[Senate Report 111-303]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                       Calendar No. 589
111th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session                                                     111-303

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



 
                 SUSQUEHANNA GATEWAY NATIONAL HERITAGE 
                                AREA ACT

                                _______
                                

               September 27, 2010.--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. 349]

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 
referred the bill (S. 349) to establish the Susquehanna Gateway 
National Heritage Area in the State of Pennsylvania, and for 
other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably 
thereon with an 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 ``Susquehanna Gateway National 
Heritage Area Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
          (1) Heritage area.--The term ``Heritage Area'' means the 
        Susquehanna Gateway National Heritage Area established by 
        section 3(a).
          (2) Local coordinating entity.--The term ``local coordinating 
        entity'' means the local coordinating entity for the Heritage 
        Area designated by section 4(a).
          (3) Management plan.--The term ``management plan'' means the 
        plan developed by the local coordinating entity under section 
        5(a).
          (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
        the Interior.
          (5) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of 
        Pennsylvania.

SEC. 3. SUSQUEHANNA GATEWAY NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established the Susquehanna Gateway 
National Heritage Area in the State.
    (b) Boundaries.--The Heritage Area shall include Lancaster and York 
Counties, Pennsylvania.

SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF LOCAL COORDINATING ENTITY.

    (a) Local Coordinating Entity.--The Susquehanna Heritage 
Corporation, a nonprofit organization established under the laws of the 
State, shall be the local coordinating entity for the Heritage Area.
    (b) Authorities of Local Coordinating Entity.--The local 
coordinating entity may, for purposes of preparing and implementing the 
management plan, use Federal funds made available under this Act--
          (1) to prepare reports, studies, interpretive exhibits and 
        programs, historic preservation projects, and other activities 
        recommended in the management plan for the Heritage Area;
          (2) to make grants to the State, political subdivisions of 
        the State, nonprofit organizations, and other persons;
          (3) to enter into cooperative agreements with the State, 
        political subdivisions of the State, nonprofit organizations, 
        and other organizations;
          (4) to hire and compensate staff;
          (5) to obtain funds or services from any source, including 
        funds and services provided under any other Federal program or 
        law; and
          (6) to contract for goods and services.
    (c) Duties of Local Coordinating Entity.--To further the purposes 
of the Heritage Area, the local coordinating entity shall--
          (1) prepare a management plan for the Heritage Area in 
        accordance with section 5;
          (2) give priority to the implementation of actions, goals, 
        and strategies set forth in the management plan, including 
        assisting units of government and other persons in--
                  (A) carrying out programs and projects that recognize 
                and protect important resource values in the Heritage 
                Area;
                  (B) encouraging economic viability in the Heritage 
                Area in accordance with the goals of the management 
                plan;
                  (C) establishing and maintaining interpretive 
                exhibits in the Heritage Area;
                  (D) developing heritage-based recreational and 
                educational opportunities for residents and visitors in 
                the Heritage Area;
                  (E) increasing public awareness of and appreciation 
                for the natural, historic, and cultural resources of 
                the Heritage Area;
                  (F) restoring historic buildings that are--
                          (i) located in the Heritage Area; and
                          (ii) related to the themes of the Heritage 
                        Area; and
                  (G) installing throughout the Heritage Area clear, 
                consistent, and appropriate signs identifying public 
                access points and sites of interest;
          (3) consider the interests of diverse units of government, 
        businesses, tourism officials, private property owners, and 
        nonprofit groups within the Heritage Area in developing and 
        implementing the management plan;
          (4) conduct public meetings at least semiannually regarding 
        the development and implementation of the management plan; and
          (5) for any fiscal year for which Federal funds are received 
        under this Act--
                  (A) submit to the Secretary an annual report that 
                describes--
                          (i) the accomplishments of the local 
                        coordinating entity;
                          (ii) the expenses and income of the local 
                        coordinating entity; and
                          (iii) the entities to which the local 
                        coordinating entity made any grants;
                  (B) make available for audit all records relating to 
                the expenditure of the Federal funds and any matching 
                funds; and
                  (C) require, with respect to all agreements 
                authorizing the expenditure of Federal funds by other 
                organizations, that the receiving organizations make 
                available for audit all records relating to the 
                expenditure of the Federal funds.
    (d) Prohibition on Acquisition of Real Property.--
          (1) In general.--The local coordinating entity shall not use 
        Federal funds received under this Act to acquire real property 
        or any interest in real property.
          (2) Other sources.--Nothing in this Act precludes the local 
        coordinating entity from using Federal funds from other sources 
        for authorized purposes, including the acquisition of real 
        property or any interest in real property.

SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT PLAN.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which 
funds are first made available to carry out this Act, the local 
coordinating entity shall prepare and submit to the Secretary a 
management plan for the Heritage Area.
    (b) Contents.--The management plan for the Heritage Area shall--
          (1) include comprehensive policies, strategies, and 
        recommendations for the conservation, funding, management, and 
        development of the Heritage Area;
          (2) take into consideration existing State, county, and local 
        plans;
          (3) specify the existing and potential sources of funding to 
        protect, manage, and develop the Heritage Area;
          (4) include an inventory of the natural, historic, cultural, 
        educational, scenic, and recreational resources of the Heritage 
        Area relating to the themes of the Heritage Area that should be 
        preserved, restored, managed, developed, or maintained; and
          (5) include an analysis of, and recommendations for, ways in 
        which Federal, State, and local programs, may best be 
        coordinated to further the purposes of this Act, including 
        recommendations for the role of the National Park Service in 
        the Heritage Area.
    (c) Disqualification From Funding.--If a proposed management plan 
is not submitted to the Secretary by the date that is 3 years after the 
date on which funds are first made available to carry out this Act, the 
local coordinating entity may not receive additional funding under this 
Act until the date on which the Secretary receives the proposed 
management plan.
    (d) Approval and Disapproval of Management Plan.--
          (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date on 
        which the local coordinating entity submits the management plan 
        to the Secretary, the Secretary shall approve or disapprove the 
        proposed management plan.
          (2) Considerations.--In determining whether to approve or 
        disapprove the management plan, the Secretary shall consider 
        whether--
                  (A) the local coordinating entity is representative 
                of the diverse interests of the Heritage Area, 
                including governments, natural and historic resource 
                protection organizations, educational institutions, 
                businesses, and recreational organizations;
                  (B) the local coordinating entity has provided 
                adequate opportunities (including public meetings) for 
                public and governmental involvement in the preparation 
                of the management plan;
                  (C) the resource protection and interpretatation 
                strategies contained in the management plan, if 
                implemented, would adequately protect the natural, 
                historic, and cultural resources of the Heritage Area; 
                and
                  (D) the management plan is supported by the 
                appropriate State and local officials, the cooperation 
                of which is needed to ensure the effective 
                implementation of the State and local aspects of the 
                management plan.
          (3) Disapproval and revisions.--
                  (A) In general.--If the Secretary disapproves a 
                proposed management plan, the Secretary shall--
                          (i) advise the local coordinating entity, in 
                        writing, of the reasons for the disapproval; 
                        and
                          (ii) make recommendations for revision of the 
                        proposed management plan.
                  (B) Approval or disapproval.--The Secretary shall 
                approve or disapprove a revised management plan not 
                later than 180 days after the date on which the revised 
                management plan is submitted.
    (e) Approval of Amendments.--
          (1) In general.--The Secretary shall review and approve or 
        disapprove substantial amendments to the management plan in 
        accordance with subsection (d).
          (2) Funding.--Funds appropriated under this Act may not be 
        expended to implement any changes made by an amendment to the 
        management plan until the Secretary approves the amendment.

SEC. 6. 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.--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 to the extent practicable.
    (c) Other Federal Agencies.--Nothing in this Act--
          (1) modifies, alters, or amends any law or regulation 
        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. 7. PRIVATE PROPERTY AND REGULATORY PROTECTIONS.

    Nothing in this Act--
          (1) 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 
        Heritage Area;
          (2) requires any property owner to permit public access 
        (including access by Federal, State, or local agencies) to the 
        property of the property owner, or to modify public access or 
        use of property of the property owner under any other Federal, 
        State, or local law;
          (3) alters any duly adopted land use regulation, approved 
        land use plan, or other regulatory authority of any Federal, 
        State, or local agency, or conveys any land use or other 
        regulatory authority to the local coordinating entity;
          (4) authorizes or implies the reservation or appropriation of 
        water or water rights;
          (5) diminishes the authority of the State to manage fish and 
        wildlife, including the regulation of fishing and hunting 
        within the Heritage Area; or
          (6) 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.

