[Senate Report 111-303]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 589
111th Congress Report
SENATE
2d Session 111-303
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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.