text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Upper Housatonic Valley National 
  Heritage Area Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
  
      (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
              (1) The upper Housatonic Valley, encompassing 29 towns in 
          the hilly terrain of western Massachusetts and northwestern 
          Connecticut, is a singular geographical and cultural region 
          that has made significant national contributions through its 
          literary, artistic, musical, and architectural achievements, 
          its iron, paper, and electrical equipment industries, and its 
          scenic beautification and environmental conservation efforts.
              (2) The upper Housatonic Valley has 139 properties and 
          historic districts listed on the National Register of Historic 
          Places including--
                      (A) five National Historic Landmarks--
                              (i) Edith Wharton's home, The Mount, Lenox, 
                          Massachusetts;
                              (ii) Herman Melville's home, Arrowhead, 
                          Pittsfield, Massachusetts;
                              (iii) W.E.B. DuBois' Boyhood Homesite, 
                          Great Barrington, Massachusetts;
                              (iv) Mission House, Stockbridge, 
                          Massachusetts; and
                              (v) Crane and Company Old Stone Mill Rag 
                          Room, Dalton, Massachusetts; and
                      (B) four National Natural Landmarks--
                              (i) Bartholomew's Cobble, Sheffield, 
                          Massachusetts, and Salisbury, Connecticut;
                              (ii) Beckley Bog, Norfolk, Connecticut;
                              (iii) Bingham Bog, Salisbury, Connecticut; 
                          and
                              (iv) Cathedral Pines, Cornwall, 
                          Connecticut.
              (3) Writers, artists, musicians, and vacationers have 
          visited the region for more than 150 years to enjoy its scenic 
          wonders, making it one of the country's leading cultural 
          resorts.
              (4) The upper Housatonic Valley has made significant 
          national cultural contributions through such writers as Herman 
          Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edith Wharton, and W.E.B. 
          DuBois, artists Daniel Chester French and Norman Rockwell, and 
          the performing arts centers of Tanglewood, Music Mountain, 
          Norfolk (Connecticut) Chamber Music Festival, Jacob's Pillow, 
          and Shakespeare & Company.
              (5) The upper Housatonic Valley is noted for its pioneering 
          achievements in the iron, paper, and electrical generation 
          industries and has cultural resources to interpret those 
          industries.
              (6) The region became a national leader in scenic 
          beautification and environmental conservation efforts following 
          the era of industrialization and deforestation and maintains a 
          fabric of significant conservation areas including the 
          meandering Housatonic River.
              (7) Important historical events related to the American 
          Revolution, Shays' Rebellion, and early civil rights took place 
          in the upper Housatonic Valley.
              (8) The region had an American Indian presence going back 
          10,000 years and Mohicans had a formative role in contact with 
          Europeans during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
              (9) The Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area has 
          been proposed in order to heighten appreciation of the region, 
          preserve its natural and historical resources, and improve the 
          quality of life and economy of the area.
      (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are as follows:
              (1) To establish the Upper Housatonic Valley National 
          Heritage Area in the State of Connecticut and the Commonwealth 
          of Massachusetts.
              (2) To implement the national heritage area alternative as 
          described in the document entitled ``Upper Housatonic Valley 
          National Heritage Area Feasibility Study, 2003''.
              (3) To provide a management framework to foster a close 
          working relationship with all levels of government, the private 
          sector, and the local communities in the upper Housatonic 
          Valley region to conserve the region's heritage while 
          continuing to pursue compatible economic opportunities.
              (4) To assist communities, organizations, and citizens in 
          the State of Connecticut and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 
          in identifying, preserving, interpreting, and developing the 
          historical, cultural, scenic, and natural resources of the 
          region for the educational and inspirational benefit of current 
          and future generations.
  
  SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
  
      In this Act:
              (1) Heritage area.--The term ``Heritage Area'' means the 
          Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area, established in 
          section 4.
              (2) Management entity.--The term ``Management Entity'' 
          means the management entity for the Heritage Area designated by 
          section 4(d).
              (3) Management plan.--The term ``Management Plan'' means 
          the management plan for the Heritage Area specified in section 
          6.
              (4) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled 
          ``Boundary Map Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage 
          Area'', numbered P17/80,000, and dated February 2003.
              (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
          of the Interior.
              (6) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of 
          Connecticut and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
  
  SEC. 4. UPPER HOUSATONIC VALLEY NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.
  
      (a) Establishment.--There is established the Upper Housatonic 
  Valley National Heritage Area.
      (b) Boundaries.--The Heritage Area shall be comprised of--
              (1) part of the Housatonic River's watershed, which extends 
          60 miles from Lanesboro, Massachusetts to Kent, Connecticut;
              (2) the towns of Canaan, Colebrook, Cornwall, Kent, 
          Norfolk, North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon, and Warren in 
          Connecticut;
              (3) the towns of Alford, Becket, Dalton, Egremont, Great 
          Barrington, Hancock, Hinsdale, Lanesboro, Lee, Lenox, Monterey, 
          Mount Washington, New Marlboro, Pittsfield, Richmond, 
          Sheffield, Stockbridge, Tyringham, Washington, and West 
          Stockbridge in Massachusetts; and
              (4) the land and water within the boundaries of the 
          Heritage Area, as depicted on the map.
      (c) Availability of Map.--The map shall be on file and available 
  for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park 
  Service, Department of the Interior.
      (d) Management Entity.--The Upper Housatonic Valley National 
  Heritage Area, Inc. shall be the management entity for the Heritage 
  Area.
  
