Great Lakes Gateways Network Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1073 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1073

   To direct the Secretary of the Interior to provide technical and 
  financial assistance to identify, conserve, restore, and interpret 
 natural, recreational, historical, and cultural resources within the 
             Great Lakes Watershed, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 6, 2025

Ms. Kaptur (for herself and Mr. Joyce of Ohio) introduced the following 
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of the Interior to provide technical and 
  financial assistance to identify, conserve, restore, and interpret 
 natural, recreational, historical, and cultural resources within the 
             Great Lakes Watershed, 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 ``Great Lakes Gateways Network Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. GREAT LAKES GATEWAYS.

    (a) Great Lakes Gateways Network.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior (referred to 
        in this section as the ``Secretary''), in cooperation with the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (referred 
        to in this section as the ``Administrator''), shall provide 
        technical and financial assistance, in cooperation with other 
        Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit 
        organizations, and the private sector to--
                    (A) identify, conserve, restore, and interpret 
                natural, recreational, historical, and cultural 
                resources within the Great Lakes Watershed;
                    (B) identify and use the collective resources as 
                Great Lakes Gateways sites for enhancing public 
                education regarding and access to the Great Lakes;
                    (C) link the Great Lakes Gateways sites with 
                trails, tour roads, scenic byways, and other 
                connections as determined by the Secretary;
                    (D) develop and establish Great Lakes Watertrails 
                comprising water routes and connections to Great Lakes 
                Gateways sites and other land resources within the 
                Great Lakes Watershed; and
                    (E) create a Great Lakes Gateways Network comprised 
                of Great Lakes Gateways sites and Great Lakes 
                Watertrails.
            (2) Components.--Components of the Great Lakes Gateways 
        Network may include--
                    (A) State or Federal parks or refuges;
                    (B) historic seaports;
                    (C) archaeological, cultural, historical, or 
                recreational sites; or
                    (D) other public access and interpretive sites as 
                selected by the Secretary.
    (b) Great Lakes Gateways Grants Assistance Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary, in cooperation with the 
        Administrator, shall establish a Great Lakes Gateways Grants 
        Assistance Program to aid State and local governments, local 
        communities, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector in 
        conserving, restoring, and interpreting important historic, 
        cultural, recreational, and natural resources within the Great 
        Lakes Watershed.
            (2) Criteria.--The Secretary, in cooperation with the 
        Administrator, shall develop appropriate eligibility, 
        prioritization, and review criteria for grants under this 
        section.
            (3) Matching funds and administrative expenses.--A grant 
        under this section--
                    (A) shall not exceed 50 percent of eligible project 
                costs;
                    (B) shall be made on the condition that non-Federal 
                sources, including in-kind contributions of services or 
                materials, provide the remainder of eligible project 
                costs; and
                    (C) shall be made on the condition that 
                administrative expenses are not more than 10 percent of 
                all eligible project costs.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $6,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2026 through 2031.
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