Steel Valley National Heritage Area Act
This bill establishes the Steel Valley National Heritage Area in Ohio or Pennsylvania, as appropriate.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2058 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2058
To establish the Steel Valley National Heritage Area in the States of
Pennsylvania and Ohio, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 18, 2021
Mr. Ryan (for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, and Mr. Cartwright) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural
Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Steel Valley National Heritage Area in the States of
Pennsylvania and Ohio, 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 ``Steel Valley National Heritage Area
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds as follows:
(1) Until the late 1970s, the Mahoning Valley Steelmaking
District was one of the five largest steelmaking areas in the
world, at times even larger than Pittsburgh, and its mills
produced the steel that built America's cities, supported its
infrastructure, and strengthened its war efforts.
(2) Jobs in the steel industry attracted immigrants from
Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, as well as
thousands of African Americans moving North as part of the
Great Migration. While these groups have interacted, become
neighbors, and intermarried over the decades, ethnic identities
remain strong in this area. This has produced both a strong
sense of community and divisions that reflect national patterns
of conflict over class, race, ethnicity, and religion.
(3) The cultural legacy of the steel industry remains long
after many of the local mills shut down in the institutions
created by both working people and civic and business leaders,
ranging from ethnic churches to adult education programs aimed
at helping immigrants learn English and gain citizenship to the
Butler Institute of America Art, the Youngstown Symphony,
several museums focused on the history of the region, and a
large city park that offers programming in the arts, history,
and outdoor activities.
(4) The Mahoning Valley Steelmaking District has a long
history of labor and community activism--
(A) helping to create the United Steelworkers of
America, which enabled many workers to achieve middle-
class lives;
(B) organizing a significant community-wide effort
to keep the steel mills open after shutdowns were
announced in the late 1970s; and
(C) developing a nationally and internationally
recognized model for community-based planning in
response to the economic and social challenges of
deindustrialization, including the Youngstown 2010 Plan
and several on-going grassroots neighborhood
organizations that have led important efforts to
revitalize the community.
(5) While many aspects of this community's history reflect
the unique mix of the people who came here and the history of
industries in this Valley, the story of the Mahoning Valley
Steelmaking District also reflects national patterns of
industrial growth and change, migration and immigration, and
cultural, civic, and labor organizing.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Local coordinating entity.--The term ``local
coordinating entity'' means the Steel Valley National Heritage
Area Commission established by section 5(a).
(2) Management plan.--The term ``management plan'' means
the management plan for the National Heritage Area required
under section 6.
(3) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled ``Steel
Valley National Heritage Area'' created by the Congressional
Research Service.
(4) National heritage area.--The term ``National Heritage
Area'' means the Steel Valley National Heritage Area
established by section 4(a).
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(6) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Ohio or
the State of Pennsylvania, as appropriate.
SEC. 4. STEEL VALLEY NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.
(a) Establishment.--There is established in the State the Steel
Valley National Heritage Area.
(b) Boundaries.--
(1) In general.--The National Heritage Area shall consist
of land located in the Counties of Trumbull and Mahoning in
Ohio, and Mercer and Lawrence Counties in Pennsylvania, as
generally depicted on the map.
(2) Revision.--The boundaries of the National Heritage Area
established under paragraph (1) may be revised if the revision
is--
(A) proposed in the management plan;
(B) approved by the Secretary in accordance with
section 6; and
(C) placed on file in accordance with subsection
(c).
(c) Availability of Map.--The map shall be on file and available
for public inspection in the appropriate offices of--
(1) the National Park Service; and
(2) the local coordinating entity.
(d) Local Coordinating Entity.--The Steel Valley National Heritage
Area Commission shall be the local coordinating entity for the National
Heritage Area.
SEC. 5. STEEL VALLEY NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA COMMISSION.
(a) Establishment.--There is established the Steel Valley National
Heritage Area Commission. The purpose of the local coordinating entity
shall be--
(1) to work with Federal, State, and local authorities to
develop and implement the management plan; and
(2) to foster and enhance the integration of industrial
steel and manufacturing-related historical, cultural,
educational, natural, scenic, and recreational initiatives
within the National Heritage Area.