  SEC. 5. AUTHORITIES, PROHIBITIONS AND DUTIES OF THE MANAGEMENT ENTITY.
  
      (a) Duties of the Management Entity.--To further the purposes of 
  the Heritage Area, the management entity shall--
              (1) prepare and submit a management plan for the Heritage 
          Area to the Secretary in accordance with section 6;
              (2) assist units of local government, regional planning 
          organizations, and nonprofit organizations in implementing the 
          approved management plan by--
                      (A) carrying out programs and projects that 
                  recognize, protect and enhance important resource 
                  values within the Heritage Area;
                      (B) establishing and maintaining interpretive 
                  exhibits and programs within the Heritage Area;
                      (C) developing recreational and educational 
                  opportunities in the Heritage Area;
                      (D) increasing public awareness of and appreciation 
                  for natural, historical, scenic, and cultural resources 
                  of the Heritage Area;
                      (E) protecting and restoring historic sites and 
                  buildings in the Heritage Area that are consistent with 
                  heritage area themes;
                      (F) ensuring that clear, consistent, and 
                  appropriate signs identifying points of public access 
                  and sites of interest are posted throughout the 
                  Heritage Area; and
                      (G) promoting a wide range of partnerships among 
                  governments, organizations and individuals to further 
                  the purposes of the Heritage Area;
              (3) consider the interests of diverse units of government, 
          businesses, organizations and individuals in the Heritage Area 
          in the preparation and implementation of the management plan;
              (4) conduct meetings open to the public at least semi-
          annually regarding the development and implementation of the 
          management plan;
              (5) submit an annual report to the Secretary for any fiscal 
          year in which the management entity receives Federal funds 
          under this Act, setting forth its accomplishments, expenses, 
          and income, including grants to any other entities during the 
          year for which the report is made;
              (6) make available for audit for any fiscal year in which 
          it receives Federal funds under this Act, all information 
          pertaining to the expenditure of such funds and any matching 
          funds, and require in all agreements authorizing expenditures 
          of Federal funds by other organizations, that the receiving 
          organizations make available for such audit all records and 
          other information pertaining to the expenditure of such funds; 
          and
              (7) encourage by appropriate means economic viability that 
          is consistent with the purposes of the Heritage Area.
      (b) Authorities.--The management entity may, for the purposes of 
  preparing and implementing the management plan for the Heritage Area, 
  use Federal funds made available through this Act to--
              (1) make grants to the State of Connecticut and the 
          Commonwealth of Massachusetts, their political subdivisions, 
          nonprofit organizations and other persons;
              (2) enter into cooperative agreements with or provide 
          technical assistance to the State of Connecticut and the 
          Commonwealth of Massachusetts, their political jurisdictions, 
          nonprofit organizations, and other interested parties;
              (3) hire and compensate staff, which shall include 
          individuals with expertise in natural, cultural, and historical 
          resources protection, and heritage programming;
              (4) obtain money or services from any source including any 
          that are provided under any other Federal law or program;
              (5) contract for goods or services; and
              (6) undertake to be a catalyst for any other activity that 
          furthers the purposes of the Heritage Area and is consistent 
          with the approved management plan.
      (c) Prohibitions on the Acquisition of Real Property.--The 
  management entity may not use Federal funds received under this Act to 
  acquire real property, but may use any other source of funding, 
  including other Federal funding outside this authority, intended for 
  the acquisition of real property.
  
  SEC. 6. MANAGEMENT PLAN.
  
      (a) In General.--The management plan for the Heritage Area shall--
              (1) include comprehensive policies, strategies and 
          recommendations for conservation, funding, management and 
          development of the Heritage Area;
              (2) take into consideration existing State, county, and 
          local plans in the development of the management plan and its 
          implementation;
              (3) include a description of actions that governments, 
          private organizations, and individuals have agreed to take to 
          protect the natural, historical and cultural resources of the 
          Heritage Area;
              (4) specify the existing and potential sources of funding 
          to protect, manage, and develop the Heritage Area in the first 
          5 years of implementation;
              (5) include an inventory of the natural, historical, 
          cultural, educational, scenic, and recreational resources of 
          the Heritage Area related to the themes of the Heritage Area 
          that should be preserved, restored, managed, developed, or 
          maintained;
              (6) recommend policies and strategies for resource 
          management that consider and detail the application of 
          appropriate land and water management techniques including, but 
          not limited to, the development of intergovernmental and 
          interagency cooperative agreements to protect the Heritage 
          Area's natural, historical, cultural, educational, scenic and 
          recreational resources;
              (7) describe a program of implementation for the management 
          plan including plans for resource protection, restoration, 
          construction, and specific commitments for implementation that 
          have been made by the management entity or any government, 
          organization, or individual for the first 5 years of 
          implementation;
              (8) include an analysis and recommendations for ways in 
          which local, State, and Federal programs, including the role of 
          the National Park Service in the Heritage Area, may best be 
          coordinated to further the purposes of this Act; and
              (9) include an interpretive plan for the Heritage Area.
      (b) Deadline and Termination of Funding.--
              (1) Deadline.--The management entity shall submit the 
          management plan to the Secretary for approval within 3 years 
          after funds are made available for this Act.
              (2) Termination of funding.--If the management plan is not 
          submitted to the Secretary in accordance with this subsection, 
          the management entity shall not qualify for Federal funding 
          under this Act until such time as the management plan is 
          submitted to and approved by the Secretary.
  
