FREEDOM’S FRONTIER NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.

SEC. 264. FREEDOM’S FRONTIER NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.(a) Establishment.—There is established in the States the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area.(b) Boundaries.—The Heritage Area may include the following:(1) An area located in eastern Kansas and western Missouri, consisting of—(A) Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Bourbon, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clay, Coffey, Crawford, Douglas, Franklin, Geary, Jackson, Johnson, Labette, Leavenworth, Linn, Miami, Neosho, Pottawatomie, Riley, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, Wilson, Woodson, Jefferson, Montgomery, Osage, and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas; and(B) Buchanan, Platte, Clay, Ray, Lafayette, Jackson, Cass, Johnson, Bates, Vernon, Barton, and St. Clair Counties in Missouri.(2) Contributing sites, buildings, and districts within the area that are recommended by the management plan.(c) Map.—The final boundary of the Heritage Area within the counties identified in subsection (b)(1) shall be specified in the management plan. A map of the Heritage Area shall be included in the management plan. The map shall be on file in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.(d) Local Coordinating Entity.—(1) In general.—The local coordinating entity for the Heritage Area shall be Territorial Kansas Heritage Alliance, a nonprofit organization established in the State of Kansas, recognized by the Secretary, in consultation with the Governors of the States, so long as that Alliance is composed of not less than 25 percent residents of Missouri and agrees to perform the duties of the local coordinating entity under this subtitle.(2) Authorities.—For purposes of developing and implementing the management plan, the local coordinating entity may—(A) make grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements with, the States, political subdivisions of the States, and private organizations;(B) hire and compensate staff; and(C) enter into contracts for goods and services.(e) Management Plan.—(1) In general.—Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds are made available to carry out this subtitle, the local coordinating entity shall develop and submit to the Secretary a management plan reviewed by participating units of local government within the boundaries of the proposed Heritage Area.(2) Contents.—The management plan shall—(A) present a comprehensive program for the conservation, interpretation, funding, management, and development of the Heritage Area, in a manner consistent with the existing local, State, and Federal land use laws and compatible economic viability of the Heritage Area;(B) establish criteria or standards to measure what is selected for conservation, interpretation, funding, management, and development;(C) involve residents, public agencies, and private organizations working in the Heritage Area;120 STAT. 1809(D) specify and coordinate, as of the date of the management plan, existing and potential sources of technical and financial assistance under this and other Federal laws to protect, manage, and develop the Heritage Area; and(E) include—(i) actions to be undertaken by units of government and private organizations to protect, conserve, and interpret the resources of the Heritage Area;(ii) an inventory of the resources contained in the Heritage Area, including a list of any property in the Heritage Area that is related to the themes of the Heritage Area and that meets the establishing criteria (such as, but not exclusive to, visitor readiness) to merit preservation, restoration, management, development, or maintenance because of its natural, cultural, historical, or recreational significance;(iii) policies for resource management including the development of intergovernmental cooperative agreements, private sector agreements, or any combination thereof, to protect the historical, cultural, recreational, and natural resources of the Heritage Area in a manner consistent with supporting appropriate and compatible economic viability;(iv) a program for implementation of the management plan by the designated local coordinating entity, in cooperation with its partners and units of local government;(v) evidence that relevant State, county, and local plans applicable to the Heritage Area have been taken into consideration;(vi) an analysis of ways in which local, State, and Federal programs may best be coordinated to promote the purposes of this subtitle; and(vii) a business plan that—(I) describes in detail the role, operation, financing, and functions of the local coordinating entity for each activity included in the recommendations contained in the management plan; and(II) provides, to the satisfaction of the Secretary, adequate assurances that the local coordinating entity is likely to have the financial resources necessary to implement the management plan for the Heritage Area, including resources to meet matching requirement for grants awarded under this subtitle.(3) Considerations.—In developing and implementing the management plan, the local coordinating entity shall consider the interests of diverse governmental, business, and nonprofit groups within the Heritage Area.(4) Disqualification from funding.—If a proposed management plan is not submitted to the Secretary within 3 years after the date on which funds are made available to carry out this subtitle, the local coordinating entity shall be ineligible to receive additional funding under this subtitle 120 STAT. 1810 until the date on which the Secretary receives the proposed management plan.(5) Approval and disapproval of management plan.—The Secretary shall approve or disapprove the proposed management plan submitted under this subtitle not later than 90 days after receiving such proposed management plan.(6) Action following disapproval.—If the Secretary disapproves a proposed management plan, the Secretary shall advise the local coordinating entity in writing of the reasons for the disapproval and shall make recommendations for revisions to the proposed management plan. The Secretary shall approve or disapprove a proposed revision within 90 days after the date it is submitted.(7) Approval of amendments.—The Secretary shall review and approve substantial amendments to the management plan. Funds appropriated under this subtitle may not be expended to implement any changes made by such amendment until the Secretary approves the amendment.(8) Implementation.—(A) Priorities.—The local coordinating entity shall give priority to implementing actions described in the management plan, including—(i) assisting units of government and nonprofit organizations in preserving resources within the Heritage Area; and(ii) encouraging local governments to adopt land use policies consistent with the management of the Heritage Area and the goals of the management plan.(B) Public meetings.—The local coordinating entity shall conduct public meetings at least quarterly on the implementation of the management plan. Not less than 25 percent of the public meetings shall be conducted in Missouri.(f) Public Notice.—The local coordinating entity shall place a notice of each of its public meetings in a newspaper of general circulation in the Heritage Area and shall make the minutes of the meeting available to the public.(g) Annual Report.—For any year in which Federal funds have been made available under this subtitle, the local coordinating entity shall submit to the Secretary an annual report that describes—(1) the accomplishments of the local coordinating entity; and(2) the expenses and income of the local coordinating entity.(h) Audit.—The local coordinating entity shall—(1) make available to the Secretary for audit all records relating to the expenditure of Federal funds and any matching funds; and(2) require, with respect to all agreements authorizing expenditure of Federal funds by other organizations, that the receiving organizations make available to the Secretary for audit all records concerning the expenditure of the Federal funds and any matching funds.(i) Use of Federal Funds.—(1) In general.—No Federal funds made available under this subtitle may be used to acquire real property or an interest in real property.120 STAT. 1811(2) Other sources.—Nothing in this subtitle precludes the local coordinating entity from using Federal funds made available under other Federal laws for any purpose for which the funds are authorized to be used.