Canterbury Shaker Village National Heritage Area Study Authorization Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The bill records congressional findings about Canterbury Shaker Village's role in Shaker religious history, the Second Great Awakening, equality, pacifism, invention, architecture, decorative arts, and preservation. It describes the 1792 village, its transition into a nonprofit museum, its National Historic Landmark status, and a roughly 700-acre landscape with 25 buildings and extensive archaeological and cultural resources. The operative provision requires the Interior Secretary to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the landmark boundaries in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, as the Canterbury Shaker Village National Heritage Area. Interior must consult state and local preservation officers, historical societies, tourism offices, other organizations, and government agencies. The bill authorizes a study only; it does not make the designation.
Who Benefits and How
Canterbury Shaker Village, Inc., historic preservation organizations, and researchers benefit from a federal evaluation of the site's national significance, management capacity, and suitability for heritage-area status. Merrimack County tourism businesses and local communities may benefit from attention, consultation, and a possible later designation, but any designation would require subsequent congressional action.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Department of the Interior study staff must conduct the suitability and feasibility review under title 54 and coordinate the required consultation process. State and local historic preservation officers, historical societies, tourism offices, and governmental agencies may spend staff time supplying records, views, and planning information for the study.
Key Provisions
- Provides detailed congressional findings on the Shaker village's religious, social, architectural, technological, and preservation significance.
- Defines the study area as the Canterbury Shaker Village National Historic Landmark boundaries in Merrimack County.
- Requires Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of National Heritage Area designation.
- Requires consultation with state and local preservation, historical, tourism, organizational, and governmental participants.
- Limits the immediate legal effect to a study and does not designate a National Heritage Area.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Require Interior to study whether the Canterbury Shaker Village National Historic Landmark in New Hampshire is suitable and feasible for National Heritage Area designation.
Key Policy Areas
Historic Preservation, Public Lands, Tourism
Primary Purpose
Require Interior to study whether the Canterbury Shaker Village National Historic Landmark in New Hampshire is suitable and feasible for National Heritage Area designation.
Policy Domains
Canterbury Shaker Village National Heritage Area Study Authorization Act
Identified Gains
- Canterbury Shaker Village nonprofit museum staff
- Historic preservation organizations and researchers
- Merrimack County tourism businesses and communities
Identified Costs
- Department of the Interior study staff
- State and local historic preservation officers
- Tourism office administrators
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
ReportedCommittee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported …
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. …
Ms. Hassan (for herself and Mr. Tillis) introduced the following …
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and …
Introduced in Senate
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Canterbury Shaker Village, Inc.
Department of the Interior heritage-study staff, New Hampshire preservation officers
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "site_owner"
- → Canterbury Shaker Village, Inc.
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of the Interior
- "consulted_parties"
- → State and local preservation, history, tourism, and government organizations
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The geographic boundaries of the Canterbury Shaker Village National Historic Landmark in Merrimack County, New Hampshire.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology