[Senate Report 110-157]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




                                                       Calendar No. 355
110th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 1st Session                                                    110-157

======================================================================



 
    CHATTAHOOCHEE TRACE NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR STUDY ACT OF 2007

                                _______
                                

               September 17, 2007.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

   Mr. Bingaman, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 637]

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 
referred the bill (S. 637) to direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of 
establishing the Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor 
in Alabama and Georgia, and for other purposes, having 
considered the same, reports favorably thereon with amendments 
and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.
    The amendments are as follows:
    1. Beginning on page 2, strike line 15 and all that follows 
through page 4, line 7, and insert the following:

    ``(b) Study Area.--The study area includes--
          ``(1) the portion of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-
        Flint River Basin and surrounding areas, as generally 
        depicted on the map entitled `Chattahoochee Trace 
        National Heritage Corridor, Alabama/Georgia', number 
        T05/80000, and dated July 2007; and
          ``(2) any other areas in the State of Alabama or 
        Georgia that--
                  ``(A) have heritage aspects that are similar 
                to the areas depicted on the map described in 
                paragraph (1); and
                  ``(B) are adjacent to, or in the vicinity of, 
                those areas.''
    2. On page 6, line 8, insert ``Natural'' before 
``Resources''.

                                PURPOSE

    The purpose of S. 637 is to direct the Secretary of the 
Interior, in consultation with appropriate State governmental 
entities, to conduct a study to assess the suitability and 
feasibility of designating the Chattahoochee Trace National 
Heritage Corridor in Alabama and Georgia.

                          BACKGROUND AND NEED

    The Chattahoochee Trace has an abundance of cultural, 
natural, recreational, and scenic resources. Much of the area's 
history revolves around the Chattahoochee River, which has long 
served as a food source, transportation route, and an engine 
for commerce. An abundance of prehistoric archaeological sites 
are evidence of human habitation along the banks of the 
Chattahoochee River and its tributaries dating back thousands 
of years. From approximately 350 to 600 A.D., Kolomoki, near 
the present day town of Blakely, was one of the most populous 
settlements north of Mexico.
    In 1689, Spanish monks and soldiers built the mission and 
fort of Apalachicola on the west bank of the Chattahoochee 
River, in present day Russell County, Alabama, about fifteen 
miles south of Columbus, Georgia. In the early eighteenth 
century, merchants from French Louisiana began trading with the 
Native Americans in the lower Chattahoochee Valley, ushering in 
an era of great economic activity, including cotton 
plantations, textile mills, and riverboat companies.
    In the twentieth century, hydroelectric power emerged as an 
important industry in the lower Chattahoochee Valley. By the 
1920s, dams on the Chattahoochee River near Columbus were 
providing electricity to thousands of customers, and the area 
quickly came to be recognized for its role in power generation. 
One turbine at the Eagle and Phenix Mills powerhouse, installed 
in 1898, still produces electricity today.
    In the twentieth century, the creation of large lakes along 
the river further enhanced the Chattahoochee River's 
recreational opportunities. For example, Lake Eufaula, near 
Fort Gaines, Georgia, features 640 miles of shoreline. Last 
year, the lake attracted approximately 4.5 million visitors 
that engaged in such popular activities as swimming, camping, 
hunting, boating, and trophy fishing. The lake is managed by 
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and features several adjacent 
protected lands, including the Eufaula National Wildlife 
Refuge, Lakepoint State Park in Alabama, and Florence Marina 
and George T. Bagby State Parks in Georgia.
    The study authorized by S. 637 will help assess the 
appropriateness of encompassing these resources within a 
national heritage corridor designation.

                          LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

    S. 637 was introduced by Senator Sessions on February 15, 
2007. The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on the 
bill on March 20, 2007 (S. Hrg. 110-73).
    At its business meeting on July 25, 2007, the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 637 favorably reported, 
with amendments.

                        COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open 
business session on July 25, 2007, by a voice vote of a quorum 
present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 637, if amended as 
described herein.

