[Senate Report 110-364]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 796
110th Congress Report
SENATE
2d Session 110-364
======================================================================
MISSISSIPPI HILLS NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA ACT
_______
June 16, 2008.--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. 2254]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the Act (S. 2254) to establish the Mississippi Hills
National Heritage Area in the State of Mississippi, and for
other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably
thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill, as
amended, do pass.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu
thereof the following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Mississippi Hills National Heritage
Area Act of 2008''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Heritage area.--The term ``Heritage Area'' means the
Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area established by section
3(a).
(2) Local coordinating entity.--The term ``local coordinating
entity'' means the local coordinating entity for Heritage Area
designated by section 3(c).
(3) Management plan.--The term ``management plan'' means the
management plan for the Heritage Area required under section
4(a)(1).
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of
the Interior.
(5) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of
Mississippi.
SEC. 3. MISSISSIPPI HILLS NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.
(a) Establishment.--There is established the Mississippi Hills
National Heritage Area in the State.
(b) Boundaries.--
(1) Affected counties.--The Heritage Area shall consist of
all, or portions of, as specified by the boundary description
in paragraph (2), Alcorn, Attala, Benton, Calhoun, Carroll,
Chickasaw, Choctaw, Clay, DeSoto, Grenada, Holmes, Itawamba,
Lafayette, Lee, Lowndes, Marshall, Monroe, Montgomery, Noxubee,
Oktibbeha, Panola, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Tate, Tippah,
Tishomingo, Union, Webster, Winston, and Yalobusha Counties in
the State.
(2) Boundary description.--The Heritage Area shall have the
following boundary description:
(A) traveling counterclockwise, the Heritage Area
shall be bounded to the west by U.S. Highway 51 from
the Tennessee State line until it intersects Interstate
55 (at Geeslin Corner approximately \1/2\ mile due
north of Highway Interchange 208);
(B) from this point, Interstate 55 shall be the
western boundary until it intersects with Mississippi
Highway 12 at Highway Interchange 156, the intersection
of which shall be the southwest terminus of the
Heritage Area;
(C) from the southwest terminus, the boundary shall--
(i) extend east along Mississippi Highway 12
until it intersects U.S. Highway 51;
(ii) follow Highway 51 south until it is
intersected again by Highway 12;
(iii) extend along Highway 12 into downtown
Kosciusko where it intersects Mississippi
Highway 35;
(iv) follow Highway 35 south until it is
intersected by Mississippi Highway 14; and
(v) extend along Highway 14 until it reaches
the Alabama State line, the intersection of
which shall be the southeast terminus of the
Heritage Area;
(D) from the southeast terminus, the boundary of the
Heritage Area shall follow the Mississippi-Alabama
State line until it reaches the Mississippi-Tennessee
State line, the intersection of which shall be the
northeast terminus of the Heritage Area; and
(E) the boundary shall extend due west until it
reaches U.S. Highway 51, the intersection of which
shall be the northwest terminus of the Heritage Area.
(c) Local Coordinating Entity.--
(1) In general.--The local coordinating entity for the
Heritage Area shall be the Mississippi Hills Heritage Area
Alliance, a nonprofit organization registered by the State,
with the cooperation and support of the University of
Mississippi.
(2) Board of directors.--
(A) In general.--The local coordinating entity shall
be governed by a Board of Directors comprised of not
more than 30 members.
(B) Composition.--Members of the Board of Directors
shall consist of--
(i) not more than 1 representative from each
of the counties described in subsection (b)(1);
and
(ii) any ex-officio members that may be
appointed by the Board of Directors, as the
Board of Directors determines to be necessary.
SEC. 4. DUTIES AND AUTHORITIES OF LOCAL COORDINATING ENTITY.
