[House Hearing, 107 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
H.R. 282, H.R. 3747, H.R. 4692 and H.R. 5318
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LEGISLATIVE HEARING
before the
SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, RECREATION, AND PUBLIC LANDS
of the
COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
September 5, 2002
__________
Serial No. 107-151
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Resources
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/
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______
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COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES
JAMES V. HANSEN, Utah, Chairman
NICK J. RAHALL II, West Virginia, Ranking Democrat Member
Don Young, Alaska, George Miller, California
Vice Chairman Edward J. Markey, Massachusetts
W.J. ``Billy'' Tauzin, Louisiana Dale E. Kildee, Michigan
Jim Saxton, New Jersey Peter A. DeFazio, Oregon
Elton Gallegly, California Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American
John J. Duncan, Jr., Tennessee Samoa
Joel Hefley, Colorado Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii
Wayne T. Gilchrest, Maryland Solomon P. Ortiz, Texas
Ken Calvert, California Frank Pallone, Jr., New Jersey
Scott McInnis, Colorado Calvin M. Dooley, California
Richard W. Pombo, California Robert A. Underwood, Guam
Barbara Cubin, Wyoming Adam Smith, Washington
George Radanovich, California Donna M. Christensen, Virgin
Walter B. Jones, Jr., North Islands
Carolina Ron Kind, Wisconsin
Mac Thornberry, Texas Jay Inslee, Washington
Chris Cannon, Utah Grace F. Napolitano, California
John E. Peterson, Pennsylvania Tom Udall, New Mexico
Bob Schaffer, Colorado Mark Udall, Colorado
Jim Gibbons, Nevada Rush D. Holt, New Jersey
Mark E. Souder, Indiana Anibal Acevedo-Vila, Puerto Rico
Greg Walden, Oregon Hilda L. Solis, California
Michael K. Simpson, Idaho Brad Carson, Oklahoma
Thomas G. Tancredo, Colorado Betty McCollum, Minnesota
J.D. Hayworth, Arizona Tim Holden, Pennsylvania
C.L. ``Butch'' Otter, Idaho
Tom Osborne, Nebraska
Jeff Flake, Arizona
Dennis R. Rehberg, Montana
Tim Stewart, Chief of Staff
Lisa Pittman, Chief Counsel/Deputy Chief of Staff
Steven T. Petersen, Deputy Chief Counsel
Michael S. Twinchek, Chief Clerk
James H. Zoia, Democrat Staff Director
Jeffrey P. Petrich, Democrat Chief Counsel
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SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, RECREATION, AND PUBLIC LANDS
GEORGE P. RADANOVICH, California, Chairman
DONNA M. CHRISTENSEN, Virgin Islands Ranking Democrat Member
Elton Gallegly, California Dale E. Kildee, Michigan
John J. Duncan, Jr., Tennessee Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American
Joel Hefley, Colorado Samoa
Wayne T. Gilchrest, Maryland Frank Pallone, Jr., New Jersey
Walter B. Jones, Jr., North Tom Udall, New Mexico
Carolina, Mark Udall, Colorado
Vice Chairman Rush D. Holt, New Jersey
Mac Thornberry, Texas Anibal Acevedo-Vila, Puerto Rico
Chris Cannon, Utah Hilda L. Solis, California
Bob Schaffer, Colorado Betty McCollum, Minnesota
Jim Gibbons, Nevada
Mark E. Souder, Indiana
Michael K. Simpson, Idaho
Thomas G. Tancredo, Colorado
C O N T E N T S
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Page
Hearing held on September 5, 2002................................ 1
Statement of Members:
Bishop, Hon. Sanford, a Representative in Congress from the
State of Georgia, Oral statement on H.R. 4692.............. 3
Cannon, Hon. Chris, a Representative in Congress from the
State of Utah.............................................. 22
Prepared statement on H.R. 5318.......................... 23
Christensen, Hon. Donna M., a Delegate to Congress form the
U.S. Virgin Islands........................................ 18
Duncan, Hon. John J., a Representative in Congress from the
State of Tennessee......................................... 5
Inslee, Hon. Jay, a Representative in Congress from the State
Washington, Oral statement on H.R. 3747.................... 6
LaTourette, Hon. Steven C., a Representative in Congress from
the State of Ohio.......................................... 19
Prepared statement on H.R. 282........................... 21
Radanovich, Hon. George P., a Representative in Congress from
the State of California.................................... 2
Prepared statement on H.R. 282, H.R. 3747, H.R. 4692 and
H.R. 5318.............................................. 2
Statement of Witnesses:
Ash, Tracey, Secretary/Treasurer, Pyramid of Remembrance
Foundation, Mentor, Ohio................................... 23
Prepared statement on H.R. 282........................... 24
Hughes, Jim, Deputy Director, Bureau of Land Management, U.S.
Department of the Interior................................. 13
Prepared statement on H.R. 5318.......................... 14
Kordonowy, Hon. Darlene, Mayor, Bainbridge Island, Washington 30
Prepared statement on H.R. 3747.......................... 31
Letter submitted for the record.......................... 36
Moriwaki, Clarence, Chair, Bainbridge Island WWII Nikkei
Internment and Exclusion Memorial Committee, Bainbridge
Island, Washington......................................... 28
Prepared statement on H.R. 3747.......................... 29
Parsons, John, Associate Regional Director for Lands,
Resources, and Planning, National Capital Region, National
Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.............. 8
Prepared statement on H.R. 282........................... 8
Prepared statement on H.R. 3747.......................... 10
Prepared statement on H.R. 4692.......................... 12
Sheffield, Langdon, President, Friends of Andersonville,
Americus, Georgia.......................................... 25
Prepared statement on H.R. 4692.......................... 27
LEGISLATIVE HEARING ON H.R. 282, TO AUTHORIZE THE PYRAMID OF
REMEMBRANCE FOUNDATION TO ESTABLISH A MEMORIAL IN THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA OR ITS ENVIRONS TO SOLDIERS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES DURING
PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS, HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS, TRAINING, TERRORIST
ATTACKS, OR COVERT OPERATIONS; H.R. 3747, TO DIRECT THE SECRETARY OF
THE INTERIOR TO CONDUCT A STUDY OF THE SITE COMMONLY KNOWN AS EAGLEDALE
FERRY DOCK AT TAYLOR AVENUE IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON FOR POTENTIAL
INCLUSION IN THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM; H.R. 4692, TO AMEND THE ACT
ENTITLED `AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ANDERSONVILLE
NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES', TO PROVIDE FOR THE ADDITION OF CERTAIN DONATED LANDS TO THE
ANDERSONVILLE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE; AND H.R. 5318, TO PROVIDE FOR AN
EXCHANGE OF CERTAIN PRIVATE PROPERTY IN COLORADO AND CERTAIN FEDERAL
PROPERTY IN UTAH;
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Thursday, September 5, 2002
U.S. House of Representatives
Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands
Committee on Resources
Washington, DC
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The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:03 a.m., in
room 1334, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. George
Radanovich [Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.
STATEMENT OF HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Mr. Radanovich. Good morning. The Subcommittee on National
Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands will come to order. I want
to thank everyone for being here today. We are considering
three bills, or four bills.
Our first bill as introduced is H.R. 282, which was
introduced by Representative Steve LaTourette of Ohio. This
would authorize the Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation to
establish a memorial in the District of Columbia or its
environs to soldiers who have lost their lives during
peacekeeping operations, humanitarian efforts, training,
terrorist attacks, or covert operations.
The second bill is H.R. 3747, introduced by our Committee
colleague Jay Inslee of Washington State, which would direct
the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of the site
commonly known as the Eagledale Ferry Dock at Taylor Avenue in
the State of Washington for potential inclusion into the
National Park System.
The third one is H.R. 4692, introduced by Representative
Sanford Bishop of Georgia, which would amend the Act
establishing the Andersonville National Historic Site in the
State of Georgia to provide for the addition of certain donated
lands to the national historic site.
And the final bill that we will hear is H.R. 5318,
introduced by our Subcommittee colleague John Duncan of
Tennessee, which would provide for an exchange of certain
private property in Colorado and certain Federal property in
Utah.
I think that what we are going to do is go ahead and start
with the first panel. Before that, though, I would ask
unanimous consent that Mr. LaTourette, Mr. Bishop, and Mr.
Inslee be permitted to sit on the dias following the
statements. Without objection, so ordered.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Radanovich follows:]
Statement of George P. Radanovich, a Representative in Congress from
the State of California
Good morning. The hearing will come to order.
This morning the Subcommittee will hear testimony on four bills,
H.R. 282, H.R. 3747, H.R. 4692, and H.R. 5318.
Our first bill, H.R. 282, introduced by Representative Steve
LaTourette of Ohio, would authorize the Pyramid of Remembrance
Foundation to establish a memorial in the District of Columbia or its
environs to soldiers who have lost their lives during peacekeeping
operations, humanitarian efforts, training, terrorist attacks, or
covert operations.
Our second bill, H.R. 3747, introduced by our Committee Colleague
Jay Inslee of Washington State, would direct the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a study of the site commonly known as Eagledale
Ferry Dock at Taylor Avenue in the State of Washington for potential
inclusion in the National Park System.
Our third bill, H.R. 4692, introduced by Representative Sanford
Bishop of Georgia, would amend the Act establishing Andersonville
National Historic Site in the State of Georgia, to provide for the
addition of certain donated lands to the National Historic Site.
The final bill we will hear, H.R. 5318, introduced by our
Subcommittee colleague John Duncan of Tennessee, would provide for an
exchange of certain private property in Colorado and certain Federal
property in Utah.
Before turning the time over to Mrs. Christensen, I would ask
unanimous consent that Mr. LaTourette, Mr. Bishop, and Mr. Inslee be
permitted to sit on the dais following their statements. Without
objection, so ordered.
I now turn to the Ranking Member, Mrs. Christensen for any opening
statement she may have.
______
Mr. Radanovich. I am informed that Mrs. Christensen will be
here shortly, and when she arrives, we will turn time over to
her for any statement that she may have.
With that, I think that, Mr. Bishop, I would like to
welcome you to the Committee and appreciate your being here. If
you would like to begin testimony on your bill, that would be
terrific. Thank you.
STATEMENT OF HON. SANFORD BISHOP, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM THE STATE OF GEORGIA
Mr. Bishop. Thank you very much, Chairman Radanovich,
Ranking Member Dr. Christensen, distinguished witnesses, ladies
and gentlemen. I would like to thank you for convening this
meeting to discuss this legislation, which is so important to
those people who live in the Second District of Georgia, those
people who travel in and around the Macon County, Georgia,
area, and those who have served in our armed forces and the
POWs and members of their families all across our country.
I come before the Committee today to ask for your support
for H.R. 4692, a bill which I sponsored that would amend the
1970 Act that established Andersonville as a National Historic
Site. This legislation simply amends the original bill by
allowing for an increase in the acreage ceiling in order to
move a section of County Road 49, thereby providing direct
access without using the interests of the park as a
thoroughfare.
Andersonville is a tribute to all of those who have served
in our armed forces. After the National Park Service was
authorized to create the National Prisoner of War Museum in
1998, Andersonville became the only national park that serves
as a memorial to all of America's prisoners of war throughout
the history of our country. These are the men and women who
served our country with the realization that the fate of
becoming a POW is always a possibility during times of war. The
Andersonville POW museum that exists today is truly a heart-
wrenching example of the great sacrifice that these men and
women have performed for their country.
