House subcommittee hearing examines Turner’s bipartisan aviation heritage bill

A U.S. House Natural Resources subcommittee on April 30 held a legislation hearing on several bills, one being the bipartisan National Aviation Heritage Area (NAHA) Reauthorization Act, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH).

Rep. Turner introduced H.R. 1990 in March with U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) to amend the National Aviation Heritage Act to reauthorize the NAHA, a federally designated area consolidating more than 15 aviation-related sites in the Dayton, Ohio area into a cooperative marketing and administrative framework.

“With Dayton being the birthplace of aviation, I am proud to be the lead sponsor of this legislation to preserve Dayton’s National Aviation Heritage Area,” Rep. Turner said.

The U.S. House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands on Tuesday conducted the legislative hearing, which included several witnesses’ testimonies on three panels to discuss four bills, including Rep. Turner’s H.R. 1990.

“This bill will reauthorize NAHA for an additional seven years to ensure NAHA receives the vital federal funds they need to operate the Heritage Area and preserve our community’s rich aviation history,” said the congressman this week.

If enacted, H.R. 1990 would reauthorize the NAHA until 2026 to continue operating Ohio’s Heritage Area, which encompasses 54 acres and eight counties throughout the western portion of the state and includes notable sites like the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Park, Armstrong Air and Space Museum, and Grimes Flying Field, according to Rep. Turner.

Over two million people visit the NAHA a year, pumping $35 million into the state’s economy and supporting 1,500 jobs, according to the lawmaker.

H.R. 1990 has garnered support from several groups, including the Air Force Museum Foundation Inc., the Dayton Development Coalition, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, among others.