(a) Duties of the Local Coordinating Entity.--To further the purposes
of the Heritage Area, the local coordinating entity shall--
(1) prepare, and submit to the Secretary, in accordance with
section 5, a management plan for the Heritage Area;
(2) assist units of local government, regional planning
organizations, and nonprofit organizations in implementing the
approved management plan by--
(A) establishing and maintaining interpretive
exhibits and programs within the Heritage Area;
(B) developing recreational opportunities in the
Heritage Area;
(C) increasing public awareness of, and appreciation
for, natural, historical, cultural, archaeological, and
recreational resources of the Heritage Area;
(D) restoring historic sites and buildings in the
Heritage Area that are consistent with the themes of
the Heritage Area; and
(E) carrying out any other activity that the local
coordinating entity determines to be consistent with
this Act;
(3) conduct meetings open to the public at least annually
regarding the development and implementation of the management
plan;
(4) submit an annual report to the Secretary for each fiscal
year for which the local coordinating entity receives Federal
funds under this Act specifying--
(A) the accomplishments of the local coordinating
entity;
(B) the expenses and income of the local coordinating
entity;
(C) the amounts and sources of matching funds;
(D) the amounts leveraged with Federal funds and
sources of the leveraged funds; and
(E) grants made to any other entities during the
fiscal year;
(5) make available for audit for each fiscal year for which
the local coordinating entity receives Federal funds under this
Act, all information pertaining to the expenditure of the funds
and any matching funds;
(6) require in all agreements authorizing expenditures of
Federal funds by other organizations, that the receiving
organizations make available for audit all records and other
information pertaining to the expenditure of the funds; and
(7) ensure that each county included in the Heritage Area is
appropriately represented on any oversight advisory committee
established under this Act to coordinate the Heritage Area.
(b) Authorities.--The local coordinating entity may, subject to the
prior approval of the Secretary, for the purposes of preparing and
implementing the management plan, use Federal funds made available
under this Act to--
(1) make grants and loans to the State, political
subdivisions of the State, nonprofit organizations, and other
persons;
(2) enter into cooperative agreements with, or provide
technical assistance to, the State, political subdivisions of
the State, nonprofit organizations, and other organizations;
(3) hire and compensate staff;
(4) obtain funds or services from any source, including funds
and services provided under any other Federal law or program;
and
(5) contract for goods or services.
(c) Prohibition on Acquisition of Real Property.--The local
coordinating entity may not use Federal funds received under this Act
to acquire any interest in real property.
SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT PLAN.
(a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds
are made available to develop the management plan, the local
coordinating entity shall submit to the Secretary for approval a
proposed management plan for the Heritage Area.
(b) Requirements.--The management plan for the Heritage Area shall--
(1) provide recommendations for the preservation,
conservation, enhancement, funding, management, interpretation,
development, and promotion of the cultural, historical,
archaelogical, natural, and recreational resources of the
Heritage Area;
(2) specify existing and potential sources of funding or
economic development strategies to protect, enhance, interpret,
fund, manage, and develop the Heritage Area;
(3) include--
(A) an inventory of the natural, historical,
cultural, archaeological, and recreational resources of
the Heritage Area; and
(B) an analysis of how Federal, State, tribal, and
local programs may best be coordinated to promote and
carry out this Act;
(4) provide recommendations for educational and interpretive
programs to provide information to the public on the resources
of the Heritage Area; and
(5) involve residents of affected communities and tribal and
local governments.
(c) Termination of Funding.--If the management plan is not submitted
to the Secretary in accordance with this subsection, the local
coordinating entity shall not qualify for additional financial
assistance under this Act until the management plan is submitted to,
and approved by, the Secretary.
(d) Approval of Management Plan.--
(1) Review.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which
the Secretary receives the management plan, the Secretary shall
approve or disapprove the management plan.
(2) Consultation required.--The Secretary shall consult with
the Governor of the State and any tribal government in which
the Heritage Area is located before approving the management
plan.
