[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 64 (Monday, May 16, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H3283-H3286]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           UPPER HOUSATONIC VALLEY NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA ACT

  Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 938) to establish the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage 
Area in the State of Connecticut and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 
and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 938

       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 ``Upper Housatonic Valley 
     National Heritage Area Act''.

     SEC. 2. 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 Act 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. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Heritage area.--The term ``Heritage Area'' means the 
     Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area, established 
     in section 4.
       (2) Management entity.--The term ``Management Entity'' 
     means the management entity for the Heritage Area designated 
     by section 4(d).
       (3) Management plan.--The term ``Management Plan'' means 
     the management plan for the Heritage Area specified in 
     section 6.
       (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. 4. 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. 5. 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 6;
       (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 Act, 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 Act, 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 Act to--
       (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

[[Page H3284]]

     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 Act 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. 6. 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 Act.
       (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 Act until such time as the 
     management plan is submitted to the Secretary.

     SEC. 7. 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 Act to implement any amendments 
     until the Secretary has approved the amendments.

     SEC. 8. 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 Act 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. 9. 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. 10. PRIVATE PROPERTY PROTECTION.

       (a) Access to Private Property.--Nothing in this Act 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 Act 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 Act 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 Act 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. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated for 
     the purposes of this Act 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 Act.
       (b) Matching Funds.--Federal funding provided under this 
     Act may not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of any 
     assistance or grant provided or authorized under this Act.

     SEC. 12. SUNSET.

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

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Renzi) and the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi).


                             General Leave

  Mr. RENZI. 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 H.R. 938, the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arizona?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 938, introduced by the gentlewoman from Connecticut 
(Mrs. Johnson), and amended by the Committee on Resources, contains 
four titles. However, all four titles passed this House in the 108th 
Congress.
  Title I would establish the Upper Housatonic National Heritage Area 
in the State of Connecticut and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It 
would

[[Page H3285]]

preserve the area's contributions in literature, art, music, 
architecture, iron and paper, and its electrical equipment industries.
  Title II amends the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage 
Corridor Act in order to transition their management authority from a 
Federal commission to a nonprofit organization, which is in line with 
more recent Heritage Area management.
  Title III would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 
suitability and feasibility study of establishing the St. Croix 
National Heritage Area in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
  Title IV would establish the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage 
Area across three counties within the State of New Mexico to 
commemorate the unique combination of cultures, languages, folk arts, 
customs, and architecture associated with the Spanish colonization of 
New Mexico, beginning as far back as 1598.
  I urge adoption of this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  (Mr. UDALL of New Mexico asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on H.R. 
938. The majority has explained the pieces of this package. As the 
sponsor of the legislation comprising title IV, I would like to focus 
my remarks on the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area, which 
will be designated in the State of New Mexico.
  I introduced this legislation earlier this year. A companion bill in 
the Senate, introduced by New Mexico's two Senators, currently awaits a 
vote on the floor of that body. In the 107th Congress, identical 
language passed the House unanimously. I am obviously pleased that 
today we, once again, have the opportunity to move closer to making 
this bill a law so New Mexicans can take additional steps to preserve 
and learn from our rich history.
  The establishment of the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area 
is a citizen-driven effort to protect the remaining significant 
resources representative of the Spanish and Pueblo colonial era in 
north-central New Mexico. The bill identifies the northern New Mexico 
counties of Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Taos as a National Heritage Area, 
an elite designation from Congress reserved for areas regarded as 
significant resources.
  Northern New Mexico boasts many sites of historic and cultural 
significance. Our State is a blend of Pueblo and Hispanic cultures, 
making it a very unique and special place in our country. This 
legislation would identify many of the sites that tell northern New 
Mexico's story, help preserve them and, in the process, allow them to 
be more thoroughly enjoyed by New Mexicans and visitors to our State. 
Preservation would directly lead to economic development of this area 
through enhanced tourism.
  Title IV creates a nonprofit corporation governed by a 25-member 
board of trustees charged with developing a management plan for the 
heritage area. The board will be comprised of representatives from the 
State, affected counties, tribes, cities, and others. The corporation's 
plan would include recommendations for identifying, conserving and 
preserving cultural, historical and natural resources within the 
heritage area, along with strategies to promote tourism of the region's 
natural and cultural assets.
  The city of Espanola, the city of Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, Rio 
Arriba County, Taos County, La Jicarita Enterprise Community, the 
Chimayo Cultural Preservation Association, and the Eight Northern 
Pueblos support the Northern Rio Grande Heritage Area.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve my time.
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Olver).
  Mr. OLVER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Mexico for 
yielding time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 938, but I will confine 
my remarks to title I of the bill which would establish the Upper 
Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area in Connecticut and 
Massachusetts.
  Let me start by thanking the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. 
Johnson) for her persistence, her diligence, and her hard work on this 
legislation. 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. The study establishes 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. 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, 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 in 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.
  Elizabeth Mumbet Freeman is a person my colleagues may not be 
familiar with today, but her role in our national history is rightfully 
recognized in the newly reopened National Archives exhibit, Charters of 
Freedom.

                              {time}  1515

  A slave from Sheffield, Massachusetts, Mumbet sued in Massachusetts 
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 in the University of 
Massachusetts in Amherst.
  As I hoped to highlight for you 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.
  Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H.R. 938, a bill to establish the Upper Housatonic Valley National 
Heritage Area Act. 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 literacy, artistic, 
musical, and architectural achievements, its iron, paper, and 
electrical equipment industries and its scenic beautification and 
environmental conservation efforts.
  I would like to thank Chairman Pombo and the Resources Committee for 
bringing this legislation forward and for recognizing that through this 
broad, flexible and locally led initiative, the States of Connecticut 
and Massachusetts will be able to make real progress in protecting the 
river and its heritage. The heritage area has broad support throughout 
the region, from historic and civic organizations, local businesses and 
governments, and our State governments have expressed strong support 
for the establishment of a National Heritage Area and are enthusiastic 
about the potential for celebration and preservation of the heritage. 
It also has inspired the development of a local organization that has 
already begun hosting hiking events and historic visits.
  Congress established criteria in our 2000 legislation that clarifies 
that designation requires a cultural, natural and historical heritage 
of national significance, must have broad public support and a 
qualified entity to manage the Area. The Park Service agreed that the 
Upper Housatonic Valley meets the Department's ten interim criteria for 
designation of a national heritage area and cite us as the best example 
of how to go about becoming a National Heritage Area.
  The Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area would extend from 
Lanesboro, Massachusetts, 60 miles South to Kent, Connecticut. This 
region of New England was

[[Page H3286]]

home to the Nation's first industrial iron sites from the 1730s to the 
1920s. The first blast furnace was built in 1762 by Ethan Allen and 
supplied the iron for the cannons that helped George Washington's army 
to make other weapons for soldiers of the Revolutionary army. While 
most of the furnaces, mine sites and charcoal pits have been lost to 
development and time, the few that remain are in need of refurbishment. 
The Beckley Furnace in Canaan, Connecticut, was designated an official 
project by the Millennium Committee to Save America's Treasures and now 
has been well restored.
  The Valley's history as a cultural retreat from the Boston and New 
York areas provides both past and current riches for the country. Since 
the 1930s visitors from all over have come to hear the music at 
Tanglewood, Music Mountain and Norfolk, see the paintings at the Norman 
Rockwell Museum, watch serious theater at Stockbridge and musical 
treats at Sharon. Today's local authors draw on a long tradition going 
back to the 19th century, when Herman Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne and 
Edith Wharton lived and wrote here.
  The Housatonic Valley is also rich with environmental and 
recreational treasures. The Housatonic River, just below Falls Village, 
Connecticut, is one of the prized fly-fishing centers in the Northeast 
and is enjoyed by fisherman from not only Connecticut and Massachusetts 
but the entire eastern seaboard. Olympic rowers have trained in this 
river as children have learned to swim, boat and fish and value its 
ecosystem. The Upper Housatonic Area, with its remoteness from, but 
ties to large cities, occupy a special niche in our national culture 
and I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 938, to 
establish the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area in 
Connecticut and Massachusetts. I am particularly pleased that Title 2 
of the bill includes legislation I sponsored in the last Congress and 
again in this Congress to provide for a study of the suitability and 
feasibility of establishing my home island of St. Croix as a National 
Heritage Area was also included in this package.
  I want to begin by thanking Chairman Richard Pombo and Ranking Member 
Nick Rahall for their support in including my bill in H.R. 938.
  Mr. Speaker, I can think of no more fitting place that should be 
studied for possible designation as a national Heritage Area than my 
home island of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. The island of St. Croix 
has a long, distinguished, and varied history, including being the site 
where Christopher Columbus first stepped onto what is now American 
soil. There is significant interest in preserving and enhancing the 
natural, historical and cultural resources of the island on a 
cooperative basis and such a study would provide guidance on how we can 
best achieve those purposes.
  Even though each one of the four major islands of the U.S. Islands 
Virgin Islands can make a good case for designation as a National 
Heritage Area, the island of St. Croix with its two historic towns--
Christiansted built in 1734 and Frederiksted built in 1752--is richly 
blessed with all of the attributes that would justify this designation.
  The towns historic architecture matured over a 100-year period. The 
town of Christiansted is one of the finest examples of Danish 
architectural designs in this hemisphere. Its history can be traced 
back some 4,000 years to 2500 B.C. It is also the place where one of 
our founding fathers and first Treasury Secretary, Alexander Hamilton, 
lived and worked during his formative years.
  In 1493, Columbus arrived at what is now the Salt River National 
Historic Park and Ecological Preserve, making it the only site under 
the American flag where his men went ashore, as well as the first 
recorded hostile encounter between Europeans and Native Americans.
  Frederiksted has the distinction of having been the first 
jurisdiction to have raised its flag in salute of the new Republic of 
the U.S.A., and indeed the first designed flag was done by a resident 
of that Island.
  Mr. Speaker, I can go on and on about the many unique and significant 
features of the island of St. Croix, but in the interest of time I 
would say that this is the third time that we would have passed this 
bill in the House and sent it to the other body and I hope that the 
third time will be the charm. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 938.
  Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for H.R. 
938. Among its provisions, H.R. 938 incorporates bill language from 
H.R. 1820 which reauthorizes the Illinois and Michigan, I & M, Canal 
National Heritage Corridor to receive appropriations and transfers 
management entity status from the now defunct federal, I & M Commission 
to the non-profit Canal Corridor Association. I would like to commend 
Chairman Pombo and the House Committee on Resources for their hard work 
on this important piece of legislation.
  The I & M Canal changed the Nation in 1848 when it opened the first 
shipping route between New York and New Orleans, designating Chicago as 
the Nation's greatest inland port. While the canal eventually fell into 
disuse due to new transportation methods and routes, in 1982 business 
and industry leaders founded the Canal Corridor Association to help 
revitalize the I & M Canal region, and in doing so, created a national 
model for regional partnership, conservation and renewal. I am proud to 
say that the I & M Canal National Heritage Corridor was America's 
charter National Heritage area, being created by an act of Congress in 
1984. For 20 years, the Federal I & M Commission has worked to carry 
out the mission of the I & M Canal National Heritage Corridor. Its 
efforts have been particularly successful during the past 5 years that 
Phyllis Ellin has provided strong leadership as the Executive Director 
of the Commission.
  Since 1984, the I & M Canal National Heritage Corridor has 
increasingly become an engine of economic growth in communities up and 
down the length of the Corridor; primarily through an increase in 
tourism but also in the use of the Corridor for recreational purposes. 
After consulting with local officials and those most interested and 
involved in the I & M Canal, it seems that the private sector approach 
offers more advantages to handle the increased work load brought on by 
the recent success of the canal and interest in heritage tourism.
  As a result, H.R. 938 designates the Canal Corridor Association, CCA, 
as the new management entity of the I & M Canal National Heritage 
Corridor. The CCA seeks to enhance economic vitality by raising 
awareness of and expanding the parks, trails, landscapes, and historic 
sites that make the I & M Canal region a special place. They have also 
successfully implemented education programs and improved the cultural, 
environmental, historic and tourism resources that the canal offers.
  Under the leadership of Ana Koval I am firmly convinced that the CCA, 
through their governance of the I & M Canal, will continue to 
successfully educated citizens of the nationally historical importance 
of the I & M Canal and to play a pivotal role in the continued economic 
redevelopment of the region.
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, having no additional requests 
for time, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren of California). The 
question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. 
Renzi) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 938, 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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