PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 2854 PRINTER'S NO. 3513
No. 2035 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY SEIP, BEAR, GOODMAN, BAKER, BASTIAN, BENNINGTON, COSTA, CURRY, DePASQUALE, HARKINS, HORNAMAN, HUTCHINSON, KORTZ, MARKOSEK, McCALL, MUSTIO, PASHINSKI, PETRONE, PICKETT, READSHAW, REICHLEY, K. SMITH, M. SMITH, SAYLOR, MANDERINO, MARSHALL, SIPTROTH, ROEBUCK, ARGALL, TRUE, HARPER, FLECK, YOUNGBLOOD, MAHONEY, CONKLIN, FREEMAN, SHIMKUS, J. WHITE PHILLIPS, R. MILLER, MAJOR, WALKO AND ELLIS, NOVEMBER 15, 2007
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON TOURISM AND RECREATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, APRIL 1, 2008
AN ACT 1 Providing for a Heritage Area Program to identify, protect, 2 enhance and promote the historic, recreational, cultural, 3 natural and scenic resources of this Commonwealth and to 4 stimulate community sustainability and economic development 5 through heritage, outdoor recreation and ecotourism; and 6 making an appropriation. 7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 8 hereby enacts as follows: 9 Section 1. Short title. 10 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Commonwealth 11 Heritage Development Act. 12 Section 2. Definitions. 13 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall 14 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the 15 context clearly indicates otherwise: 16 "Board." The Board of Commonwealth Partners as established
1 in section 5. 2 "Department." The Department of Conservation and Natural 3 Resources of the Commonwealth. 4 "Heritage area." A designated geographic region or corridor 5 of this Commonwealth that contains a multitude of historic, 6 recreational, cultural, natural and scenic resources of State 7 significance that collectively exemplify the heritage of this 8 Commonwealth. 9 "Program." The Heritage Area Program established in section 10 3. 11 Section 3. Heritage Area Program. 12 (a) Establishment.--The Heritage Area Program is established 13 within the department to identify, protect, enhance and promote 14 the historic, recreational, natural, cultural and scenic 15 resources of this Commonwealth and to stimulate community 16 sustainability and economic development through heritage, 17 outdoor recreation and ecotourism. 18 (b) Administration.--The department shall adopt regulations <-- 19 GUIDELINES and policies for the implementation and <-- 20 administration of the program. 21 (c) Funding.-- 22 (1) The department shall allocate all funds authorized <-- 23 by this act and ANNUALLY appropriated by the General Assembly <-- 24 for the program. <-- 25 (2) The General Assembly shall appropriate to each 26 designated heritage area a sufficient amount annually for 27 implementing the management plan and for carrying out 28 heritage development grant and investment programs within the 29 area, including administration and operations. 30 (3) The General Assembly shall appropriate to the 20070H2035B3513 - 2 -
1 department a sufficient amount annually for the IN EQUAL <-- 2 AMOUNTS TO EACH OF THE HERITAGE AREAS DESIGNATED BY THIS ACT 3 FOR THE PURPOSE OF IMPLEMENTING THE MANAGEMENT PLAN AND FOR 4 CARRYING OUT HERITAGE DEVELOPMENT GRANT AND INVESTMENT 5 PROGRAMS WITHIN THE AREA, INCLUDING ADMINISTRATION AND 6 OPERATION. 7 (2) THE DEPARTMENT IS AUTHORIZED TO ALLOCATE NO MORE 8 THAN 5% OF THE ANNUALLY APPROPRIATED FUNDING FOR THE 9 administration of this act and, FOR programs that promote <-- 10 heritage development within this Commonwealth AND <-- 11 (4) The department may fund local FOR feasibility <-- 12 studies and management plans outside the boundaries of <-- 13 already existing heritage areas. 14 (d) Designation.--The following areas are hereby designated 15 as heritage areas for the purposes of this act: 16 (1) Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area, which includes 17 ALLEGHENY, Blair, Cambria, Huntingdon and Somerset, INDIANA, <-- 18 JUNIATA, MIFFLIN, PERRY, SOMERSET AND WESTMORELAND Counties. 19 (2) Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Park Corridor, 20 which includes Bucks, Carbon, Lehigh, Luzerne and Northampton 21 Counties. 22 (3) Endless Mountains Heritage Region, which includes 23 Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming Counties. 24 (4) Lackawanna Heritage Valley, which includes 25 Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna and Wayne Counties. 26 (5) Lancaster-York Heritage Region, which includes 27 Lancaster and York Counties. 28 (6) Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor, which includes 29 Adams, Bedford, Franklin, Fulton, Somerset and Westmoreland 30 Counties. 20070H2035B3513 - 3 -
