Bill > HR1004

This bill establishes the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area in California, designating the Delta Protection Commission as the entity responsible for its management. The Commission must develop and submit a proposed management plan for the Heritage Area to the Secretary of the Interior for approval. Crucially, the Secretary cannot approve this plan until the Delta Protection Commission provides certification that the Delta Stewardship Council, a state body, has reviewed the plan to ensure it aligns with the Council's own existing plan adopted under state law. The bill also outlines the authorities and duties of the management entity, including making grants, entering cooperative agreements, hiring staff, and undertaking activities that further the Heritage Area's goals, while prohibiting the acquisition of real property with federal funds and establishing a 50 percent federal cost-sharing requirement for activities. The management plan itself must be submitted within three years of the bill's enactment and will undergo review and approval by the Secretary, with specific criteria for approval and procedures for disapproval and amendments. The bill also includes provisions regarding the relationship with other federal agencies, private property rights, an evaluation and reporting requirement before federal funding terminates, and an authorization of appropriations with annual limits.