Hamilton's home and business
are still there in the Virgin Islands Heritage Area that we are looking
at. This is an important bill. I hope it receives unanimous support.
Ms. MAJETTE. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to be here today to discuss
Title five of H.R. 280, to establish The Arabia Mountain National
Heritage Area. Title five is the bill I previously introduced as H.R.
1618, which the committee agreed to incorporate into this larger bill.
I thank Chairman Pombo and Ranking Member Rahall and their staffs for
their hard work in bringing this bill to the floor today.
I also thank each of the cosponsors of the Arabia Mountain National
Heritage Area Act from Georgia for their hard work in this effort. This
has been a truly bipartisan endeavor, with 5 Democrat and 5 Republican
cosponsors from Georgia. I'd like to particularly recognize John Linder
for his leadership.
The Arabia Mountain legislation will conserve and protect the
natural, cultural, and historical resources of Georgia's granite
outcroppings. In addition, this legislation will provide residents and
visitors with the opportunity to preserve the wonders that Arabia
Mountain has to offer, and we look forward to sharing its history and
beauty with all Americans.
The Arabia Mountain Heritage Area is a living history lesson,
illustrating the long-standing interaction of human activity with a
unique landscape. Incredibly, there has been human settlement in this
location for close to 7,000 years. In that time, our relationship with
the land has grown and evolved in various ways.
The region encompassed within this Heritage Area is a suburb of
Atlanta--one of the fastest growing communities in the world.
Despite its proximity to Atlanta, one portion of the Heritage Area,
Panola Mountain, is pristine land untouched by development. And Panola
Mountain Conservation Park is a recognized National Landmark. The area
features unique granite outcroppings that are more than 400 million
years old. And Arabia Mountain itself is topped by endangered mosses
and lichens.
Beyond the natural beauty of the area is a rich cultural history that
began when Native Americans lived on these lands, and one that
continues today. Archaeological evidence indicates that Native
Americans quarried these soapstone and granite outcroppings more than
5,000 years ago.
The Heritage Area also includes a nature preserve, the last farm left
in what was once the biggest dairy farming area in the state, and
remnants of early American developments from the days of European
settlement.
By connection the proposed Heritage Area's natural, cultural and
historical resources through rivers, greenways and parks, this region
will rapidly become a popular recreation area for residents of the fast
growing metropolitan Atlanta area, as well as visitors from all over
America. This unique cultural and historical haven is a place Georgians
want to protect and will continue to enjoy.
I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing the important
combination of natural, cultural and historical resources in the Arabia
Mountain Heritage Area. I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R.
280.
Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to support H.R.
280, the National Aviation Heritage Area Act.
From the very earliest times, mankind fantasized about flying. Many
ancient cultures had their interpretation of this impossible dream,
including the Aztecs, the Mayans, and the Native American Indians. In
Ancient Greece, there was the story of Icarus, a man who fashioned
wings of wax and feathers and thus could fly. During the Renaissance
Leonardo da Vinci created highly detailed plans for flying machines.
Although mankind remained flightless for several thousands of years,
the dream never weakened. Finally, 100 years ago, next month, brothers,
Orville and Wilbur Wright, who owned a bicycle repair shop in Dayton,
Ohio built a flying machine they optimistically named the ``Flyer'' and
Dayton became the birthplace of modern aviation.
John Glenn and Neil Armstrong are two more fellow Ohioans, in the
tradition of Wright Brothers, that awed and inspired us as they changed
the world with their historic space flights--Glenn, the first American
to orbit the Earth and Armstrong, the first to walk on another
celestial body.
H.R. 280 will establish a National Heritage Area within the States of
Ohio and Indiana that will preserve our nation's aviation heritage by
providing the means necessary to protect historic aviation sites and
resources.
The Dayton Aviation Heritage Commission has raised awareness and
community support for H.R. 280. This legislation has the strong support
of local governments and communities throughout southwest Ohio, who
have an unwavering commitments to promoting and preserving the history
of aviation and its Ohio roots. This bill provides us with a unique
opportunity to expand historic aviation sites and protect an
extraordinary piece of the world's history.
The Members of Ohio's Congressional delegation have worked diligently
over the years to preserve and promote Dayton's aviation history, and
H.R. 280 is another important step. As an original co-sponsor of H.R.
280, I am proud to offer my support of this important legislation. I
would also like to thank Chairmen Dave Hobson and John Boehner for
their commitment and hard worked on this issue.
Along with the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson, the Dayton
Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, NASA Glen Research Center
and the National Aviation Hall of Fame, we have worked to preserve many
of aviations historical landmarks.
As a native of Dayton, Ohio I grew up surrounded by the history of
aviation. As we celebrate 100 years of powered flight, it is my great
privilege to offer my support to this important legislation to preserve
America's aviation heritage.
Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 280,
the National Aviation Heritage Area Act.
One hundred years ago, the Wright Brothers made Ohio the ``Birthplace
of Aviation.'' It was in their bicycle shop in Dayton that the Wright
Brothers researched and designed the first successful, heavier-than-
air, manned, powered aircraft. It was there in Dayton, on the Huffman
Flying Prairie, where the brothers learned to fly--where they learned
to control and maneuver their aircraft.
Today, the tradition of the Wright Brothers lives on in the Miami
Valley community. Engineers, scientists, and inventors continue to
research, develop, and test the latest advances in air power at the
Wright Patterson Air Force laboratories. At the Air Force Institute of
Technology, they learn the technical skills to build the aircraft of
the future. And at the United States Air Force Museum, three hangars
attest to the commitment the community has to preserve the history of
the Air Force and its contributions to the advancement of powered
flight.
In addition to the public sector efforts, the Miami Valley has been
fortunate to have numerous dedicated individuals and private
organizations who work to provide an educational and recreational
preservation of the area's aviation heritage.
In 2003, the 100th anniversary of Powered Flight, Ohioans have come
together in unprecedented ways to celebrate, preserve, and promote the
dream of Wilbur and Orville Wright. I can think of no better tribute to
their efforts than to establish this heritage area, and I am proud to
be an original co-sponsor of this bill.
In the Miami Valley, the legacy of aviation is celebrated for its
critical contributions to the

