On October 13, 2021, the House Committee on Natural Resources ordered reported the following bills:
H.R. 1286, the Southern Campaign of the Revolution National Heritage Corridor Act of 2021, would establish a national heritage corridor in North Carolina and South Carolina. The bill also would designate the University of South Carolina as the local coordinating entity and would require the university to submit a management plan for the area to the National Park Service (NPS) for approval.
H.R. 2024, the Southern Maryland National Heritage Area Act, would establish a national heritage area in St. Mary’s, Calvert, Charles, and Prince George’s counties in Maryland. The bill also would designate the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland as the local coordinating entity and would require the council to submit a management plan for the area to the NPS for approval.
H.R. 2107, the Nation’s Oldest Port National Heritage Area Act, would establish a national heritage area consisting of the watersheds in Nassau, Duval, St. Johns, and Flagler counties in Florida. The bill also would designate the Nation’s Oldest Port Alliance, Inc., as the local coordinating entity and would require the group to submit a management plan for the area to the NPS for approval.
H.R. 3222, the Alabama Black Belt National Heritage Area Act, would establish a national heritage area in various counties in Alabama. The bill also would designate the Center for the Study of the Black Belt at the University of West Alabama as the local coordinating entity and would require the center to submit a management plan for the area to the NPS for approval.
The NPS provides technical and financial assistance to national heritage areas through the Heritage Partnership Program. According to the NPS, under that program the agency typically awards about $150,00 annually to newly established national heritage areas. On that basis, CBO estimates that the cost of implementing each bill would total about $1 million over the 2022-2026 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