1 (7) Lumber Heritage Region, which includes Cambria, 2 Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Forest, 3 Indiana, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga and 4 Warren Counties. 5 (8) National Road Heritage Park, which includes Fayette, 6 Somerset and Washington Counties. 7 (9) Oil Heritage Region, which includes Crawford and 8 Venango Counties. 9 (10) Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, which 10 includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Fayette, Green, 11 Washington and Westmoreland Counties. 12 (11) PA Route 6 Heritage Corridor, which includes 13 Bradford, Crawford, Erie, Lackawanna, McKean, Pike, Potter, 14 Tioga, Warren, WAYNE and Wyoming Counties. <-- 15 (12) Schuylkill River National & State Heritage Area, 16 which includes Berks, Chester, Montgomery, Philadelphia and 17 Schuylkill Counties. 18 (e) Additional designations.--Future heritage areas beyond 19 those specified in this act may be established AND RECEIVE <-- 20 ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS only by act of the General Assembly. Each 21 newly designated heritage area shall develop, in partnership 22 with the department, a management action plan that will address 23 the goals and objectives of the new heritage area. The plan must 24 be approved by the Board of Commonwealth Partners for the 25 heritage area to be officially designated. 26 Section 4. Program goals. 27 A heritage area shall include a plan that incorporates the 28 following primary goals: 29 (1) To strengthen regional and local economies through 30 heritage tourism, community revitalization and other 20070H2035B3513 - 4 -
1 activities that will enhance the quality of life and economic 2 vitality of the area. 3 (2) To establish partnerships and coalitions, including, 4 but not limited to, those among Federal, State and local 5 governments, public officials, businesses, civic leaders, 6 community organizations, planners, educators, 7 preservationists, conservationists and other individuals. 8 (3) To work with communities to protect, document, 9 maintain and interpret the area's tangible and intangible 10 cultural resources, including community-based ethnic, 11 occupational, religious and other folklife traditions, 12 including lore, skills, customs, practices, stories, and the 13 built and natural environment that supports them, in order to 14 facilitate cultural continuity, promote intercultural 15 awareness and respect, and to encourage public appreciation 16 of the Commonwealth's distinctive and varied cultural legacy. 17 (4) To develop and enhance greenways and conserve open 18 space to link the significant natural, scenic, cultural, 19 recreational and historic sites through rivers, trails, 20 byways and outdoor recreational activities. 21 (5) To communicate and promote the significance of the 22 area's resources and stories through historical 23 interpretation, events and programs for the benefit of 24 students, educators, visitors and the general public. 25 Section 5. Board of Commonwealth Partners. 26 (a) Establishment.--The Board of Commonwealth Partners is 27 established in the department. 28 (b) Membership.--The secretary or chief executive official 29 of the following agencies and organizations or their designee 30 shall be a member of the board: 20070H2035B3513 - 5 -
1 (1) Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. 2 (2) Department of Agriculture. 3 (3) Department of Community and Economic Development. 4 (4) Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. 5 (5) Department of Education. 6 (6) Department of Environmental Protection. 7 (7) Department of Transportation. 8 (8) Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. 9 (9) Pennsylvania Humanities Council. 10 (10) The Pennsylvania Heritage Areas Association. 11 (c) Powers and duties.--The board shall have the following 12 powers and duties.--: <-- 13 (1) To review applications for new heritage areas and 14 provide recommendations to the General Assembly. 15 (2) To provide expertise on programs and issues related 16 to their agency or organization. 17 (3) To assist in obtaining additional funds through 18 grants and loans available from the Federal Government, other 19 State agencies and other sources. 20 (4) To provide technical assistance to heritage areas. 21 (5) To promote heritage development and heritage areas 22 within their respective agencies and throughout this 23 Commonwealth. 24 (d) Meetings.--The board shall meet at least once every 25 three months or more often as necessary to fulfill its duties 26 and shall meet periodically with heritage areas to carry out the 27 administration of this act. 28 (e) Personnel and resources.--The department shall provide 29 the necessary personnel and resources to the board to fulfill 30 its duties under this act. 20070H2035B3513 - 6 -
1 Section 6. Appropriation.
2 The sum of $5,000,000 $5,300,000 is hereby appropriated to <--
3 the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources FOR THE <--
4 FISCAL YEAR JULY 1, 2008, TO JUNE 30, 2009, for the purpose of
5 providing funding to heritage areas DESIGNATED IN SECTION 3(D) <--
6 and for the administrative costs associated with that funding.
7 Section 7. Effective date.
8 This act shall take effect immediately.
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