Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area Act of 2003

108th CONGRESS
1st Session

S. 230

To establish the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area in the State of New Jersey, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

January 29, 2003

Mr. CORZINE (for himself and Mr. LAUTENBERG) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

A BILL

To establish the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area in the State of New Jersey, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area Act of 2003'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

(a) FINDINGS- Congress finds that--

(1) the State of New Jersey was critically important during the American Revolution because of the strategic location of the State between the British armies headquartered in New York City, New York, and the Continental Congress in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;

(2) General George Washington spent almost half of the period of the American Revolution personally commanding troops of the Continental Army in the State of New Jersey, including 2 severe winters spent in encampments in the area that is now Morristown National Historical Park, a unit of the National Park System;

(3) it was during the 10 crucial days of the American Revolution between December 25, 1776, and January 3, 1777, that General Washington, after retreating across the State of New Jersey from the State of New York to the State of Pennsylvania in the face of total defeat, recrossed the Delaware River on the night of December 25, 1776, and went on to win crucial battles at Trenton and Princeton in the State of New Jersey;

(4) Thomas Paine, who accompanied the troops during the retreat, described the events during those days as `the times that try men's souls';

(5) the sites of 296 military engagements are located in the State of New Jersey, including--

(A) several important battles of the American Revolution that were significant to--

(i) the outcome of the American Revolution; and

(ii) the history of the United States; and

(B) several national historic landmarks, including Washington's Crossing, the Old Trenton Barracks, and Princeton, Monmouth, and Red Bank Battlefields;

(6) additional national historic landmarks in the State of New Jersey include the homes of--

(A) Richard Stockton, Joseph Hewes, John Witherspoon, and Francis Hopkinson, signers of the Declaration of Independence;

(B) Elias Boudinout, President of the Continental Congress; and

(7) portions of the landscapes important to the strategies of the British and Continental armies, including waterways, mountains, farms, wetlands, villages, and roadways--

(A) retain the integrity of the period of the American Revolution; and

(B) offer outstanding opportunities for conservation, education, and recreation;

(8) the National Register of Historic Places lists 251 buildings and sites in the National Park Service study area for the Crossroads of the American Revolution that are associated with the period of the American Revolution;

(9) civilian populations residing in the State of New Jersey during the American Revolution suffered extreme hardships because of--

(A) the continuous conflict in the State;

(B) foraging armies; and

(10) because of the important role that the State of New Jersey played in the successful outcome of the American Revolution, there is a Federal interest in developing a regional framework to assist the State of New Jersey, local governments and organizations, and private citizens in--

(A) preserving and protecting cultural, historic, and natural resources of the period; and

(B) bringing recognition to those resources for the educational and recreational benefit of the present and future generations of citizens of the United States; and

(11) the National Park Service has conducted a national heritage area feasibility study in the State of New Jersey that demonstrates that there is a sufficient assemblage of nationally distinctive cultural, historic, and natural resources necessary to establish the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area.

(b) PURPOSES- The purposes of this Act are--

(1) to assist communities, organizations, and citizens in the State of New Jersey in preserving--

(A) the special historic identity of the State; and

(B) the importance of the State to the United States;

(2) to foster a close working relationship among all levels of government, the private sector, and local communities in the State;

(3) to provide for the management, preservation, protection, and interpretation of the cultural, historic, and natural resources of the State for the

educational and inspirational benefit of future generations;

(4) to strengthen the value of Morristown National Historical Park as an asset to the State by--

(A) establishing a network of related historic resources, protected landscapes, educational opportunities, and events depicting the landscape of the State of New Jersey during the American Revolution; and

(B) establishing partnerships between Morristown National Historical Park and other public and privately owned resources in the Heritage Area that represent the strategic fulcrum of the American Revolution; and

(5) to authorize Federal financial and technical assistance for the purposes described in paragraphs (1) through (4).

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) ASSOCIATION- The term `Association' means the Crossroads of the American Revolution Association, Inc., a nonprofit corporation in the State.

(2) HERITAGE AREA- The term `Heritage Area' means the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area established by section 4(a).