(3) Criteria for approval.--In determining whether to approve
the management plan, the Secretary shall consider whether--
(A) the local coordinating entity represents the
diverse interests of the Heritage Area, including
governments, natural and historical resource protection
organizations, educational institutions, businesses,
community residents, and recreational organizations;
(B) the local coordinating entity has afforded
adequate opportunity for public and governmental
involvement (including through workshops and public
meetings) in the preparation of the management plan;
(C) the resource protection and interpretation
strategies described in the management plan, if
implemented, would adequately protect the natural,
historical, cultural, archaeological, and recreational
resources of the Heritage Area;
(D) the management plan would not adversely affect
any activities authorized on Federal or tribal land
under applicable laws or land use plans;
(E) the Secretary has received adequate assurances
from the appropriate State, tribal, and local officials
whose support is needed to ensure the effective
implementation of the State, tribal, and local aspects
of the management plan; and
(F) the local coordinating entity has demonstrated
the financial capability, in partnership with others,
to carry out the management plan.
(4) Action following disapproval.--
(A) In general.--If the Secretary disapproves the
management plan, the Secretary--
(i) shall advise the local coordinating
entity in writing of the reasons for the
disapproval; and
(ii) may make recommendations to the local
coordinating entity for revisions to the
management plan.
(B) Deadline.--Not later than 180 days after
receiving a revised management plan, the Secretary
shall approve or disapprove the revised management
plan.
(5) Review; amendments.--
(A) In general.--After approval by the Secretary of
the management plan, the Alliance shall periodically--
(i) review the management plan; and
(ii) submit to the Secretary, for review and
approval by the Secretary, any recommendations
for revisions to the management plan.
(B) In general.--An amendment to the management plan
that substantially alters the purposes of the Heritage
Area shall be reviewed by the Secretary and approved or
disapproved in the same manner as the original
management plan.
(C) Implementation.--The local coordinating entity
shall not use Federal funds authorized to be
appropriated by this Act to implement an amendment to
the management plan until the Secretary approves the
amendment.
SEC. 6. DUTIES AND AUTHORITIES OF THE SECRETARY.
(a) Technical and Financial Assistance.--
(1) In general.--On the request of the local coordinating
entity, the Secretary may provide technical and financial
assistance, on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis (as
determined by the Secretary), to the local coordinating entity
to develop and implement the management plan.
(2) Cooperative agreements.--The Secretary may enter into
cooperative agreements with the local coordinating entity and
other public or private entities to provide technical or
financial assistance under paragraph (1).
(3) Priority.--In assisting the Heritage Area, the Secretary
shall give priority to actions that assist in--
(A) conserving the significant natural, historical,
cultural, archaeological, and recreational resources of
the Heritage Area; and
(B) providing educational, interpretive, and
recreational opportunities consistent with the purposes
of the Heritage Area.
(b) Evaluation; Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 3 years before the date on
which authority for Federal funding terminates for the Heritage
Area under section 10, the Secretary shall--
(A) conduct an evaluation of the accomplishments of
the Heritage Area; and
(B) prepare a report with recommendations for the
future role of the National Park Service, if any, with
respect to the Heritage Area, in accordance with
paragraph (3).
(2) Evaluation.--An evaluation conducted under paragraph
(1)(A) shall--
(A) assess the progress of the local coordinating
entity with respect to--
(i) accomplishing the purposes of this Act
for the Heritage Area; and
(ii) achieving the goals and objectives of
the approved management plan for the Heritage
Area;
(B) analyze the Federal, State, local, and private
investments in the Heritage Area to determine the
leverage and impact of the investments; and
(C) review the management structure, partnership
relationships, and funding of the Heritage Area for
purposes of identifying the critical components for
sustainability of the Heritage Area.
(3) Report.--
(A) In general.--Based on the evaluation conducted
under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary shall prepare a
report that includes recommendations for the future
role of the National Park Service, if any, with respect
to the Heritage Area.
(B) Required analysis.--If the report prepared under
this paragraph recommends that Federal funding for the
Heritage Area be reauthorized, the report shall include
an analysis of--
(i) ways in which Federal funding for the
Heritage Area may be reduced or eliminated; and
(ii) the appropriate time period necessary to
achieve the recommended reduction or
elimination.
