HLS 25RS-542 ORIGINAL
2025 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 319
BY REPRESENTATIVE ORGERON
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
BOARDS/COMMISSIONS: Provides relative to the Atchafalaya Trace Commission and
Atchafalaya Trace Heritage Area
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 25:1221(B)(8), 1222(A) and (B)(4), (9), and (14), 1223(A)(1),
3 1224(A)(10), (B)(1)(a), (c), and (f), (2)(introductory paragraph), (a), (b), and (c), and
4 (3)(introductory paragraph), and (a) through (f), relative to the Atchafalaya Trace
5 Commission and Atchafalaya Trace Heritage Area; to change the name of the
6 heritage area; to include Lafourche Parish within the heritage area; to increase the
7 membership of the commission; and to provide for related matters.
8Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. R.S. 25:1221(B)(8), 1222(A) and (B)(4), (9), and (14), 1223(A)(1),
101224(A)(10), (B)(1)(a), (c), and (f), (2)(introductory paragraph), (a), (b), and (c), and
11(3)(introductory paragraph), and (a) through (f) are hereby amended and reenacted to read
12as follows:
13 §1221. Legislative recognition
14 * * *
15 B. The legislature recognizes that:
16 * * *
17 (8) Principal organizations and individuals, drawn from a broad cross section
18 of constituencies, are willing to develop partnerships to achieve stated goals and
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1 realize a vision consistent with establishment of a heritage area the Atchafalaya
2 National Heritage Area Management Plan.
3 * * *
4 §1222. Atchafalaya Trace Commission; creation
5 A. In furtherance of the legislature's recognition, there is hereby created the
6 Atchafalaya Trace Commission, referred to in this Chapter as the "commission",
7 which shall be an agency of state government within the Department of Culture,
8 Recreation and Tourism. The legislature further establishes in the state of Louisiana
9 the Atchafalaya Trace National Heritage Area, referred to in this Chapter as "the
10 trace heritage area". The trace heritage area shall consist of the territory in the
11 following parishes as generally depicted on the map entitled the Atchafalaya Trace
12 Heritage Corridor Concept Plan copyrighted in 1996 by the Center for Landscape
13 Interpretation: St. Mary, Iberia, St. Martin, St. Landry, Avoyelles, Pointe Coupee,
14 Iberville, Assumption, Terrebonne, Lafayette, West Baton Rouge, Concordia, and
15 East Baton Rouge,. In addition, the trace area shall include all of the territory in
16 Ascension, and Parish Lafourche. However, no other parish may be added to the
17 Atchafalaya Trace Heritage Area until such time as criteria for inclusion into the
18 trace area have been identified and established by the commission.
19 B. The purposes of the commission shall include the following:
20 * * *
21 (4) To improve transportation and communication facilities and access
22 within the trace heritage area.
23 * * *
24 (9) To seek recognition and federal funding for the trace heritage area as a
25 National Heritage Area.
26 * * *
27 (14) To develop an integrated natural, scenic, cultural, and historic resource
28 management plan for the trace heritage area and assist appropriate federal, state, and
29 local authorities in its implementation.
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1 §1223. Membership; officers
2 A.(1) The commission shall be comprised of fourteen fifteen members. The
3 governing authority of each parish identified in R.S. 25:1222(A) as having territory
4 within the trace heritage area shall appoint one member.
5 * * *
6 §1224. Duties and authority
7 A. The commission shall have the following duties and authority:
8 * * *
9 (10) The commission may acquire from any willing seller real property or
10 interests in real property in the trace heritage area as deemed necessary to fulfill the
11 purposes of this Chapter.
12 * * *
13 B.(1) To guide the commission's operations and in preparation for
14 completing the management plan, the commission shall prepare a concept plan and
15 feasibility study which:
16 (a) Identifies the commission as the management entity for the trace heritage
17 area and describes the organization, structure, people, programs, capabilities, and
18 funding necessary and desirable for implementing the purposes of this Chapter.
19 * * *
20 (c) Determines the potential for the trace heritage area to become a
21 nationally recognized heritage area.
22 * * *
23 (f) Defines the Atchafalaya Trace National Heritage Area driving corridor
24 or scenic byway.
