Washington D.C. Today
Rep. Gene Green (TX-29) introduced the Buffalo Bayou National Heritage Area Act to designate Buffalo Bayou in Harris County Texas as a National Heritage Area.
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) introduced the companion legislation in the Senate.
Buffalo Bayou stretches from central Houston to Galveston Bay and when passed H.R. 5144/S. 3261 will designate the 25-mile stretch of the Houston Ship Channel as the first National Heritage Area in Texas. This designation will allow up to $1 million annually for 10 years to the area and provide the tourism benefits of federal recognition without restriction on land or commerce.
We have seen wide support from public community and private industry for this distinction" Rep. Green said. There isnt a more fitting place in Texas to receive the honor of being the first National Heritage Area in the state."
Rep. Green and Sen. Hutchison originally introduced the Buffalo Bayou National Heritage Study Act passed in 2002 which directed the Department of the Interior to undertake a study evaluating the area against 8 criteria. The National Park Service has just released the 135-page report assessing the area. The study found that the proposed Buffalo Bayou National Heritage Area in Texas is eligible for National Heritage Area designation and the heritage area status would enhance as well as promote the national significance of this historic waterway.
I wish to commend Congressman Gene Green for his leadership and dedication to the Buffalo Bayou which led to the U.S. Department of Interior determining that the area met the criteria needed for National Heritage Area designation" Sen. Hutchison stated. The Buffalo Bayou has played an important role in the development of Texas helping Houston become the fourth largest city in the United States."
Buffalo Bayou has a long history of significance for the area and the state. It was initially a point of Texas settlement and then the location for the Battle of San Jacinto where Texas won its independence from Mexico in 1836. Since Buffalo Bayou has sustained the growth of East Harris County and the development of the economic powerhouses of energy and petrochemical industries. The NPS report describes the Bayou as a vital artery for the area supporting oil refining petrochemical production and commercial trade.
The NPS report is available for public comment until 5/21/10 and may be viewed here:
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=73&projectId=16830&documentID=33323