                          COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

    During its consideration of S. 637, the Committee adopted 
two amendments. The first amendment replaces a lengthy 
description of the counties and communities within the proposed 
study area with a reference to a map identifying the study 
area. The second amendment makes a technical correction.

                      SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

    Section 1 contains the short title, the ``Chattahoochee 
Trace National Heritage Corridor Study Act of 2007.''
    Section 2 defines key terms used in the bill.
    Section 3(a) directs the Secretary of the Interior, in 
consultation with various State historical and tourism 
entities, to conduct a study to assess the suitability and 
feasibility of designating the study areas as a National 
Heritage Corridor.
    Subsection (b) references a map that identifies the 
proposed study area. Also included within the study area are 
other areas in Alabama and Georgia near the study area that 
have similar heritage aspects.
    Subsection (c) identifies the requirements for the study. 
The study is to include analysis, documentation, and a 
determination whether the study area has an assemblage of 
natural, historic, and cultural resources that represent 
distinctive aspects of the heritage of the United States, in 
addition to several other criteria listed in the subsection.
    Section 4 requires the Secretary of the Interior to submit 
a report to Congress within three fiscal years after funds are 
made available for the study, describing the findings of the 
study and any conclusions and recommendations.

                   COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

    The following estimate of costs of this measure has been 
provided by the Congressional Budget Office:

                                                     July 31, 2007.
Hon. Jeff Bingaman, 
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. 637, the 
Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor Study Act of 
2007.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Tyler 
Kruzich.
            Sincerely,
                                                   Peter R. Orszag.
    Enclosure.

S. 637--Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor Study Act of 
        2007

    S. 637 would direct the Department of the Interior (DOI) to 
conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of 
designating as the Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage 
Corridor lands in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River 
Basin within the states of Alabama and Georgia. Based on 
information from DOI, CBO estimates that implementing S. 637 
would cost less than $500,000 over the 2008-2010 period, 
assuming the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting the 
legislation would not affect direct spending or revenues.
    S. 637 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 contacts for this estimate are Tyler Kruzich 
and David Reynolds. 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. 637. 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. 637, as ordered reported.

                        EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

    The testimony provided by the Department of the Interior at 
the March 20, 2007, Subcommittee hearing on S. 637 follows:

 Statement of Daniel N. Wenk, Deputy Director, National Park Service, 
                    U.S. Department of the Interior.

    Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to provide the 
Department of the Interior's views on S. 637, a bill to 
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to 
determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing the 
Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor in the states of 
Alabama and Georgia.
    The Department supports enactment of S. 637. Last year, the 
Administration sent to Congress a legislative proposal to 
establish guidelines and a process for designation. Bills were 
introduced in the 109th Congress (S. 243, H.R. 760 and H.R. 
6287) that incorporated the majority of the provisions of the 
Administration's proposal, and S. 243 passed the Senate. During 
the 110th Congress, a similar heritage area program bill, S. 
278, has been introduced, and we look forward to continuing to 
work with Congress on this very important issue.
    With 37 national heritage areas designated across 27 
states, and more heritage area legislative proposals in the 
pipeline, the Administration believes it is critical at this 
juncture for Congress to enact national heritage area program 
legislation. This legislation would provide a much-needed 
framework for evaluating proposed national heritage areas, 
offering guidelines for successful planning and management, 
clarifying the roles and responsibilities of all parties, and 
standardizing timeframes and funding for designated areas. 
Program legislation also would clarify the expectation that 
heritage areas would work toward self-sufficiency by outlining 
the necessary steps, including appropriate planning, to achieve 
that shared goal.
    The study would focus on an area known as the Chattahoochee 
Trace, which lies in the lower Chattahoochee Valley in the 
states of Alabama and Georgia. This area includes eighteen 
counties, seven in Alabama and eleven in Georgia, which are 
located near or adjacent to the Chattahoochee River in the 
lower halves of the two states. The Chattahoochee Trace has an 
abundance of cultural, natural, recreational, and scenic 
resources. Much of the area's history revolves around the 
Chattahoochee River, which has long served as a food source, 
transportation route, and an engine for commerce. Centuries 
before the arrival of European settlers, the lower 
Chattahoochee Valley was inhabited by Native Americans that 
relied on the river for everyday life. The abundance of 
prehistoric archaeological sites indicates that humans lived 
along the banks of the river and its tributaries dating back 
thousands of years. From approximately 350 to 600 A.D., 
Kolomoki, near the present day town of Blakely, was one of the 
most populous settlements north of Mexico. Today, the seven 
mounds at Kolomoki are one of the impressive archeological 
sites that reflect upon the Chattahoochee Trace's ancient past.
    The area is layered with many other facets of American 
history. In the late seventeenth century Spanish monks built 
the mission and fort of Apalachicola on the west bank of the 
Chattahoochee River, in present day Russell County, Alabama, 
about fifteen miles south of Columbus, Georgia. In the early 
eighteenth century, merchants from French Louisiana began 
trading with the Native Americans in the lower Chattahoochee 
Valley, ushering in an era of great economic activity. In the 
years that followed, commercial enterprises flourished, 
including cotton plantations, textile mills, and riverboat 
companies. In the antebellum period, the river-borne cotton 
trade led to the emergence of a prosperous agricultural economy 
that was, regrettably, dependent on slave labor for its growth. 
During this era, the river served as the lower Chattahoochee 
Valley's outlet to the world, connecting the plantations in the 
region with the international cotton market via New Orleans and 
ultimately Liverpool, England.
    Heading into the twentieth century, hydroelectric power, 
which was first used in Columbus in 1882, emerged as an 
important industry in the lower Chattahoochee Valley. By the 
1920s, dams on the Chattahoochee River near Columbus were 
providing electricity to thousands of customers, and the area 
quickly came to be recognized for its role in power generation. 
Columbus was so well-known for its hydroelectricity industry 
that it was dubbed the ``electric city'' in the early 1900s. 
One turbine at the Eagle and Phenix Mills powerhouse, installed 
in 1898, still produces electricity today.
    The scenic beauty of the river has been showcased in such 
places as Columbus and Phenix City, Alabama, where recent 
redevelopment projects have emphasized a re-orientation towards 
the river. A significant period of urban renewal and 
revitalization began in the mid 1990s and continues today. With 
these improvements, residents and businesses began moving back 
to formerly blighted areas. Examples of such municipal projects 
include the construction of the Columbus Riverwalk Park, the 
new Port Columbus Civil War Naval Museum, and the initial 
implementation of Phenix City's riverfront revitalization plan.
    Swimming, fishing, scenic drives, and strolls on the 
riverbank are just a few of the many recreational activities 
available to visitors to the Chattahoochee Trace. In the 
twentieth century, the creation of large lakes along the river 
further enhanced the Chattahoochee River's recreational 
opportunities. For example, Lake Eufaula, near Fort Gaines, 
Georgia, features 640 miles of shoreline. Last year, the lake 
attracted approximately 4.5 million visitors that engaged in 
such popular activities as camping, hunting, boating, and 
trophy fishing. The lake is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers and features several adjacent protected lands, 
including the Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge, Lakepoint State 
Park in Alabama, and Florence Marina and George T. Bagby State 
Parks in Georgia.
    Since 1970, the Historic Chattahoochee Commission 
(Commission) has been responsible for administering a variety 
of programs throughout the Chattahoochee Trace. For the first 
eight years of its existence, the Commission operated as an 
agency of the State of Alabama. In 1978, the Georgia General 
Assembly and the Alabama Legislature passed identical 
legislation to establish an interstate compact for operation of 
the Commission. Among its many functions, the Commission is 
responsible for promoting tourism, historic preservation, and 
recreational development throughout the Chattahoochee Trace. 
Through the years the Commission has undertaken a number of 
important projects to further its goals, including a historical 
markers program, development of theme-based tours, a 
photographic folk life project, production of educational 
materials, historical architectural surveys, and the 
distribution of preservation grants.
    The study that would be conducted under S. 637 is estimated 
to cost between $200,000 and $300,000. Mr. Chairman that 
concludes my testimony. I will be pleased to answer any 
questions you or other members of the committee may have.

                        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. 637, as ordered 
reported.

                                  
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