Sec. 802. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES

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## SEC. 802 FINDINGS AND PURPOSES ###

(a)Findings Congress finds that— ####

(1)the year 2000 marks the 175th Anniversary of New York State’s creation and stewardship of the Erie Canalway for commerce, transportation, and recreational purposes, establishing the network which made New York the “Empire State” and the Nation’s premier commercial and financial center; ####

(2)the canals and adjacent areas that comprise the Erie Canalway are a nationally significant resource of historic and recreational value, which merit Federal recognition and assistance; ####

(3)the Erie Canalway was instrumental in the establishment of strong political and cultural ties between New England, upstate New York, and the old Northwest and facilitated the movement of ideas and people ensuring that social reforms like the abolition of slavery and the women’s rights movement spread across upstate New York to the rest of the country; ####

(4)the construction of the Erie Canalway was considered a supreme engineering feat, and most American canals were modeled after New York State’s canal; ####

(5)at the time of construction, the Erie Canalway was the largest public works project ever undertaken by a State, resulting in the creation of critical transportation and commercial routes to transport passengers and goods; ####

(6)the Erie Canalway played a key role in turning New York City into a major port and New York State into the preeminent center for commerce, industry, and finance in North America and provided a permanent commercial link between the Port of New York and the cities of eastern Canada, a cornerstone of the peaceful relationship between the two countries; ####

(7)the Erie Canalway proved the depth and force of American ingenuity, solidified a national identity, and found an enduring place in American legend, song, and art; ####

(8)there is national interest in the preservation and interpretation of the Erie Canalway’s important historical, natural, cultural, and scenic resources; and ####

(9)partnerships among Federal, State, and local governments and their regional entities, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector offer the most effective opportunities for the preservation and interpretation of the Erie Canalway. ###

(b)Purposes The purposes of this title are— ####

(1)to designate the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor; ####

(2)to provide for and assist in the identification, preservation, promotion, maintenance, and interpretation of the historical, natural, cultural, scenic, and recreational resources of the Erie Canalway in ways that reflect its national significance for the benefit of current and future generations; ####

(3)to promote and provide access to the Erie Canalway’s historical, natural, cultural, scenic, and recreational resources; ####

(4)to provide a framework to assist the State of New York, its units of local government, and the communities within the Erie Canalway in the development of integrated cultural, historical, recreational, economic, and community development programs in order to enhance and interpret the unique and nationally significant resources of the Erie Canalway; and ####

(5)to authorize Federal financial and technical assistance to the Commission to serve these purposes for the benefit of the people of the State of New York and the Nation.