Section 460ff · Administration

The Secretary shall administer the recreation area in accordance with the provisions of sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 of this title, as amended and supplemented. In the administration of the recreation area, the Secretary may utilize such statutory authority available to him for the conservation and management of wildlife and natural resources as he deems appropriate to carry out the purposes of this subchapter.

(1) The authority of the Secretary of the Army to undertake or contribute to water resource development, including erosion control and flood control, on land or waters within the recreation area shall be exercised in accordance with plans which are mutually acceptable to the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of the Army and which are consistent with both the purposes of this subchapter and the purposes of existing statutes dealing with water and related land resource development.

(2) The Secretary is authorized and directed, in cooperation with the Secretary of Agriculture, the State of Ohio, and affected local governments, to undertake a program of and treatment for the purpose of restoring suitable vegetative cover to substantially eliminate erosion from all lands, public and private, within the authorized boundaries of the recreation area. In the case of any private lands, within such authorized boundaries such treatment may be undertaken only with the consent of the owner thereof and shall be contingent upon assurances that such land treatment will be maintained by the owner for a period of not less than ten years. The Secretary shall, in conjunction with such program, take such actions as may be required to correct areas of ecological degradation which create hazards to health and safety.

The Secretary, in consultation with the Governor of the State of Ohio, shall inventory and evaluate all sites and structures within the recreation area having present and potential historical, cultural, or architectural significance and shall provide for appropriate programs for the preservation, restoration, interpretation, and utilization of them.

The Secretary may, on his own initiative, or at the request of any local government (or intergovernmental organization) having jurisdiction over land located within or adjacent to the recreation area, assist and consult with the appropriate officers and employees of such local government (or intergovernmental organization) in establishing zoning laws or ordinances which will assist in achieving the purposes of this subchapter. In providing assistance pursuant to this subsection, the Secretary shall endeavor to obtain provisions in such zoning laws or ordinances which—

(1) have the effect of prohibiting the commercial and industrial use (other than a use for commercial farms and orchards) of all real property adjacent to the recreation area;

(2) aid in preserving the character of the recreation area by appropriate restrictions on the use of real property in the vicinity including, but not limited to, restrictions upon: building and construction of all types; signs and billboards; the burning of cover; cutting of timber (except tracts managed for sustained yield); removal of topsoil, sand, or gravel; dumping, storage, or piling of refuse; or any other use which would detract from the aesthetic character of the recreation area; and