Extension of Management Planning Deadline for National Heritage Areas Designation Under the 2019 Dingell Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Madam Speaker, today I introduced a bill to extend the statutory deadline for submitting a management plan for the six National Heritage Areas designated under the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019 (Public Law 116- 9).

Current law directs the local coordinating entity for each National Heritage Area to submit a management plan to the National Park Service within three years of the date of enactment: March 12, 2022. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the local coordinating entities need additional time to finalize their management plans, including completing a robust public engagement process not possible during much of 2020.

As Deputy Secretary of the Interior during the Clinton Administration, I know that local coordinating entities for National Heritage Areas need sufficient time to prepare effective management plans that reflect substantial public feedback. The John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019 (Public Law 116-9) included the House sponsor of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area Act, of which I sponsored with Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). More time will allow California's first and the other newly designated National Heritage Areas to conduct greater public engagement, preform fulsome tribal consultations, and complete all necessary field work to ensure these new National Heritage Areas are set up for success.

Madam Speaker, I thank Representatives McKinley (R-WV), Smith (D-WA), Schrier (D-WA), Kilmer (D-WA), Jayapal (D-WA), Grijalva (D-AZ), and Strickland (D-WA) for their support as original cosponsors. I look forward to working with Natural Resources Chairman Raul Grijalva to ensure this critical piece of legislation becomes law.

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