(3) MANAGEMENT ENTITY- The term `management entity' means the management entity for the Heritage Area designated by section 4(d).

(4) MANAGEMENT PLAN- The term `management plan' means the management plan for the Heritage Area developed under section 5.

(6) SECRETARY- The term `Secretary' means the Secretary of the Interior.

(7) STATE- The term `State' means the State of New Jersey.

SEC. 4. CROSSROADS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT- There is established in the State the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area.

(b) BOUNDARIES- The Heritage Area shall consist of the land and water within the boundaries of the Heritage Area, as depicted on the map.

(c) AVAILABILITY OF MAP- The map shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service.

(d) MANAGEMENT ENTITY- The Association shall be the management entity for the Heritage Area.

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 management entity shall submit to the Secretary for approval a management plan for the Heritage Area.

(b) REQUIREMENTS- The management plan shall--

(1) include comprehensive policies, strategies, and recommendations for conservation, funding, management, and development of the Heritage Area;

(2) take into consideration existing State, county, and local plans;

(3) describe actions that units of local government, private organizations, and individuals have agreed to take to protect the cultural, historic, and natural resources of the Heritage Area;

(4) identify existing and potential sources of funding for the protection, management, and development of the Heritage Area during the first 5 years of implementation of the management plan; and

(5) include--

(A) an inventory of the cultural, educational, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic resources of the Heritage Area relating to the themes of the Heritage Area that should be restored, managed, or developed;

(B) recommendations of policies and strategies for resource management that result in--

(i) application of appropriate land and water management techniques; and

(ii) development of intergovernmental and interagency cooperative agreements to protect the cultural, educational, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic resources of the Heritage Area;

(i) plans for resource protection, restoration, construction; and

(ii) specific commitments for implementation that have been made by the management entity or any government, organization, or individual;

(D) an analysis of and recommendations for ways in which Federal, State, and local programs, including programs of the National Park Service, may be best coordinated to promote the purposes of this Act; and

(E) an interpretive plan for the Heritage Area.

(1) IN GENERAL- Not later than 90 days after the date of receipt of the management plan under subsection (a), the Secretary shall approve or disapprove the management plan.

(2) CRITERIA- In determining whether to approve the management plan, the Secretary shall consider whether--

(A) the Board of Directors of the management entity is representative of the diverse interests of the Heritage Area, including--

(i) governments;

(ii) natural and historic resource protection organizations;

(iii) educational institutions;

(iv) businesses; and

(v) recreational organizations;

(B) the management entity provided adequate opportunity for public and governmental involvement in the preparation of the management plan, including public hearings;

(C) the resource protection and interpretation strategies in the management plan would adequately protect the cultural, historic, and natural resources of the Heritage Area; and

(D) the Secretary has received adequate assurances from the appropriate State and local officials whose support is needed to ensure the effective implementation of the State and local aspects of the management plan.

(3) ACTION FOLLOWING DISAPPROVAL- If the Secretary disapproves the management plan under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall--

(A) advise the management entity in writing of the reasons for the disapproval;

(B) make recommendations for revisions to the management plan; and

(C) not later than 60 days after the receipt of any proposed revision of the management plan from the management entity, approve or disapprove the proposed revision.

(d) AMENDMENTS-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall approve or disapprove each amendment to the management plan that the Secretary determines may make a substantial change to the management plan.

(2) USE OF FUNDS- Funds made available under this Act shall not be expended by the management entity to implement an amendment described in paragraph (1) until the Secretary approves the amendment.

(e) IMPLEMENTATION- On completion of the 3-year period described in subsection (a), any funding made available under this Act shall be made available to the management entity only for implementation of the approved management plan.

SEC. 6. AUTHORITIES, DUTIES, AND PROHIBITIONS APPLICABLE TO THE MANAGEMENT ENTITY.

