[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 114 (Tuesday, September 21, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H7262-H7263]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
WESTERN RESERVE HERITAGE AREAS STUDY ACT
Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3257) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct
a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing
the Western Reserve Heritage Area, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 3257
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Western Reserve Heritage
Areas Study Act''.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE STUDY REGARDING THE WESTERN
RESERVE, OHIO.
(a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
(1) The area that encompasses the modern-day counties of
Trumbull, Mahoning, Ashtabula, Portage, Geagua, Lake,
Cuyahoga, Summit, Medina, Huron, Lorain, Erie, Ottawa, and
Ashland in Ohio with the rich history in what was once the
Western Reserve, has made a unique contribution to the
cultural, political and industrial development of the United
States.
(2) The Western Reserve is distinctive as the land settled
by the people of Connecticut after the Revolutionary War. The
Western Reserve holds a unique mark as the original
wilderness land of the West that many settlers migrated to in
order to begin life outside of the original 13 colonies.
(3) The Western Reserve played a significant role in
providing land to the people of Connecticut whose property
and land was destroyed during the Revolution. These settlers
were descendants of the brave immigrants who came to the
Americas in the 17th century.
(4) The Western Reserve offered a new destination for those
who moved west in search of land and prosperity. The
agricultural and industrial base that began in the Western
Reserve still lives strong in these prosperous and historical
counties.
(5) The heritage of the Western Reserve remains transfixed
in the counties of Trumbull, Mahoning, Ashtabula, Portage,
Geagua, Lake, Cuyahoga, Summit, Medina, Huron, Lorain, Erie,
Ottawa, and Ashland in Ohio. The people of these counties are
proud of their heritage as shown through the unwavering
attempts to preserve agricultural land and the industrial
foundation that has been embedded in this region since the
establishment of the Western Reserve. Throughout these
counties, historical sites, and markers preserve the unique
traditions and customs of its original heritage.
(6) The counties that encompass the Western Reserve
continue to maintain a strong connection to its historic past
as seen through its preservation of its local heritage,
including historic homes, buildings, and centers of public
gatherings.
(7) There is a need for assistance for the preservation and
promotion of the significance of the Western Reserve as the
natural, historic and cultural heritage of the counties of
Trumbull, Mahoning, Ashtabula, Portage, Geagua, Lake,
Cuyahoga, Summit, Medina, Huron, Lorain, Erie, Ottawa and
Ashland in Ohio.
(8) The Department of the Interior is responsible for
protecting the Nation's cultural and historical resources.
There are significant examples of such resources within these
counties and what was once the Western Reserve to merit the
involvement of the Federal Government in the development of
programs and projects, in cooperation with the State of Ohio
and other local governmental entities, to adequately
conserve, protect, and interpret this heritage for future
generations, while providing opportunities for education and
revitalization.
(b) Study.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall, in consultation with
the State of Ohio, the counties of Trumbull, Mahoning,
Ashtabula, Portage, Geagua, Lake, Cuyahoga, Summit, Medina,
Huron, Lorain, Erie, Ottawa, and Ashland, and other
appropriate organizations, carry out a study regarding the
suitability and feasibility of establishing the Western
Reserve Heritage Area in these counties in Ohio.
(2) Contents.--The study shall include analysis and
documentation regarding whether the Study Area--
(A) 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;
(B) reflects traditions, customs, beliefs, and folklife
that are a valuable part of the national story;
(C) provides outstanding opportunities to conserve natural,
historic, cultural, or scenic features;
(D) provides outstanding recreational and educational
opportunities;
(E) contains resources important to the identified theme or
themes of the Study Area that retain a degree of integrity
capable of supporting interpretation;
(F) 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 for all participants,
including the Federal Government, and have demonstrated
support for the concept of a national heritage area;
(G) 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;
(H) has a conceptual boundary map that is supported by the
public; and
(I) has potential or actual impact on private property
located within or abutting the Study Area.
(c) Boundaries of the Study Area.--The Study Area shall be
comprised of the counties of Trumbull, Mahoning, Ashtabula,
Portage, Geagua, Lake, Cuyahoga, Summit, Medina, Huron,
Lorain, Erie, Ottawa, and Ashland in Ohio.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Mexico (Mr. Pearce) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs.
Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce).
General Leave
Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which 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 New Mexico?
There was no objection.
Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3257 sponsored by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Ryan) and amended by the Committee on Resources would authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the
suitability and feasibility of establishing the Western Reserve
Heritage Area. The proposed study area under this bill would encompass
14 modern-day counties in Ohio which throughout history have made a
unique contribution to the cultural, political and industrial
development of the United States.
The Western Reserve is every bit as distinctive as the land settled
by the people of Connecticut after the Revolutionary War and holds a
unique mark as the original wilderness in the West that many settlers
migrated to in order to begin life outside the original 13 colonies.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3257, as amended, is supported by the majority and
minority of the committee and by the administration. I urge adoption of
this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, our system of national heritage areas, created over the
last two decades, has been enormously successful. These are grassroots
projects that leverage limited Federal support to develop locally
funded and managed conservation and preservation programs.