[[Page H11459]]

economy, to business and personal travel, and to our military. I join
my Miami Valley colleagues, Mr. Hobson and Mr. Turner, and other Ohio
Members in saluting our constituents' hard work in preserving a
nationally important story, a story which captures the dreams and
imagination of the young and old alike--the dream and the reality of
powered flight.
Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support
H.R. 280. This bill would establish a National Historic Site in
southwestern Pennsylvania to preserve parts of the former U.S. Steel
Homestead Works and educate the public about its importance.
The Homestead Works played an important role in America's economic
and industrial history. It was one of the largest and most productive
steel mills in the world 100 years ago. Assessing the historical
significance of the Homestead Works, New York Times writer William
Serrin observed:

Its products helped the nation move west, shaped its
skyline, bridged and dammed its waters, helped make it a
world naval power, and helped it enter the Space Age. When
the mill began, the nation's population was 51.5 million, the
Industrial Revolution was in its infancy, and America was
innocent and isolated; when the mill went down, the nation's
population was 250 million, the Industrial Revolution--based
on steel--had changed America and the rest of the world
irrevocably, and America was the world's dominant nation in
every imaginable way.

The Homestead Works and other steel mills nearby made the United
States the economic and military superpower it is today. As a result,
Pittsburgh is known for its steel industry around the world. I want to
make sure this nation and the world always remember the sacrifices made
by the workers who labored in the mills to give Pittsburgh this
distinction.
The history of the Homestead Works is much bigger than that of
Pittsburgh or even southwestern Pennsylvania--it reflects national
trends in industrial development, scientific innovation and
technological advancement, our labor and social history, our country's
diverse ethnic heritage, and the work ethic that characterizes this
nation.
The story of Homestead, its industrial and labor history, continues
to attract worldwide interest. The most well-known incident in
Homestead's history is the Battle of Homestead, where in 1982 steel
workers repulsed a force of Pinkerton detectives sent in to break their
strike. More than a hundred years later, the Battle of Homestead still
stands as one of the most compelling stories in the long history of the
labor movement in the United States.
The Homestead Works' Carrie Furnaces 6 and 7 are also sites of
national historical significance. They are rare examples of early
production techniques and turn-of-the-century technological advances.
These relics are the only remaining pre-World War II era blast furnaces
left in the Pittsburgh area, and they represent some of the most
important technological accomplishments of the American steel industry.
I believe that our nation has an obligation to preserve these unique
historical assets.
For nearly a decade I have been working with the Steel Industry
Heritage Corporation to preserve the Battle of Homestead site, Carrie
Furnaces 6 and 7, and the history of those who toiled there. The Steel
Industry Heritage Corporation has been successful in convincing the
property owner, the community, and the National Park Service to support
this initiative. The National Park Service recognizes the historical
significance of these sites and recently recommended that they be
preserved, in a National Historic Site, for future generations.
The legislation before us today would create a new National Historic
Site that would include Carrie Furnaces 6 and 7, the Hot Metal Bridge,
the Battle of Homestead site, and other historic parts of the Borough
of Homestead.
Mr. Speaker, approval of this legislation today will bring us one
step closer to the certainty that the remarkable history of the
Homestead Works will be remembered for generations to come. I want to
thank the Park Service for its work on this initiative, and I want to
commend Augie Carlino, President and CEO of the Steel Industry Heritage
Corporation, for working with me for many years to move this initiative
forward. Finally, I want to thank Chairman Pombo and Ranking Member
Rahall of the Resources Committee for working to bring this bill to the
House Floor today.
I urge my colleagues to support this very worthwhile legislation.
Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 280, 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
establish certain National Heritage Areas, and for other purposes.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

____________________