25 * * *
26 (2) Within four years after the commission conducts its first meeting, it shall,
27 through the secretary of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, submit
28 to the House Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs and the Senate
29 Committee on Natural Resources a Cultural Heritage and Corridor Management
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1 Plan. The plan shall take into account existing federal, state, and local plans, and
2 shall coordinate those plans and present a unified resource management and
3 interpretation plan for the trace heritage area. The plan shall:
4 (a) Provide a complete resource inventory which also includes any property
5 in the trace heritage area which should be preserved, restored, managed, developed,
6 maintained, or acquired because of its national historic, cultural, scenic, or natural
7 systems significance.
8 (b) Develop a historic, cultural, scenic, and natural resource interpretation
9 plan to interpret the resources of the trace heritage area.
10 (c) Recommend policies for resource management which consider and detail
11 the application of appropriate land and water management techniques, including the
12 development of intergovernmental cooperative agreements, that will protect and
13 interpret the trace's historical, cultural, scenic, and natural resources of the heritage
14 area in a manner consistent with supporting appropriate and compatible economic
15 revitalization efforts.
16 * * *
17 (3) After review and approval of the plan by the legislature, by resolution,
18 the commission shall implement the plan by taking appropriate steps in cooperation
19 with any public or private entity to preserve and interpret the historic resources of
20 the trace heritage area and to support public and private efforts in sustainable
21 economic revitalization consistent with the goals of the plan. These steps may
22 include but need not be limited to:
23 (a) Assisting the state, local, and federal governments in preserving the trace
24 heritage area and its surrounding area.
25 (b) Assisting the state, local, and federal governments, directly or indirectly,
26 in designing, establishing, and maintaining visitor centers and other interpretive
27 centers and exhibits in the trace heritage area.
28 (c) Assisting in increasing public awareness of and appreciation for the
29 historical, scenic, natural, and cultural resources and sites in the trace heritage area.
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1 (d) Assisting the state, local, and federal governments and nonprofit
2 organizations in the restoration of any historic building or structure and of any
3 damaged or impaired natural systems or features in the trace heritage area.
4 (e) Encouraging, by appropriate means, enhanced economic development in
5 the trace heritage area consistent with the goals of the plan.
6 (f) Ensuring that clear, consistent signs identifying access points, trace
7 heritage driving corridor or scenic byway routes, points of interest, and services for
8 visitors are placed throughout the trace heritage area.
9 * * *
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 319 Original 2025 Regular Session Orgeron
Abstract: Relative to the Atchafalaya Trace Commission and Atchafalaya Trace Heritage
Area, changes the name of the area, includes Lafourche Parish within the area, and
increases the membership of the commission.
Present law establishes the Atchafalaya Trace Commission ("commission") as an agency of
state government within the Dept. of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. Proposed law retains
present law.
Present law establishes the Atchafalaya Trace Heritage Area as consisting of the territory in
the following parishes as generally depicted on the map entitled the Atchafalaya Trace
Heritage Corridor Concept Plan copyrighted in 1996 by the Center for Landscape
Interpretation: St. Mary, Iberia, St. Martin, St. Landry, Avoyelles, Pointe Coupee, Iberville,
Assumption, Terrebonne, Lafayette, West Baton Rouge, Concordia, and East Baton Rouge.
Additionally provides that the trace area includes all of the territory in Ascension Parish.
Proposed law changes the name of the area from "Atchafalaya Trace Heritage Area" to
"Atchafalaya National Heritage Area" and makes conforming changes in present law.
Changes provisions of present law that refer to the "trace area" to instead refer to the
"heritage area".
Proposed law removes the reference in present law to the area being generally depicted on
the map entitled the Atchafalaya Trace Heritage Corridor Concept Plan copyrighted in 1996
by the Center for Landscape Interpretation. Additionally, adds Lafourche parish to the
parishes included in the heritage area.
Proposed law otherwise retains present law.
Present law provides that no other parish may be added to the heritage area until such time
as criteria for inclusion into the area have been identified and established by the commission.
Proposed law repeals present law.
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Present law provides that the commission is comprised of 14 members, one appointed by the
governing authority of each parish identified in present law as having territory within the
heritage area. Provides that the secretary of the U.S. Dept. of the Interior may appoint a
representative of the National Park Service to serve as a nonvoting member of the
commission under certain circumstances. Provides for terms of commissioners and officers
and meetings of the commission.
Proposed law increases the membership of the commission from 14 members to 15
members. Otherwise retains present law.
(Amends R.S. 25:1221(B)(8), 1222(A) and (B)(4), (9), and (14), 1223(A)(1), 1224(A)(10),
(B)(1)(a), (c), and (f), (2)(intro. para.), (a), (b), and (c), and (3)(intro. para.), and (a)-(f))
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