Establishment of National Heritage Area System

54 U.S.C. § 120102

• Title: 54 — National Park Service and Related Programs
• Chapter: 1201 — NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA SYSTEM

Text

(a) In General.—To recognize certain areas of the United States that tell nationally significant stories and to conserve, enhance, and interpret those nationally significant stories and the natural, historic, scenic, and cultural resources of areas that illustrate significant aspects of the heritage of the United States, there is established a National Heritage Area System through the administration of which the Secretary may provide technical and financial assistance to local coordinating entities to support the establishment, development, and continuity of the National Heritage Areas.
(b) National Heritage Area System Components.—The National Heritage Area System shall be composed of—
(1) each National Heritage Area, National Heritage Corridor, National Heritage Canalway, Cultural Heritage Corridor, National Heritage Route, and National Heritage Partnership designated by Congress before or on the date of enactment of this chapter; and
(2) each National Heritage Area designated by Congress after the date of enactment of this chapter.
(c) Relationship to the System.—
(1) Relationship to system units.—The Secretary shall—
(A) ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, participation and assistance by any administrator of the System unit that is located near or encompassed by a National Heritage Area in local initiatives for the National Heritage Area to conserve and interpret resources consistent with the applicable management plan for the National Heritage Area; and
(B) work with local coordinating entities to promote public enjoyment of System units and System-related resources.
(2) Treatment.—
(A) In general.—A National Heritage Area shall not be—
(i) considered to be a System unit; or
(ii) subject to the authorities applicable to System units.
(B) Effect.—Nothing in this paragraph affects the administration of a System unit located within the boundaries of a National Heritage Area.
(d) Authorities.—In carrying out this chapter, the Secretary may—
(1) conduct or review, as applicable, feasibility studies in accordance with section 120103(a);
(2) conduct an evaluation of the accomplishments of, and submit to Congress a report that includes recommendations regarding the role of the Service with respect to, each National Heritage Area, in accordance with section 120104;
(3) enter into cooperative agreements with other Federal agencies, States, Tribal governments, local governments, local coordinating entities, and other interested individuals and entities to achieve the purposes of the National Heritage Area System;
(4) provide information, promote understanding, and encourage research regarding National Heritage Areas, in partnership with local coordinating entities; and
(5) provide national oversight, analysis, coordination, technical and financial assistance, and support to ensure consistency and accountability of the National Heritage Area System.

History

(Added Pub. L. 117–339, §2(a), Jan. 5, 2023, 136 Stat. 6158.)

Editorial Notes

Editorial Notes

References in Text
The date of enactment of this chapter, referred to in subsec. (b), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 117–339, which was approved Jan. 5, 2023.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Management of National Heritage Areas Designated by Section 6001(a) of Pub. L. 116–9
Pub. L. 117–339, §4(b), (c), Jan. 5, 2023, 136 Stat. 6165, provided that, for purposes of section 6001(c) of Pub. L. 116–9, see below, the local coordinating entity for each of the National Heritage Areas designated under the amendment made by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 117–339 were to submit to the Secretary for approval a proposed management plan for the applicable National Heritage Area not later than 3 years after Jan. 5, 2023, and, for purposes of section 6001(g)(4) of Pub. L. 116–9, the authority of the Secretary to provide assistance under that section for each of the National Heritage Areas designated under the amendment made by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 117–339 would terminate on the date that is 15 years after Jan. 5, 2023.
Pub. L. 116–9, title VI, §6001(b)–(g), Mar. 12, 2019, 133 Stat. 771–776, as amended by Pub. L. 117–339, §8, Jan. 5, 2023, 136 Stat. 6173, related to the management of the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area, Maritime Washington National Heritage Area, Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area, Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area, and Susquehanna National Heritage Area, including administration, management plans, relationship to other Federal agencies, private property and regulatory protections, evaluation and report, and authorization of appropriations.

Conditional Extension of Authorities
Pub. L. 113–291, div. B, title XXX, §3052(a)(2), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3802, which made most of the amendments by section 3052(a)(1) of Pub. L. 113–291 applicable through Sept. 20, 2020, unless an evaluation and report regarding national heritage areas were completed, was repealed by Pub. L. 117–339, §2(c), Jan. 5, 2023, 136 Stat. 6163.