SEC. 8. EVALUATION; REPORT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 3 years before the date on which 
authority for Federal funding terminates for the Heritage Area, the 
Secretary shall--
          (1) conduct an evaluation of the accomplishments of the 
        Heritage Area; and
          (2) prepare a report in accordance with subsection (c).
    (b) Evaluation.--An evaluation conducted under subsection (a)(1) 
shall--
          (1) assess the progress of the local coordinating entity with 
        respect to--
                  (A) accomplishing the purposes of this Act for the 
                Heritage Area; and
                  (B) achieving the goals and objectives of the 
                approved management plan for the Heritage Area;
          (2) analyze the Federal, State, local, and private 
        investments in the Heritage Area to determine the leverage and 
        impact of the investments; and
          (3) 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.
    (c) Report.--
          (1) In general.--Based on the evaluation conducted under 
        subsection (a)(1), 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.
          (2) Required analysis.--If the report prepared under 
        paragraph (1) recommends that Federal funding for the Heritage 
        Area be reauthorized, the report shall include an analysis of--
                  (A) ways in which Federal funding for the Heritage 
                Area may be reduced or eliminated; and
                  (B) the appropriate time period necessary to achieve 
                the recommended reduction or elimination.
          (3) Submission to congress.--On completion of the report, the 
        Secretary shall submit the report to--
                  (A) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
                the Senate; and
                  (B) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House 
                of Representatives.

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 
authorized to be appropriated for any fiscal year.
    (b) Cost-Sharing Requirement.--The Federal share of the cost of any 
activity carried out using funds made available under this Act shall be 
not more than 50 percent.

SEC. 10. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.

    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. 349 is to establish the Susquehanna 
Gateway National Heritage Area in Pennsylvania.

                          BACKGROUND AND NEED

    The Susquehanna Gateway National Heritage Area would 
include the portions of the Susquehanna River that flow through 
Lancaster and York Counties in Pennsylvania. The region has a 
rich cultural, economic, and political history. The area was 
first inhabited by an Iroquoian tribe, the Conestoga, and 
several archeological and petroglyph sites along the 
Susquehanna River contain evidence of their presence. The river 
became an important corridor for transportation and commerce 
between Native Americans and colonists in the seventeenth and 
eighteenth centuries. Captain John Smith entered into a trade 
alliance with the Native Americans when he traveled up the 
river in the summer of 1608, opening an extensive trade network 
to the English. Commerce on the Susquehanna River also 
encouraged invention and innovation; Lancaster was the 
birthplace of Robert Fulton, who invented steam boats. Phineas 
Davis built the first practical coal-burning locomotive in 
York, which revolutionized railroad transportation. The river 
also supported the early colonists' agricultural endeavors. In 
the 1660s, William Penn and the colonists who settled in his 
Quaker colony, including the ancestors of the Amish who live in 
the region today, established the region as an abundant 
agricultural center.
    The region also played an important role in Revolutionary 
War history. In 1777 and 1778, the Continental Congress met in 
Lancaster and York Counties, and approved the Articles of 
Confederation, legally establishing the union of the states. 
The region is also known for its natural resources, including 
remnant old growth forests and migratory bird nesting grounds. 
Within the area are two designated National Natural Landmarks, 
Ferncliff and the Susquehanna Gorge, and two National 
Recreation Trails, Kelly's Run and Susquehanna River Water 
Trails.
    In 2001, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and 
Natural Resources designated the Lancaster-York Heritage Region 
as a state heritage area, now known as the Susquehanna Gateway 
Heritage Area. The local coordinating entity, formerly known as 
the Lancaster-York Heritage Region, changed its name to the 
Susquehanna Heritage Corporation in order to highlight its 
connection to the Susquehanna River and their focus on ``the 
cultural and economic value of the river's heritage and outdoor 
recreation.''
    In 2008, the Susquehanna Heritage Corporation prepared a 
feasibility study to explore the national significance of the 
heritage area for potential inclusion in the National Heritage 
Program. At that time, the National Park Service found the 
study area to meet the interim criteria for potential 
designation. The study found that the region's eligibility for 
national designation revolves in part around the Susquehanna's 
heritage as a gateway to America's original frontier and a 
corridor of culture and commerce for the new nation. 
Legislation is needed to establish the Lancaster-York Heritage 
Region as a National Heritage Area and provide a cooperative 
management framework to protect and develop the historic, 
cultural, and natural resources of the region.

                          LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

    S. 349 was introduced by Senators Casey and Specter on 
January 29, 2009. The Subcommittee on National Parks held a 
hearing on the bill on May 19, 2010. The Committee on Energy 
and Natural Resources ordered S. 349 favorably reported with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute at its business meeting 
on July 21, 2010.

                        COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open 
business session on July 21, 2010, by a voice vote of a quorum 
present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 349, if amended as 
described herein.

                          COMMITTEE AMENDMENT

    During its consideration of S. 349, the Committee adopted 
an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment 
strikes the findings section, references the Susquehanna 
Heritage Corporation as the local coordinating entity, and 
makes other technical, clarifying, and conforming changes to 
make the heritage area authorization consistent with other 
similar designations.

