[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 23, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4970-S4971]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mr. Obama):
  S. 2985. A bill to establish the Land Between the Rivers National 
Heritage Area in the State of Illinois, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation to 
establish the Land Between the Rivers National Heritage Area in 
southern Illinois. I am pleased that my colleague, Senator Obama, is an 
original cosponsor of this legislation.
  The unique landscape of southern Illinois helped to shape the history 
of our Nation, from the Revolutionary War through the Civil War, from 
westward expansion to trade along the rivers. Designating this area a 
National Heritage Area will help to provide assistance in both the 
conservation and historic preservation of southern Illinois and many 
areas that influenced events in our Nation's history.
  The name ``Land Between the Rivers'' was a phrase first used by 
Native Americans to describe the area covered by this bill. It includes 
17 counties in the southernmost region of Illinois located between the 
Mississippi and the Ohio Rivers and between the Mississippi and Wabash 
Rivers. Native Americans arrived in southern Illinois about 10,000 
years ago and formed the largest settlement north of the Mayan/Aztec 
civilization.
  The arrival of the Europeans, including French, British and Spanish 
explorers, began a period of settlements and fortifications in the 
area. The Spanish first explored the Mississippi River in 1542, 
followed by the French in 1673.

[[Page S4971]]

The French founded Cahokia in 1699 and Kaskaskia in 1703. While the 
British occupied much of the area after the French and Indian War and 
the Treaty of Paris in 1762, British control of the area lasted only 
until the onset of the Revolutionary War. In 1778 and 1779, George 
Rogers Clarke and a group of about 200 men forced the British out of 
the area and captured the British occupied Fort Cahokia and Fort 
Sackville at Vincennes.
  Southern Illinois's central location made the area a hotbed of racial 
issues as well as a pivotal point militarily, socially and politically 
during the Civil War. As the southernmost slavery-free location, 
southern Illinois, and particularly Cairo and the surrounding area, was 
the destination of numerous runaway slaves. As the Civil War 
approached, thousands of African-Americans fled to southern Illinois, 
seeking the help of southern Illinois abolitionists such as Benajah 
Guernesy Roots. During the Civil War the Union Army maintained its 
southernmost point of operations in southern Illinois with BG Ulysses 
S. Grant headquartered in Cairo. Southern Illinois is also the home to 
numerous victories of the Union Army along the Mississippi River. The 
inland Union Navy came through to defeat the Confederate forces 
culminating in the capture of Vicksburg in July 1863.
  Finally, this area of southern Illinois has tremendous historical 
significance in the transport of trade goods along the Mississippi 
River. The oldest Illinois town, Shawneetown, was once the most 
important entry port on the Ohio River. Steamboat transport flourished 
in the early part of the 19th century with more tonnage on the 
Mississippi and Ohio Rivers than on the Atlantic coast. Towns such as 
Chester, Elizabethtown, Cairo, Metropolis, and Golconda were created 
during the steamboat era.
  The legislation I am introducing today, would call for Southern 
Illinois University Carbondale to be designated as the management 
entity for the Land Between the Rivers National Heritage Area.
  The unique natural history of southern Illinois combined with its 
historical and cultural features are making it an important 
contribution to tourism in Illinois. Creating the Land Between the 
Rivers National Heritage Area will provide the ability to connect the 
entire region into one cohesive historic unit in which the places and 
events of the past can be united to provide the full story of southern 
Illinois's influence in the shaping of our Nation.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2985

       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 ``Land Between the Rivers 
     Southern Illinois National Heritage Area Act of 2006''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) southern Illinois has a cohesive, distinctive, and 
     important landscape that distinguishes the area as worthy of 
     designation as a National Heritage Area;
       (2) the historic features of southern Illinois reflect a 
     period during which the area was the strategic convergence 
     point during the westward expansion of the United States;
       (3) the geographic centrality of southern Illinois ensured 
     that the area played a pivotal military, social, and 
     political role during the Civil War, which resulted in the 
     area being known as the ``Confluence of Freedom'';
       (4) southern Illinois is at the junction of the ending 
     glaciers and 6 ecological divisions;
       (5) after the expeditions of Lewis and Clark, the land 
     between the rivers became known as ``Egypt'' because of the 
     rivers in, and the beauty and agricultural abundance of, the 
     area;
       (6) Native Americans described the area in southern 
     Illinois between the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers as the 
     ``Land Between the Rivers'';
       (7) a feasibility study led by the Office of Economic and 
     Regional Development at Southern Illinois University 
     Carbondale that was revised in April 2006 documents a 
     sufficient assemblage of nationally distinctive historic 
     resources to demonstrate the feasibility of, and the need 
     for, establishing the Land Between the Rivers National 
     Heritage Area; and
       (8) stakeholders participating in the feasibility study 
     process for the Heritage Area have developed a proposed 
     management entity and financial plan to preserve the natural, 
     cultural, historic, and scenic features of the area while 
     furthering recreational and educational opportunities in the 
     area.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Heritage area.--The term ``Heritage Area'' means the 
     Land Between the Rivers National Heritage Area established by 
     section 4(a).
       (2) Management entity.--The term ``management entity'' 
     means the management entity for the Heritage Area designated 
     by section 4(c).
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (4) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Illinois.

     SEC. 4. LAND BETWEEN THE RIVERS NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.

       (a) Establishment.--There is established in the State the 
     Land Between the Rivers National Heritage Area.
       (b) Boundaries.--The Heritage Area shall include--
       (1) Kincaid Mound, Fort de Chartres, Kaskaskia, Fort 
     Massac, Wilkinsonville Contonment, the Lewis and Clark 
     Sculpture, Flat Boat, Cave-in-Rock, the Shawneetown Bank 
     Building, the Iron Furnace, the Crenshaw ``Slave House,'' 
     Roots House, the site of the Lincoln-Douglas debate, certain 
     sites associated with John A. Logan, the Fort Defiance 
     Planning Map, Mound City National Cemetary, and Riverlore 
     Mansion; and
       (2) any other sites in Randolph, Perry, Jefferson, 
     Franklin, Hamilton, White, Jackson, Williamson, Saline, 
     Gallatin, Union, Johnson, Pope, Hardin, Alexander, Pulaski, 
     and Massac Counties in the State that the Secretary, in 
     consultation with the management entity, determine to be 
     appropriate for inclusion in the Heritage Area.
       (c) Management Entity.--The management entity for the 
     Heritage Area shall be the Southern Illinois University 
     Carbondale.

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