Prior to 1998, three families living near the site on
County Road 49 used an intersecting road known as 191 to access
their homes. This was a dangerous road that was unpaved and had
blind curves. In 1998, after the National Park Service was
authorized to create the National Prisoners of War Museum on
the grounds of Andersonville, the residents spoken of were
allowed for safety purposes to use the new park entrance as a
road courtesy of the Park Service. As a result of this use, the
Park Service decided to leave the road open at night. It has
since been determined, for obvious reasons, that leaving this
entrance open during the night creates a security risk for the
park.
This legislation would allow a nonprofit group called the
Friends of Andersonville to donate all their purchased land to
the park. The additional 20 acres would allow a new road to be
built giving these residents safe access to their homes while
allowing the main entrance to the park to be closed at night.
The Macon County Commission fully supports this project, as
does the Park Service and, obviously, the residents of the
homes that are in need of access. There is no known opposition
to the plan.
Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Dr. Christensen, I would
like to add that last week, my entire staff, my Washington
staff as well as my district staff, had an opportunity to visit
the Andersonville National Prisoner of War Museum while we were
having a staff retreat down in the Second District. To see this
museum in its finished form, a project of which I am very proud
to have been a part, was truly moving. From the architecture
design to symbolize a POW camp, to the bronze statute of the
POW cradling the precious water from the very same stream that
provided hope to the Union prisoners of war 138 years ago, the
site is simply captivating.
To see the look on my staffers' faces as we walked out into
the main field where Union prisoners were kept so long ago,
bordered by the manmade earthen barriers, was equally moving.
We visited Andersonville on a very hot Georgia day. Our time
out in the main prisoner area exposed to the elements was only
temporary, but I could tell by the look on my staffers' faces
that they were imagining being confined there and what it must
have been like when it was, in fact, a prisoner of war camp.
Inside the museum, the displays have been designed to
chronologically take the visitor through the history of the
wars in which the United States has participated. The
conditions experienced by American POWs in each different war
are present at the museum and are presented. In some instances,
actual shackles from foreign prisons have been installed. Among
the truly moving exhibits are personal accounts of POW
experiences. Hundreds of these have been videotaped and
archived and will remain as an historical record that is
virtually unmatched.
Mr. Chairman, am I to understand that that is a red light
and that my time is expired?
Mr. Radanovich. Thank you very much.
Mr. Bishop. Thank you. I would like to welcome also one of
the witnesses, Mr. Langdon Sheffield, who will be on the third
panel but who represents the Friends of Andersonville, which is
a nonprofit group that supports the Andersonville museum, the
memorial site, and I would certainly ask consideration for him
and I appreciate the Committee's indulgence in allowing me to
join you on the rostrum.
Mr. Radanovich. Thank you very much, Mr. Bishop, and
indeed, you are all very welcome to join us on the dias as we
hear from other members regarding some other bills and then
move on to our next panel. Again, thank you for your testimony.
Next, I want to introduce Congressman Jimmy Duncan of
Tennessee to speak on H.R. 5318. Jimmy, welcome to your
Committee.
STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR., A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF TENNESSEE
Mr. Duncan. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank
you for holding this hearing today. The legislation I have
introduced, which you just mentioned, involves a small land
exchange in Colorado and Utah between a private property owner
and the Bureau of Land Management. The reason that we have to
do this through legislation is that the Federal Land and Policy
Management Act, FLPMA, does not provide for cross-State
exchanges and this property sits right on the State line. The
property my constituent will be getting is in Utah. The
property he is giving up is in Colorado, and he has a home
right on the State line. I have introduced this, as I said,
because this private property owner happens to be one of my
constituents in Tennessee.
This exchange is in the public interest for several
reasons. One, the BLM will obtain property that will provide
the public access to other BLM property that the public does
not currently have access to without crossing private property.
Secondly, my constituent has agreed to convey a
conservation easement on the property that he will obtain to
the Utah Division of Wildlife for the purposes of improving
wildlife management in this area.
Thirdly, my constituent is obtaining basically a rugged
mountaintop area in Utah and giving up a portion of a beautiful
valley in Colorado that has some water on it, and apparently,
in his opinion, at any rate, will appraise for a greater value
than the property that he is obtaining.
The Utah Division of Wildlife supports this bill and it has
agreed to accept the offer of this conservation easement. The
Colorado Division of Wildlife supports the transfer. The
legislation is supported by the Moffat County Commission, and
this is the county that will obtain more public land. There are
grazing rights on the BLM land that my constituent has met with
the permit holders and they also support this bill. And I am
pleased that Congressman Scott McInnis and Congressman Chris
Cannon have signed onto this bill as original cosponsors. These
are the two members whose districts contain the land involved
in this transfer.
Finally, we have included provisions in the bill to ensure
that this is an exchange of equal value, perhaps even weighted
more toward the government. Once the property has been
appraised, any difference in value can be made up in either
land or through cash payments.
Just this morning, we have received a letter from the
Southern Utah Wilderness Coalition--a phone call from the
Southern Utah Wilderness Coalition, so you have environmental
groups, you have the government, you have just about everybody
who has taken a look at this supporting this. The BLM has not
been able to analyze it fully as of yet, so they cannot come
out and endorse it because they have had other exchanges that
are bigger that they have had to spend time and money on, but I
know that my constituent has been talking to the BLM for almost
a year now and I think that anyone who looks at this in any
detail is going to see that this is a good thing for the
government, as well as my constituent.
So I appreciate your holding this hearing and for allowing
me to make this statement at this time. Thank you very much.
Mr. Radanovich. Thank you very much, Jim.
The third bill that we are here to be considering is H.R.
3747, introduced by our Committee colleague Jay Inslee of
Washington State. Jay, I see you in the back there. If you
would like to come up and give us your testimony, we would
greatly appreciate it.
STATEMENT OF HON. JAY INSLEE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM
THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
Mr. Inslee. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the
Committee. I appreciate an opportunity to talk about a pretty
exciting bill for my neck of the woods and, I think, for the
country. Let me preface my comments that this bill, when I was
thinking about it, is sort of evidence of the fact that we have
the greatest country that the world has ever known because when
I was thinking about this bill, it made me realize that we are
a country that learns from its history and learns from its
mistakes and we improve as a result of that. And this bill to
establish the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Memorial
Study Act, would, in fact, help Americans learn from its
history and help our continued march of progress on freedom and
civil liberty.
As you know, March 30, 1942, 227 people from Bainbridge
Island, Washington, as a result of an Executive Order signed by
the President of the United States, were marched at gunpoint by
the U.S. Army to the Eagledale Ferry Dock at the end of Taylor
Avenue in Bainbridge Island, Washington, where they were
shipped to camps where they were kept in captivity with
absolutely no legal redress or cause individually to themselves
presenting any threat to the United States of America.
And it is that event that we seek to memorialize and to
begin that process with this study act. At the site, with this,
one of the greatest violations of civil liberties in American
history took place, and we do so for a couple of reasons. One,
we do it out of pride in America, that we are a country that
does not hide from our failures. We do not hide from
misjudgments. We do not hide from instances where we have
succumbed to fear, as we did in 1942. and the reason we do not
is because we realize that if we know about what happened in
our history, hopefully, we learn from it. And certainly
following September 11, we understand fear and we understand
the difficulties in working through the thick of the civil
liberties and securities interests. I am happy that we have not
followed what happened in 1942 since September 11, by and
large.
But we would seek to memorialize for the entire country the
very beginning of this sad chapter in American history because
we are proud of this country and we are proud of the fact that
we want to share the lessons of the past so we do not repeat
them.
Secondly, this memorial is a tribute to the individuals
involved, and I know quite a number of these individuals
involved, many of whom still live on Bainbridge Island. We had
a very, very successful and viable Japanese American community
on Bainbridge Island, and happily, still do. There is a lot of
courage and success in talking about the individuals who are
involved in this sad tale. and the reason is that these folks
came back and remained patriotic, good, solid, American
citizens who are dedicated to their country, where many of
their sons and daughters served for their country during World
War II and came back and were welcomed in the arms of their
neighbors on Bainbridge Island.
And it is a tale of their individual courage, as well. It
is not just a monument to what America needs to think about at
the times it is in fear and crisis, but it is an individual
monument to themselves, as well.
And in part, it is also a monument to some individuals who
supported those people. Bainbridge Island has a real
interesting history. One of the reason this started on
Bainbridge Island, this was the very first internment in
America, and one of the reasons that was given is it was close
to Fort Warden, which is a radio listening post, and we
actually dedicated a part of Bainbridge Island to that radio
listening post where we actually intercepted the Japanese radio
transmission on December 7.
Two weeks ago when I was there dedicating that park, I
talked to a fellow who said that he had a day's liberty so that
he could go down and work at Fort Warden and so that he could
go down and protect the washing machine and pickup truck of one
of the families that was interned. We have some happy and
courageous individual stories that we should celebrate as well
as have a position as close to the population center. This is
the only place that is close to real Americans, where they
live. It is a short ferry ride from downtown Seattle.
We need on the West Coast of the United States a national
monument, a national warhead to a site where people have access
to, where they can tell their story for their children of what
happens when we succumb to fear. This is a perfect spot for
doing it. I hope that the Committee will pass this unanimously
as quickly as possible.
I stand for questions. Thank you very much.
Mr. Radanovich. Thank you very much, Mr. Inslee, and again,
please feel free to join us on the dias for the discussion by
the next two panels.
Mr. Inslee. Thank you very much.
Mr. Radanovich. You are very welcome.
Mr. Radanovich. Next up is H.R. 282, introduced by Steve
LaTourette, which would authorize the Pyramid of Remembrance
Foundation to establish a memorial that is in the District of
Columbia. Steve is managing a bill on the floor and will not be
here to testify. If he can make it at a later date, we will
give him the opportunity, but that completes our first panel,
so that what we will do is just move on to panel two, which
consists of Mr. John Parsons, Associate Regional Director of
the National Capital Region of the National Park Service, and
Mr. Jim Hughes, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Land
Management.
Gentlemen, welcome. You are here to speak on all four
bills. Mr. Parsons, if you would want to begin on behalf of the
National Park Service, we would appreciate that, and if you
could keep your comments under 5 minutes, that would be even
more appreciated.
STATEMENT OF JOHN PARSONS, ASSOCIATE REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR
LANDS, RESOURCES, AND PLANNING, NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION,
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Mr. Parsons. Good morning, Mr. Chairman, members of the
Committee, and others. I will be testifying on all three bills
and try to do this in 5 minutes.
Let me start with H.R. 282, which is the bill introduced by
Mr. LaTourette to authorize the Pyramid of Remembrance
Foundation to erect a memorial here in the District of Columbia
or its environs to soldiers who have lost their lives during
peacekeeping operations, humanitarian efforts, training,
terrorist attacks, or covert operation.
The Department commends the idea of establishing such a
memorial, which is particularly timely in light of the approach
of the 1-year anniversary of September 11. Lives lost by
members of our armed services in events that are not formally
declared wars are very much in the minds of people today.
However, we recommend that the Committee and sponsor work with
the Department of Defense to develop an appropriate amendment
that would authorize such a memorial to be established on
military land rather than park land.
The National Capital Memorial Commission, which is
responsible for advising Congress on legislation authorizing
memorials within the District of Columbia or its environs under
the Commemorative Works Act of 1986 considered the proposal
contained in H.R. 282 in April of last year. Section 3(b) of
the Commemorative Works Act provides that a military
commemorative work may only be authorized on park land to
commemorate a war or a similar major military conflict or to
commemorate a branch of the United States armed services. The
Commission, therefore, advised the most appropriate placement
for this memorial would be on military property and the
Department concurs with the Commission in that regard.
For that reason, we recommend that H.R. 282 be amended to
authorize the Pyramid of Remembrance to be established on
military property and to eliminate the bill's references to the
Commemorative Works Act, which applies only to land in the
nation's capital under our jurisdiction under the General
Services Administration. We also recommend the bill's title be
amended to use the same term for those who would be honored
that is used in the text of the bill, that is, they refer to
soldiers in one location and members of the armed services in
the other. We feel that should be clarified.
The administration would be pleased to work with the
Committee and Representative LaTourette, as we have in the
past, to address our technical concerns.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Parsons on H.R. 282
follows:]
Statement of John Parsons, Associate Regional Director for Lands,
Resources, and Planning, National Capital Region, National Park
Service, Department of the Interior on H.R. 282
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to present the views of
the Department of the Interior on H.R 282, a bill sponsored by
Representative LaTourette to authorize the Pyramid of Remembrance
Foundation to establish a memorial in the District of Columbia or its
environs to soldiers who have lost their lives during peacekeeping
operations, humanitarian efforts, training, terrorist attacks, or
covert operations.
The Department commends the idea of establishing such a memorial,
which is particularly timely in light of the approach of the one-year
anniversary of September 11. Lives lost by members of our Armed
Services in events that are not formally declared wars are very much on
the minds of all Americans these days. However, we recommend that the
committee and sponsor work with the Department of Defense to develop an
appropriate amendment that would authorize such a memorial to be
established on military land rather than park land.
The National Capital Memorial Commission, which is responsible for
advising Congress on legislation authorizing memorials within the
District of Columbia and its environs under the Commemorative Works Act
of 1986, considered the proposal contained in H.R. 282 in April, 2001.
Section 3(b) of the Commemorative Works Act provides that a military
commemorative work may only be authorized on park land to commemorate a
war or similar major military conflict or to commemorate a branch of
the Armed Services. The Commission therefore advised that the most
appropriate placement for this memorial would be on a military
property. The Department concurs with the Commission about this matter.
For that reason, we recommend that H.R. 282 be amended to authorize
the Pyramid of Remembrance to be established on military property and
to eliminate the bill's references to the Commemorative Works Act,
which applies only to land in the Nation's Capital under the
jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior and the General Services
Administration. We also recommend that the bill's title be amended to
use the same term for those who would be honored that is used in the
text of the bill. The Administration would be pleased to work with the
committee and Representative LaTourette to address our technical
concerns.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my remarks. I will be happy to answer
any questions you or the other committee members have.
______
Mr. Parsons. We move then to the next bill, which is H.R.
3747, a bill to direct the Secretary of Interior to conduct a
study of the site we have just heard described by Mr. Bishop
known as Eagledale Ferry Dock on Bainbridge Island in the State
of Washington for potential inclusion in the National Park
System.
Mr. Radanovich. That was Mr. Inslee, I think. Did you
mention somebody else?
Mr. Parsons. I am sorry. Of course, it was. Thank you very
much.
The Department does not oppose this bill. Presently, there
are 34 similar studies pending which have been authorized by
Congress which we expect to transmit forward those back to the
Congress by the end of this year.
To meet the President's initiative to eliminate the
deferred maintenance backlog in the National Park Service, we
must continue to focus our resources on caring for existing
areas. Thus, we have concerns about adding new funding
requirements for new park units, national trails, wild and
scenic rivers, or heritage areas at the same time we are trying
to reduce our maintenance backlog. As such, we would identify
all acquisition, one-time and operational costs of the proposed
site as part of this study. At this time, none of these costs
are known.
Because of their proximity to Fort Warden, a key Pacific
theater listening post, the Japanese Americans from Bainbridge
Island were the first group to be interned under the Civilian
Exclusion Order Number 1. On March 30, 1942, 6 days after the
order was initiated, 227 men, women, and children were forcibly
removed from their homes, boarded the ferry at Eagledale, bound
for Manzanar and Minidoka relocation centers. Members of an
exceptionally integrated community on the small island, their
internment was strongly protested by the local newspaper editor
and many members of the community. Powerful historic
photographs record the passage of the internees as they were
marched down Taylor Avenue to the ferry dock. Many of the
internees returned to their Bainbridge Island home after the
war to rebuild their lives. Survivors and their children and
grandchildren, together with the larger Bainbridge community,
are today committed to creating an enduring memorial to honor
the internees and tell the story of the internment.
The National Park Service manages Manzanar National
Historic Site and the Minidoka Internment National Monument, to
which many of these internees were taken. We have recently
begun developing a general management plan for Minidoka
Internment National Monument, which was established in 2001.
This plan will consider the relationships of sites such as
Eagledale Ferry Dock to the Minidoka Internment National
Monument. The National Park Service is also working with
citizens' groups and the city of Bainbridge Island to document
the significance of the Eagledale Ferry Dock site as it relates
to the story of the internment of Japanese and Japanese
Americans during World War II.
The National Park Service is sponsoring National Historic
Landmark theme studies related to the history of Japanese
Americans and to the home front during World War II. Both
studies should provide significant information on the history
of the Japanese in the Pacific Northwest, including those who
settled on Bainbridge Island.
That concludes my testimony on that matter.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Parsons on H.R. 3747
follows:]
Statement of John Parsons, Associate Regional Director for Lands,
Resources, and Planning, National Capital Region, National Park
Service, Department of the Interior on H.R. 3747
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to present the
Department's views on H.R. 3747, a bill to direct the Secretary of
Interior to conduct a study of the site commonly known as Eagledale
Ferry dock at Taylor Avenue in the state of Washington for potential
inclusion in the National Park System.
The Department does not oppose this bill. Presently, there are 34
studies pending, of which we expect to transmit 4 to Congress by the
end of 2002. We have also testified this Congress on 15 proposals that
would authorize studies of new sites. To meet the President's
Initiative to eliminate the deferred maintenance backlog, we must
continue to focus our resources on caring for existing areas in the
National Park System. Thus, we have concerns about adding new funding
requirements for new park units, national trails, wild and scenic
rivers or heritage areas at the same time that we are trying to reduce
the deferred maintenance backlog. As such, the Department will identify
all acquisition, one time and operational costs of the proposed site.
At this time, those costs are unknown.
Because of their proximity to Fort Warden, a key Pacific theater
listening post, the Japanese-Americans from Bainbridge Island were the
first group to be interned under Civilian Exclusion Order No. 1. On
March 30, 1942 only six days after the order was issued, 227 men,
women, and children were forcibly removed from their homes, boarded the
ferry at Eagledale, bound for Manzanar, and later Minidoka Relocation
Centers. Members of an exceptionally integrated community on the small
island, their internment was strongly protested by the local newspaper
editor and many members of the community; powerful historic photographs
record the passage of the internees as they were marched down Taylor
Avenue to the ferry dock. Many of the internees returned to their
Bainbridge Island home after the war to rebuild their lives. Survivors
and their children and grandchildren, together with the larger
Bainbridge community, are today committed to creating an enduring
memorial to honor the internees and tell the story of internment.
The National Park Service has begun developing a General Management
Plan for the Minidoka Internment National Monument established in 2001.
Inasmuch as the Eagledale Ferry dock was used as the embarkation point
for Japanese and Japanese-Americans forced to move to internment camps,
the General Management Plan will consider the relationship of sites
such as the Eagledale Ferry Dock to the Minidoka Internment National
Monument. The National Park Service has also been working with citizen
groups and the City of Bainbridge Island to document the significance
of the Eagledale Ferry Dock site as it relates to the story of the
internment of Japanese and Japanese Americans during World War II.
At the national level, the National Park Service is sponsoring
National Historic Landmark theme studies related to the history of
Japanese Americans and to the home front during World War II. Both
studies should provide significant information on the history of the
Japanese in the Pacific Northwest, including those who settled on
Bainbridge Island. In addition, we serve as the stewards of two of the
camps to which the Bainbridge internees were sent--Manzanar National
Historic Site and Minidoka Internment National Monument.
This concludes my testimony. Thank you for the opportunity to
discuss this issue and I would be willing to answer any questions you
may have on this issue.
______
Mr. Parsons. Now we will move to Mr. Bishop's proposal.
This bill, of course, would authorize the increase in acreage
ceiling of the Andersonville National Historic Site from 500 to
520 acres.
The Department enthusiastically supports H.R. 4692. The
bill would facilitate the conclusion of the scenic and
appropriately respectful approach to this historic park while
enhancing the safety of our visitor and park neighbors.
Inclusion of this land in the historic site would not entail
additional expenses for the National Park Service because the
management and operation of the land added to the boundary
would not result in any additional facilities, operating costs,
or staffing.
The story of Andersonville National Historic Site revolves
around Camp Sumter, the largest prisoner of war camp in the
Civil War. The camp held 45,000 Union prisoners, of which
12,920 died of starvation or disease. The park's 1970 enabling
legislation requires the park to share the larger story of the
Civil War POWs held in Northern and Southern camps along with
all POWs in American history. The park also operates the only
active national cemetery in Georgia.
In 1998, during dedication ceremonies for the National
Prisoner of War Museum, a new park entrance road was opened. In
2001, the Friends of Andersonville acquired a 20-acre parcel of
land contiguous to that entrance road with the specific intent
of assisting the park in the creation of a more visually
appealing and appropriate approach into the park. However, the
Friends have been prevented from donating the land to the
National Park Service as they wish to do because the park's
land base is held at 496 acres and it has nearly reached, of
course, the 500-acre limitation. So H.R. 4692 would increase
the allowable size of the park to 520 acres, thereby enabling
the Park Service to accept this generous donation.
The Friends of Andersonville started locally in 1985. It
has become a valued partner in the management of Andersonville
National Historic Site, and membership from throughout the
country includes descendants of prisoners of Andersonville, as
well as former POWs from several of America's recent conflicts.
This Friends group is active with local youth groups,
participates in educational outreach programs, and is integral
to the management of the National Prisoner of War Museum.
The park's general management plan and land protection plan
recognize the need for a safer and statelier entrance to the
park. Until recently, County Road 191, used by three land
owners to access their residences, bisected the park entrance
road in a manner that created a safety hazard for visitors and
park neighbors. Macon County has corrected this safety issue by
closing the county road and developing an improved alternative
access for these three residences to Georgia Highway 49. The
completion of the county's actions, coupled with this
acquisition, sets the stage for establishing a landscaped
entrance to the prisonsite, the museum, and the cemetery that
is in keeping with the reverential and historical nature of the
site.
Providing for the Park Service management of the additional
20 acres will also allow for improved security at the park.
Repositioning the park entrance road gate to this location will
enhance the ability of the park to prevent vandalism and
inappropriate use of the park and national cemetery lands
during the night.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and I stand ready to
answer any questions you may have.
