Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 117.djvu/1294

 PUBLIC LAW 108–108—NOV. 10, 2003

117 STAT. 1275

(II) was the origin of the traditional craft movement starting in 1900 and the contemporary craft movement starting in the 1940’s; and (III) is carried out by over 4,000 craftspeople in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, the third largest concentration of such people in the United States; (ii) a musical heritage comprised of distinctive instrumental and vocal traditions that— (I) includes stringband music, bluegrass, ballad singing, blues, and sacred music; (II) has received national recognition; and (III) has made the region one of the richest repositories of traditional music and folklife in the United States; (iii) the Cherokee heritage— (I) dating back thousands of years; and (II) offering— (aa) nationally significant cultural traditions practiced by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; (bb) authentic tradition bearers; (cc) historic sites; and (dd) historically important collections of Cherokee artifacts; and (iv) the agricultural heritage established by the Cherokee Indians, including medicinal and ceremonial food crops, combined with the historic European patterns of raising livestock, culminating in the largest number of specialty crop farms in North Carolina. (D) The artifacts and structures associated with those legacies are unusually well-preserved. (E) The Blue Ridge Mountains are recognized as having one of the richest collections of historical resources in North America. (F) The history and cultural heritage of the Blue Ridge Mountains are shared with the States of Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia. (G) there are significant cultural, economic, and educational benefits in celebrating and promoting this mutual heritage. (H) according to the 2002 reports entitled ‘‘The Blue Ridge Heritage and Cultural Partnership’’ and ‘‘Western North Carolina National Heritage Area Feasibility Study and Plan’’, the Blue Ridge Mountains contain numerous resources that are of outstanding importance to the history of the United States. (I) it is in the interest of the United States to preserve and interpret the cultural and historical resources of the Blue Ridge Mountains for the education and benefit of present and future generations. (2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to foster a close working relationship with, and to assist, all levels of government, the private sector, and local communities in the State in managing, preserving, protecting, and interpreting the cultural, historical, and natural resources of the Heritage Area while continuing to develop economic opportunities.

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