National Heritage Act of 1980

National Heritage Act of 1980 - Title I: National Heritage Policy - Declares that it is the duty and continuing policy of the Federal government, in cooperation with other nations and in partnership with the States, local communities, Indian tribes, and private organizations and individuals to: (1) develop and use means and measures for promoting conditions under which society and our heritage can exist in productive harmony; (2) provide leadership in the conservation and preservation of the natural and cultural heritage resources of the United States, and of the international community; (3) administer federally-owned, administered or controlled, natural and cultural heritage resources in a spirit of stewardship and trusteeship for the benefit of present and future generations; and (4) administer the national heritage program.

Title II: Historic Preservation Program - Amends the Act known as the "National Historic Preservation Act of 1966" to direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a national historic preservation program.

Requires the Secretary to expand and maintain a National Register of Historic Places which shall include districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects of national, State, and local significance in American history, architecture, archaeology, and culture. Stipulates that historic properties meeting the established criteria for national significance shall be designated as National Historic Landmarks.

Directs the Secretary to develop or revise a State historic preservation program which includes appropriate governmental mechanisms for the identification, evaluation, protection, management and preservation of historic properties and for assistance to local governments and private organizations and individuals undertaking preservation activities, through grants, loans, loan guarantees, education, training and such other means and measures as the Secretary determines necessary.

Requires the Secretary to request the Governor of each participating State to designate a State Historic Preservation Officer to carry out the State historic preservation program.

Requires the Secretary to establish and maintain: (1) a program of grants to States for the purpose of preparing comprehensive statewide historic surveys and plans; (2) a program of matching grant-in-aid to States for historical projects; and (3) a program of matching grant-in-aid to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Limits such grants to no more than 50 percent of the total cost of such project, except in the case of grants to States for statewide historic surveys and grants.

Authorizes appropriations to carry out such grants through fiscal year 1986.

Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish standards to provide for the protection, management, curation and maintenance of federally-owned heritage resources; (2) develop a process for the voluntary involvement of the public in the conservation and preservation of historic properties; (3) extend honorific Federal recognition of exceptional efforts by local governments, organizations and individuals in the identification and protection of historic properties; (4) develop and provide technical and nontechnical information and assistance on all aspects of historic preservation; (5) to study the feasibility and desirability of establishing or developing other measures for the conservation, preservation, management, and maintenance of historic properties; (6) develop and make available training and information relating to methods and techniques for identification, management, preservation, protection, rehabilitation, curation, restoration and maintenance of historic properties; and (7) establish, in cooperation with the Council on Heritage Conservation and other appropriate organization, a comprehensive education and training program concerning the administration of historic preservation programs for Federal, State, and local officials.

Sets forth the responsibilities of Federal agencies with regard to historic properties that meet the criteria of eligibility for inclusion in the National Register.

Requires the head of any Federal agency, prior to the approval of any Federal undertaking which may adversely affect any National Historic Landmark, to determine that no prudent feasible alternative to such undertaking exists and to afford the Council on Heritage Conservation a reasonable opportunity to comment on such undertaking.

Requires each Federal agency to: (1) cooperate with the Secretary and the States in the collection, use, and exchange of historic properties information; (2) integrate information contained in the State historic preservation program inventories into its planning process; and (3) develop, within 18 months of the effective date of this Act, regulations or guidelines to carry out its responsibilities under this Act.

Title III: Natural Heritage Program - Requires the Secretary of the Interior to establish a natural heritage program. Directs the Secretary to establish and administer a National Register of Natural Areas which shall include resources of national, State, and local significance. Declares that items of national significance shall be designated as "National Natural Landmarks" (such designations shall only apply to an area which clearly meets the standards for national significance as established by this Act).

Requires the Secretary, within one year of the effective date of this Act, to develop or expand regulations, procedures, or guidelines, as appropriate, for: (1) documentation of significant information concerning the natural heritage resources; (2) eligibility criteria for inclusion in the Natural Register; and (3) nominations to the Natural Register by Federal agencies and by the State natural heritage officer as established by this Act.

Directs the Secretary to develop, in consultation with the States, regulations or guidelines for a State natural heritage program and request the governor of each participating State to designate a State Natural Heritage Officer.

Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) develop a process for the voluntary involvement of the public in the conservation of natural resources; (2) extend honorific Federal recognition of exceptional efforts by local governments and the private sector in the identification and protection of natural heritage resources; (3) develop and provide technical and nontechnical information and assistance on all aspects of natural heritage conservation; and (4) study, in cooperation with other agencies and private and public organizations, the feasibility and desirability of establishing or developing other measures for the conservation, preservation, management and maintenance of natural heritage resources.

Requires each Federal agency, with the advice of the Secretary and in cooperation with the State Natural Heritage Officer, to locate and nominate the Natural Register heritage resources located on lands which it owns or administers that appear to be eligible for inclusion. Sets forth measures to be taken by Federal agencies to provide for the maintenance, preservation, rehabilitation, or restoration of federally-owned natural heritage resources.