Mr. Radanovich. Thank you very much, Mr. Parsons.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Parsons on H.R. 4692
follows:]
Statement of John Parsons, Associate Regional Director for Lands,
Resources, and Planning, National Capital Region, National Park
Service, U.S. Department of the Interior on H.R. 4692
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to present the
Department of the Interior's views on H.R. 4692. This bill would
authorize an increase in the acreage ceiling of the Andersonville
National Historic Site from 500 to 520 acres, thus allowing the
National Park Service to accept the donation of a twenty-acre parcel of
land contiguous to the Historic Site.
The Department supports H.R. 4692. The acquisition would allow the
National Park Service to create a scenic and appropriate approach to
this historic park, while enhancing the safety of our visitors and park
neighbors. The inclusion of this land into the Historic Site would not
entail additional expenses for the National Park Service because the
management and operation of the land added to the boundary would not
result in any additional facilities, increased operating costs, or
additional staffing.
The story of Andersonville National Historic Site revolves around
Camp Sumter, the largest Prisoner of War camp in the Civil War. The
camp held 45,000 Union prisoners, of which 12,920 died from starvation
or disease. The park's 1970 enabling legislation requires the park to
share the larger story of Civil War POWs held in northern and southern
camps, along with all POWs in American history. The park also operates
the only active national cemetery in Georgia.
In 1998, during dedication ceremonies for the National Prisoner of
War Museum, which is included within the park, a new park entrance road
was opened. In 2001, the Friends of Andersonville acquired a 20-acre
parcel of land contiguous to the entrance road, with the specific
intent of assisting the park in creating a more visually appealing and
appropriate approach into Andersonville National Historic Site.
However, the Friends have been prevented from donating the land to
the National Park Service, as they wish to do, because the park's land
base, at 496 acres, has nearly reached its maximum authorized size of
500 acres. H.R. 4692 would increase the allowable size of the park to
520 acres, thereby enabling the National Park Service to accept this
donation.
The Friends of Andersonville, started locally in 1985, has become a
valued partner in the management of Andersonville National Historic
Site. Their membership, from throughout this country, includes
descendants of prisoners of Andersonville as well as former POWs from
several of America's recent conflicts. This Friends group is active
with local youth groups, participates in educational outreach programs
and is integral to the management of the National Prisoner of War
Museum.
The park's General Management Plan and Land Protection Plan
recognize the need for a safer and statelier entrance to the park.
Until recently, County Road 191, used by three land owners to access
their residences, bisected the park entrance road in a manner that
created a safety hazard for visitors and park neighbors. Macon County
has corrected this safety issue by closing the county road and
developing an improved alternative access for these three residences to
Georgia Highway 49. The completion of the County's actions, coupled
with this acquisition, sets the stage for establishing a landscaped
entrance to the prison site, the museum, and the cemetery that is in
keeping with the reverential and historical nature of the site.
Providing for National Park Service management of the additional 20
acres will also allow for improved security at the park. Repositioning
the park entrance road gate will enhance the ability of the park to
prevent vandalism and inappropriate use of the park and national
cemetery lands during the night.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my statement. I would be pleased to
answer any questions you or other members of the subcommittee may have.
______
Mr. Radanovich. Mr. Hughes, welcome to the Committee, and
if you want to begin your testimony on H.R. 5318, we would
appreciate it.
STATEMENT OF JIM HUGHES, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF LAND
MANAGEMENT
Mr. Hughes. Mr. Chairman, members of the Subcommittee,
thank you for the opportunity to appear here today to discuss
H.R. 5318, a bill to provide for the exchange of certain
private property in Colorado and certain Federal property in
Utah.
The Bureau of Land Management has some concerns about the
exchange, which I will briefly discuss. Based on these
discussions, the Department of Interior does not support the
legislation at this time. I will summarize my written remarks
that we have submitted for the record.
H.R. 5318 provides for an exchange of approximately 2,048
acres of private property in Colorado and approximately 3,888
acres of Federal property in Utah and in Colorado. The bill
requires an appraisal to be done of the properties, that any
difference in the value of the properties be equalized, and
that a conservation easement to the State of Utah be placed on
the Federal lands to be exchanged under the bill.
The private land has not been identified as necessary or
desirable for Federal acquisition in the existing BLM land use
management plan for the area. The land abuts the BLM's Diamond
Breaks Wilderness Study Area, WSA, but it does not exhibit
wilderness characteristics nor would its acquisition by the
Federal Government significantly improve access to the Diamond
Breaks WSA. Other private lands would continue to block access
routes to public lands in the general area, we believe at this
time.
There are other elements that should be considered by
Congress in directing the BLM to implement this exchange.
First, there have been no assessments to determine whether
hazardous materials or noxious weed infestations might exist on
the property. Such review would help avoid potential liability
for the public.
Second, the private lands encompass several small
reservoirs. Acquiring these might obligate the government to
conduct inspections and, if necessary, to bring dams into
compliance with dam safety regulations.
Third, there are some old buildings on the private land
that could potentially create a liability for the Federal
Government and might need to be removed prior to conveyance.
Fourth, an inventory of archaeological, paleontological,
and historic resources should be conducted and boundary surveys
will need to be completed in order to determine the accuracy of
the boundaries with other adjacent private lands.
The Federal land consists of two parcels located within a
large consolidated block of public lands located to the
northwest of the Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado and
Utah. The land has not been identified for transfer from
Federal ownership in the BLM land use management plan for this
area. The BLM manages these lands currently for multiple-use
resources that include grazing and outdoor recreation. Four-
wheel-drive trails cross these public lands and provide access
to the mountaintop for hunting and general outdoor recreation.
The area is considered crucial summer range for deer and elk,
as well as habitat for sage grouse. Finally, the public lands
include archaeological and paleontological sites.
The bill requires immediate conveyance without limitation
of the public land involved in the exchange. This would not
apparently be conditioned on whether or not the land owner can
convey acceptable title to the United States, nor does the
legislation make provisions for title insurance to protect
against defects in the title. These are important elements to
protect the public interest in any land exchange.
No provision is made for sharing any of the costs, other
than appraisal costs, associated with this exchange, which
should include compliance with the National Environmental
Policy Act, NEPA, cultural resource assessments, hazardous
material clearances, and administrative and title transfer
costs. The legislation would impose a disproportionate share of
the costs for implementing this exchange on the Federal
taxpayer.
Finally, it is important to note that conservation
easements can represent a significant portion of the property's
appraised value. The proposed legislation requires the transfer
of a conservation easement as part of the land exchange, but
does not specify whether the conservation easement must be
considered in establishing the appraised value of the public
land. Typically, the conveyance of such a conservation easement
is a condition precedent to completion of the exchange, rather
than being included as a reversion requirement as is currently
provided by the bill.
H.R. 5318 presents a number of issues that would need to be
worked out before the Department could view this exchange to be
in the public interest and offer support for it. The Department
is prepared to work with the Committee and the bill's sponsor
in a cooperative manner to determine if we can reach this
point. I would be pleased to answer any questions that you or
other members of the Subcommittee may have.
Mr. Radanovich. Thank you, Mr. Hughes.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Hughes follows:]
Statement of Jim Hughes, Deputy Director, Bureau of Land Management,
U.S. Department of the Interior
Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the
opportunity to appear here today to discuss H.R. 5318, a bill ``to
provide for an exchange of certain private property in Colorado and
certain Federal property in Utah.'' The Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
has some concerns about the exchange, which are discussed more fully
below. Based upon those concerns the Department does not support the
legislation at this time.
Overview
H.R. 5318 provides for an exchange of approximately 2,048 acres of
private property in Colorado and approximately 3,888 acres of Federal
property in Utah and in Colorado. The bill requires appraisals of both
the Federal and private lands sought to be exchanged, and provides the
appraisal costs be shared equally between the private property owner
and the Federal Government. H.R. 5318 also requires that any difference
in the value of the properties to be exchanged be equalized through a
monetary payment or a reduction in the amount of land conveyed.
Finally, the bill mandates the conveyance of a conservation easement to
the State of Utah on the Federal lands to be exchanged within two years
of the date of conveyance in order to protect the cultural and natural
resources located on the land to be transferred under the bill.
Private Land to be Exchanged
The private lands proposed for exchange represent an aggregation of
five parcels which originated as homestead lands that were settled in
the 1920s and 1930s. This land has not been evaluated for its livestock
grazing, habitat or recreation potential and it has not been identified
as necessary or desirable for Federal acquisition in the existing BLM
land use management plan for the area. The land abuts the BLM's Diamond
Breaks Wilderness Study Area (WSA), but it does not exhibit wilderness
characteristics nor would its acquisition by the Federal Government
significantly improve physical or legal access to the Diamond Breaks
WSA because other private lands would continue to block access routes
to public lands in the general area.
There are other elements that should be considered by Congress in
directing the BLM to implement such an exchange. First, there have been
no assessments to determine whether hazardous materials or noxious weed
infestations might exist on the property. Such review would help us to
avoid potential liability for the public. Second, the private lands
encompass the Miles Reservoir and other small reservoirs. Acquiring
these will obligate the government to conduct inspections and if
necessary, to bring such dams into compliance with dam safety
regulations. This can be a significant expense. Third, existing
improvements on the private land (such as old buildings and fences) may
create liability for the Federal Government and might need to be
removed prior to conveyance. Fourth, an inventory of archaeological,
paleontological, and historical resources should be conducted and
boundary surveys will need to be completed in order to determine the
location and accuracy of the boundaries with other adjacent private
lands.
Federal Land to be Exchanged
The Federal land identified in H.R. 5318 consists of two parcels
located within a large, consolidated block of public lands located to
the northwest of the Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado and Utah.
The land has not been identified for transfer from Federal ownership in
the BLM land use management plan for this area. The BLM manages these
lands for multiple resource uses that include grazing and outdoor
recreation. They are within the Ruple Cabin Grazing Allotment permitted
to the Uintah Basin Grazing Association, and we understand that the
Uintah Basin Grazing Association has entered into a grazing lease with
the land exchange proponent. Four-wheel drive trails also cross these
public lands and provide access to the mountain top for hunting and
general outdoor recreation. The area is considered crucial summer range
for deer and elk as well as habitat for sage grouse. Finally, the
public lands do include archaeological and paleontological sites, one
of which is called the Hatch Cove Site.
Other Issues
The bill requires immediate conveyance, without limitation, of the
public land involved in the exchange, if the owners of the private land
convey title to the private land to the United States. This would not
apparently be conditioned on whether or not the landowner can convey
acceptable title to the United States, nor does the legislation make
provision for title insurance to protect against defects in the title.
These are important elements to protect the public interest.
Additionally, the bill requires that appraisal costs be shared
equally between the government and the private landowner. No provision
is made, however, for sharing any of the other costs associated with
this land exchange, which should include compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), cultural resource assessments,
hazardous material clearances, and administrative and title transfer
costs. As written, the legislation would impose a disproportionate
share of the costs for implementing this exchange on the Federal
taxpayers, with no demonstrated proportionate benefits.
Finally, it is important to note that conservation easements can
represent a significant portion of a property's appraised value. The
proposed legislation requires the transfer of a conservation easement
as part of the land exchange, but it does not specify whether the
conservation easement must be considered in establishing the appraised
value of the public land. Typically, the conveyances of a conservation
easement are a condition precedent to completion of the exchange,
rather than being included as a reversionary requirement, as is
currently provided by the bill. To be properly considered, the
conservation easement must be executed, recorded, and placed in escrow
before titles are transferred in the land exchange.
