Canterbury Shaker Village National Heritage Area Study Authorization Act

This bill, the Canterbury Shaker Village National Heritage Area Study Authorization Act, would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a formal study to determine whether the Canterbury Shaker Village study area in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, is suitable and feasible to designate as a National Heritage Area (NHA). The study would evaluate whether creating an NHA would be appropriate, based on the area’s historical significance, resources, and capacity for partnership-driven preservation and interpretation. The bill does not designate the area as an NHA or provide funding for such a designation; it merely authorizes a feasibility/suitability study and outlines the process and stakeholders involved. The bill emphasizes Canterbury Shaker Village’s national historic significance, its status as a National Historic Landmark, and its extensive resources (land, buildings, archaeological resources, landscape features). It directs the Secretary to conduct the study in consultation with state and local preservation and tourism stakeholders and in line with federal procedures for National Heritage Areas.