(b) Authorities.--For purposes of implementing the management plan,
the Secretary, acting through the local coordinating entity, may use
amounts made available under section 10 to--
(1) make grants to the State or a political subdivision of
the State, nonprofit organizations, and other persons;
(2) assist others in developing educational, informational,
and interpretive programs and facilities;
(3) enter into cooperative agreements with, or provide
technical assistance to, the State or a political subdivision
of the State, nonprofit organizations, and other interested
parties;
(4) hire and compensate staff, which shall include
individuals with expertise in historic preservation and
restoration, cultural and natural resource management,
interpretive planning and museum services, heritage and
education programming, economic and community development,
labor and working-class studies, and tourism;
(5) establish such advisory groups as deemed necessary;
(6) obtain money or services from any source, including any
money or services that are provided under any other Federal law
or program;
(7) contract for goods or services; and
(8) undertake to be a catalyst for any other activity
that--
(A) furthers the purposes of the National Heritage
Area; and
(B) is consistent with the approved management
plan.
(c) Duties.--The local coordinating entity shall--
(1) in accordance with section 6, prepare and submit a
management plan to the Secretary;
(2) assist units of local government, regional planning
organizations, and nonprofit organizations in carrying out the
approved management plan by--
(A) carrying out programs and projects that
recognize, preserve, and enhance the remaining elements
of the original Mahoning Valley Steel District;
(B) establishing and maintaining visitor centers,
museums, and other interpretive exhibits and programs
in the National Heritage Area;
(C) developing recreational and educational
opportunities in the National Heritage Area;
(D) increasing public awareness of industrial steel
and manufacturing-related historical, cultural,
educational, natural, scenic, and recreational
resources and sites within the National Heritage Area;
(E) identifying and restoring any historic
building, site, or district consistent with National
Heritage Area themes;
(F) ensuring that clear, consistent, and
environmentally appropriate signs identifying points of
access and sites of interest are posted throughout the
National Heritage Area; and
(G) promoting a wide range of partnerships among
governments, organizations, communities, and
individuals to further the National Heritage Area;
(3) consider the interests and perspectives of diverse
units of government, businesses, organizations, communities,
and individuals in the National Heritage Area in the
preparation and implementation of the management plan; and
(4) encourage, by appropriate means, economic viability
that is consistent with the National Heritage Area.
(d) Prohibition on the Acquisition of Real Property.--The local
coordinating entity shall not use Federal funds made available under
section 10 to acquire real property or any interest in real property.
(e) Membership.--The local coordinating entity shall be composed of
23 members, as follows:
(1) The Secretary of the Interior, ex officio, or the
Secretary's designee.
(2) Ten members, appointed by the Secretary after
consideration of recommendations submitted by the Governor of
the State and other appropriate officials, with knowledge and
experience of the following agencies or those agencies'
successors: the Ohio Arts Council, the Ohio Development
Services Agency, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio
Office of Tourism, and the Ohio State Historic Preservation
Office, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Pennsylvania
Historical and Museum Commission, the Pennsylvania Department
of Community and Economic Development, and the Pennsylvania
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
(3) The remaining 12 members who reside within the National
Heritage Area and are geographically dispersed throughout the
National Heritage Area shall be from government, institutions
of higher education, and public or private entities and
organizations with knowledge of historic preservation and
restoration, cultural and natural resource management,
interpretive planning and museum services, heritage and
education programming, economic and community development,
labor and working-class studies, and tourism. These members
will be appointed by the Secretary as follows:
(A) Four members based on a recommendation from
each Senator from the State of Ohio and the State of
Pennsylvania.
(B) Four members based on a recommendation from
each Member of the House of Representatives whose
district shall encompass the National Heritage Area.
(C) Four members who shall be residents of any
county constituting the National Heritage Area.
(f) Appointments and Vacancies.--Members of the local coordinating
entity other than ex officio members shall be appointed for terms of 3
years. Of the original appointments, 5 shall be for a term of 1 year, 5
shall be for a term of 2 years, and 5 shall be for a term of 3 years.
Any member of the local coordinating entity appointed for a definite
term may serve after expiration of the term until the successor of the
member is appointed. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve
for the remainder of the term for which the predecessor was appointed.
Any vacancy on the local coordinating entity shall be filled in the
same manner in which the original appointment was made.
(g) Compensation.--Members of the local coordinating entity shall
receive no compensation for their service on the local coordinating
entity. Members of the local coordinating entity, other than employees
of the State, while away from their homes or regular places of business
to perform services for the local coordinating entity, shall be allowed
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in the same
manner as persons employed intermittently in Government service are
allowed under section 5703 of title 5, United States Code.