Conclusion
As stated above, H.R. 5318 presents a number of issues that would
need to be worked out before the Department could view this exchange to
be in the public interest and offer support for it. The Department is
prepared to work with the Committee and the bill's sponsor in a
cooperative manner to determine if we can reach that point.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today. I would
be pleased to answer any questions that you or the other members of the
Subcommittee may have.
______
[An attachment to Mr. Hughes' statement follows:]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T1552.004
Mr. Radanovich. I now recognize the ranking member, Mrs.
Christensen, for any opening statements or any questions.
STATEMENT OF HON. DONNA M. CHRISTENSEN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
Mrs. Christensen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I apologize for
arriving a bit late. I would like to welcome my colleagues here
this morning and the other members of the panel from the
Department of Interior.
The first measure, H.R. 282, which authorizes a private
organization, the Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation, to
establish a memorial on Federal land to honor members of the
armed forces of the United States who have lost their lives
during peacekeeping operations, humanitarian efforts, training,
terrorist attacks, or covert operations, would be funded
privately, as I understand.
I certainly share Representative LaTourette's desire to
honor the commitment and sacrifice of soldiers lost in such
peacekeeping or humanitarian efforts. However, as you know, Mr.
Chairman, the issues surrounding the addition of new memorials
on land in and around Washington are complicated and so I
support the National Park Service position that it is better
placed on military property and we look forward to working with
you on that.
Our second bill, H.R. 3747, introduced by our colleague on
the Resources Committee, Jay Inslee, would provide for a
special resource study of the Eagledale Ferry Dock at
Bainbridge Island in Washington State. It is our hope that the
study provided by this bill would help in the interpretation
and appropriate remembrance of the social injustice and
hardships that were inflicted upon numerous Japanese Americans
during World War II and we are pleased to support that bill, as
well.
Our third bill, sponsored by my good friend and colleague
Sanford Bishop, is quite straightforward in that it simply
expands the authorized size of the Andersonville National
Historic Site by 20 acres. Once enacted, this increase would
allow the local Friends group to donate property they recently
acquired to the National Park Service so that it could be added
to this site. As we heard in Congressman Bishop's testimony,
there is no controversy, no opposition regarding this proposal
and so we are pleased to support that, as well.
Our final bill, which was introduced by Representative
Duncan, our colleague on the Committee, provides for a land
exchange in Colorado and Utah. It is our understanding that
this new bill is a successor to H.R. 4996 that Representative
Duncan introduced in June. I share many of the questions
associated with this land exchange proposal and I look forward
to hearing other testimony on some of those issues, such as the
valuation, the resources involved, the current and proposed
uses, and the apparent waiver of many of the normal procedures
found in law for accessing land exchanges.
I do not have any specific questions at this time, Mr.
Chairman, so I will yield back the balance.
Mr. Radanovich. Thank you, Mrs. Christensen.
I now recognize the gentleman from Tennessee, Mr. Duncan.
Mr. Duncan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Let me tell you that,
first of all, I think that most of the concerns that the BLM
has raised about this legislation are things that can easily be
addressed and worked out, because every group that has looked
at this, and the only ones that have looked at it have been the
environmental and government groups because there are no
development proposals, there are no business groups involved,
everyone who has looked at it has come out in favor of it.
I have many things that I can say, but I will be very
brief. The Director of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
says, in part, in his letter, the proposed easement would
preclude development and would facilitate range improvements
beneficial to several species of wildlife, i.e., big game, sage
grass, et cetera. This exchange would open opportunities for
our agency and Mr. Rogers to work cooperatively on habitat
projects on his private lands in Utah and would improve public
access to BLM lands in Colorado.
Then the Director of the Division of Wildlife in Colorado
has written this exchange. It would benefit sportsmen in
Colorado by opening up thousands of acres of Federal land that
in the past was blocked to public access. In addition, the
private land in Utah would have a conservation easement placed
on the property to protect habitat in perpetuity.
Have you seen those letters, Mr. Hughes?
Mr. Hughes. Yes, we have. The two from the two States? Yes,
sir.
Mr. Duncan. So I think that when everybody looks at this, I
just hope that we do not delay this thing indefinitely since
this is a smaller exchange and not a huge one in the overall
picture because I do think it is justified. I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. Radanovich. Thank you very much, Mr. Duncan.
Mr. Bishop, did you have any questions of the panel?
Mr. Bishop. No, I did not.
Mr. Radanovich. OK, great. Any other questions of this
panel? If not, Mr. Parsons, Mr. Hughes, thank you for being
here and that completes your testimony.
I would like to introduce Mr. Steve LaTourette, our
colleague, regarding H.R. 282, a bill that would authorize the
Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation to establish a memorial in
the District of Columbia or its environs to soldiers who have
lost their lives during peacekeeping operations, humanitarian
efforts, training, terrorist attacks, and covert operations.
Mr. LaTourette, thanks for being available to the Committee
and you are certainly welcome to begin your testimony.
STATEMENT OF HON. STEVE LaTOURETTE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF OHIO
Mr. LaTourette. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I want
to thank you and the other members of the Subcommittee for
making time for this piece of legislation. I know that the
Subcommittee has a lot of important work to do, but I did want
to, first of all, ask unanimous consent that my entire
statement appear in your record.
Mr. Radanovich. There being no objection, so ordered.
Mr. LaTourette. Thank you. I will be joined today on this
legislation by Ms. Tracey Ash, who will speak specifically to
the foundation that has been established under 501(c)(3)
permission for the construction, hopefully, of the Pyramid of
Remembrance. I wanted to come by this morning and just talk a
little personally about why I feel committed to this project.
When I was first sworn in in the 104th Congress, I was
approached by a group of high school students at Riverside High
School and they were in an arts concept class. During the
course of that class, they had seen what now most of America
has seen if they watched the movie ``Black Hawk Down.'' They
saw the horrifying site of an American serviceman being dragged
through the streets of Mogadishu. They began looking around to
determine where a person who died in an undeclared war would be
remembered and honored in our nation's capital, and they, like
I, after they came to see me, were surprised that there was no
such thing.
Each and every year, people die in training accidents, men
and women who have put on the uniform of the United States
armed forces. Every year, it seems that the United States is
engaged in some peacekeeping operation in Somalia or in Bosnia
and now in Afghanistan, the war on terrorism. All are
undeclared wars and all of the casualties in those wars will
have no memorial separate and apart from any other memorial in
Washington, D.C.
The wonderful thing about this proposal, not only is it
appropriate, is that it is being led by Generation X, that
generation of people that are not supposed to care about much
of anything. And as I indicated, I first introduced this
legislation in 1995 and have every Congress since then. It
passed the 106th Congress under suspension, thanks to the work
of the Committee at the time. But the students obviously in the
last 8 years have graduated from high school. They are now in
college. Some have graduated from college. They continue to
come back and back and back in support of this project.
So if for no other reason than that, I am committed to
making sure that this legislation passes and that they have the
opportunity to have the foundation authorized and they can
begin raising money for planning, construction, and let us get
this thing done.
I know that in conversations that my staff has had with the
Subcommittee staff, there are some concerns about the ability
of this foundation, comprised of high school students, college
students, business leaders, and community leaders, to get the
job done in terms of raising the money. I think when you hear
from Ms. Ash, you are going to find that this is as dedicated a
group as you will find anywhere in the country and I have
absolute faith that they will do it.
We have submitted to you, I think, articles that have
appeared in the American Legion magazines and we have already
gotten the eye of some national organizations. We have letters
of support that we have sent to you from former Secretary of
Defense Cohen, former Chief of Staff to the Army Chiefs of
Staff Shelton, and former President Bush 41. They all thought
it was a good idea. I do, too. I hope you do, too, and I hope
you will help us move this legislation and I yield back my
time.
Mr. Radanovich. Thank you very much, Steve.
[The prepared statement of Mr. LaTourette follows:]
Statement of Hon. Steven C. LaTourette, a Representative in Congress
from the State of Oklahoma
Mr. Chairman, when I first came to Congress in 1995, a group of
students from Riverside High School in Painesville, OH, asked to meet
with me and presented an idea for a military memorial in our nation's
capital to honor the men and women of our Armed Forces who've died in
training exercises, peacekeeping missions, humanitarian efforts and
terrorist attacks. The students vowed to honor this sacrifice with a
memorial called the ``Pyramid of Remembrance.
While I was immediately convinced of the worthiness of the
students'' proposal, in all honesty I feared these students had
stumbled onto a great idea that was already taken. Surely, I thought,
there must be a memorial in Washington to honor those who die in
peacekeeping accidents, training exercises, humanitarian efforts and
terrorist attacks. I was wrong.
No such memorial exists. One should. Today, we have an opportunity
to make this worthy military memorial one step closer to reality.
H.R. 282 will authorize a foundation to create the Pyramid of
Remembrance. The memorial will be built on Department of Defense land
here in the Washington area, and without the use of taxpayer funds. It
is important to note, Mr. Chairman, that no one has suggested this
memorial be placed on the Mall, and that is not under consideration.
Instead, the Pyramid of Remembrance will be erected on DoD land. Fort
McNair is one location that's been suggested, but site selection is
many steps down the road.
The Pyramid of Remembrance has attracted some high-level
endorsements--- from former Secretary of Defense William Cohen, Gen.
Hugh Shelton, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and former
President Bush.
Mr. Chairman, our nation has been reeling since the terrorist
attacks of September 11th, and here in Washington we are especially
mindful of the loss of life at the Pentagon. In the last Congress, we
mourned the loss of life of 17 sailors who were killed when a bomb
ripped a 40-by-40 foot hole in the hull of the great USS Cole in the
Yemeni port of Aden. Nearly 40 other sailors were injured in that
terrorist attack, including a young man from Lorain County in my home
state of Ohio.
Today, there is no memorial in Washington to specifically honor
these men and women of courage, largely because their heroism and
sacrifice occurred in a time other than a declared conflict. Their
sacrifice doesn't fall into one tidy category, but it is just as worthy
of those who died fighting in our greatest wars. What's more, the
sacrifice of the men and women of the USS Cole and the Pentagon surely
reflects the changing role of our Armed Forces as we enter this new
century and a host of new challenges, including terrorism directed
specifically at the United States of America.
Mr. Chairman, the idea for the Pyramid of Remembrance originated in
a classroom in Painesville, OH, and was sparked by the sight of a U.S.
soldier being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia. That
horrible image was seared into our nation's consciousness, and it
spurred discussion of other worthy sacrifice that is regrettably
overlooked. The National Capital Memorial Commission has already heard
about our proposal for the Pyramid of Remembrance, and made it quite
clear that they believe it will fill a void in our nation's military
memorials.
Not only will the Pyramid of Remembrance honor those who died in
terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and the USS Cole, but also those who
lost their lives in Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo and Panama; during the
bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut; during the failed rescue
attempt of American hostages in Iran; and in the far too many deadly
training accidents that occur on land, in air and at sea so our forces
can be ready for combat.
Mr. Chairman, September 11th has caused Americans to pause and
ponder the true cost of our freedom. In all corners of the world,
members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard lay their
lives on the line every single day so our freedom remains secure. That
has never been more true than in our current War on Terror.
