Bill Details
HR.1073 - 119th Congress
Status
Latest action
2025-02-10 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H607)
Introduced Date
2025-02-06
Policy Area
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Committees
View committees (1)
Sponsors
Cosponsors
View cosponsors (1)
8
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AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would help protect and improve important natural, historical, cultural, and recreational places in the Great Lakes region. It gives the Department of the Interior, working with the Environmental Protection Agency, the job of helping states, local governments, nonprofits, and private groups identify, restore, and share these resources with the public. The bill would also create a connected network of “Great Lakes Gateways” sites and water trails to improve public access, education, and travel around the Great Lakes Watershed.
- The program would support places such as parks, refuges, historic ports, archaeological sites, and other public access or learning sites chosen by the Secretary of the Interior.
- It would link gateway sites with trails, scenic roads, and water routes so people can better visit and experience the Great Lakes region.
- A grant program would help pay for projects that conserve, restore, and interpret important resources in the watershed. Grants could cover up to 50% of a project’s costs, and the rest would have to come from non-federal sources, including donated services or materials.
- Administrative costs for grants could not be more than 10% of total project costs, and the bill would authorize $6 million each year from fiscal year 2026 through 2031.
Official Summaries
No summaries available
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1073 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1073
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to provide technical and
financial assistance to identify, conserve, restore, and interpret
natural, recreational, historical, and cultural resources within the
Great Lakes Watershed, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 6, 2025
Ms. Kaptur (for herself and Mr. Joyce of Ohio) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to provide technical and
financial assistance to identify, conserve, restore, and interpret
natural, recreational, historical, and cultural resources within the
Great Lakes Watershed, and for other purposes.
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 ``Great Lakes Gateways Network Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. GREAT LAKES GATEWAYS.
(a) Great Lakes Gateways Network.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior (referred to
in this section as the ``Secretary''), in cooperation with the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (referred
to in this section as the ``Administrator''), shall provide
technical and financial assistance, in cooperation with other
Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit
organizations, and the private sector to--
(A) identify, conserve, restore, and interpret
natural, recreational, historical, and cultural
resources within the Great Lakes Watershed;
(B) identify and use the collective resources as
Great Lakes Gateways sites for enhancing public
education regarding and access to the Great Lakes;
(C) link the Great Lakes Gateways sites with
trails, tour roads, scenic byways, and other
connections as determined by the Secretary;
(D) develop and establish Great Lakes Watertrails
comprising water routes and connections to Great Lakes
Gateways sites and other land resources within the
Great Lakes Watershed; and
(E) create a Great Lakes Gateways Network comprised
of Great Lakes Gateways sites and Great Lakes
Watertrails.
(2) Components.--Components of the Great Lakes Gateways
Network may include--
(A) State or Federal parks or refuges;
(B) historic seaports;
(C) archaeological, cultural, historical, or
recreational sites; or
(D) other public access and interpretive sites as
selected by the Secretary.
(b) Great Lakes Gateways Grants Assistance Program.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary, in cooperation with the
Administrator, shall establish a Great Lakes Gateways Grants
Assistance Program to aid State and local governments, local
communities, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector in
conserving, restoring, and interpreting important historic,
cultural, recreational, and natural resources within the Great
Lakes Watershed.
(2) Criteria.--The Secretary, in cooperation with the
Administrator, shall develop appropriate eligibility,
prioritization, and review criteria for grants under this
section.
(3) Matching funds and administrative expenses.--A grant
under this section--
(A) shall not exceed 50 percent of eligible project
costs;
(B) shall be made on the condition that non-Federal
sources, including in-kind contributions of services or
materials, provide the remainder of eligible project
costs; and
(C) shall be made on the condition that
administrative expenses are not more than 10 percent of
all eligible project costs.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $6,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2026 through 2031.
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