[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16699-16702]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                 OIL REGION NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA ACT

  Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and pass the bill (H.R. 695) to establish the Oil Region National 
Heritage Area, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 695

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; DEFINITIONS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Oil Region 
     National Heritage Area Act''.

[[Page 16700]]

       (b) Definitions.--For the purposes of this Act, the 
     following definitions shall apply:
       (1) Heritage area.--The term ``Heritage Area'' means the 
     Oil Region National Heritage Area established in section 
     3(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. 2. 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 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 Act 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. 3. 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 5(b).

     SEC. 4. COMPACT.

       To carry out the purposes of this Act, 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. 5. AUTHORITIES AND DUTIES OF MANAGEMENT
                   ENTITY.

       (a) Authorities of the Management Entity.--The management 
     entity may use funds made available under this Act 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) recommends policies for resource management which 
     consider and detail application of appropriate land and water 
     management techniques, including, but not limited to, the 
     development of intergovernmental and interagency cooperative 
     agreements to protect the Heritage Area's historical, 
     cultural, recreational, and natural resources in a manner 
     consistent with supporting appropriate and compatible 
     economic viability;
       (7) 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;
       (8) includes an analysis of ways in which local, State, and 
     Federal programs, including the role for the National Park 
     Service in the Heritage Area, may best be coordinated to 
     promote the purposes of this Act;
       (9) lists any revisions to the boundaries of the Heritage 
     Area proposed by the management entity and requested by the 
     affected local government; and
       (10) 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 Act.
       (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 Act.
       (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, consistent, and environmentally 
     appropriate 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 
     Act;
       (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 Act to acquire real property or an interest in real 
     property.

     SEC. 6. 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 Act, including updating and 
     implementing a management plan that is submitted under 
     section 5(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 Act (including 
     updating and implementing a management plan that is submitted 
     under section 5(b) and approved by the Secretary and, prior 
     to such approval, providing assistance for initiatives), upon 
     the request of the management entity the Secretary

[[Page 16701]]

     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 
     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 Act 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 5(b) 
     that make substantial changes. Funds appropriated under this 
     Act 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. 7. 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 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 that the management entity 
     determines shall not have an adverse effect on the Heritage 
     Area.

     SEC. 8. SUNSET.

       The Secretary may not make any grant or provide any 
     assistance under this Act after the expiration of the 15-year 
     period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 9. USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS FROM OTHER SOURCES.

