[Senate Report 110-157]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 355
110th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 110-157
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CHATTAHOOCHEE TRACE NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR STUDY ACT OF 2007
_______
September 17, 2007.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Bingaman, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 637]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the bill (S. 637) to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of
establishing the Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor
in Alabama and Georgia, and for other purposes, having
considered the same, reports favorably thereon with amendments
and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.
The amendments are as follows:
1. Beginning on page 2, strike line 15 and all that follows
through page 4, line 7, and insert the following:
``(b) Study Area.--The study area includes--
``(1) the portion of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-
Flint River Basin and surrounding areas, as generally
depicted on the map entitled `Chattahoochee Trace
National Heritage Corridor, Alabama/Georgia', number
T05/80000, and dated July 2007; and
``(2) any other areas in the State of Alabama or
Georgia that--
``(A) have heritage aspects that are similar
to the areas depicted on the map described in
paragraph (1); and
``(B) are adjacent to, or in the vicinity of,
those areas.''
2. On page 6, line 8, insert ``Natural'' before
``Resources''.
PURPOSE
The purpose of S. 637 is to direct the Secretary of the
Interior, in consultation with appropriate State governmental
entities, to conduct a study to assess the suitability and
feasibility of designating the Chattahoochee Trace National
Heritage Corridor in Alabama and Georgia.
BACKGROUND AND NEED
The Chattahoochee Trace has an abundance of cultural,
natural, recreational, and scenic resources. Much of the area's
history revolves around the Chattahoochee River, which has long
served as a food source, transportation route, and an engine
for commerce. An abundance of prehistoric archaeological sites
are evidence of human habitation along the banks of the
Chattahoochee River and its tributaries dating back thousands
of years. From approximately 350 to 600 A.D., Kolomoki, near
the present day town of Blakely, was one of the most populous
settlements north of Mexico.
In 1689, Spanish monks and soldiers built the mission and
fort of Apalachicola on the west bank of the Chattahoochee
River, in present day Russell County, Alabama, about fifteen
miles south of Columbus, Georgia. In the early eighteenth
century, merchants from French Louisiana began trading with the
Native Americans in the lower Chattahoochee Valley, ushering in
an era of great economic activity, including cotton
plantations, textile mills, and riverboat companies.
In the twentieth century, hydroelectric power emerged as an
important industry in the lower Chattahoochee Valley. By the
1920s, dams on the Chattahoochee River near Columbus were
providing electricity to thousands of customers, and the area
quickly came to be recognized for its role in power generation.
One turbine at the Eagle and Phenix Mills powerhouse, installed
in 1898, still produces electricity today.
In the twentieth century, the creation of large lakes along
the river further enhanced the Chattahoochee River's
recreational opportunities. For example, Lake Eufaula, near
Fort Gaines, Georgia, features 640 miles of shoreline. Last
year, the lake attracted approximately 4.5 million visitors
that engaged in such popular activities as swimming, camping,
hunting, boating, and trophy fishing. The lake is managed by
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and features several adjacent
protected lands, including the Eufaula National Wildlife
Refuge, Lakepoint State Park in Alabama, and Florence Marina
and George T. Bagby State Parks in Georgia.
The study authorized by S. 637 will help assess the
appropriateness of encompassing these resources within a
national heritage corridor designation.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
S. 637 was introduced by Senator Sessions on February 15,
2007. The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on the
bill on March 20, 2007 (S. Hrg. 110-73).
At its business meeting on July 25, 2007, the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 637 favorably reported,
with amendments.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open
business session on July 25, 2007, by a voice vote of a quorum
present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 637, if amended as
described herein.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS
During its consideration of S. 637, the Committee adopted
two amendments. The first amendment replaces a lengthy
description of the counties and communities within the proposed
study area with a reference to a map identifying the study
area. The second amendment makes a technical correction.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1 contains the short title, the ``Chattahoochee
Trace National Heritage Corridor Study Act of 2007.''