                      SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

    Section 1 provides the short title, the ``Susquehanna 
Gateway National Heritage Area Act''.
    Section 2 defines key terms used in the bill.
    Section 3(a) establishes the Susquehanna Gateway National 
Heritage Area in the State of Pennsylvania.
    Subsection (b) provides that the boundaries of the heritage 
area include Lancaster and York Counties, Pennsylvania.
    Section 4(a) designates the Susquehanna Heritage 
Corporation as the local coordinating entity for the heritage 
area.
    Subsection (b) lists the authorities of the local 
coordinating entity and authorizes the local coordinating 
entity to use Federal funds to undertake activities recommended 
in the management plan, make grants, enter into cooperative 
agreements, hire staff, obtain funds or services from any 
source, and contract for goods or services.
    Subsection (c) details the duties of the local coordinating 
entity, including preparing a management plan for the heritage 
area, conducting public meetings at least semiannually, 
submitting an annual report to the Secretary of the Interior 
(Secretary), and making available all records relating to its 
and other organizations' expenditure of Federal funds and 
matching grants.
    Subsection (d) prohibits the local coordinating entity from 
using Federal funds to acquire real property or any interest in 
real property. It clarifies that the local coordinating entity 
is allowed to use Federal funds from other sources for 
authorized purposes.
    Section 5(a) requires the local coordinating entity to 
submit the management plan to the Secretary for review no later 
than three years after the date on which the funds are made 
available to carry out this Act.
    Subsection (b) provides the requirements for the contents 
of the management plan.
    Subsection (c) states that if a proposed management plan is 
not submitted within the three-year period, the local 
coordinating entity may not receive funding under this Act 
until the plan is submitted to the Secretary.
    Subsection (d) requires the Secretary to approve or 
disapprove the management plan within six months after the plan 
is submitted, and lists the criteria he is to consider in 
determining whether to approve or disapprove the plan. If the 
Secretary disapproves the proposed management plan, he must 
approve or disapprove a revised management plan within six 
months after it is submitted.
    Subsection (e) requires the Secretary to review and approve 
or disapprove any amendment that would make a substantial 
change to the management plan. Funding under this Act may not 
be used to implement any part of the management plan related to 
an amendment until the Secretary approves the amendment.
    Section 6(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) 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 local coordinating 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 within the boundaries of the heritage area, or 
modifies or alters any authorized use of Federal land.
    Section 7 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 8(a) requires the Secretary to prepare a report, 
not later than three years before the date on which Federal 
funding terminates, based on the evaluation of the 
accomplishments of the heritage area.
    Subsection (b) details what the evaluation must assess, 
analyze, and review. It must assess the progress of the local 
coordinating entity with respect to accomplishing the purposes 
of this Act and achieving the goals and objectives of the 
approved management plan. The evaluation is also required to 
analyze governmental and private investments' impact on the 
heritage area.
    Subsection (c) provides the requirements for the contents 
of the report, including recommendations for the future role of 
the National Park Service, if any, for the heritage area, and 
if funding is reauthorized for the heritage area, ways to 
reduce or eliminate Federal funding for the heritage area. The 
report is to be submitted to the House and Senate authorizing 
committees.
    Section 9(a) authorizes total appropriations of $10 
million, of which not more than $1 million may be appropriated 
for any fiscal year.
    Subsection (b) requires Federal funding to be matched on a 
50:50 basis by funds from non-Federal sources, including in the 
form of in-kind contributions of goods or services.
    Section 10 states 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. 349--Susquehanna Gateway National Heritage Area Act

    S. 349 would establish the Susquehanna Gateway National 
Heritage Area in Lancaster and York Counties, Pennsylvania. The 
legislation would designate the Susquehanna Heritage 
Corporation, a local nonprofit organization, as the management 
entity for the proposed heritage area. Finally, the legislation 
would authorize the appropriation of $10 million for financial 
assistance to manage the heritage area over the next 15 years.
    Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO 
estimates that implementing S. 349 would cost $5 million over 
the 2011-2015 period and an additional $5 million after 2015. 
Enacting the legislation would have no effect on direct 
spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do 
not apply.
    S. 349 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 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. 349.
    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. 349, 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        Senator Casey
                                 Appropriations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                        EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

    The testimony provided by the National Park Service at the 
May 19, 2010 Subcommittee hearing on S. 349 follows:

 Statement of Stephen E. Whitesell, Associate Director, Park Planning, 
    Facilities, and Lands, National Park Service, Department of the 
                                Interior

    Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to present the 
Department of the Interior's views on S. 349, a bill to 
establish the Susquehanna Gateway National Heritage Area in 
Pennsylvania.
    The Department recognizes the appropriateness of 
designating the Susquehanna Gateway National Heritage Area, but 
recommends deferring action on S. 349 until program legislation 
is enacted that establishes criteria to evaluate potentially 
qualified national heritage areas and a process for the 
designation and administration of these areas. The 
Administration anticipates submitting such a legislative 
proposal to you in the near future, and we recommend that 
Congress enact national heritage area program legislation in 
this Congress.
    There are currently 49 designated national heritage areas, 
yet there is no authority in law that guides the designation 
and administration of these areas. Program 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 was 
introduced in the 109th and 110th Congresses, and we look 
forward to continuing to work with Congress on this very 
important issue.
    Flowing for 441 miles, the Susquehanna River is the longest 
river on the East Coast and the largest contributor of fresh 
water to Chesapeake Bay. The portions of the river flowing 
through Lancaster and York Counties in Pennsylvania exhibit 
exceptional natural and recreational value and traverse 
landscapes of historical importance to our nation.
    The region of the proposed Susquehanna Gateway National 
Heritage Area was first inhabited by Native Americans who left 
evidence of their occupation in a myriad of archeological 
sites, as well as rock art at several petroglyph sites. When 
Captain John Smith journeyed up the Susquehanna River in the 
summer of 1608, he sent emissaries to the Susquehannock town 
located on the east side of the river near present day 
Washington Boro in Lancaster County. Tribal leaders there 
entered a trade alliance, opening to the English a trade 
network extending hundreds of miles.
    In 1668, William Penn set the tone for religious tolerance 
in Pennsylvania and brought colonists who settled the great 
fertile valley of the Susquehanna Gateway region, beginning its 
long history as an abundant agricultural center. Serving as an 
important transportation corridor, the river provided 
opportunities for commerce and invention. It was here that John 
Elgar constructed the first iron steamboat in America. The 
birthplace of Robert Fulton, the original inventor of steam 
powered boats, is a National Historic Landmark in Lancaster 
County. Here, too, Phineas Davis designed and built the first 
practical coal burning steam locomotive, thereby 
revolutionizing railroad transportation.
    The region is the home ground of the ``Plain People''--the 
Amish and Mennonites. Their religious values, simple way of 
life, and well-tended farms speak to the deepest feelings that 
Americans have about ourselves and our national experience.
    In this region, visitors also find evidence of our 
Revolutionary War past. Lancaster and York Counties served as 
venues for the Continental Congress when it left Philadelphia 
upon the British occupation of that city. In the courthouse in 
York, the Congress approved the Articles of Confederation and 
Perpetual Union, the nation's ``first constitution,'' and sent 
it forth to the states for ratification. In the summer of 1781, 
Continental Army General James Wood established Camp Security, 
housing more than a thousand British soldiers from General John 
Burgoyne's army, which had surrendered at Saratoga.
    The region also has an abundance of natural resources 
including migratory bird nesting sites, remnants of old growth 
forests, and areas of both ecological diversity and scenic 
quality. Ferncliff, known for its wildflowers, and the 
Susquehanna Gorge are both designated National Natural 
Landmarks. Recreational resources abound in the region, 
including the Kelly's Run and Susquehanna River Water Trails, 
both National Recreation Trails.
    S. 349 designates the Lancaster-York Heritage Region, a 
non-profit organization, as the proposed management entity for 
the Susquehanna Gateway National Heritage Area. The area, 
designated as a state heritage area in 2001, recently changed 
its name from the Lancaster-York Heritage Region to the 
Susquehanna Gateway Heritage Area, to reflect the area's 
expanded focus, which includes the cultural and economic value 
of the Susquehanna River. The management entity, now known as 
Susquehanna Heritage Corporation, has demonstrated success in 
coordinating among diverse partners in Lancaster and York 
counties. Over the past nine years, Susquehanna Heritage 
Corporation has been effective in facilitating preservation, 
interpretative, and educational projects and in leveraging 
community participation and funding. The heritage area has 
strong support from the public and from a myriad of state, 
local, federal, and non-governmental partners throughout the 
area. In 2008, this entity prepared a national heritage area 
feasibility study that was reviewed by the National Park 
Service and found to meet the interim criteria for potential 
designation.
    The bill, as introduced, contains provisions that have 
become standard for designating national heritage areas. 
However, if the Committee decides to act on this bill, we would 
request the opportunity to work with the Committee to amend the 
language in Section 5(a), designating the management entity, 
due to the management entity changing its name and to discuss 
some other provisions where clarifications or technical 
corrections may be needed.
    Mr. Chairman, that concludes my testimony. I would be 
pleased to answer any questions from members of the Committee.

                        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. 349, as ordered 
reported.

                                  
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