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

     SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
     carry out this Act--
       (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 Act 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 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Peterson) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands 
(Mrs. Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Peterson).
  Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  I am delighted to be here today to discuss H.R. 695, The Oil Region 
National Heritage Area. I would first like to thank the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Hansen) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley) and 
their staff for their hard work in bringing this bill to the floor 
today. This legislation is vital to protect and conserve natural, 
cultural, and historical resources of national significance, while 
recognizing one of the single most influential resources of the modern 
era.
  The 1859 event of Colonel Edwin Drake's drilling of the world's first 
successful oil well has had a tremendous effect on the modern world. 
The commercial history of petroleum in the United States begins at 
Drake Well located along Oil Creek near Titusville, Pennsylvania, in 
fact, 5 miles from my home. The tools, the terminology, and the 
transportation and financial and extraction processes of the oil 
industry were developed here in the latter part of the 19th century and 
are still used today. Oil and petroleum products have transformed the 
world, including the automobile, the industrial revolution, and the 
creation of petroleum-based products such as plastics.
  Oil has been recognized as a potentially significant substance long 
before Drake's Well called the attention of the world to this corner of 
Northwestern Pennsylvania. Many accounts of the Allegheny valleys and 
its tributaries tell of springs and streams whose surfaces were covered 
with a thick, oily substance. Because of this, the Oil Creek Valley was 
so named even before Drake's well. In addition, Native Americans of the 
Seneca tribe gathered and traded oil, giving rise to the name ``Seneca 
Oil.'' About 1847, a Pennsylvanian named Sam Keir devised a way to 
distill petroleum into lamp fuel which he called ``carbon fuel.'' The 
discovery of oil caused a stampede of people, with whole towns and 
hundreds of new oil wells quickly appearing.
  Familiar words and meanings in the American language originated or 
were adopted for use in this territory: wildcatter, bird dog, gusher, 
pay dirt, shooter, and cash on the barrel head. Heroes and villains, 
enormous wealth, tragedies, violence, and environmental degradation are 
part of this story.
  Forests were clear-cut to provide railroad ties and material to build 
oil derricks, bridges and buildings. Early black and white pictures 
show a de-neutered landscape devoid of any trees or foliage. Part of 
the story that visitors learn about when they visit the current area of 
the Oil Heritage Park includes the degradation and restoration of the 
forests. Now, the visitors can see vistas of restored forests, creeks, 
and ecosystems. When I was a boy, you could not swim in many of these 
streams. Now we have some of the best trout and bass fishing in the 
East. I am grateful technology has improved over the years so that we 
can manage our natural resources in a way that is beneficial to all.
  The creation of the Oil Region National Heritage Area enjoys 
widespread support from local citizens, governments, and businesses. 
Last year, the National Park Service testified about their reluctance 
to create this heritage area. However, at my urging, they agreed to 
conduct a feasibility study. The team went into this study with 
trepidation; however, they came away supportive and enthusiastic about 
the creation of the Oil Region National Heritage Area.
  In February, we conducted two town hall meetings where elected 
officials, community leaders, businesses and concerned citizens met to 
discuss the merits of the national designation. No negative comments 
were voiced concerning the creation of the Oil Region National Heritage 
Area. Sixty-eight people attended the meetings and every person who 
commented spoke favorably. As my colleagues can see, Mr. Speaker, this 
endeavor was founded with true grassroots support.
  Today, Pennsylvania is no longer a major contributor in U.S. oil 
production; however, hundreds of active wells still dot the landscape. 
Oil Creek and its tributaries now run clear. Hillsides that once were 
oil soaked and clear-cut now exist as mature forests. All of the major 
oil companies have their roots here, including Sunoco, Standard Oil, 
Pennzoil, Quaker State, and Texaco. Oil fueled the industrial 
revolution and modernized America's transportation system. It is vital 
that we preserve and enhance the area that is called ``the valley that 
changed the world,'' the birthplace of commercial petroleum.

[[Page 16702]]

  Through the establishment of the Oil Region National Heritage Area, 
we are allowing this great story to be told through maintenance of 
exhibits, restoration of buildings, and the development of educational 
and recreational opportunities. I would like to thank the cosponsors of 
H.R. 695, including my good friend, the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
(Mr. Murtha), a neighbor. In fact, the majority of the Pennsylvania 
delegation supports the creation of the Oil Region National Heritage 
Area, and I would like to thank them as well. This bill is supported by 
the majority and minority party of the Committee on Resources as well 
as the administration. It is indeed now time to recognize the national 
significance of this great region by designating the Oil Region as a 
National Heritage Area. I hope my colleagues will want to recognize the 
important contribution that oil has made to the world as we know it by 
voting to pass H.R. 695, the Oil Region National Heritage Area. I urge 
all of my colleagues to support H.R. 695, as amended.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation would establish a new national heritage 
area in Pennsylvania. The purpose of the new designation would be to 
commemorate the first successful efforts to drill for oil in the mid-
19th century and to preserve historical and cultural resources of the 
time. The area included in this new designation is already home to six 
national historic districts and 17 sites listed on the National 
Register of Historic Places.
  Similar legislation in the previous Congress raised some concern 
because, at the time, no study of the area to be included in this new 
designation had been conducted. In addition, the administration raised 
several technical issues regarding the bill. However, since that time, 
a study has been completed and the area was found to be appropriate for 
this type of designation. Further, the sponsor of the bill has made the 
changes suggested by the administration and, with those changes, we 
join the administration in supporting H.R. 695.

                              {time}  1415

  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Isakson). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Peterson) that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 695, 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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