[Senate Report 114-316]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


114th Congress      }                                 {         Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session         }                                 {        114-316

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



 
          ABRAHAM LINCOLN NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA AMENDMENT ACT

                                _______
                                

               September 6, 2016.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Ms. Murkowski, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 1662]

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 
referred the bill (S. 1662) to include Livingston County, the 
city of Jonesboro in Union County, and the city of Freeport in 
Stephenson County, Illinois, to the Lincoln National Heritage 
Area, and for other purposes, having considered the same, 
reports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that 
the bill do pass.

                                Purpose

    The purpose of S. 1662 is to include Livingston County, the 
city of Jonesboro in Union County, and the city of Freeport in 
Stephenson County, Illinois, to the Lincoln National Heritage 
Area.

                          Background and Need

    The Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area was established 
in 2008 and preserves the rich legacy of Abraham Lincoln, the 
16th President of the United States. The region includes 42 
counties across central Illinois, stretching from the Indiana 
border to the Mississippi River, and is one of the largest 
heritage areas in the nation. President Lincoln spent 30 years 
of his life in central Illinois (1831-1861), accomplishing a 
body of work that still resonates today in the state's historic 
sites, artifacts, landscapes, buildings, and folklore.
    While the 42 counties that make up the Heritage Area 
provide opportunities for all people to explore Lincoln's 
history in Illinois, there are three counties that are 
currently not among this network that are key to the Lincoln 
heritage. Livingston County, Union County, and Stephenson 
County are pivotal to his legacy, as these areas are where 
Lincoln developed his legal career within the Eighth Judicial 
District. These areas also served as the sites of the historic 
Lincoln-Douglas debates. This boundary expansion to include 
these counties will increase opportunities for Illinois 
visitors and residents alike to experience the full measure of 
Lincoln's legacy.

                          Legislative History

    S. 1662 was introduced by Senators Kirk and Durbin on June 
24, 2015. The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on 
the measure on June 15, 2016.
    In the House of Representatives, Representative Kinzinger 
introduced similar legislation to S. 1662, H.R. 2879, on June 
24, 2015.
    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources met in open 
business session on July 13, 2016, and ordered S. 1662 
favorably reported.

                        Committee Recommendation

    The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in 
open business session on July 13, 2016, by a majority voice 
vote of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 
1662.

                      Section-by-Section Analysis


Section 1. Short title

    Section 1 contains the short title.

Section 2. Adjustment of boundaries of Lincoln National Heritage Area

    Subsection (a) adjusts the boundary of the Abraham Lincoln 
National Heritage Area to include Livingston County, the city 
of Jonesboro in Union County, and the city of Freeport in 
Stephenson County, Illinois.
    Subsection (b) requires the Secretary of the Interior to 
update the official map of the Abraham Lincoln National 
Heritage Area to reflect the changes.

                   Cost and Budgetary Considerations

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

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                 Washington, DC, September 1, 2016.
Hon. Lisa Murkowski,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
    Dear Madam Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 1662, the Abraham 
Lincoln National Heritage Area Amendment Act.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jon Sperl.
            Sincerely,
                                                        Keith Hall.
    Enclosure.

S. 1662--Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area Amendment Act

    S. 1662 would modify the boundary of the Abraham Lincoln 
National Heritage Area in Illinois to include an additional 
county and two cities. It also would require the National Park 
Service (NPS) to update its map of the heritage area to reflect 
the boundary adjustment.
    Based on information from the NPS, CBO estimates that 
implementing S. 1662 would have no significant impact on the 
agency's costs, which would be subject to appropriation. 
Enacting the legislation would have no effect on direct 
spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do 
not apply.
    CBO estimates that enacting S. 1662 would not increase net 
direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four 
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027.
    S. 1662 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 Jon Sperl. The 
estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, 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. 1662. 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. 1662, as ordered reported.

                   Congressionally Directed Spending

    S. 1662, as ordered reported, does not contain any 
congressionally directed spending items, limited tax benefits, 
or limited tariff benefits as defined in rule XLIV of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate.

                        Executive Communications

    The testimony provided by the National Park Service at the 
June 15, 2016 Subcommittee on National Parks hearing on S. 1662 
follows:

   Statement of Dr. Stephanie Toothman, Associate Director, Cultural 
   Resources, Partnerships, and Science, National Park Service, U.S. 
                       Department of the Interior

    Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank you for 
the opportunity to present the views of the Department of the 
Interior on S. 1662, a bill to expand the boundary of the 
Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area (NHA), and for other 
purposes.
    The Department recommends that the committee defer action 
on S. 1662 until such time as the National Park Service (NPS) 
determines if this proposed expansion is appropriate. The NHA 
was authorized on May 10, 2008, to help tell the stories of the 
places that President Abraham Lincoln lived for almost 30 
years. These important sites include the Lincoln Log Cabin, the 
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, and the Lincoln Home 
National Historic Site. The NHA includes 42 counties in Central 
Illinois. The Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition (LFLHC), a 
non-profit organization, was authorized to manage the NHA, 
which is a consortium of Illinois communities and sites that 
share the legacy of Abraham Lincoln.
    Prior to beginning any effort to designate an area as a 
national heritage area, the NPS recommends that interested 
community members or organizations undertake a feasibility 
study to assess several factors, including: whether the 
landscape has an assemblage of natural, cultural, historic and 
scenic resources that, when linked together, tell a nationally 
important story; whether an organization exists with the 
financial and organizational capacity to coordinate heritage 
area activities; and, whether the level of support for 
designation exists within the region.
    The LFLHC completed their feasibility study in 2002. The 
NPS recommends that the LFLHC submit an addendum to their 
feasibility study that includes a boundary justification for 
the inclusion of Livingston County, the City of Jonesboro in 
Union County, and the City of Freeport in Stephenson County, 
Illinois. The addendum will document that the LFLHC has reached 
out to these communities and that there is public support for 
the inclusion of their cities and county in the boundary of the 
NHA. Additionally, the addendum will ensure that the proposed 
inclusion of these cities and county supports the original 
intent of the NHA.
    Once the LFLHC completes the amended feasibility study, the 
NPS will undertake our evaluation as expeditiously as possible. 
The NPS recommends that the committee defer action until the 
feasibility study amendment is completed and the NPS can make a 
determination on the proposed expansion.
    Mr. Chairman, this concludes my testimony. I would be happy 
to answer any questions you or other 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, changes in existing law made by 
the original bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing 
law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is 
proposed is shown in roman):

               CONSOLIDATED NATURAL RESOURCES ACT OF 2008


Public Law 110-229

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TITLE IV--NATIONAL HERITAGE AREAS

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Subtitle C--Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area

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SEC. 443. DESIGNATION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.

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    (b) Boundaries.--
          (1) In general.--The National Heritage Area shall 
        consist of sites as designated by the management plan 
        within a core area located in Central Illinois, 
        consisting of Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Champaign, 
        Christian, Clark, Coles, Cumberland, Dewitt, Douglas, 
        Edgar, Fayette, Fulton, Greene, Hancock, Henderson, 
        Jersey, Knox, LaSalle, Livingston, Logan, Macon, 
        Macoupin, Madison, Mason, McDonough, McLean, Menard, 
        Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Peoria, Piatt, Pike, 
        Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Tazewell, 
        Vermillion, Warren and Woodford counties, the city of 
        Jonesboro in Union County, and the city of Freeport in 
        Stephenson County.

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