Sec. 4. National Heritage Area System management
800 words·~4 min read·
/bill/116/hr/1049/rfs/section-4A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Not later than 3 years after a National Heritage Area is included in the National Heritage Area System outlined by this Act, the local coordinating entity of the National Heritage Area shall submit to the Secretary for approval a management plan for the National Heritage Area. The management plan shall— incorporate an integrated and cooperative approach for the protection, enhancement, and interpretation of the natural, cultural, historic, scenic, and recreational resources of the National Heritage Area; be developed using a comprehensive planning approach that includes— opportunities for stakeholders, including community members, local and regional governments, Tribal governments, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and other interested parties— to be involved in the planning process; and to review and comment on draft management plans; and documentation of the planning and public participation processes, including a description of— the means by which the management plan was prepared; the stakeholders involved in the process; and the timing and method of stakeholder involvement; include— an inventory of— the resources located in the National Heritage Area; and any other property in the National Heritage Area that— is related to the themes of the National Heritage Area; and should be preserved, restored, managed, or maintained because of the significance of the property; comprehensive policies, strategies and recommendations for the conservation, funding, management, and development of the National Heritage Area; a description of actions that the Federal, Tribal, State, and local governments, private organizations, and individuals have agreed to take to protect the natural, historical, cultural, scenic, and recreational resources of the National Heritage Area; a program of implementation for the management plan by the local coordinating entity that includes a description of— actions to facilitate ongoing collaboration among partners to promote plans for resource protection, restoration, and construction; and specific commitments for implementation that have been made by the local coordinating entity or any government, organization, or individual for the first 5 years of operation; the identification of sources of funding for carrying out the management plan; analysis and recommendations for means by which Federal, Tribal, State, and local programs, including the role of the National Park Service in the National Heritage Area, may best be coordinated to carry out this subsection; and an interpretive plan for the National Heritage Area; and recommend policies and strategies for resource management that consider and detail the application of appropriate land and water management techniques, including the development of intergovernmental and interagency cooperative agreements to protect the natural, historical, cultural, educational, scenic, and recreational resources of the National Heritage Area.
The requirements in paragraph
(2)shall not apply to management plans in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act. Not later than 1 year before the authorization for Federal funding expires for a National Heritage Area, the Secretary shall— conduct an evaluation of the accomplishments of that National Heritage Area; and prepare and submit a report detailing the evaluation required by subparagraph
(A)to— the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate. An evaluation prepared under paragraph
(1)shall— assess the progress of the local coordinating entity with respect to— accomplishing the purposes of the authorizing legislation for the National Heritage Area; and achieving the goals and objectives of the approved management plan for the National Heritage Area; analyze the Federal, Tribal, State, local, and private investments in the National Heritage Area to assess the impact of the investments; and review the management structure, partnership relationships, and funding of the National Heritage Area. Based upon the evaluation under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall prepare a report with recommendations for the National Park Service’s continued role, if any, with respect to the National Heritage Area. If the report recommends that Federal funding for the National Heritage Area be— continued, the report shall include an analysis of— ways in which Federal funding for the National Heritage Area may be reduced or eliminated over time; the appropriate time period necessary to achieve the recommended reduction or elimination; and justification for the continued funding in light of other National Park Service core responsibilities and priorities; or eliminated, the report shall include a description of potential impacts on conservation, interpretation, and sustainability of the National Heritage Area. The Secretary may satisfy the requirement under paragraph
(1)for a National Heritage Area by updating an evaluation that was completed for that National Heritage Area not more than 5 years before another evaluation would otherwise be required under paragraph (1). The Secretary may conduct additional evaluations as the Secretary deems appropriate. The head of any Federal agency planning to conduct activities that may have an impact on a designated National Heritage Area is encouraged to consult and coordinate these activities with the Secretary and the local coordinating entity to the maximum extent practicable.