  SEC. 7. DUTIES AND AUTHORITIES OF THE SECRETARY.
  
      (a) Technical and Financial Assistance.--
              (1) In general.--The Secretary may, upon the request of the 
          management entity, provide technical assistance on a 
          reimbursable or non-reimbursable basis and financial assistance 
          to the Heritage Area to develop and implement the approved 
          management plan. The Secretary is authorized to enter into 
          cooperative agreements with the management entity and other 
          public or private entities for this purpose. In assisting the 
          Heritage Area, the Secretary shall give priority to actions 
          that in general assist in--
                      (A) conserving the significant natural, historical, 
                  cultural, and scenic resources of the Heritage Area; 
                  and
                      (B) providing educational, interpretive, and 
                  recreational opportunities consistent with the purposes 
                  of the Heritage Area.
              (2) Spending for non-federally owned property.--The 
          Secretary may spend Federal funds directly on non-federally 
          owned property to further the purposes of this Act, especially 
          in assisting units of government in appropriate treatment of 
          districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects listed or 
          eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic 
          Places.
      (b) Approval and Disapproval of Management Plan.--
              (1) In general.--The Secretary shall approve or disapprove 
          the management plan not later than 90 days after receiving the 
          management plan.
              (2) Criteria for approval.--In determining the approval of 
          the management plan, the Secretary shall consider whether--
                      (A) the management entity is representative of the 
                  diverse interests of the Heritage Area including 
                  governments, natural and historic resource protection 
                  organizations, educational institutions, businesses, 
                  and recreational organizations;
                      (B) the management entity has afforded adequate 
                  opportunity, including public hearings, for public and 
                  governmental involvement in the preparation of the 
                  management plan;
                      (C) the resource protection and interpretation 
                  strategies contained in the management plan, if 
                  implemented, would adequately protect the natural, 
                  historical, and cultural resources of the Heritage 
                  Area; and
                      (D) the Secretary has received adequate assurances 
                  from the appropriate State and local officials whose 
                  support is needed to ensure the effective 
                  implementation of the State and local aspects of the 
                  management plan.
              (3) Action following disapproval.--If the Secretary 
          disapproves the management plan, the Secretary shall advise the 
          management entity in writing of the reasons therefore and shall 
          make recommendations for revisions to the management plan. The 
          Secretary shall approve or disapprove a proposed revision 
          within 60 days after the date it is submitted.
              (4) Approval of amendments.--Substantial amendments to the 
          management plan shall be reviewed by the Secretary and approved 
          in the same manner as provided for the original management 
          plan. The management entity shall not use Federal funds 
          authorized by this Act to implement any amendments until the 
          Secretary has approved the amendments.
  
  SEC. 8. DUTIES OF OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.
  
      Any Federal agency conducting or supporting activities directly 
  affecting the Heritage Area shall--
              (1) consult with the Secretary and the management entity 
          with respect to such activities;
              (2) cooperate with the Secretary and the management entity 
          in carrying out their 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 management entity 
          determines will not have an adverse effect on the Heritage 
          Area.
  
  SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
  
      (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated for the 
  purposes of this Act not more than $1,000,000 for any fiscal year. Not 
  more than a total of $10,000,000 may be appropriated for the Heritage 
  Area under this Act.
      (b) Matching Funds.--Federal funding provided under this Act may 
  not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of any assistance or grant 
  provided or authorized under this Act.
  
  SEC. 10. SUNSET.
  
      The authority of the Secretary to provide assistance under this Act 
  shall terminate on the day occurring 15 years after the date of 
  enactment of the Act.
target: Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area Act - Establishes the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Designates the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area, Inc., as the Areas' management entity, which shall: (1) submit to the Secretary of the Interior for approval a management plan which includes policies, strategies, and recommendations for conservation, funding, management, development, and interpretation of the Area; and (2) assist local governments, regional planning organizations, and nonprofit organizations in implementing the plan. Prohibits the entity from using Federal funds received under this Act to acquire real property. Authorizes the Secretary to provide technical and financial assistance to the Area and enter into cooperative agreements with the management entity to develop and implement the plan.
feat_title: A bill to establish the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area in the State of Connecticut and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and for other purposes.