54 U.S.C. § 120104 — Evaluation

(a) In General. At times the Secretary thinks are reasonable and appropriate, the Secretary may (1) evaluate what a National Heritage Area has accomplished, following the steps in subsection (b), and (2) prepare and send the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Natural Resources a report recommending what continued role the National Park Service should play for that area, following subsection (c). (b) Components. Each evaluation must: (1) assess how well the area's local coordinating entity is doing at accomplishing the area's purposes and at meeting the goals and objectives in its management plan; (2) analyze federal, state, local, Tribal government, and private investment in the area to figure out how much impact and leverage that money has had; and (3) review the area's management structure, partnerships, and funding to identify what's critical to keeping the area sustainable. (c) Recommendations. Each report must include one of two things. If the Secretary recommends continuing federal funding, the report must analyze ways that funding could be reduced or eliminated over time, and how much time that would reasonably take. If instead the Secretary recommends eliminating federal funding, the report must describe the funding cut's potential impact on the area's conservation, interpretation, and long-term sustainability.