Areas rich in historic and scenic resources but which might not
qualify for inclusion in the National Park System receive the funding
they need through the National Heritage Area Program. H.R. 3257 will
authorize a study to determine whether or not the area in Ohio once
known as the Western Reserve would qualify as a National Heritage Area.
Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan) is to be commended
for his tireless efforts on behalf of the communities that would be
included in this new area. The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan) is a
freshman member of this body, but he is already demonstrating a
willingness to go to bat for communities in need of the kind of Federal
support the Heritage Area Program can provide. We look forward to
working with him to create the Western Reserve Heritage Area should the
study we are authorizing today support such a move.
The gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) and I congratulate the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan) on this important legislation, and I
urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3257.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Ohio (Mr. Ryan).
{time} 1445
Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding
me this time. And I would also like to take this opportunity to thank
the gentleman from California (Chairman Pombo) for the opportunity to
do this study.
This is a tremendous opportunity for our community. We have had a ton
of
[[Page H7263]]
issues in Northern Ohio and in Northeastern Ohio, and I would like to
just thank the chairman for giving me an opportunity to help us try to
redefine our community. I would also like to thank the gentleman from
West Virginia (Mr. Rahall), ranking member, who has been a tremendous
help and support in guidance and his counsel over the past couple of
years since I have been in Congress on a variety of issues, but this
one in particular. I would also like to thank Jim Zoia on his staff for
helping us with the day-to-day operations. I would also like to thank
Jennifer Moore on my staff and my chief of staff, Mary Anne Walsh, for
their help in making this happen.
The Western Reserve, as has been stated already, was the original
West. There were many people from the American Revolution who were
forced out of their houses and their homes over into the West, just
west of Pennsylvania into Northern Ohio, and it was 14 original
counties that are still there today; and there have been significant
changes. But since 1792, this area has always represented a place that
was indicative, I think, of the American spirit, and the people who
were there were very industrious, and they came there with that spirit;
and we have had enormous success.
The Western Reserve has been the leader and has showed great progress
since 1792. It has been the foundation of the steel industry. It has
been the rubber capital of the world. It had the first African American
newspaper. It has the oldest labor newspaper. In the last 25 or 30
years or so, this area has had some great challenges. With the
decimation, really, of the steel industry in the United States of
America, this area took a great fall, and there have been enormous
challenges throughout the whole manufacturing sector in these 14
counties, which I think makes this legislation that much more
significant because we need to preserve what I believe to be the real
history of these communities, a history of progress, a history of
economic progress, a history of participation in the social justice
aspects of our society.
And I think it is important for us through this heritage corridor to
communicate to our children and to our grandchildren that they come
from an area that once led the world in the economic and social arenas.
This is the area for the first electric street car, the first Warner
Brothers film. The first Packard car was produced in this area; the
baseball score card; and one of my favorites, the hot dog, was invented
in the old Connecticut Western Reserve; also, the American trucking
industry.
And we want our children to know that they come from a place that had
three Presidents, President Garfield, President McKinley, President
Hayes; three United States Supreme Court justices; Thomas Edison; John
Brown the great abolitionist. And the success of our future depends on
our understanding of the past. As the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr.
Rahall) said, this heritage corridor in many instances throughout this
country provides the economic engine for rebirth of an area, and that
is exactly what we need.
We are working on regionalization in Northeast Ohio, and we cannot
just have economic regionalization. We need the cultural and historic
preservations and have all the groups in our community working
together, and this is the rallying point for our community.
So I want to thank, again, the chairman. I want to thank the
gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) for helping us improve the
quality of life in our community. I would like to thank the gentleman
from New Mexico, as well, because I think if these kids and our
grandkids know that they come from this stock of Presidents and
inventors and entrepreneurs and scientists and many others who have
contributed to the economic progress of our country and the social
justice of our country that they will be inspired to continue this
proud tradition.
Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, as the Ranking Democratic Member of the
Resources Committee, it is a pleasure and privilege to have H.R. 3257,
sponsored by our esteemed colleague from Ohio, Tim Ryan, be considered
on the floor today.
The dramatic tapestry of our Nation's cultural heritage is one which
many of us are seeking to preserve for the benefit of not just current,
but future generations, in the form of National Heritage Areas. We do
this not just for educational or inspirational purposes, but also,
because heritage areas are engines for economic development.
While the measure pending before us today is the logical first step,
an authorization of a feasibility study for a proposed Western Reserve
Heritage Area, I am confident that once completed, it will find that
this particular region of Ohio deserves national recognition for the
special cultural and historic resources values it contains. And when
that day arrives, it will be a tribute to the untiring dedication and
hard work of Representative Tim Ryan.
Indeed, although a freshman Member of this body, Tim Ryan has already
garnered a reputation as a fighter for the people of the 17th District
of Ohio. The bill we are considering today is reflective of their good
judgment in sending a person such as Tim Ryan to Congress to represent
them.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3257.
Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for his
comments, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Boozman). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3257, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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