Protecting National Heritage Areas in Ohio and Across America

Mr. Speaker, before I begin to address the rule and the underlying bill, I just want to also extend my feelings of empathy and concern for those out in California dealing with these fires that are plaguing that area of our country. We are all watching and we are all in spirit hoping that the fire ravaging will end, and we appreciate the hard work and fearless dedication of our fire service and firefighters, and we hope that that situation is under control in the very, very near future.

M. Speaker. I rise today in support of this rule and the underlying bill, which will provide additional funding for nine national heritage areas and allow for the designation of six new heritage areas, making them eligible for federal support.

This legislation increases the total funding authorization from $10 million to $15 million for nine existing national heritage areas.

I am proud that the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway is among these nine national heritage areas.

And I can tell you from first hand experience, these heritage areas are invaluable assets to their local communities, from the preservation of local culture and history, to increased tourism revenues, and as centerpieces for economic growth.

The designation of heritage areas provides for a partnership approach to heritage development, allowing the sites to be locally managed, with a local organization coordinating in partnership with local residents.

These areas provide unique opportunities to understand the larger context of these regions' traditions, landscapes and people.

The Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway is not a traditional park - it is a lived-in region where the natural, cultural, historic and recreational resources combine to form a nationally significant landscape.

It celebrates the significance of the Ohio & Erie Canal and its contribution to the region, the State of Ohio and the United States.

The Ohio & Erie Canal helped connect the Ohio frontier with New York and New Orleans in the early 19th century, playing a key role in linking a previously-isolated Ohio with economic centers east and south.

The Canal was crucial to the development of Ohio's economy, attracting businesses to the area and providing a viable transportation route for emerging industries.

M. Speaker. I am confident that with increased federal support, the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway and the other eight heritage areas included in this legislation will continue to play central roles in their communities.

In addition to the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway, the Celebrating America's Heritage Act will provide additional support to the National Coal Heritage Area in West Virginia, the Tennessee Civil War Heritage Area, the Augusta Canal National Heritage Area in Georgia, the Steel Industry American Heritage Area in Pennsylvania, the Essex National Heritage Area in Massachusetts, the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor, America's Agricultural Partnership in Iowa, and the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area in New York.

This legislation will also bring the benefits of heritage areas to six new communities throughout the nation: Journey Through Hallowed Ground Heritage Area in Virginia, Niagara Falls National Heritage Area in New York, Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area in Alabama, Freedoms Way National Heritage Area in Illinois, and the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area in Arizona.

The Celebrating America's Heritage Act will bring the benefits we have seen in Ohio to these communities.

M. Speaker. This legislation specifically includes language that protects private property rights, and the bill makes clear that a national heritage area designation does not alter existing regulations or land use plans.

This is a good bill that will help communities celebrate their heritage and use their history as a means for future economic success and collective pride, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

I am proud to be a co-sponsor of this bipartisan legislation, and I would like to thank Congressman Ralph Regula, from my home state of Ohio, for introducing this bill and for being a champion of Ohio's heritage.

Again, I urge all my colleagues to support this important, bipartisan legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.