December 17, 2025
Ms. Kelly of Illinois (for herself, Mr. Yakym, Mr. Mrvan, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Casten, and Mr. Jackson of Illinois) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
To amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act to designate as a component of the National Heritage Area System the Calumet National Heritage Area in the States of Indiana and Illinois, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Calumet National Heritage Area Act
.
Sec. 2. Findings
Congress finds that—
(1)
the Calumet region is composed of—
(A)
3 counties in the State of Indiana; and
(B)
portions of 2 counties in the State of Illinois;
(2)
taken as a whole, the Calumet region—
(A)
possesses exceptional cultural, natural, and historical resources that form a cohesive and nationally distinctive landscape;
(B)
showcases landscapes that arose from the unprecedented encounter of United States industrial urbanization with a richly biodiverse natural region at the southern end of Lake Michigan; and
(C)
offers compelling educational opportunities relating to—
(i)
the manner in which industrial progress forged dramatic changes to the natural world;
(ii)
the importance of environmental conservation and restoration, innovation, and change for industries and workers; and
(iii)
the range of cultural practices brought to the Calumet region by the large numbers of immigrants and migrants who settled in the Calumet region;
(3)
there is a national interest in conserving, restoring, promoting, and interpreting the benefits of the Calumet National Heritage Area for—
(A)
the residents of the Calumet region; and
(B)
visitors to the Calumet National Heritage Area;
(4)
the nationally significant historical and cultural resources located in the Calumet National Heritage Area represent unique aspects of the heritage of the United States;
(5)
the Calumet region—
(A)
was previously designated as a natural botanical preserve; and
(B)
was the site of early advances in the science of ecology;
(6)
with respect to the economic development of the United States—
(A)
the post-Civil War industrial boom in the Calumet region made the Calumet region the largest industrial district in the world during the first half of the 20th century;
(B)
the Calumet region remains the leading steel producing region in the United States;
(C)
the economic development took place at the water, rail, and highway transportation crossroads of the United States; and
(D)
industrialists pioneered new methods of housing employees in industrial towns at Pullman, Marktown, and Gary;
(7)
employees that were drawn to the Calumet region made the Calumet region a crucible of working class and ethnic cultures;
(8)
new approaches to natural resource management in an industrial region were developed in the Calumet region;
(9)
significant historical and cultural sites in the Calumet region include—
(A)
the ongoing presence of the steel industry in the United States, including the most recently constructed integrated steelworks and the largest operating integrated steelworks;
(B)
Pullman National Historical Park;
(C)
Indiana Dunes National Park;
(D)
a National Historic Landmark;
(E)
4 Historic American Engineering Record sites;
(F)
5 Historic American Buildings Survey sites;
(G)
2 National Scenic Byways;
(H)
2 units of the National Water Trails System; and
(I)
2 National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom sites;
(10)
nationally significant natural and physical resources in the Calumet region include spectacular natural, scenic, and recreational assets, including—
(A)
Indiana Dunes National Park, 1 of the most species-rich units of the National Park System, including the critical conservation land that buffers the unit;
(B)
outstanding examples of glaciated landscapes that illustrate ecological succession;
(C)
5 national natural landmarks;
(D)
48,000 acres of land protected outside the boundary of the Indiana Dunes National Park, a significant record of urban conservation by land trusts, local park districts, and forest preserve districts; and
(E)
an active legacy of ecological restoration, including on the Grand Calumet Area of Concern and at hundreds of sites benefitting from volunteer contributions;
(11)
local public and private partnerships based on the visions of the community and region that are working together to promote the stewardship, enhancement, and interpretation of the resources of the Calumet National Heritage Area;
(12)
to promote the goals described in paragraph (11), local residents, organizations, and governments support the establishment of a national heritage area, as indicated in the Calumet National Heritage Area Feasibility Study approved by the National Park Service; and
(13)
the designation of the Calumet National Heritage Area would enhance the efforts to promote the cultural, natural, historical, and recreational resources of the Calumet region that have been made by—
(A)
the States of Indiana and Illinois;
(B)
political subdivisions of the States of Indiana and Illinois;
(C)
the Field Museum of Natural History;
(D)
Indiana Dunes Tourism;
(E)
the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority;
(F)
volunteer organizations; and
(G)
private businesses.
Sec. 3. Designation of Calumet National Heritage Area
(a) Designation
Section 6001(a) of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (Public Law 116–9; 133 Stat. 768; 136 Stat. 6163) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(14) Calumet National Heritage Area
(A) In general
There is established as a component of the National Heritage Area System the Calumet National Heritage Area in the States of Indiana and Illinois, as depicted on the map on page 25 of the Calumet National Heritage Area Feasibility Study, dated April 14, 2018, as subsequently modified, the boundaries of which start at 71st Street and Lake Michigan in Chicago and proceed west along 71st Street to Western Avenue, then south on Western Avenue to 95th Street, then west on 95th Street to Pulaski Road, then south on Pulaski Road to I–57, then south on I–57 to Crete-Monee Road, then east on Crete-Monee Road, continuing on West New Monee Road to end at State Street, and then extend to the Indiana State Line, with Lake, Porter, and LaPorte Counties included.
(B) Local coordinating entity
The Calumet Heritage Partnership shall be the local coordinating entity for the National Heritage Area designated by subparagraph (A).
(b) Management plan
For the purposes of section 6001(c) of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (Public Law 116–9; 133 Stat. 772; 136 Stat. 6173), the local coordinating entity for the Calumet National Heritage Area designated under the amendment made by subsection (a) shall submit to the Secretary of the Interior for approval a proposed management plan for the Calumet National Heritage Area not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act.
(c) Termination of authority
For the purposes of subsection (g)(4) of section 6001 of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (Public Law 116–9; 133 Stat. 776), the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance under that section for the Calumet National Heritage Area designated under the amendment made by subsection (a) shall terminate on the date that is 15 years after the date of enactment of this Act.