Ryan bill to form 'heritage area'

Rep. Tim Ryan's bill has bipartisan sponsorship in the House.
& lt;a href=mailto:skolnick@vindy.com & gt;By DAVID SKOLNICK & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan is sponsoring legislation to have the U.S. Secretary of the Interior conduct a feasibility study to make 14 counties, including Mahoning and Trumbull, a "heritage area," which could provide the area with federal money.
Ryan, of Niles, D-17th, was to hold a press conference today to discuss his bill, and proposed changes by the Bush administration to the heritage area program.
The U.S. Department of the Interior's Web site states the program "primarily provides planning and interpretation assistance and expertise, but also connects regions with other federal agencies. Federal financial assistance provides 'seed' money that covers basic expenses such as staffing, and leverages other money from state, local and private sources."
Ryan's bill is in the U.S. House Resources Committee's subcommittee on national parks, recreation and public lands. The bill has nine co-sponsors, including three Republicans. One of the co-sponsors is U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall II of Beckley, W.Va., the ranking Democrat on the House Resources Committee.
What bill would do
If the bill is approved, it would require the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to establish the Western Reserve Heritage Area that includes Mahoning, Trumbull, Ashtabula, Portage, Geauga, Lake, Cuyahoga, Summit, Medina, Huron, Lorain, Erie, Ottawa and Ashland counties.
"The counties that encompass the Western Reserve continue to maintain a strong connection to its historic past" through preservation of local heritage, including historic homes and buildings, the bill reads.
The study would include an analysis to see if the area has distinctive aspects of American heritage worthy of recognition and conservation.
Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton announced a few weeks ago that the Bush administration is proposing legislation to promote and enhance heritage conservation efforts. Currently there are no specific criteria for determining the significance of national heritage area proposals.
The legislation would address that by limiting the areas to regions that have a collection of resources that together tell nationally important stories based on our country's heritage, according to the Department of the Interior.
There are 24 national heritage areas in the country, including the Ohio and Erie Canal Corridor in portions of northeast Ohio, including Akron, Cleveland and Canton.
& lt;a href=mailto:skolnick@vindy.com & gt;skolnick@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;