(C) Submission to congress.--On completion of a
report under this paragraph, the Secretary shall submit
the report to--
(i) the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate; and
(ii) the Committee on Natural Resources of
the House of Representatives.
SEC. 7. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.
(a) In General.--Nothing in this Act affects the authority of a
Federal agency to provide technical or financial assistance under any
other law.
(b) Consultation and Coordination.--To the maximum extent
practicable, the head of any Federal agency planning to conduct
activities that may have an impact on the Heritage Area is encouraged
to consult and coordinate the activities with the Secretary and the
local coordinating entity.
(c) Other Federal Agencies.--Nothing in this Act--
(1) modifies, alters, or amends any laws (including
regulations) authorizing a Federal agency to manage Federal
land under the jurisdiction of the Federal agency;
(2) limits the discretion of a Federal land manager to
implement an approved land use plan within the boundaries of
the Heritage Area; or
(3) modifies, alters, or amends any authorized use of Federal
land under the jurisdiction of a Federal agency.
SEC. 8. EFFECT.
(a) Property Owners and Regulatory Protections.--Nothing in this
Act--
(1) abridges the rights of any owner of public or private
property, including the right to refrain from participating in
any plan, project, program, or activity conducted within the
Heritage Area;
(2) requires any property owner to--
(A) permit public access (including Federal, tribal,
State, or local government access) to the property; or
(B) modify any provisions of Federal, tribal, State,
or local law with regard to public access or use of
private land;
(3) alters any duly adopted land use regulations, approved
land use plan, or any other regulatory authority of any
Federal, State, or local agency, or tribal government;
(4) conveys any land use or other regulatory authority to the
local coordinating entity;
(5) authorizes or implies the reservation or appropriation of
water or water rights;
(6) diminishes the authority of the State to manage fish and
wildlife, including the regulation of fishing and hunting
within the Heritage Area; or
(7) creates any liability, or affects any liability under any
other law, of any private property owner with respect to any
person injured on the private property.
(b) No Effect on Indian Tribes.--Nothing in this Act--
(1) restricts an Indian tribe from protecting cultural or
religious sites on tribal land; or
(2) diminishes the trust responsibilities or government-to-
government obligations of the United States to any Indian tribe
recognized by the Federal Government.
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this Act $10,000,000, of which not more than $1,000,000 may be made
available for any fiscal year.
(b) Availability.--Amounts made available under subsection (a) shall
remain available until expended.
(c) Cost-Sharing Requirement.--
(1) In general.--The Federal share of the total cost of any
activity under this Act shall be not more than 50 percent.
(2) Form.--The non-Federal contribution--
(A) shall be from non-Federal sources; and
(B) may be in the form of in-kind contributions of
goods or services fairly valued.
SEC. 10. TERMINATION OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
The authority of the Secretary to provide financial assistance under
this Act terminates on the date that is 15 years after the date of
enactment of this Act.
PURPOSE
The purpose of S. 2254 is to designate the Mississippi
Hills National Heritage Area in the State of Mississippi.
BACKGROUND AND NEED
The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area encompasses 30
counties in northeastern Mississippi, the southern most
foothills of the Appalachian range. The area has been strongly
influenced by the intersection of the distinctive cultures of
Appalachia and the Mississippi Delta. The area includes the
Natchez Trace Parkway, Tupelo National Battlefield, two
national forests and other significant natural areas. It is
also home of Elvis Presley's ``Graceland'' and William
Faulkner's birthplace. The heritage area also includes Rust
College, which was founded before 1867, and stands as one of
the five remaining historically black colleges in the United
States.
The bill designates the Mississippi Hills Heritage Area
Alliance as the management entity for the heritage area. A
concept plan was developed by the Mississippi Hills Heritage
Area Alliance in 2004 to preserve the unique cultural,
historical, archeological, natural, and recreational resources
of the area. Pursuant to S. 2254, the Alliance will develop and
submit to the Secretary a formal management plan within three
years from the enactment of this Act.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
S. 2254 was introduced by Senator Cochran on October 29,
2007. Senator Wicker is a cosponsor. The Subcommittee on
National Parks held a hearing on S. 2254 on April 9, 2008.
