[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2843 Reported in House (RH)]
Union Calendar No. 263
103d CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 2843
[Report No. 103-471]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Wheeling National Heritage Area in the State of West
Virginia, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
April 12, 1994
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
Union Calendar No. 263
103d CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 2843
[Report No. 103-471]
To establish the Wheeling National Heritage Area in the State of West
Virginia, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 3, 1993
Mr. Mollohan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources
April 12, 1994
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on August
3, 1993]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Wheeling National Heritage Area in the State of West
Virginia, 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 ``Wheeling National Heritage Area Act
of 1994''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) the community of Wheeling, West Virginia, and vicinity,
possess important historical, cultural, and natural resources,
representing major heritage themes of transportation and
commerce and industry and Victorian culture in the United
States;
(2) the City of Wheeling played an important part in the
settlement of this country by serving as the western terminus
of the National Road in the early 1800's, by serving as one of
the few major inland ports in the nineteenth century, by
hosting the establishment of the Restored State of Virginia,
and later the State of West Virginia during the Civil War years
and serving as the first capital of the new State of West
Virginia, through the development and maintenance of many
industries crucial to the Nation's expansion, including iron
and steel, and textile manufacturing facilities, boat building
facilities, glass manufacturing facilities, stogie and chewing
tobacco manufacturing facilities, many of which are industries
that continue to play an important role in the Nation's
economy;
(3) the City of Wheeling has retained its national heritage
themes with the designations of the old custom house, now
Independence Hall, as a National Historic Landmark; with the
designation of the historic suspension bridge as a National
Historic Landmark; with five historic districts, and many
individual properties in the Wheeling area listed or eligible
for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places; and
(4) the heritage themes and number and diversity of
Wheeling's remaining resources should be appropriately
retained, enhanced, and interpreted for the education, benefit,
and inspiration of the people of the United States.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are to--
(1) recognize the importance of the history and development
of the Wheeling area in the cultural heritage of the Nation;
(2) provide a framework to assist the City of Wheeling and
other public and private entities and individuals in the
appropriate preservation, enhancement, and interpretation of
resources in the Wheeling area emblematic of Wheeling's
contributions to that cultural heritage; and
(3) allow for limited Federal, State and local capital
contributions for planning and infrastructure investments to
create the Wheeling National Heritage Area, in partnership with
the State of West Virginia and the City of Wheeling, West
Virginia and its designees; and to provide for an economically
self-sustaining National Heritage Area not dependent on Federal
assistance beyond the initial years necessary to establish the
National Heritage Area.
SEC. 3. DEFINITION.
As used in this Act, the term ``Plan'' refers to the Plan for the
Wheeling National Heritage Area, prepared for the Wheeling National
Heritage Area Task Force, the City of Wheeling, and the National Park
Service, published in August 1992, which Plan includes--
(1) an inventory of the natural and cultural resources in
the City of Wheeling;
(2) criteria for preserving and interpreting significant
natural and historic resources;
(3) a strategy for the conservation, preservation, and
reuse of the historical and cultural resources in the City of
Wheeling and the region; and
(4) an implementation agenda by which the State of West
Virginia and local governments can program their resources as
well as a complete description of the management entity
responsible for implementing the Plan.
SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.
In furtherance of the purposes of this Act, there is hereby
established the Wheeling National Heritage Area in the State of West
Virginia (hereinafter referred to as the ``Area''). The Area shall
include those lands and waters within the boundary generally depicted
on the map entitled, ``Boundary Map, Wheeling National Heritage Area,
West Virginia'', which shall be on file and available for public
inspection in the offices of the National Park Service, Department of
the Interior, and in Wheeling, West Virginia.
SEC. 5. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.
(a) Purpose.--To carry out the purposes of this Act, the Secretary
of the Interior shall--
(1) assist appropriate local entities in the development of
interpretive and educational materials as specified in the Plan
or subsequent planning efforts (for example, the interpretive
master plan); and
(2) provide funds for capital improvements to projects and
initial operating assistance consistent with the Plan.
(b) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall, as outlined in the
Plan, provide technical assistance to appropriate local entities in the
preparation of any plans or studies pursuant to the Plan.
(c) Capital Projects.--(1) Application for funds for capital
projects and improvements under this Act shall be submitted to the
Secretary and shall include a description of how the project proposed
to be funded will further the purposes of the Area.
(2) In making such funds available, the Secretary shall give
consideration to projects which provide a greater leverage of Federal
funds. Any payment made shall be subject to an agreement that
conversion, use, or disposal of the project so assisted for purposes
contrary to the purposes of this Act, as determined by the Secretary,
shall result in a right of the United States of reimbursement of all
funds made available to such project or the proportion of the increased
value of the project attributable to such funds as determined at the
time of such conversion, use, or disposal, whichever is greater.
SEC. 6. DUTIES OF OTHER FEDERAL ENTITIES.
Any Federal department, agency or other entity conducting or
supporting activities directly affecting the Area shall--
(1) consult with the Secretary of the Interior with respect
to such activities;
(2) cooperate with the Secretary of the Interior in
carrying out its duties under this Act and, to the maximum
extent practicable, coordinate such activities with the
carrying out of such duties; and
(3) to the maximum extent practicable, conduct or support
such activities in a manner which the Secretary of the Interior
determines will not have an adverse affect on the Area.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the
Interior to carry out this Act not more than--
(1) $5,000,000 for capital projects;
(2) $1,000,000 for planning and studies; and
(3) $500,000 for technical assistance.
Funds made available pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not
exceed 50 percent of the total costs of the project to be funded.