Bill > S219

This bill establishes the Susquehanna Gateway National Heritage Area in Pennsylvania, encompassing Lancaster and York Counties, and designates the Susquehanna Heritage Corporation as the local coordinating entity responsible for its management. The Corporation must develop and submit a management plan to the Secretary of the Interior (the head of the Department of the Interior, responsible for federal lands and natural resources) within three years of funding availability, outlining strategies for the area's conservation, funding, management, and development, and considering existing state and local plans. The Corporation can use federal funds for various activities like studies, interpretive programs, historic preservation projects, and making grants to other entities, but it is prohibited from using federal funds to acquire real property. The Secretary will review and approve or disapprove the management plan, and if disapproved, will provide reasons and recommendations for revision. The bill also includes provisions for evaluating the Heritage Area's accomplishments and reporting to Congress, authorizes appropriations of up to $10 million with an annual limit of $1 million, and requires a 50 percent federal cost-share for activities. The authority for the Secretary to provide financial assistance under this act will terminate 15 years after enactment.