Section 2 defines key terms used in the bill.
Section 3(a) directs the Secretary of the Interior, in
consultation with various State historical and tourism
entities, to conduct a study to assess the suitability and
feasibility of designating the study areas as a National
Heritage Corridor.
Subsection (b) references a map that identifies the
proposed study area. Also included within the study area are
other areas in Alabama and Georgia near the study area that
have similar heritage aspects.
Subsection (c) identifies the requirements for the study.
The study is to include analysis, documentation, and a
determination whether the study area has an assemblage of
natural, historic, and cultural resources that represent
distinctive aspects of the heritage of the United States, in
addition to several other criteria listed in the subsection.
Section 4 requires the Secretary of the Interior to submit
a report to Congress within three fiscal years after funds are
made available for the study, describing the findings of the
study and any conclusions and recommendations.
COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS
The following estimate of costs of this measure has been
provided by the Congressional Budget Office:
July 31, 2007.
Hon. Jeff Bingaman,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 637, the
Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor Study Act of
2007.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Tyler
Kruzich.
Sincerely,
Peter R. Orszag.
Enclosure.
S. 637--Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor Study Act of
2007
S. 637 would direct the Department of the Interior (DOI) to
conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of
designating as the Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage
Corridor lands in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River
Basin within the states of Alabama and Georgia. Based on
information from DOI, CBO estimates that implementing S. 637
would cost less than $500,000 over the 2008-2010 period,
assuming the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting the
legislation would not affect direct spending or revenues.
S. 637 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Tyler Kruzich
and David Reynolds. The estimate was approved by Peter H.
Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION
In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in
carrying out S. 637. The bill is not a regulatory measure in
the sense of imposing Government-established standards or
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals
and businesses.
No personal information would be collected in administering
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal
privacy.
Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the
enactment of S. 637, as ordered reported.
EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
The testimony provided by the Department of the Interior at
the March 20, 2007, Subcommittee hearing on S. 637 follows:
Statement of Daniel N. Wenk, Deputy Director, National Park Service,
U.S. Department of the Interior.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to provide the
Department of the Interior's views on S. 637, a bill to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to
determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing the
Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor in the states of
Alabama and Georgia.
The Department supports enactment of S. 637. Last year, the
Administration sent to Congress a legislative proposal to
establish guidelines and a process for designation. Bills were
introduced in the 109th Congress (S. 243, H.R. 760 and H.R.
6287) that incorporated the majority of the provisions of the
Administration's proposal, and S. 243 passed the Senate. During
the 110th Congress, a similar heritage area program bill, S.
278, has been introduced, and we look forward to continuing to
work with Congress on this very important issue.
With 37 national heritage areas designated across 27
states, and more heritage area legislative proposals in the
pipeline, the Administration believes it is critical at this
juncture for Congress to enact national heritage area program
legislation. This legislation would provide a much-needed
framework for evaluating proposed national heritage areas,
offering guidelines for successful planning and management,
clarifying the roles and responsibilities of all parties, and
standardizing timeframes and funding for designated areas.
Program legislation also would clarify the expectation that
heritage areas would work toward self-sufficiency by outlining
the necessary steps, including appropriate planning, to achieve
that shared goal.
The study would focus on an area known as the Chattahoochee
Trace, which lies in the lower Chattahoochee Valley in the
states of Alabama and Georgia. This area includes eighteen
counties, seven in Alabama and eleven in Georgia, which are
located near or adjacent to the Chattahoochee River in the
lower halves of the two states. The Chattahoochee Trace has an
abundance of cultural, natural, recreational, and scenic
resources. Much of the area's history revolves around the
Chattahoochee River, which has long served as a food source,
transportation route, and an engine for commerce. Centuries
before the arrival of European settlers, the lower
Chattahoochee Valley was inhabited by Native Americans that
relied on the river for everyday life. The abundance of
prehistoric archaeological sites indicates that humans lived
along the banks of the river and its tributaries dating back
thousands of years. From approximately 350 to 600 A.D.,
Kolomoki, near the present day town of Blakely, was one of the
most populous settlements north of Mexico. Today, the seven
mounds at Kolomoki are one of the impressive archeological
sites that reflect upon the Chattahoochee Trace's ancient past.
