1107 
[DOCID: f:s1809is.txt]






107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1809

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and 
feasibility of establishing the Buffalo Bayou National Heritage Area in 
                          west Houston, Texas.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 12, 2001

Mrs. Hutchison introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and 
feasibility of establishing the Buffalo Bayou National Heritage Area in 
                          west Houston, Texas.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Buffalo Bayou National Heritage Area 
Study Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE STUDY REGARDING BUFFALO BAYOU, TEXAS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) The area beginning at Shepherd Drive in west Houston, 
        Texas, and extending to the Turning Basin, commonly referred to 
        as the ``Buffalo Bayou'', made a unique contribution to the 
        cultural, political, and industrial development of the United 
        States.
            (2) The Buffalo Bayou is distinctive as the first spine of 
        modern industrial development in Texas and one of the first 
        along the Gulf of Mexico coast.
            (3) The Buffalo Bayou played a significant role in the 
        struggle for Texas independence.
            (4) The Buffalo Bayou developed a prosperous and productive 
        shipping industry that survives today.
            (5) The Buffalo Bayou led in the development of Texas' 
        petrochemical industry that made Houston the center of the 
        early oil boom in America.
            (6) The Buffalo Bayou developed a sophisticated shipping 
        system, leading to the formation of the modern day Houston Ship 
        Channel.
            (7) The Buffalo Bayou developed a significant industrial 
        base, and served as the focal point for the new city of 
        Houston.
            (8) There is a longstanding commitment by the Buffalo Bayou 
        Partnership, Inc., to complete the Buffalo Bayou Trail along 
        the 12-mile segment of the Buffalo Bayou.
            (9) There is a need for assistance for the preservation and 
        promotion of the significance of the Buffalo Bayou as a system 
        for transportation, industry, commerce, and immigration.
            (10) The Department of the Interior is responsible for 
        protecting the Nation's cultural and historical resources. 
        There are significant examples of such resources within the 
        Buffalo Bayou region to merit the involvement of the Federal 
        Government in the development of programs and projects, in 
        cooperation with the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Inc., the State 
        of Texas, and other local and governmental entities, to 
        adequately conserve, protect, and interpret this heritage for 
        future generations, while providing opportunities for education 
        and revitalization.
    (b) Study.--The Secretary shall, in consultation with the State of 
Texas, carry out a study regarding the suitability and feasibility of 
establishing the Buffalo Bayou National Heritage Area in Houston, 
Texas.
    (c) Study Process and Completion.--Section 8(c) of Public Law 91-
383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5(c)) shall apply to the conduct and completion of 
the study required by this section.
    (d) Submission of Study Results.--The Secretary shall submit to the 
Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report 
describing the results of the study.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to implement this section $200,000 for 
fiscal year 2002.
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