H.R. 10217: Kentucky Wildlands National Heritage Area Act

This bill would create a new Kentucky Wildlands National Heritage Area within the National Heritage Area system.

What area would be covered

The heritage area would include 36 counties in Kentucky: Bath, Bell, Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Clay, Elliott, Estill, Floyd, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Madison, Magoffin, Martin, McCreary, Menifee, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Powell, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Rowan, Wayne, Whitley, and Wolfe.

Who would coordinate it

The bill names The Center for Rural Development as the local coordinating entity. In practice, that means this organization would help oversee coordination among local governments, nonprofits, and other partners for the heritage area.

Management plan requirement

The coordinating entity would have to submit a management plan to the Secretary of the Interior for approval within 3 years after the bill becomes law. That plan would outline how the heritage area is expected to be managed and developed.

Federal assistance time limit

The bill would set a deadline on federal help under the National Heritage Area law. The Secretary of the Interior’s authority to provide assistance for this heritage area would end 15 years after enactment.

What it would not do

The bill does not itself create a national park, federal land, or new regulatory restrictions on private property in the listed counties. It mainly adds a designated heritage area and establishes the process for coordination and planning under existing National Heritage Area rules.

Relevant Companies

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