[Senate Report 109-3]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 10
109th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 109-3
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ARABIA MOUNTAIN NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA ACT
_______
February 16, 2005.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Domenici, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 200]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the bill (S. 200) to establish the Arabia Mountain
National Heritage Area in the State of Georgia, and for other
purposes, reports favorably thereon with amendment and
recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.
The amendment is as follows:
On page 4, strike lines 21 through 23 and insert the
following ``on the map entitled `Arabia Mountain National
Heritage Area', numbered AMNHA-80,000, and dated October
2003.''.
PURPOSE OF THE MEASURE
The purpose of S. 200 is to establish the Arabia Mountain
National Heritage Area in the State of Georgia.
BACKGROUND AND NEED
S. 200 would establish Arabia Mountain National Heritage
area in the Lithonia region of Georgia, just east of Atlanta.
Human settlement of the Lithonia region has always focused on
the unique granite outcrops that characterize the region's
topography. Archeological evidence indicates that humans have
long quarried the soapstone and granite outcrops of this region
from 5,000 years ago to today. The proposed Heritage Area
includes heavily quarried areas (Lithonia), pristine, never-
quarried outcrops (Panola Mountain), and areas where
development coexists with natural beauty, characterized by
endangered and beautiful species (Arabia Mountain). Thus, this
Heritage Area would illustrate continuity of development as
well as the consistent resource preservation and conservation
of the region. By connecting the proposed Heritage Area's
natural, cultural, and historical resources through rivers,
greenways, and parks, this region will rapidly become a popular
recreation area for residents of the fast-growing Metropolitan
Atlanta area as well as visitors from outside the region.
S. 200 would establish Arabia Mountain National Heritage
Area in Georgia, and designate the Arabia Mountain Heritage
Area Alliance as the Area's management entity.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
S. 200 was introduced by Senators Chambliss and Isakson on
January 26, 2005. At a business meeting on February 9, 2005,
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 200,
as amended, favorably reported.
Similar legislation (S. 1752) was introduced by Senators
Chambliss and Miller in the 108th Congress. Although no action
was taken on that bill, the text of S. 1752 was included as
title XII of S. Amendment 4085 to S. 1521, which passed the
Senate by unanimous consent on December 7, 2004.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in an
open business session on February 9, 2005, by a unanimous voice
vote of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S.
200, if amended as described herein.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1 entitles the bill the ``Arabia Mountain National
Heritage Area Act.''
Section 2 sets forth congressional findings.
Section 3 defines key terms.
Section 4 establishes the Arabia Mountain National Heritage
Area in the State of Georgia, within certain parcels of lands
in the counties of DeKalb, Rockdale, and Henry. Designates the
Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance as the management entity
for the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area.
Section 5(a) provides the management entity with the
authority to use funds for preparing, updating, and
implementing the management plan. The funds may be used for
making grants, entering into cooperative agreements and
contracts for goods and services, and hiring and compensating
staff.
Subsection (b) directs the management entity to implement
the findings of the management plan, establish priorities,
conduct public meetings on a quarterly basis, submit an annual
report to the Secretary, and sets forth requirements for
auditing all records related to Federal funds.
Section 6 requires the management entity to prepare a
management plan for the Heritage Area and sets forth the
elements of the plan.
Section 7 states that the Secretary of the Interior may
provide technical and financial assistance upon request by the
management entity for development and implementation of the
management plan. Priority will be given to actions that
facilitate conservation of significant resources and for
opportunities consistent with the resources of the heritage
area.
Section 8 states that the Act does not grant any Federal
agency regulatory authority and will have no effect on the
authority of the local, State, or Federal government to
regulate land use or environmental quality designations as
provided for by law.
Section 9 authorizes to be appropriated $10 million to
carry out this Act, with no more than $1 million authorized to
be appropriated in any given fiscal year. The Federal share may
not exceed 50 percent of the total costs of any given activity.
Section 10 terminates the authority of the Secretary to
make any grant or provide any assistance under this Act on
September 30, 2016.
COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS
The following estimate of the cost of this measure has been
provided by the Congressional Budget Office.
February 11, 2005.
Hon. Pete V. Domenici,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 200, the Arabia
Mountain National Heritage Area Act.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
Sincerely,
Douglas Holtz-Eakin.
Enclosure.
S. 200--Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area Act
S. 200 would establish the Arabia Mountain National
Heritage Area (NHA) in DeKalb, Rockdale, and Henry counties in
Georgia. The bill would designate the Arabia Mountain Heritage
Area Alliance as the management entity for the proposed NHA.
Under the bill, the Alliance would develop a management plan to
identify, protect, and interpret cultural and other local
resources. The Department of the Interior would provide
technical and financial assistance to the Alliance to develop
and implement the plan. For these purposes, the bill would
authorize the appropriation of $10 million, not to exceed $1
million annually.
Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO
estimates that implementing S. 200 would cost $10 million over
the next 10 years. Such amounts would be used to cover a
portion of the costs of establishing, operating, and
interpreting the heritage area. Enacting this legislation would
have no impact on revenues or direct spenting.
S. 200 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis.
The estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION
In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in
carrying out S. 200.
The bill is not a regulatory measure in the sense of
imposing Government-established standards or significant
economic responsibilities on private individuals and
businesses.
No personal information would be collected in administering
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal
privacy.
Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the
enactment of S. 200.
EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
On February 9, 2005, the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources requested legislative reports from the Department of
the Interior setting forth executive views of S. 200. These
views had not been received at the time this report was filed.
When the reports become available, the Chairman will request
that they be printed in the Congressional Record for the advice
of the Senate.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no
changes in existing law are made by the bill S. 200 as ordered
reported.