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| PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 666 | PRINTER'S NO. 983 |
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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| SENATE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY ORIE, YAW, PILEGGI, MELLOW, ALLOWAY, BAKER, BROWNE, BRUBAKER, COSTA, ERICKSON, FERLO, FONTANA, LOGAN, MUSTO, PIPPY, RAFFERTY, ROBBINS, STOUT, VANCE, WASHINGTON, M. WHITE, WOZNIAK, EICHELBERGER, KASUNIC, WONDERLING AND ARGALL, MARCH 13, 2009 |
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| SENATOR M. WHITE, ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, AS AMENDED, MAY 5, 2009 |
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| AN ACT |
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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. |
6 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
7 | hereby enacts as follows: |
8 | Section 1. Short title. |
9 | This act shall be known and may be cited as the Commonwealth |
10 | Heritage Development Act. |
11 | Section 2. Definitions. |
12 | The following words and phrases when used in this act shall |
13 | have the meanings given to them in this section unless the |
14 | context clearly indicates otherwise: |
15 | "Board." The Board of Commonwealth Partners as established |
16 | in section 5. |
17 | "Department." The Department of Conservation and Natural |
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1 | Resources of the Commonwealth. |
2 | "Heritage area." A designated geographic region or corridor |
3 | of this Commonwealth that contains a multitude of historic, |
4 | recreational, cultural, natural and scenic resources of State |
5 | significance that collectively exemplifies the heritage of this |
6 | Commonwealth. |
7 | "Program." The Heritage Area Program established in section |
8 | 3. |
9 | Section 3. Heritage Area Program. |
10 | (a) Establishment.--The Heritage Area Program is established |
11 | within the department to identify, protect, enhance and promote |
12 | the historic, recreational, natural, cultural and scenic |
13 | resources of this Commonwealth and to stimulate community |
14 | sustainability and economic development through heritage, |
15 | outdoor recreation and ecotourism. |
16 | (b) Administration.--The department shall adopt guidelines |
17 | and policies for the implementation and administration of the |
18 | program. |
19 | (c) Funding.-- |
20 | (1) The department shall allocate all funds annually |
21 | appropriated by the General Assembly in equal amounts to each |
22 | of the heritage areas designated by this act for the purpose |
23 | of implementing the management plan and for carrying out |
24 | heritage development grant and investment programs within the |
25 | area, including administration and operation. |
26 | (2) The department is authorized to allocate no more |
27 | than 5% of the annually appropriated funding for the |
28 | administration of this act, for programs that promote |
29 | heritage development within this Commonwealth and for |
30 | feasibility studies outside the boundaries of already |
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1 | existing heritage areas. |
2 | (d) Designation.--The following areas are hereby designated |
3 | as heritage areas for the purposes of this act: |
4 | (1) Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area, which includes |
5 | portions of Blair, Cambria, Huntingdon and Somerset Counties. |
6 | (2) Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, |
7 | which includes Bucks, Carbon, Lehigh, Luzerne and Northampton |
8 | Counties. |
9 | (3) Endless Mountains Heritage Region, which includes |
10 | Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming Counties. |
11 | (4) Lackawanna Heritage Valley, which includes portions |
12 | of Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna and Wayne Counties and |
13 | the Steamtown National Historic Site. |
14 | (5) Lancaster-York Heritage Region, which includes |
15 | Lancaster and York Counties. |
16 | (6) Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor, which includes |
17 | portions of Adams, Bedford, Franklin, Fulton, Somerset and |
18 | Westmoreland Counties. |
19 | (7) Lumber Heritage Region, which includes Cameron, |
20 | Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Jefferson, Lycoming, |
21 | McKean, Potter and Tioga Counties and portions of Cambria, |
22 | Clarion, Forest, Indiana and Warren Counties. |
23 | (8) National Road Heritage Corridor, which includes |
24 | portions of Fayette, Somerset and Washington Counties. |
25 | (9) Oil Region National Heritage Area, which includes |
26 | Venango County and a portion of Crawford County. |
27 | (10) PA Route 6 Heritage Corridor, which includes |
28 | portions of Bradford, Crawford, Erie, Lackawanna, McKean, |
29 | Pike, Potter, Tioga, Warren, Wayne and Wyoming Counties. |
30 | (11) Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, which |
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1 | includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, |
2 | Green, Washington and Westmoreland Counties. |
3 | (12) Schuylkill River National & State Heritage Area, |
4 | which includes portions of Berks, Chester, Montgomery, |
5 | Philadelphia and Schuylkill Counties. |
6 | (e) Additional designations.--Future heritage areas beyond |
7 | those specified in this act may be established and receive |
8 | annual appropriations only by act of the General Assembly. Each | <-- |
9 | annual appropriations only by act of the General Assembly. | <-- |
10 | (f) Each newly designated heritage area shall develop, in |
11 | partnership with the department, a management action plan that | <-- |
