[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 66 (Thursday, April 24, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E728-E729]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         JOURNEY THROUGH HALLOWED GROUND NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 24, 2008

  Mr. WOLF. Madam Speaker, Pursuant to the Republican guidelines on 
earmarks, I submit the following statement for the Record regarding S. 
2739, the Consolidated National Resources Act, which includes the 
Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area.

       Requesting Member: Congressman Frank Wolf.
       Bill Number: S. 2739.
       Provision: Title II, Section 2010.
       Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Journey Through Hallowed 
     Ground Partnership.
       Address of Requesting Entity: P.O. Box 77, Waterford, VA 
     20197.
       Description of Request: The legislation authorizes the 
     appropriation of up to $1,000,000 a year for the purpose of 
     carrying out a management plan, which must first be approved

[[Page E729]]

     by the secretary of Interior. The management plan will 
     describe comprehensive policies, goals, strategies, and 
     recommendations for telling the story of the Journey Through 
     Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area and encouraging long-
     term resource protection, enhancement, interpretation, 
     funding, management, and development of the Area. The 
     authorization is limited to $15 million total. The 
     legislation also requires a non-federal cost share match for 
     each dollar contributed by the federal government. The 
     Partnership must also submit an annual report to the 
     secretary for each fiscal year for which the local 
     coordinating entity receives federal funds under this 
     subtitle, which specifies the performance goals and 
     accomplishments of the local coordinating entity and other 
     related information, including uses of funds and amounts of 
     non-federal funds leveraged in the effort. The Partnership is 
     authorized, for the purposes of preparing and implementing 
     the approved management plan for the National Heritage Area, 
     to use federal funds made available under the legislation to 
     make grants to political jurisdictions, nonprofit 
     organizations, and other parties within the National Heritage 
     Area; enter into cooperative agreements with or provide 
     technical assistance to political jurisdictions, nonprofit 
     organizations, federal agencies, and other interested 
     parties; hire and compensate staff, and other purposes 
     related to the national heritage area.
       The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership is the 
     designated local coordinating entity for this national 
     heritage area. The Partnership is comprised of over 150 
     partners, including every elected body within the four-state 
     region, including Virginia. West Virginia, Maryland and 
     Pennsylvania, the convention and visitor associations of each 
     of the included 15 counties, and the directors of tourism 
     from each of the four states.
       The legislation does not permit the Partnership to use any 
     federal funds provided under the Act to acquire any interest 
     in real property. In addition, Section 408 of the Act sets 
     forth numerous safeguards for private property and makes 
     unmistakably clear that nothing in the Act abridges the 
     rights of any property owner (whether public or private), 
     including the right to refrain from participating in any 
     plan, project, program, or activity conducted within the 
     National Heritage Area.

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