(a) AUTHORITIES- For purposes of preparing and implementing the management plan, the management entity may use funds made available under this Act to--

(1) make grants to, provide technical assistance to, and enter into cooperative agreements with, the State (including a political subdivision), a nonprofit organization, or any other person;

(2) hire and compensate staff, including individuals with expertise in--

(A) cultural, historic, or natural resource protection; or

(B) heritage programming;

(3) obtain funds or services from any source (including a Federal law or program);

(4) contract for goods or services; and

(5) support any other activity--

(A) that furthers the purposes of the Heritage Area; and

(B) that is consistent with the management plan.

(b) DUTIES- In addition to developing the management plan, the management entity shall--

(1) assist units of local government, regional planning organizations, and nonprofit organizations in implementing the approved management plan by--

(A) carrying out programs and projects that recognize, protect, and enhance important resource values in the Heritage Area;

(B) establishing and maintaining interpretive exhibits and programs in the Heritage Area;

(D) increasing public awareness of and appreciation for cultural, historic, and natural resources of the Heritage Area;

(E) protecting and restoring historic sites and buildings that are--

(i) located in the Heritage Area; and

(ii) related to the themes of the Heritage Area;

(F) ensuring that clear, consistent, and appropriate signs identifying points of public access and sites of interest are installed throughout the Heritage Area; and

(G) promoting a wide range of partnerships among governments, organizations, and individuals to further the purposes of the Heritage Area;

(2) in preparing and implementing the management plan, consider the interests of diverse units of government, businesses, organizations, and individuals in the Heritage Area;

(3) conduct public meetings at least semiannually regarding the development and implementation of the management plan;

(4) for any fiscal year for which Federal funds are received under this Act--

(A) submit to the Secretary a report that describes for the year--

(i) the accomplishments of the management entity;

(ii) the expenses and income of the management entity; and

(iii) each entity to which a grant was made;

(B) make available for audit all information relating to the expenditure of the funds and any matching funds; and

(C) require, for all agreements authorizing expenditures of Federal funds by any entity, that the receiving entity make available for audit all records and other information relating to the expenditure of the funds;

(5) encourage, by appropriate means, economic viability that is consistent with the purposes of the Heritage Area; and

(6) maintain headquarters for the management entity at Morristown National Historical Park and in Mercer County.

(1) FEDERAL FUNDS- The management entity shall not use Federal funds made available under this Act to acquire real property or any interest in real property.

(2) OTHER FUNDS- Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the management entity may acquire real property or an interest in real property using any other source of funding, including other Federal funding.

SEC. 7. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE; OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.

(a) TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE-

(1) IN GENERAL- On the request of the management entity, the Secretary may provide technical and financial assistance to the Heritage Area for the development and implementation of the management plan.

(2) PRIORITY FOR ASSISTANCE- In providing assistance under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give priority to actions that assist in--

(A) conserving the significant cultural, historic, natural, and scenic resources of the Heritage Area; and

(B) providing educational, interpretive, and recreational opportunities consistent with the purposes of the Heritage Area.

(3) OPERATIONAL ASSISTANCE- Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Superintendent of Morristown National Historical Park may, on request, provide to public and private organizations in the Heritage Area, including the management entity, any operational assistance that is appropriate for the purpose of supporting the implementation of the management plan.

(4) PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES- To carry out the purposes of this Act, the Secretary may provide assistance to a State or local government or nonprofit organization to provide for the appropriate treatment of--

(A) historic objects; or

(B) structures that are listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

(5) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS- The Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with the management entity and other public or private entities to carry out this subsection.

(b) OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES- Any Federal agency conducting or supporting an activity that directly affects the Heritage Area shall--

(1) consult with the Secretary and the management entity regarding the activity;

(2)(A) cooperate with the Secretary and the management entity in carrying out the of the Federal agency under this Act; and

(B) to the maximum extent practicable, coordinate the activity with the carrying out of those duties; and

(3) to the maximum extent practicable, conduct the activity to avoid adverse effects on the Heritage Area.

SEC. 8. 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 assisted under this Act shall be not more than 50 percent.

SEC. 9. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.

The authority of the Secretary to provide assistance under this Act terminates on the date that is 15 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

END