[Senate Report 115-224]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 372
115th Congress } { Report
SENATE
2d Session } { 115-224
======================================================================
ABRAHAM LINCOLN NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA AMENDMENT ACT
_______
April 11, 2018.--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. 1160]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the bill (S. 1160) 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. 1160 is to include Livingston County, the
City of Jonesboro in Union County, and the city of Freeport in
Stephenson County, Illinois, in the Lincoln National Heritage
Area (NHA).
Background and Need
The Abraham Lincoln NHA 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 NHA provide
opportunities for all people to explore Lincoln's history in
Illinois, there are three additional areas (one county and two
cities) that are currently not among this network that are key
to the Lincoln heritage. Livingston County, the city of
Jonesboro in Union County, and the city of Freeport in
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
Senators Duckworth and Durbin introduced S. 1160 on May 17,
2017. On February 14, 2018, the Subcommittee on National Parks
held a legislative hearing on S. 1160. Similar language is also
included in S. 1460, the Energy and Natural Resources Act of
2017, which is on the Senate Calendar (Cal. 162).
Companion legislation, H.R. 1161, was introduced in the
House of Representatives on February 16, 2017, and referred to
the Committee on Natural Resources.
In the 114th Congress, similar legislation, S. 1662 was
introduced by Senators Kirk and Durbin on June 24, 2015. The
Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on the bill on
June 15, 2016. At its business meeting on July 13, 2016, the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 1662
favorably reported (S. Rept. 114-316).
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources met in open
business session on March 8, 2018, and ordered S. 1160
favorably reported.
Committee Recommendation
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in
open business session on March 8, 2018, by a majority voice
vote of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S.
1160. Senator Lee asked to be recorded as voting no.
Section-by-Section Analysis
Section 1. Short title
Section 1 contains the short title.
Section 2. Adjustment of boundaries of Lincoln National Heritage Area
Section 2(a) amends section 443(b)(1) of the Consolidated
Natural Resources Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-229) to adjust
the boundary of the Lincoln NHA to include Livingston County,
the city of Jonesboro in Union County, and the city of Freeport
in Stephenson County.
Subsection (b) requires the Secretary to update the map to
reflect the boundary adjustment.
Cost and Budgetary Considerations
The following estimate of the costs of this measure has
been provided by the Congressional Budget Office:
S. 1160 would modify the boundary of the Abraham Lincoln
National Heritage Area in Illinois to include an additional
county and two cities.
The boundary adjustment may require the National Park
Service to update maps, handouts, and signage. Based on the
costs of similar activities, CBO estimates that those costs
would be insignificant; such spending would be subject to the
availability of appropriated funds.
Enacting S. 1160 would not affect direct spending or
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting S. 1160 would not increase net
direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028.
S. 1160 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Janani
Shankaran. 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. 1160. 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. 1160, as ordered reported.
Congressional Directed Spending
S. 1160, 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 Department of the Interior at
the February 14, 2018, hearing on S. 1160 follows:
Statement of P. Daniel Smith, Deputy Director, Exercising the Authority
of the Director of the National Park Service, Department of the
Interior, Before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee
on National Parks, Concerning S. 1160, S. 1472, S. 2225 and S. 2238,
Bills Providing Revised Authorities for the Lincoln National Heritage
Area, the Tennessee Civil War Heritage Area, the Blue Ridge National
Heritage Area, and the Ohio and Erie National Heritage Canalway
Chairman Daines, Ranking Member King, and members of the
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to present the
Department of the Interior's views on S. 1160, S. 1472, S. 2225
and S. 2238, bills providing revised authorities for the
Lincoln National Heritage Area, the Tennessee Civil War
Heritage Area, the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, and the
Ohio and Erie National Heritage Canalway, respectively.
The Department recognizes that each of these entities
serves an important role in preserving, interpreting, and
promoting the unique natural and cultural characteristics that
led to their designation as national heritage areas by
Congress. However, in order to focus resources on reducing the
National Park Service's $11.6 billion deferred maintenance
backlog and addressing other critical national park needs,
funding for national heritage areas is not a priority in the
Administration's FY 2018 or FY 2019 budget. Under these
circumstances, we believe it would be unwise to extend the
authorization of funding, remove funding limitations, or expand
the boundaries of national heritage areas at this time.
S. 1160 would add Livingston County, the city Jonesboro in
Union County and the city Freeport in Stephenson County to the
Lincoln National Heritage Area, which was established in 2008
in the State of Illinois. These areas help tell the stories of
the places that President Abraham Lincoln lived for almost 30
years.
S. 1472 would extend the authorization for funding for the
Tennessee Civil War Heritage Area for fiscal years 2018 to
2021. This national heritage area tells the story of how
warfare, occupation, emancipation, and Reconstruction impacted
the State of Tennessee.
S. 2225 would extend the authorization for funding for the
Blue Ridge National Heritage Area for fiscal years 2019 to
2022. The national heritage area consists of 25 counties in
Western North Carolina encompassing cultural and natural
assets.
S. 2238 would eliminate the $17 million funding ceiling for
the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway. This heritage area
includes the 110-mile long Ohio & Erie Canal, from Cleveland to
New Philadelphia, Ohio.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my statement. I would be
pleased 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):
THE CONSOLIDATED NATURAL RESOURCES ACT OF 2008
Public Law 110-229
* * * * * * *
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the
``Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act
is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
* * * * * * *
TITLE IV--NATIONAL HERITAGE AREAS
* * * * * * *
Subtitle C--Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area
* * * * * * *
SEC. 443. DESIGNATION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.
(a) Establishment.--There is hereby established the Abraham
Lincoln National Heritage Area.
(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.
(2) Map.--The boundaries of the National Heritage
Area shall be as generally depicted on the map titled
``Proposed Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area'',
and numbered 338/80,000, and dated July 2007. The map
shall be on file and available to the public in the
appropriate offices of the National Park Service and
the local coordinating entity.
* * * * * * *
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