12 | will address the goals and objectives of the new heritage area. |
13 | The management plan must be approved by the Board of | <-- |
14 | Commonwealth Partners for the heritage area to be officially |
15 | designated. |
16 | Section 4. Program goals. | <-- |
17 | A heritage area shall include a plan that incorporates | <-- |
18 | management plan shall incorporate the following primary goals: | <-- |
19 | (1) To strengthen regional and local economies through |
20 | heritage tourism, community revitalization and other |
21 | activities that will enhance the quality of life and economic |
22 | vitality of the area. |
23 | (2) To establish partnerships and coalitions, including, |
24 | but not limited to, those among Federal, State and local |
25 | governments, public officials, businesses, civic leaders, |
26 | community organizations, planners, educators, |
27 | preservationists, conservationists and other individuals. |
28 | (3) To work with communities to protect, document, |
29 | maintain and interpret the area's tangible and intangible |
30 | cultural resources, including community-based ethnic, |
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1 | occupational, religious and other folklife traditions, |
2 | including lore, skills, customs, practices, stories, and the |
3 | built and natural environment that supports them, in order to |
4 | facilitate cultural continuity, promote intercultural |
5 | awareness and respect, and to encourage public appreciation |
6 | of the Commonwealth's distinctive and varied cultural legacy. |
7 | (4) To develop and enhance greenways and conserve open |
8 | space to link the significant natural, scenic, cultural, |
9 | recreational and historic sites through rivers, trails, |
10 | byways and outdoor recreational activities. |
11 | (5) To communicate and promote the significance of the |
12 | area's resources and stories through historical |
13 | interpretation, events and programs for the benefit of |
14 | students, educators, visitors and the general public. |
15 | Section 5 4. Board of Commonwealth Partners. | <-- |
16 | (a) Establishment.--The Board of Commonwealth Partners is |
17 | established in the department. |
18 | (b) Membership.--The secretary or chief executive official | <-- |
19 | of the following agencies and organizations or a designee shall |
20 | be a member of the board: |
21 | (1) Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. |
22 | (2) Department of Agriculture. |
23 | (3) Department of Community and Economic Development. |
24 | (4) Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. |
25 | (5) Department of Education. |
26 | (6) Department of Environmental Protection. |
27 | (7) Department of Transportation. |
28 | (8) Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. |
29 | (9) Pennsylvania Humanities Council. |
30 | (10) The Pennsylvania Heritage Areas Association. |
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1 | (b) Membership.--The Board of Commonwealth Partners shall | <-- |
2 | consist of: |
3 | (1) The Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources |
4 | or the secretary's designee. |
5 | (2) The Secretary of Agriculture or the secretary's |
6 | designee. |
7 | (3) The Secretary of Community and Economic Development |
8 | or the secretary's designee. |
9 | (4) The Secretary of Education or the secretary's |
10 | designee. |
11 | (5) The Secretary of Environmental Protection or the |
12 | secretary's designee. |
13 | (6) The Secretary of Transportation or the secretary's |
14 | designee. |
15 | (7) The chairman of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
16 | Council on the Arts or the chairman's designee. |
17 | (8) The chairman of the Pennsylvania Historical and |
18 | Museum Commission or the chairman's designee. |
19 | (9) The chairman of the Pennsylvania Humanities Council |
20 | or the chairman's designee. |
21 | (10) The chief executive officer of Heritage PA or the |
22 | chief executive officer's designee. |
23 | (c) Chairman.--The Board of Commonwealth Partners shall |
24 | select a chairman from among the members of the board. |
25 | (d) Designees.--A member of the board may appoint a designee |
26 | provided the designee is employed by or a member of the entity |
27 | to which the member belongs and is under the direct supervision |
28 | of the appointing member. Designees shall not be eligible to |
29 | serve as officers of the board. |
30 | (c) (e) Powers and duties.--The board shall have the | <-- |
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1 | following powers and duties: |
2 | (1) To review applications for new heritage areas and |
3 | provide recommendations to the General Assembly. |
4 | (2) To provide expertise on programs and issues related |
5 | to the member's agency or organization. |
6 | (3) To assist in obtaining additional funds through |
7 | grants and loans available from the Federal Government, other |
8 | State agencies and other sources. |
9 | (4) To provide technical assistance to heritage areas. |
10 | (5) To promote heritage development and heritage areas |
11 | within their respective agencies and organizations and |
12 | throughout this Commonwealth. |
13 | (d) (f) Meetings.--The board shall meet at least once every | <-- |
14 | three months or more often as necessary to fulfill its duties |
15 | and shall meet periodically with representatives of heritage | <-- |
16 | areas to carry out the administration of this act. |
17 | (e) (g) Personnel and resources.--The department shall | <-- |
18 | provide the necessary personnel and resources to the board to |
19 | fulfill its duties under this act. |
20 | Section 6 5. Effective date. | <-- |
21 | This act shall take effect immediately. |
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