Such heroism, courage and dedication to our country is to be
commended, and deserves permanent recognition here in Washington. The
Pyramid of Remembrance will be an enduring memorial spawned by the
youth of America and pledged to all other generations as well. It will
honor those who died defending our country in our nation's earliest
days and for centuries to come. It will provide great comfort to the
loved ones of those whose courageous sacrifice often fades from the
public's memory after memorial services conclude and ``Taps'' has been
played.
Mr. Chairman, I thank the students of Riverside High School for
coming up with this wonderful idea, and for not giving up on their
dream. I also thank the fine folks at STERIS Corp. and Lubrizol Corp.
who have devoted their time to this worthy cause and the establishment
of the Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation. I hope you will join me in
supporting this worthy legislation, and am happy to address any
questions you might have.
______
Mr. Radanovich. Any questions? Again, thank you, Mr.
LaTourette. If you want to join us on the dais to speak to the
next panel, you are very welcome to.
Mr. LaTourette. Thank you very much.
Mr. Radanovich. With that, I will introduce our next panel,
which consists of Ms. Tracey Ash, Secretary-Treasurer of the
Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation, Mentor, Ohio; the Honorable
Darlene Kordonowy, the Mayor of Bainbridge Island, Washington;
Mr. Clarence Moriwaki, who is the Chair of the Bainbridge
Island World War II Nikkei Internment and Exclusion Memorial
Committee from Bainbridge Island, Washington; and Mr. Langdon
Sheffield, President of the Friends of Andersonville, Americus,
Georgia.
We have got four bills here to talk about and I hope that
everybody will stay within the 5-minute limit. Otherwise, you
will hear from me when it goes red.
Before we begin, though, I want to recognize the gentleman
from Utah, Mr. Cannon, to speak briefly on H.R. 5318, the land
transfer bill.
STATEMENT OF HON. CHRIS CANNON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM THE STATE OF UTAH
Mr. Cannon. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I apologize for being
late. We had a markup in Judiciary that we just finished and I
needed to be there to vote.
First of all, let me say that I am excited to see that one
of Mr. Duncan's constituents has realized how beautiful parts
of my district are, and if he knows any others who would like
to exchange Federal lands for lands in Utah, we would be happy
to work with them on that issue.
The reason I cosponsored H.R. 5318 is because I believe it
would be significantly beneficial to all the parties involved.
It has the support of the Uintah Basin Grazing Association, the
Utah Division of Wildlife, Moffat County, and others. With over
64 percent of Utah's land being owned by the Federal
Government, I think it is a good thing when the amount of
Federal land in the State of Utah is reduced and this bill does
that. It also means revenues from private lands and taxes for
the county of Daggett in Utah.
I realize that there are some concerns and BLM has raised
some good points and there are some people out West who also
have some concerns. I can guarantee you that we will work with
these concerned parties and resolve all these concerns before
the bill proceeds further.
With that, I yield back the balance of my time and thank
you, Mr. Chairman.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Cannon follows:]
Statement of the Hon. Chris Cannon, a Representative in Congress from
the State of Utah
Thank you Mr. Chairman,
First of all, let me say that I am excited to see that one of Mr.
Duncan's constituents has realized how beautiful parts of my district
and state are. If he knows of any others that would like to exchange
federal lands in Utah for some private lands, please, let me know.
The reason I cosponsored H.R. 5318 is because I believe it will be
beneficial to all parties involved.
It has the support of the Uintah Basin Grazing Association, the
Utah Division of Wildlife, Moffat County, and others.
With over 64% of Utah's land being owned by the federal government,
I think it's a good thing when the amount of federal land in the state
of Utah is reduced. This bill does that.
I realize there may be some concerns. The BLM has raised some good
points in their testimony and some people out West also have some
concerns.
I can guarantee you that we will work with these parties and
resolve all of these concerns before the bill proceeds further.
With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
______
Mr. Radanovich. Thank you, Mr. Cannon.
With that, we will begin with the testimonies of each. I am
going to move from my left to right. Ms. Ash, welcome to the
Committee and if you would begin your testimony, that would be
great.
STATEMENT OF TRACEY ASH, SECRETARY-TREASURER, PYRAMID OF
REMEMBRANCE FOUNDATION, MENTOR, OHIO
Ms. Ash. Good morning. Good morning and thank you, Mr.
Chairman and Committee. This morning, I was flying into
Washington and I looked down upon your beautiful city and I saw
from the sky the monuments and the landmarks that dot your
landscape and I felt proud. I reflected upon this view and knew
that I was in a special place, that I was looking at the heart
and soul and power of the United States.
But in this single snapshot, I knew this was a place that
lets everyone from every nation know that we are serious about
sustaining the rights of democracy. We show that we honor and
appreciate those people who fought to protect this right, and
it is important that we remember.
What we have come here to realize since September 11 is
that when life is good, we take a lot for granted. We took for
granted the policemen and the firemen and our military
personnel who have chosen a career that puts their lives in
inherent danger on a daily basis. They chose this job to
protect our country, our freedoms, our rights, and our
citizens. They do such a good job that for us, life is good.
But the catch is, we soon forget.
This monument should be built here so everyone will
remember and know that we honor and appreciate every man and
woman who protects our rights and the rights of others. We are
here before you this morning to tell you that our Committee,
that we are committed to this effort, that we have put the
foundation in place to see that the Pyramid of Remembrance is
built. We have secured our 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. We have
put together a team of business leaders to take this to a
national effort. We have the support of nationally recognized
New York Stock Exchange corporations with more to follow. And
we are doing the due diligence to learn and know the best way
to proceed.
We are committed to the military, their families, our
veterans, and the youth who conceived this idea to see that
this monument is built and built properly. Once this bill is
passed, we are prepared to hit the ground running.
Chairman, Committee, I ask you, what is it that you need to
know from us to help you make your decision and what can you
tell us that we need to know to understand so that we can
proceed? Thank you.
Mr. Radanovich. Thank you very much, Ms. Ash.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Ash follows:]
Statement of Tracey Ash, Trustee, Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation
I appreciate the opportunity to testify in support of HR 282. My
name is Tracey Ash and I am a trustee with the Pyramid of Remembrance
Foundation. Our organization seeks to establish a national memorial to
honor members of our armed forces who have lost their lives during
peacekeeping operations, humanitarian efforts, training accidents,
terrorist attacks or covert operations.
I want to speak of our resolve and ability to raise the funds and
lead this project to a successful completion.
The idea to honor military personnel killed during undeclared wars
was first conceived in 1993 by Riverside High School students in
Painesville Township, Ohio during the Somalian conflict in Mogadishu.
The photo that appeared on our televisions and newspapers of Staff Sgt.
William Cleveland being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu has
forever been galvanized in their minds and consciousness. The event
that most Americans have seen re-enacted in the recent movie,
``BlackHawk Down'' was the catalyst for these students to recognize the
need for a monument honoring these forgotten soldiers and all military
persons who have died in the line of duty. Events of the ensuing
decade, including the bombing of the USS Cole and the tragedy of
September 11 underscore the importance of their vision. Weekly we read
in our papers of soldiers killed in military accidents. As one student
remarked, ``just because soldiers are killed during peacekeeping
missions and training accidents doesn't mean they shouldn't be
remembered with a memorial--their sacrifices are the same as those who
perished in WWII and Vietnam.'' What we have learned and must recognize
is that our military personnel have chosen a career that is filled with
inherent danger and that their lives are at risk everyday in order to
allow us, as Americans the freedoms we enjoy today. We must
``Remember'' those who have died protecting them.
The National Capital Memorial Commission has said the Pyramid of
Remembrance would fill a void in our nation's military monuments. The
idea has received endorsements from former President George Bush,
former Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen and General Henry Shelton,
former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. We have attached copies
of their letters for your review.
We are dedicated to building this memorial because it is the right
thing to do.
An undertaking of this scope will require a coordinated, nation-
wide campaign. We have researched the efforts and chronology of other
groups who are pursuing national monuments. These include the WWII
Memorial on the Mall, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the Tidal
Basin and the Air Force Memorial at the Navy Annex site overlooking the
Pentagon. We are factoring their experiences into our plans. There is a
challenging and complex road ahead of us.
Our organizational capabilities, board governance and fund-raising
strategies are being developed in anticipation of legislation being
passed by Congress in 2002. When President Bush signs Congressman
LaTourette's bill into law, support will escalate rapidly across the
country. We are positioning ourselves to ``hit the ground running''
when this occurs.
The Foundation achieved 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status earlier this
year. A strategic plan was created using input from business
professionals, community leaders, educators, students, veterans and
other stakeholders. It includes our mission, values and objectives.
Partnerships among businesses, civic organizations, government
officials and community leaders at the local and national level will
make this memorial a reality.
Management expertise has been secured from local and national
organizations. Our Board of Advisors and Trustees are leaders in the
community. They are professionals in business, legal, finance and
marketing. They include educators and students. Some serve on the
boards of other foundations and non-profit organizations. Our goal is
to broaden our leadership base as the project moves forward to the
national level.
Support for this memorial continues to expand well beyond the
classroom walls where it began. It has grown locally to include our
chamber of commerce and other community - based organizations. They
have helped us take important first steps in this journey across
America. It is now becoming a national undertaking. This is compelling
testimony to the power of perseverance and collaboration--how a
community can help a small group of civic-minded students make a
lasting difference for an admirable cause.
Even at this early stage - without a bill being passed, executives
from two national corporations with global operations are serving on
our Board of Trustees. The Lubrizol Corporation and the STERIS
Corporation are both listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Their
headquarters are in Lake County, Ohio--close to where Riverside High
School is located. One of those executives, David Enzerra, Lubrizol
General Manager has joined me today to help answer questions. We have
letters of support from the Chief Executive Officers of both of these
organizations. They advocate the type of corporate involvement in
community projects we need to be successful.
This enthusiasm is being extrapolated to the national level. We are
confident as word of this project spreads, additional support,
expertise and infrastructure will be secured to raise the funds to
construct this memorial. We have contacted the offices of Senator
DeWine and Senator Voinovich in this regard. Both indicate strong
interest in sponsoring a companion bill to expedite passage in the
Senate. We look forward to working with the appropriate committees in
the Senate as we are doing in the House.
Once the bill is signed into law our fund-raising, site selection
and monument design activities can proceed in earnest.
Regarding site selection and design - we will work responsively
with the appropriate Federal agencies such as the National Park Service
and the National Capital Memorial Commission. We intend to comply fully
with the Commemorative Works Act.
Regarding financing - we will incorporate the best practices others
have used to build memorials. We will seek endorsements from nationally
known and respected individuals and organizations. These include
military personnel, veterans groups and celebrities. We will utilize
professional fund-raising expertise and proven strategies such as
tiered giving from national corporations, foundations, individuals and
stakeholders. Students across America will be involved because of the
unique educational aspects of this endeavor.
In summary, please be assured the Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation
is prepared to take full responsibility for managing this project and
raising the required funds once legislation is passed. We appreciate
any advice and assistance you can provide. You can be confident
supporting HR 282 knowing that our Foundation has both the passion and
the wherewithal to turn the dream of our students into a reality for
America.
______
Mr. Radanovich. We are going to allow everybody to testify
before we open up the panel for questions.
Next, we will begin with Mr. Langdon Sheffield. Welcome to
the Committee, Mr. Sheffield. The buzzers mean we do have votes
coming up. It allows us some time. If you could stay within
your 5-minute limit, we will hear from perhaps you and Mr.