Requires the head of any Federal agency having direct or indirect jurisdiction over a proposed Federal or federally assisted undertaking in any State or having authority to license any such undertaking, prior to the approval of the expenditure of any Federal funds or the issuance of any license, to take into account the effect of the undertaking on any area included in or eligible for inclusion in the Natural Register.

Specifies that, prior to the approval of any Federal undertaking which may adversely affect any natural landmark, the head of the Federal agency involved shall determine that no feasible alternative to such undertaking exists.

Requires the Council on Heritage Conservation, with the concurrence of the Secretary, to promulgate regulations or guidelines for the exemption of Federal undertakings from requirements of this Act.

Amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial assistance to States for the conservation of natural areas.

Title IV: International Activities and World Heritage Convention - Requires the Secretary to direct and coordinate United States participation in the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage and in other international activities concerning the conservation of heritage resources.

Requires the Secretary to establish a program to evaluate this Nation's heritage resources, to identify properties of international significance, and to periodically nominate such properties to the World Heritage Committee on behalf of the United States.

Title V: Council on Heritage Conservation - Renames the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation the Council on Heritage Conservation. Directs the Council to: (1) review Federal policies and programs affecting historic places and natural areas; and (2) inform and educate interested Federal agencies, State and local governments, Indian tribes, other nations, and international organizations and private groups and individuals as to the Council's activities.

Directs the Council to promulgate, within six months of the effective date of this Act, such rules and regulations as it deems necessary to implement its responsibilities, including, with the concurrence of the Secretary, regulations or guidelines as appropriate, for the exemption of Federal undertakings from any or all of the requirements of this Act.

Title VI: General, Administrative, and Miscellaneous Provisions - Subtitle A - General and Administrative Provisions - Authorizes each Federal agency to expend funds appropriated for its authorized programs for the purposes of this Act.

Allows the head of each Federal agency, after consultation with the Secretary, to withhold from public disclosure information relating to the location of heritage resources which are eligible for or included in the Natural Register or the Historic Register, whenever it is determined that the disclosure of such information would create a risk of harm to such locations.

Directs the Secretary of the Interior, in cooperation with the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress, to submit, within two years after the date of enactment of this Act, a report to the President and the Congress on preserving and conserving the intangible elements of our cultural heritage.

Directs the Secretary, in cooperation with the Secretary of the Treasury, to submit a report to the President and the Congress on Federal tax laws relating to historic preservation or affecting in any manner historic preservation.

Directs the Secretary to undertake a comprehensive study and formulate recommendations for the creation of a National System of Cultural Parks.

Subtitle B - Center for the Building Arts - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to establish the pension building located in Washington, District of Columbia, as a national historic site to be named the "National Center for the Building Arts."

Authorizes the Secretary to renovate, maintain, and administer such site and to enter into contracts with the National Building Arts Foundation.

Authorizes appropriations to be used for the renovation of the Center.

Establishes in the District of Columbia a charitable, educational, and scientific nonprofit corporation to be known as the National Building Arts Foundation whose duty it shall be to carry out the following programs: (1) collection and dissemination of information concerning the building arts; (2) providing education and information relating to the history and practice of the building arts; and (3) the public display of temporary and permanent exhibits illustrating and interpreting the building arts.

Specifies that the Foundation shall be under the direction of a Board of Trustees, which shall have the power to appoint and remove a President of the Foundation and such other officers as the Board determines to be necessary.

Declares that Foundation shall have the power to: (1) have succession until dissolved by Act of Congress; (2) sue and be sued in its corporate name; (3) adopt, alter, and use a corporate seal, which shall be judicially noticed; (4) adopt and make necessary such bylaws, rules, and regulations; (5) accept, hold, and administer gifts and bequests of money, securities, or other personal property; (6) acquire by gift, devise, purchase, or otherwise any real property, or any estate or interest therein; (7) contract and make cooperative agreements with Federal, State, municipal, or special purpose departments, agencies, or districts, corporations, associations, or individuals; (8) accept grants from Federal, State, and local governmental agencies and other entities; (9) enter into contracts generally and to execute all instruments necessary or appropriate to carry out its corporate purposes; (10) generally to do any and all lawful acts necessary to carry out the Foundation's purposes.

Directs the General Accounting Office to review and audit regularly the accounts of the Foundation for purposes of determining the continuing ability of the Foundation to pay for the functions of the Center.

Directs the Foundation to submit annually to specified congressional committees a report containing a statement of its activities carried out, together with a plan of the programs which it proposes to carry out during the succeeding four years.

Directs the Secretary to investigate the plans and performance of the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation as they relate to historic preservation and, within 90 days from the date of this Act, submit a report to the Congress containing the results of such study together with the Secretary's recommendations for the inclusion in such plans of a comprehensive historic preservation element.

Declares that the areas which are subject to the Pennsylvania Development Corporation Act shall be deemed to be a historic district.