Blue Ridge Heritage and Cultural Partnership Area Study Act of 2002

Blue Ridge Heritage and Cultural Partnership Area Study Act of 2002 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to study and report on the suitability and feasibility of establishing the Blue Ridge Heritage and Cultural Partnership Study Area in North Carolina.

[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4530 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4530

   To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of the 
suitability and feasibility of establishing the Blue Ridge Heritage and 
   Cultural Partnership Study Area in North Carolina, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 18, 2002

Mr. Taylor of North Carolina (for himself, Mr. Ballenger, and Mr. Burr 
of North Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                       the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of the 
suitability and feasibility of establishing the Blue Ridge Heritage and 
   Cultural Partnership Study Area in North Carolina, 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 ``Blue Ridge Heritage and Cultural 
Partnership Area Study Act of 2002''.

SEC. 2. STUDY.

    The Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with appropriate 
State historic preservation officers, State historical societies, 
Handmade in America, Inc., the Education and Research Consortium of 
Western North Carolina, and Advantage West, shall conduct a study 
regarding the suitability and feasibility of designating the study area 
described in section 3 as the Blue Ridge Heritage and Cultural 
Partnership Study Area. The study shall include analysis, 
documentation, and determination regarding whether the study area--
          (1) has an assemblage of natural, historic, and cultural 
        resources that together represent distinctive aspects of 
        American heritage worthy of recognition, conservation, 
        interpretation, and continuing use, and are best managed 
        through partnerships among public and private entities and by 
        combining diverse and sometime noncontiguous resources and 
        active communities;
            (2) reflects traditions, customs, beliefs, and folklife 
        that are a valuable part of the national story;
            (3) provides outstanding opportunities to conserve natural, 
        historic, cultural, or scenic features;
            (4) provides outstanding recreational and educational 
        opportunities;
            (5) contains resources important to the identified theme or 
        themes of the study area that retain a degree of integrity 
        capable of supporting interpretation;
            (6) includes residents, business interests, nonprofit 
        organizations, and local and State governments that are 
        involved in the planning, have developed a conceptual financial 
        plan that outlines the roles of all participants including the 
        Federal Government), and have demonstrated support for the 
        concept of a national heritage area;
            (7) has a potential management entity to work in 
        partnership with residents, business interests, nonprofit 
        organizations, and local and State governments to develop a 
        national heritage area consistent with continued local and 
        State economic activity; and
            (8) has a conceptual boundary map that is supported by the 
        public.

SEC. 3. BOUNDARIES OF THE STUDY AREA.

    The study area referred to in section 2 shall be comprised of the 
following:
            (1) The counties of Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Swain, Macon, 
        Jackson, Transylvania, Haywood, Madison, Buncombe, Henderson, 
        Yancey, Mitchell, McDowell, Rutherford, Polk, Burke, Avery, 
        Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Wilkes, Alleghany, Surry, and Yadkin, 
        North Carolina.
            (2) Other areas that have heritage aspects that are similar 
        to those aspects that are in the areas described in paragraphs 
        (1) through (4) and which are adjacent to or in the vicinity of 
        those areas.

SEC. 4. REPORT.

    Not later than 3 fiscal years after the date on which funds are 
first made available for this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
submit to the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a 
report on the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the study.
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