Moriwaki and then we will have to break briefly for a vote, so
feel free to begin.
STATEMENT OF LANGDON SHEFFIELD, PRESIDENT, FRIENDS OF
ANDERSONVILLE, AMERICUS, GEORGIA
Mr. Sheffield. Very good. Mr. Chairman and members of the
House National Parks Committee, it is indeed an honor to
represent the Friends of Andersonville and offer testimony
today on behalf of H.R. 4692.
This is not my first trip to Washington to ask for
Congressional support regarding the Andersonville National
Historic Site. In the 1960's, I came to Washington with a
number of individuals, including our local State Senator, Jimmy
Carter, to ask Congress to pass legislation that would create
the Andersonville National Historic Site. Part of this has just
been a national cemetery, very active with that, but not
attentive at all to tourism, which we are so interested in now.
Our delegation met with Senators Russell and Talmedge and
Secretary of the Interior Udall. That bill was passed and now
that legislation designated the Andersonville to be the
memorial for all prisoners of war in American history.
My second trip to Washington on behalf of Andersonville was
in the mid-1990's. I then asked for Congressional support to
build a visitors' center and a museum to honor all prisoners of
war in American history that would tell their story to this and
future generations.
My organization, the Friends of Andersonville, along with
the American Ex-Prisoners of War, raised a substantial share of
the construction funds for that museum. The Friends of
Andersonville is made up of 210 members across the country. The
museum was opened in 1998 and Senator John McCain of Arizona
came and dedicated this wonderful facility. Since that time,
over a million visitors have come to this powerful place to
learn its remarkable story.
In 1996, our organization, under the leadership of my good
friend Carl Runge, created an endowment fund that would support
in perpetuity the Andersonville National Historic Site and the
National Prisoner of War Museum. We call this fund the
Andersonville Trust. Since 1996, we have raised over $800,000
in the coffers of this fund. We have conservatively invested
these funds, using only the interest and not the corpus to
benefit the park.
Shortly after the National Prisoner of War Museum opened,
the National Park Service approached the Friends of
Andersonville for help on a specific issue. A county road
bisected the new park's entrance, presenting a security and
safety value that was unacceptable. The only way this problem
could be solved would be by acquiring a parcel of land that
would allow the road to be rerouted, thus providing access to
Georgia Highway 49 for the residents living near the park's
boundary. The Friends of Andersonville purchased 20 acres of
land for $50,000 from the land owner. This was a lengthy and
complex process.
The Friends have owned the land for approximately 1 year.
Through the Macon County Board of Commissioners, the Friends
requested that the county road be rerouted so that it would not
bisect the park entrance road. This was accomplished less than
a month ago. Also, we asked Boy Scouts to help landscape this
new land so that it would match with other adjacent park land.
Through a local Eagle Scout project, 100 trees were planted,
which were all designated by former prisoners of war.
Mr. Chairman, the Friends of Andersonville and the people
of Sumter and Macon County, Georgia, are extremely proud of our
relationship with the National Park Service at Andersonville
National Historic Site. Also, we are proud of the wonderful
story that is told on how captive Americans serving our
nation's military have persevered for the sake of freedom
despite the most horrible conditions and circumstances. For
this reason, our organization continues to support the efforts
of the National Park Service and urges the speedy passage of
the legislation to allow the Friends of Andersonville to donate
this land to the government for the purpose of the National
Park Service.
Mr. Chairman, again, I thank you for the opportunity to
speak and to represent our organization in sharing our
unwavering support for Congressman Bishop's important
legislation.
Mr. Radanovich. Thank you very much, Mr. Sheffield.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Sheffield follows:]
Statement of Lang Sheffield, President, Friends of Andersonville
Mr. Chairman and members of the House of National Parks
Subcommittee ''..It is indeed an honor to represent the Friends of
Andersonville and offer testimony today on behalf of House Bill 4692.
This is not my first trip to Washington to ask for congressional
support regarding the Andersonville National Historic Site. In the
1960s, I came to Washington with a number of other distinguished
individuals including our local State Senator, Jimmy Carter, to ask for
Congress to pass legislation that would create the Andersonville
National Historic Site. We met with Senators Russell and Talmedge along
with Secretary of the Interior Udall to press for the site's inclusion
in the National Park Service. That bill was passed and that legislation
designated Andersonville to be the memorial for all prisoners of war in
American history. My second trip to Washington on behalf of
Andersonville was in the mid 1990s. I then asked for congressional
support to build a Visitor Center and Museum to honor all prisoners of
war in American history that would tell their story to this and future
generations. My organization, the Friends of Andersonville along with
the American Ex-Prisoners of War, raised a substantial share of the
construction funds for that museum. The Friends of Andersonville is
made up of 210 members across the country. The museum was opened in
1998 and Senator John McCain of Arizona came and dedicated this
wonderful facility. Since that time, over a million visitors have come
to this powerful place to learn its remarkable story. In 1996, our
organization under the leadership of my good friend, Carl Runge,
created an endowment fund that would support in perpetuity
Andersonville National Historic Site and the National Prisoner of War
Museum. We called this fund the Andersonville Trust. Since 1996, we
have raised over $800,000 in the corpus of this fund. We have
conservatively invested those funds and used only the interest and not
the corpus in benefiting the park. Shortly after the National Prisoner
of War Museum opened, the National Park Service approached the Friends
of Andersonville for help on a specific issue. A county road bisected
the new park's entrance road presenting a security and safety issue
that was unacceptable. The only way that this problem could be solved
would be through acquiring a parcel of land that would allow the road
to be re-routed; thus, providing access to Georgia Highway 49 for the
residents living near the park's boundary. The Friends of Andersonville
purchased 20-acres of land for $50,000 from the landowner. This was a
lengthy and complex process. The Friends have owned the land for
approximately one-year. Through the Macon County Board of
Commissioners, the Friends requested that the county road be re-routed
so that it would not bisect the park entrance road. This was
accomplished less than a month ago. Also, we asked area Boy Scouts to
help landscape this new land so that it would match with other adjacent
park land. Through a local Eagle Scout project, 100 trees were planted
all of which were donated by former-POWs.
Mr. Chairman, the Friends of Andersonville and the people of Sumter
and Macon County, Georgia are extremely proud of our relationship with
the National Park Service at Andersonville National Historic Site.
Also, we are proud of the wonderful story that is told of how captive
Americans serving in our nations military have persevered for the sake
of freedom despite the most horrible conditions and circumstances. For
this reason, our organization continues to support the efforts of the
National Park Service and urge the speedy passage of this legislation
to allow the Friends of Andersonville to donate this land to the
government for the purposes of the National Park Service.
Mr. Chairman...Again, I thank you for the opportunity to speak and
to represent our organization in sharing our unwavering support for
Congressman Bishop's important legislation. Thank you.
______
Mr. Radanovich. Mr. Moriwaki, if you would like to begin
your testimony and keep it as brief as possible, you will allow
us 5 minutes to get over and make our vote, so if you would
like to begin, that would be great.
STATEMENT OF CLARENCE MORIWAKI, BAINBRIDGE ISLAND WWII NIKKEI
INTERNMENT AND EXCLUSION MEMORIAL COMMITTEE,
Mr. Moriwaki. If you would like, I could continue after
your vote.
Mr. Radanovich. It is better to do it now, if you could.
Mr. Moriwaki. Certainly.
Mr. Radanovich. That would be great.
Mr. Moriwaki. Thank you, Chairman Radanovich and Ranking
Member Christensen and other members of the Committee. American
history always remembers, and rightfully so, the first places,
and the mere mention of those places, you already know what
that moment in history is, like Kitty Hawk or Plymouth Rock. We
believe that Eagledale Ferry Landing at Taylor Avenue on
Bainbridge Island, Washington, is definitely one of those first
places.
It is the very first place where the first Japanese
Americans were forcibly removed from their homes and taken to
concentration camps with only 6 days' notice to take care of
their belongings. They had friends on the island that would do
that, but most places did not. Most people lost a lot of
things. And they were the first people that went to Manzanar
concentration camp.
The beauty about what happens on Bainbridge Island, should
this become a national memorial, is we already have those
national monuments at Manzanar and Minidoka where the
Bainbridge Island people went to, but they are, by design, in
far remote locations. The government wanted them far away and
it is a hard place for people to learn about this period in our
nation's history.
Bainbridge Island, as Jay Inslee will probably tell you, is
this beautiful place six miles just west of Seattle. It is a
30-minute ferry ride and it is going to be in the reach of a
lot more people to learn about this period in our country's
history.
The important thing that we should remember is that this
was a huge violation of constitutional rights that the 14th
Amendment and these citizens were denied all their privileges.
One-third of the Bainbridge Island people were already going to
serve in the U.S. military, an irony, since they were taken
away to concentration camps and they were given weapons to
fight for this country.
Clearly, the historical significance of this site is beyond
recognition. I have distributed a packet to you that contains
background material, including a study that I think will help
the Park Service do this study in record time. This is probably
one of the most documented moments in our nation's history. We
have also done preliminary work to try to get National Landmark
status and that work is within your packet and we hope you will
have a chance to look at that.
What we also have, March 30, 1942, with the 60th
anniversary of that event, we have commemorative tags that are
in that packet. This is marked to remember the tags that the
people were forced to wear. They were the tags that were
exactly like the luggage tags. They were only allowed to take
what they could carry or wear, and some layered up in clothing
because they were not knowing where they were going or how long
they would be there and if they would ever even come back.
These tags, everybody wore at that ceremony. There were 500
people who came on that Easter Saturday.
I just want to share two things that happened there. We
had--probably the most moving ceremony was the reading of all
272 names of the people who were forced to leave. As the Mayor
will testify and Jay Inslee and others who were there, it was
pretty quiet, and the names started being read and these crows
started to caw, you know, caw, caw. As the list got longer and
longer, they got louder and louder to where my friends in the
back of the road could not even hear the last final names. Then
at the end of the last name, and I was emceeing this event, I
said, oh, gosh, we are going to have a moment of silence. These
damn birds had better shut up. The last name was read, there
was one caw, and complete silence and we had 30 seconds of
silence and I came up and thanked the crowd and you could see
all the birds fly away.
What was odd was I did not know this, but a Native American
friend of mine came up afterwards and said, you know, he was in
tears, and a lot of people were, and he said, ``Do you
understand what happened at that moment?'' I said, well, these
birds came and they were making too much noise and I was hoping
they would shut up. And he said, ``No. In our Native American
culture, the shamen say that crows and ravens and blackbirds
are the spirits of your ancestors and that apparently your
ancestors came back, because of those 272 names, only about 50
of them remain,'' and that is my final point.
For far too often, our society makes monuments and
memorials to honor or to represent the events and people way
long after they have gone. It has been 60 years, and as you can
figure by your math, the youngest of those people are old. The
sooner we have this to memorialize in their memory and to honor
and to recognize and cherish the friends and the community and
welcome them home, the more appropriate this memorial will mean
to all of us. Thank you very much.
Mr. Radanovich. Mr. Moriwaki, very good testimony. I
appreciate your contribution here.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Moriwaki follows:]
Statement of Clarence Moriwaki, Chair, Bainbridge Island WWII Nikkei
Interment and Exclusion Memorial Committee
On March 30, 1942, American history was made in Washington state
when 227 Bainbridge Island men, women and children of Japanese
ancestry--most of them U.S. citizens - were escorted by armed U.S. Army
soldiers and solemnly walked down Taylor Avenue to the old Eagledale
ferry landing.
