Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 120.djvu/1851

 120 STAT. 1820

PUBLIC LAW 109–338—OCT. 12, 2006 (C) the era of maritime commerce, during which canal boats, schooners, and steamships formed the backbone of commercial transportation for the region; (4) those unique and significant eras are best described by the theme ‘‘The Making of Nations and Corridors of Commerce’’; (5) the artifacts and structures associated with those eras are unusually well-preserved; (6) the Champlain Valley is recognized as having one of the richest collections of historical resources in North America; (7) the history and cultural heritage of the Champlain Valley are shared with Canada and the Province of Quebec; (8) there are benefits in celebrating and promoting this mutual heritage; (9) tourism is among the most important industries in the Champlain Valley, and heritage tourism in particular plays a significant role in the economy of the Champlain Valley; (10) it is important to enhance heritage tourism in the Champlain Valley while ensuring that increased visitation will not impair the historical and cultural resources of the region; (11) according to the 1999 report of the National Park Service entitled ‘‘Champlain Valley Heritage Corridor Project’’, ‘‘the Champlain Valley contains resources and represents a theme ‘The Making of Nations and Corridors of Commerce’, that is of outstanding importance in United States history’’; and (12) it is in the interest of the United States to preserve and interpret the historical and cultural resources of the Champlain Valley for the education and benefit of present and future generations. (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this subtitle are— (1) to establish the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership in the States of Vermont and New York to recognize the importance of the historical, cultural, and recreational resources of the Champlain Valley region to the United States; (2) to assist the States of Vermont and New York, including units of local government and nongovernmental organizations in the States, in preserving, protecting, and interpreting those resources for the benefit of the people of the United States; (3) to use those resources and the theme ‘‘the making of nations and corridors of commerce’’ to— (A) revitalize the economy of communities in the Champlain Valley; and (B) generate and sustain increased levels of tourism in the Champlain Valley; (4) to encourage— (A) partnerships among State and local governments and nongovernmental organizations in the United States; and (B) collaboration with Canada and the Province of Quebec to— (i) interpret and promote the history of the waterways of the Champlain Valley region; (ii) form stronger bonds between the United States and Canada; and (iii) promote the international aspects of the Champlain Valley region; and

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