The area is layered with many other facets of American
history. In the late seventeenth century Spanish monks built
the mission and fort of Apalachicola on the west bank of the
Chattahoochee River, in present day Russell County, Alabama,
about fifteen miles south of Columbus, Georgia. In the early
eighteenth century, merchants from French Louisiana began
trading with the Native Americans in the lower Chattahoochee
Valley, ushering in an era of great economic activity. In the
years that followed, commercial enterprises flourished,
including cotton plantations, textile mills, and riverboat
companies. In the antebellum period, the river-borne cotton
trade led to the emergence of a prosperous agricultural economy
that was, regrettably, dependent on slave labor for its growth.
During this era, the river served as the lower Chattahoochee
Valley's outlet to the world, connecting the plantations in the
region with the international cotton market via New Orleans and
ultimately Liverpool, England.
Heading into the twentieth century, hydroelectric power,
which was first used in Columbus in 1882, emerged as an
important industry in the lower Chattahoochee Valley. By the
1920s, dams on the Chattahoochee River near Columbus were
providing electricity to thousands of customers, and the area
quickly came to be recognized for its role in power generation.
Columbus was so well-known for its hydroelectricity industry
that it was dubbed the ``electric city'' in the early 1900s.
One turbine at the Eagle and Phenix Mills powerhouse, installed
in 1898, still produces electricity today.
The scenic beauty of the river has been showcased in such
places as Columbus and Phenix City, Alabama, where recent
redevelopment projects have emphasized a re-orientation towards
the river. A significant period of urban renewal and
revitalization began in the mid 1990s and continues today. With
these improvements, residents and businesses began moving back
to formerly blighted areas. Examples of such municipal projects
include the construction of the Columbus Riverwalk Park, the
new Port Columbus Civil War Naval Museum, and the initial
implementation of Phenix City's riverfront revitalization plan.
Swimming, fishing, scenic drives, and strolls on the
riverbank are just a few of the many recreational activities
available to visitors to the Chattahoochee Trace. In the
twentieth century, the creation of large lakes along the river
further enhanced the Chattahoochee River's recreational
opportunities. For example, Lake Eufaula, near Fort Gaines,
Georgia, features 640 miles of shoreline. Last year, the lake
attracted approximately 4.5 million visitors that engaged in
such popular activities as camping, hunting, boating, and
trophy fishing. The lake is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers and features several adjacent protected lands,
including the Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge, Lakepoint State
Park in Alabama, and Florence Marina and George T. Bagby State
Parks in Georgia.
Since 1970, the Historic Chattahoochee Commission
(Commission) has been responsible for administering a variety
of programs throughout the Chattahoochee Trace. For the first
eight years of its existence, the Commission operated as an
agency of the State of Alabama. In 1978, the Georgia General
Assembly and the Alabama Legislature passed identical
legislation to establish an interstate compact for operation of
the Commission. Among its many functions, the Commission is
responsible for promoting tourism, historic preservation, and
recreational development throughout the Chattahoochee Trace.
Through the years the Commission has undertaken a number of
important projects to further its goals, including a historical
markers program, development of theme-based tours, a
photographic folk life project, production of educational
materials, historical architectural surveys, and the
distribution of preservation grants.
The study that would be conducted under S. 637 is estimated
to cost between $200,000 and $300,000. Mr. Chairman that
concludes my testimony. I will be pleased to answer any
questions you or other members of the committee may have.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no
changes in existing law are made by the bill S. 637, as ordered
reported.