(h) Election of Offices.--The local coordinating entity shall elect
the chairperson and the vice chairperson on an annual basis. The vice
chairperson shall serve as the chairperson in the absence of the
chairperson.
(i) Meetings.--The local coordinating entity shall conduct meetings
open to the public at least semiannually regarding the development and
implementation of the management plan. The local coordinating entity
shall meet at the call of the chairperson or 12 of its members. Notice
of meetings and agendas for the meeting shall be published throughout
the National Heritage Area.
(j) Quorum and Voting.--Eleven members of the local coordinating
entity shall constitute a quorum but a lesser number may hold hearings.
Any member of the local coordinating entity may vote by means of a
signed proxy exercised by another member of the local coordinating
entity, however, any member voting by proxy shall not be considered
present for purposes of establishing a quorum. For the transaction of
any business or the exercise of any power of the local coordinating
entity, the local coordinating entity shall have the power to act by a
majority vote of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum
is in attendance.
(k) Annual Reports and Audits.--For any year for which Federal
funds have been received under this section, the local coordinating
entity shall--
(1) submit to the Secretary an annual report that describes
the activities, expenses, and income of the local coordinating
entity (including grants from the local coordinating entity to
any other entities during the year that the report is made);
(2) make available to the Secretary for audit all records
relating to the expenditure of the funds and any matching
funds; and
(3) require, with respect to all agreements authorizing the
expenditure of Federal funds by other organizations, that the
organizations receiving the funds make available to the
Secretary for audit all records concerning the expenditure of
the funds.
(l) Termination.--The local coordinating entity shall terminate on
the day occurring 10 years after the date of enactment of this title.
SEC. 6. MANAGEMENT PLAN.
(a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, the local coordinating entity shall submit to the
Secretary for approval a proposed management plan for the National
Heritage Area.
(b) Requirements.--The management plan shall include--
(1) an inventory of historic properties and resources
within the National Heritage Area that--
(A) are related to the themes of the National
Heritage Area; and
(B) should be preserved, restored, managed,
developed, or maintained because of their historical,
cultural, educational, natural, scenic, or recreational
significance;
(2) comprehensive policies, strategies, and recommendations
for the preservation, funding, management, and development of
the National Heritage Area;
(3) a program of implementation for the management plan by
the local coordinating entity that includes a description of--
(A) actions to facilitate ongoing collaboration
among identified partners to promote plans for site and
resource protection, restoration, enhancement, and
construction; and
(B) specific commitments that have been made by the
local coordinating entity or any government,
organization, or individual for the first 5 years of
operation of the National Heritage Area;
(4) the identification of sources of funding for carrying
out the management plan;
(5) analysis and recommendations for means by which
Federal, State, and local programs may best be integrated and
coordinated to carry out this section, including a description
of the role of the National Park Service in the National
Heritage Area;
(6) an interpretive plan that identifies, develops,
supports, and enhances education programs within the National
Heritage Area that includes--
(A) documentation of and methods to support the
perpetuation of music, art, poetry, literature,
folklore, and culture associated with the steel mills
and blast furnaces; and
(B) research related to--
(i) the construction and history of the
steel mills and blast furnaces;
(ii) the cultural traditions of steel
workers, their families, and communities;
(iii) the role and influence of organized
labor;
(iv) the role and influence of organized
crime;
(v) the history of racial, ethnic, and
religious conflict;
(vi) the social and economic impacts of
deindustrialization; and
(vii) the diaspora of urban industrial
cities; and
(7) recommended 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 historical, cultural, educational,
natural, scenic, and recreational resources of the National
Heritage Area.
(c) Deadline.--If a proposed management plan is not submitted to
the Secretary by the date that is 3 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, the local coordinating entity shall be ineligible to
receive additional funding under this Act until the date on which the
Secretary receives and approves the management plan.
(d) Approval or Disapproval of Management Plan.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
receipt of the management plan under subsection (a), the
Secretary, in consultation with the State, shall approve or
disapprove the management plan.