With only six days notice and only allowed to bring what they could
carry or wear, they boarded the ferry Kehloken and said goodbye to
Bainbridge Island, starting on a lonely journey with an unknown
destination and fate.
They were the first of more than 120,000 Japanese-Americans to be
forcibly removed from their homes on the West Coast and experience
three years of unconstitutional imprisonment.
Not all were imprisoned. Some were unjustly arrested, some moved
away and others served in the U.S. military, but all were forbidden to
remain.
Their only crime--being Nikkei, persons of Japanese ancestry.
The Bainbridge Island WWII Nikkei Exclusion Memorial Committee, a
joint endeavor of the Bainbridge Island/North Kitsap Interfaith Council
and the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community, has been working
to establish a memorial that will honor the people and families who
experienced this tragic moment in American history tell a lasting story
for future generations.
We have entitled this proposed memorial Nidoto Nai Yoni (Knee-doe-
toe Nigh Yoe-knee), or ``Let it not happen again.''
Currently there are national monuments at the Minidoka and Manzanar
concentration camps in the distant deserts of Idaho and California.
While these two sites can clearly tell the story of a time in our
nation's history when constitutional rights were ignored, these camps
by design were placed in very remote places and are not easily
accessible.
That's not the case here. Bainbridge Island is a short and pleasant
ferry ride just six miles west of Seattle in Puget Sound, and this
important story can be told at the Nidoto Nai Yoni Memorial within easy
reach of many more people.
Indeed, for those discovering or wanting to learn about this period
in our nation's history, since the first steps away from freedom began
at the old Eagledale ferry landing, the Nidoto Nai Yoni Memorial is the
literal and symbolic starting point for the existing national monuments
at Minidoka and Manzanar.
Our vision is non-controversial and has received statewide,
bipartisan support including the governor and unanimous resolutions
from the state legislature, county commissioners and city council, and
it is the top legislative issue for the National Japanese American
Citizens League.
Clearly, the historic significance of the site is beyond question.
History always recognizes ``first places'' and the mere mention of them
tells the story--Kitty Hawk, Plymouth Rock--and we are confident that a
study by the Department of the Interior would clearly show that
Bainbridge Island's Eagledale Ferry landing is one of those important
first places in American history.
We believe the study could be done in record time. Most--if not
all--of information that the Department of the Interior will need is
already well documented and readily available. Indeed, a comprehensive
study of the site was completed a few years ago by a team of University
of Washington researchers as part of an effort to designate the site as
a National Landmark. However, since little of the original site
integrity remains today it would likely not qualify for landmark
status.
Our committee has also developed some dream conceptual designs of
what we hope this national memorial could someday be, with the help of
nationally recognized architect and fellow Bainbridge Island resident
John Paul Jones,
A final point. Far too often, society creates monuments and
memorials long after the people who experienced that moment in history
are no longer with us to be honored.
We have a unique opportunity on Bainbridge Island to create a
national memorial that will honor those who suffered, cherish the
friends and community who stood beside them and welcomed them home, and
to inspire all Americans to safeguard constitutional rights for all by
embracing the spirit of our proposed memorial, Nidoto Nai Yoni, or
``Let it not happen again''
______
Mr. Radanovich. Ms. Kordonowy, we will hear from you when
we get back. We have two votes, and we will be in recess until
then.
[Recess.]
Mr. Radanovich. We are back in session. I want to thank you
for indulging us while we get our votes out of the way.
I want to introduce the Honorable Darlene Kordonowy, who is
the Mayor of Bainbridge Island in Washington. Darlene, welcome
to the Committee and you may begin your testimony.
STATEMENT OF DARLENE KORDONOWY, MAYOR, BAINBRIDGE ISLAND,
WASHINGTON
Ms. Kordonowy. Thank you, Chair Radanovich and all the rest
of the council members. I will take just a few minutes to add
to Mr. Moriwaki's testimony.
Particularly, I want to emphasize that this is a non-
controversial subject back in the State of Washington, and at
least around the Seattle and the Kitsap County area, where I am
from. The Kitsap County commissioners have unanimously resolved
to support this effort. The City Council of Bainbridge Island
has resolved to do the same. The State legislature unanimously
passed a resolution in support of the effort that we are
undertaking, and Governor Locke was at a memorial service on
March 30 of this year.
We have been working at this since about 1995, looking at
the 55-acre site where the Wyckoff creosote plant was, and
where the Japanese American Memorial site will be. We are
concerned that the area could go into development at some point
in time if we do not take action quickly. Your support of H.R.
3747 will be the first step of a study that would allow us to
examine the opportunities that we have to look at the Japanese
American Memorial, which is about 14 acres. The remainder of
the site is of significance, as well, since it is a Superfund
site. We believe the entire acreage of 55 acres has for us the
significance of both the historical and cultural interest as
well as environmental interest.
So we look forward to your support for the study and the
people of Bainbridge Island want to convey to you that we are
willing to do our part to limit the amount of tax dollars that
would be required to both maintain this site and to raise funds
to help purchase the site, if necessary. But again, the study
is the first step. Thank you.
Mr. Radanovich. You are very welcome. Thank you very much.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Kordonowy follows:]
Statement of Darlene Kordonowy, Mayor, City of Bainbridge Island,
Washington State
The City of Bainbridge Island strongly supports H. R. 3747, the
study by the National Park Service of the Eagledale Ferry Dock for a
national memorial. The City has been actively working with the WW II
Nikkei Exclusion Memorial Committee to create a national memorial at
the Eagledale Ferry Dock site.
The events that occurred there 60 years ago are part of the
American story of the 1942 Exclusion Order that affected thousands of
people. It is a story of social injustice, dealing with our fragile
constitutional rights. An American story that needs to be told. And it
should be told through interpretation and in context of the historical
events of the time.
Sixty years ago we were a country at war, and because Bainbridge
Island had two military installations and was an island easily
contained, our community was selected as the first to be affected by
the Exclusion Order. While most people throughout America applauded the
government's action, most of the Bainbridge community was opposed.
These were our neighbors and friends being excluded. None were more
visibly opposed than the late Walt and Milly Woodward, publishers of
the Bainbridge Review newspaper. This small newspaper was the first and
only paper on the West Coast that opposed the internment and bravely
urged its readers to do likewise. Throughout the war, the Woodwards
continued to maintain contact with those interned, reporting events and
activities of the camp in the Island paper.
After the war and the release from the internment camps, more than
half of the Japanese Americans from Bainbridge Island came back home.
Our community welcomed them, primarily because of the continued and
vocal support of the Woodwards.
The Eagledale Ferry Dock is gone now, but the remnants of the
pilings are still visible, located in Eagle Harbor, across from
Winslow. The proposed memorial site is at the western end of a 55-acre
Superfund site, that for more than 80 years was the home of one of the
West Coast's most productive creosote wood treatment plants. Currently
under clean up, the Wyckoff Superfund site is linked both
geographically and historically to the old Eagledale Ferry landing.
Our community is working toward establishing both these sites, the
Eagledale Ferry Dock and the Wyckoff Superfund site, as a place for
education, interpretation and healing. One area as a memorial,
restoring human dignity; and the other as a park, restoring nature.
Both sites are linked, telling stories of our national history and
recognizing mistakes of our past actions.
The story that Walt and Milly Woodward kept alive on their
newspaper pages needs to be told to every generation. I am confident
that a study of Eagledale Ferry landing by the National Park Service
will clearly establish the importance of this little piece of
Bainbridge Island, not just as the place where we first said good-bye
to our neighbors, but as the beginning of the American story of the
1942 Exclusion Order.
The proposed memorial has strong support, receiving statewide
endorsement, including Governor Locke, the Washington State
legislature, Kitsap County Commissioners, and the Bainbridge Island
City Council. Thank you for this opportunity to speak on behalf of my
community in support of this National Parks study for the Eagledale
Ferry Dock.
______
[Attachments to Mayor Kordonowy's statement follow:]
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Mr. Radanovich. I do not have anybody to recognize for
questions.
[Laughter.]
Mr. Radanovich. I am kind of at a loss here, so hang on
just a second. I want to make sure I get a question out of each
one of you.
These are going to be questions for the record. Ms. Ash,
can you tell me, has the foundation developed a financial and
management plan for this memorial that you want to place in
D.C. and what kind of money is raised, because there was a
question of being able to raise money, and how do you expect to
raise money for the design and construction of the memorial?
Ms. Ash. Mr. Chairman, we received our 501(c)(3) nonprofit
status earlier this year, in March. We were waiting to get that
before we could start to raise significant dollars. We have put
together a management team that can start to develop our
financial plan, our business plan, and we anticipate using best
practices that we have seen from other monuments that have been
built and learn from those and use corporate sponsorship,
private funding, and other similar fundraising activities.
Mr. Radanovich. OK, thank you.
Mr. Sheffield, regarding Andersonville, has the local
government been involved and supportive in the process of this
effort?
Mr. Sheffield. Yes, very much so. The State of Georgia,
primarily through providing transportation facilities, widening
of the highway, and the entranceway was paid for by the State
of Georgia. Local government supplied help all along. Macon
County has grade and based the access road for the people who
live adjacent to our park, so they have been most helpful in
that way. The other little towns around are helpful mainly in
providing volunteers to work with the help of the park.
Mr. Radanovich. Thank you, Mr. Sheffield.
For Mr. Moriwaki or Ms. Kordonowy, there was mention in the
testimony regarding the Wyckoff Superfund site. What effect, if
any, would this have on the development of the Eagledale Ferry
Dock as a unit of the National Park System? For example, would
there be any cost associated with the cleanup or potential
cleanup of a site like that?
Mr. Moriwaki. The 55-acre site, which is the south side of
Eagle Harbor, almost all of it is clean. Only the point where
the actual creosote operations took place. In the blue packets
I passed around, there is an overlay map. The Eagledale Ferry
Landing was on the very west end of the Wyckoff property.
Actually, Taylor Road is a territorial road with a right-of-way
which is not even part of the Wyckoff property. However, our
envisioned plan needs an interpretive center, parking, and all
of that, so it is part of the West end of the Wyckoff property,
which is clean and has been clean for quite some time. None of
the creosote operations took place on that very west end or
upper end of the property.
Mr. Radanovich. All right, thank you.
Ms. Kordonowy. May I add to that, sir?
Mr. Radanovich. Sure.
Ms. Kordonowy. We received a letter in August, August 2nd
of this year, from the Department of Ecology with the State
saying that once the cleanup occurs, the State will fulfill its
obligations for any maintenance costs that might occur as a
result of the cleanup.
Mr. Radanovich. OK, good. Can we get a copy of that letter
for the record?
Ms. Kordonowy. Certainly, we will be sure to get you a
copy.
Mr. Radanovich. That will be supportive in your effort
there.
Ms. Kordonowy. Thank you.
[The letter from the Washington State Department of Ecology
follows:]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T1552.003
Mr. Radanovich. Are there any other questions? Jay, do you
have anything?
Mr. Inslee. No.
Mr. Radanovich. OK, great. Thank you very much for coming
to Washington to testify for your projects. We appreciate it
very much.
With that, this hearing is closed. Thank you.
[Whereupon, at 11:36 a.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]