At its business meeting on May 7, 2008, the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 2254 favorably
reported, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open
business session on May 7, 2008, by a voice vote of a quorum
present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 2254, if amended as
described herein.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
During the consideration of S. 2254, the Committee adopted
an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment
removes the findings section, incorporates language consistent
with other national heritage area designations reported by the
Committee, and makes other clarifying and conforming changes.
The amendment is described in detail in the section-by-section
analysis, below.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1 provides the short title, the ``Mississippi Hills
National Heritage Area Act''.
Section 2 defines key terms used in the bill.
Section 3(a) establishes the boundaries of the Mississippi
Hills National Heritage Area.
Subsection (b) describes the boundaries of the heritage
area.
Subsection (c) requires that the heritage area boundary map
be on file and available for public inspection in the
appropriate offices of the National Park Service.
Subsection (d) designates the Mississippi Delta National
Heritage Area Partnership as the local coordinating entity for
the heritage area, and describes the composition of the
Partnership's Board of Directors.
Section 4(a) requires the local coordinating entity to
prepare a management plan for the heritage area. The subsection
also lists the duties of the local coordinating entity.
Subsection (b) describes the authorities of the local
coordinating entity.
Subsection (c) prohibits the local coordinating entity from
acquiring real property using funds received under this Act.
Section 5(a) requires the local coordinating entity to
submit a proposed management plan to the Secretary of the
Interior not later than 3 years after the day of enactment of
the Act.
Subsection (b) lists the requirements for the management
plan.
Subsection (c) provides that the local coordinating entity
shall not qualify for additional financial assistance until the
management plan is submitted to the Secretary in accordance
with this section.
Subsection (d) requires the Secretary to approve or
disapprove of the management plan within 180 days after the
receipt of the plan.
Section 6(a) authorizes the Secretary to provide technical
and financial assistance to the local coordinating entity to
develop and implement the management plan. The Secretary is
also authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with the
local coordinating entity and other public and private entities
to provide technical and financial assistance.
Subsection (b) requires that the Secretary conduct an
evaluation of the Heritage Area no later than 3 years before
the date on which authority for federal funding terminates. The
Secretary shall then prepare a report with required analysis
and recommendations for the National Park Service, and whether
federal funding should be reauthorized for the heritage area.
On completion of the report, the Secretary shall submit the
report to Congress.
Section 7 describes the relationship of other Federal
agencies to the heritage area.
Subsection (a) clarifies that nothing in this Act affects
the authority of a Federal agency to provide technical or
financial assistance under any other law.
Subsection (b) authorizes the Secretary to provide
technical and financial assistance to the local coordinating
entity to develop and implement the management plan.
Subsection (c) encourages the head of a Federal agency
planning to conduct activities that may have an impact on the
heritage area to consult and coordinate the activities with the
Secretary and the management entity to the maximum extent
practicable.
Subsection (c) clarifies that nothing in this Act modifies
authorities of Federal agencies to manage Federal land, limits
the discretion of a Federal agency to implement an approved
land use plan, or modifies or alters any authorized use of
Federal land.
Section 8 contains several savings provisions to clarify
that the designation of the national heritage area will not
affect private property rights, affect governmental land use
regulation, reserve or appropriate water rights, diminish the
authority of the State to manage fish and wildlife, or create
any liability for property owners within the heritage area.
Section 9(a) authorizes total appropriations of $10
million, with not more than $1 million authorized to be
appropriated for any fiscal year.
Subsection (b) requires Federal funding to be matched on a
50:50 basis with funds from non-Federal sources.
Section 10 provides that the authority of the Secretary to
provide assistance under this Act terminates 15 years after the
date of enactment.
COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS
The following estimate of costs of this measure has been
provided by the Congressional Budget Office:
S. 2254--Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area Act of 2008
S. 2254 would establish the Mississippi Hills National
Heritage Area (NHA) in Mississippi and designate the
Mississippi Hills Heritage Alliance, a local nonprofit
organization as the management entity for the NHA. The bill
would authorize the appropriation of $10 million, not to exceed
$1 million annually, for financial assistance to the alliance
and other eligible entities over the next 15 years.
Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO
estimates that implementing S. 2254 would cost $5 million over
the 2009-2013 period and an additional $5 million after 2013.
Enacting the legislation would have no effect on direct
spending or revenues.
S. 2254 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.
This estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, 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. 2254. 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. 2254, as ordered reported.
CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING
In accordance with paragraph 4(b) of rule XLIV of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides the
following identification of congressionally directed spending
items contained in the bill, as reported:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section Provision Member
------------------------------------------------------------------------
9............................... Authorization of Cochran
appropriations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
The testimony provided by the National Park Service at the
April 23, 2008, hearing on S. 2254 follows:
Statement of Katherine H. Stevenson, Acting Assistant Director,
Business Services, National Park Service, Department of the Interior
Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for
the opportunity to appear before you today to present the views
of the Department of the Interior on S. 2254, a bill to
establish the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area in the
State of Mississippi.
The Department cannot support S. 2254 unless the bill is
amended to be a feasibility study for a Mississippi Hills
National Heritage Area in the State of Mississippi. The
Department believes that a feasibility study should be required
for every proposed national heritage area and the study should
be evaluated against our interim criteria before designation.
The standards for evaluating areas proposed for national
designation are an essential element prior to establishing a
national heritage area. A study should be prepared that
demonstrates evidence of place-based resources that tell a
nationally important story, which has the support and
involvement of the local community.
Although the Mississippi Hills Heritage Area Alliance has
completed a ``Three-Year Strategic Plan for the Mississippi
Hills Heritage Area'' and an impressive array of partners and
potential funders has been assembled, fundamental questions
have yet to be formally addressed regarding the region's
eligibility for designation as a national heritage area.
The Department is willing to provide advice or assistance
in the completion of a study that meets applicable standards
and provides Congress with the necessary information and
assessment upon which to base its decision regarding
designation in the future.
With 37 national heritage areas designated across 27
states, and more heritage area legislative proposals
forthcoming, the Administration believes it is critical 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 would also clarify the expectation that
heritage areas would work toward self-sufficiency by outlining
the necessary steps, including appropriate planning, to achieve
that goal.
S. 2254 would establish the Mississippi Hills National
Heritage Area in northeast Mississippi. The area would
encompass all or part of 30 counties. It would also include the
Delta National Forest. The bill designates the Mississippi
Hills Heritage Area Alliance as the management entity. The
Alliance is a non-profit organization registered by the State
of Mississippi, with the cooperation and support of the
University of Mississippi. The bill provides for the
development of a management plan that would inventory resources
of the area, recommend conservation measures, identify sources
of funding, and consider public involvement mechanisms.
The bill would authorize Mississippi Hills National
Heritage Area to promote and help conserve a number of
important natural and cultural resources. Included within its
proposed boundaries are the sites of important Civil War
battles, the birthplaces of a number of noteworthy Americans,
the first public college for women in the United States, the
Mississippi University for Women, and Rust College, founded in
1866, which is one of the oldest black colleges in the United
States. The proposed Mississippi National Heritage Area would
encompass the Natchez Trace Parkway; the Holly Springs and
Tombigbee National Forests; the Sardis, Enid, and Grenada
Lakes; the Strawberry Plains State Audubon Center; the
Tishomingo State Park; and the Noxubee National Wildlife
Refuge.
Mr. Chairman, the Department is prepared to work with the
subcommittee on amending S. 2254 to authorize a feasibility
study for a Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area, in the
State of Mississippi.
This concludes my prepared remarks. I would be pleased to
answer any questions you or any members of the Subcommittee 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. 2254, as
ordered reported.