(2) Criteria for approval.--In determining whether to
approve the management plan, the Secretary shall consider
whether--
(A) the local coordinating entity is representative
of the diverse interests and perspectives of the
National Heritage Area, including governments,
historical and cultural organizations, educational and
civic institutions, organized labor, and businesses;
(B) the local coordinating entity has afforded
adequate opportunities, including public hearings and
comment periods, for public and governmental
involvement in the preparation of the management plan;
and
(C) the resource protection and interpretation
strategies contained in the management plan, if
implemented, would adequately preserve the historical,
cultural, and natural resources of the National
Heritage Area.
(3) Action following disapproval.--If the Secretary
disapproves the management plan under paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall--
(A) advise the local coordinating entity in writing
of the reasons for the disapproval;
(B) make recommendations for revisions to the
management plan; and
(C) not later than 180 days after the receipt of
any proposed revision of the management plan from the
local coordinating entity, approve or disapprove the
proposed revision.
(4) Amendments.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary shall approve or
disapprove each amendment to the management plan that
makes a substantial change to the management plan, as
determined by the Secretary.
(B) Use of funds.--The local coordinating entity
shall not use Federal funds authorized by this section
to carry out any amendments to the management plan
until the date on which the Secretary has approved the
amendments.
SEC. 7. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.
(a) In General.--Nothing in this Act affects the authority of a
Federal agency to provide technical or financial assistance under any
other law.
(b) Consultation and Coordination.--The head of any Federal agency
planning to conduct activities that may have an impact on the National
Heritage Area is encouraged to consult and coordinate the activities
with the Secretary and the local coordinating entity, to the maximum
extent practicable.
(c) Other Federal Agencies.--Nothing in this Act--
(1) modifies, alters, or amends any law or regulation
authorizing a Federal agency to manage Federal land under the
jurisdiction of the Federal agency;
(2) limits the discretion of a Federal land manager to
implement an approved land use plan within the boundaries of
the National Heritage Area; or
(3) modifies, alters, or amends any authorized use of
Federal land under the jurisdiction of a Federal agency.
SEC. 8. PRIVATE PROPERTY AND REGULATORY PROTECTIONS.
Nothing in this Act--
(1) abridges the rights of any owner of public or private
property, including the right to refrain from participating in
any plan, project, program, or activity conducted within the
National Heritage Area;
(2) requires any property owner--
(A) to permit public access (including access by
Federal, State, or local agencies) to the property of
the property owner; or
(B) to modify public access or use of property of
the property owner under any other Federal, State, or
local law;
(3) alters any duly adopted land use regulation, approved
land use plan, or other regulatory authority of any Federal,
State, Tribal, or local agency;
(4) conveys any land use or other regulatory authority to
the local coordinating entity;
(5) authorizes or implies the reservation or appropriation
of water or water rights;
(6) diminishes the authority of the State to manage fish
and wildlife, including the regulation of fishing and hunting
within the National Heritage Area; or
(7) creates any liability, or affects any liability under
any other law, of any private property owner with respect to
any person injured on the private property.
SEC. 9. EVALUATION AND REPORT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 3 years before the date on which
authority for Federal funding terminates for the National Heritage
Area, the Secretary shall--
(1) conduct an evaluation of the accomplishments of the
National Heritage Area; and
(2) prepare a report in accordance with subsection (c).
(b) Evaluation.--An evaluation conducted under subsection (a)(1)
shall--
(1) assess the progress of the local coordinating entity
with respect to--
(A) accomplishing the purposes of the National
Heritage Area; and
(B) achieving the goals and objectives of the
management plan;
(2) analyze the investments of Federal, State, Tribal, and
local government and private entities in the National Heritage
Area to determine the impact of the investments; and
(3) review the management structure, partnership
relationships, and funding of the National Heritage Area for
purposes of identifying the critical components for
sustainability of the National Heritage Area.
(c) Report.--Based on the evaluation conducted under subsection
(a)(1), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources
of the House of Representatives a report that includes recommendations
for the future role of the National Park Service with respect to the
National Heritage Area.
SEC. 10. 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 made
available in any fiscal year.
(b) Availability.--Amounts made available under subsection (a)
shall remain available until expended.
(c) Cost-Sharing Requirement.--
(1) In general.--The Federal share of the total cost of any
activity carried out under this Act shall be not more than 50
percent.
(2) Form.--The non-Federal share of the total cost of any
activity carried out under this Act may be in the form of in-
kind contributions of goods or services fairly valued.
(d) 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.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands.
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