[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 76 (Thursday, June 16, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             PISCATAWAY NATIONAL PARK EXPANSION ACT OF 1994

  The Senate proceeded to consider the bill (S. 1703) to expand the 
boundaries of the Piscataway National Park, and for other purposes, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources, with an amendment to strike all after the enacting clause 
and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Piscataway National Park 
     Expansion Act of 1994''.

     SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF PARK.

       (a) The boundaries of Piscataway Park in Maryland are 
     hereby revised to reflect the addition of approximately 163 
     acres of lands as generally depicted on the map entitled 
     ``Proposed Boundary Map--Piscataway Park'', numbered 838-
     80137, and dated November 17, 1993.
       (b) The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to acquire 
     lands and interests therein within the areas added to the 
     park pursuant to subsection (a) by donation, purchase with 
     donated or appropriated funds, or exchange.

     SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
     necessary to carry out this Act.

  So the bill (S. 1703) was deemed read the third time and passed.

                                S. 1703

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Piscataway National Park 
     Expansion Act of 1994''.

     SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF PARK.

       (a) The boundaries of Piscataway Park in Maryland are 
     hereby revised to reflect the addition of approximately 163 
     acres of lands as generally depicted on the map entitled 
     ``Proposed Boundary Map--Piscataway Park'', numbered 838-
     80137, and dated November 17, 1993.
       (b) The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to acquire 
     lands and interests therein within the areas added to the 
     park pursuant to subsection (a) by donation, purchase with 
     donated or appropriated funds, or exchange.

     SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
     necessary to carry out this Act.
  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I rise to urge approval of this 
legislation to expand the boundaries of Piscataway National Park on the 
Maryland shores of the Potomac River. The purpose of this legislation 
is to help protect the Piscataway Park and the historic viewshed of 
Mount Vernon--one of our Nation's best known and most beloved historic 
landmarks--by enabling the National Park Service to acquire critical 
tracts of forested riverfront land, north of the existing boundaries of 
the park, which, if developed, could threaten or damage these national 
resources. I want to commend the distinguished chairman of the Public 
Lands, National Parks and Forests Subcommittee, Senator Bumpers, and 
the chairman of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Senator 
Johnston, for moving this bill to the floor so expeditiously.
  Piscataway National Park was established in 1961 under Public Law 87-
362 to ``* * * preserve for the benefit of present and future 
generations the historic and scenic values * * * and the present open 
and wooded character of certain lands situated along the Potomac River 
in Prince Georges and Charles Counties, Maryland * * * which provide 
the principal overview from the Mount Vernon Estate and Fort Washington 
* * *''. A number of proposed developments in the 1950's including a 
sewage treatment plant, oil tank farm, and high rise apartments, 
sparked an ambitious effort by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, the 
Accokeek Foundation, the Alice Ferguson Foundation, the Moyaone 
Association, and many individual citizens to protect the natural beauty 
along the Maryland shore of the Potomac River that ultimately resulted 
in the creation of Piscataway Park. The National Park Service, in 
cooperation with these organizations and local residents acquired land 
and scenic easements and, as a consequence, today the landscape or 
viewshed remains essentially unchanged from the time that George 
Washington's Mount Vernon home and Fort Washington were first 
constructed. Piscataway Park currently comprises over 4,200 acres of 
which some 1,500 acres have been acquired in fee title and 2,700 acres 
have been protected through donated or purchased scenic easements.
  Although Piscataway Park was established principally as a ``viewshed 
park'' intended to provide the nearly 1 million people who visit Mount 
Vernon each year the same unobstructed view that our first President 
enjoyed, it has other national values as well. The entire park is on 
the National Register of Historic Places due to the significant 
American Indian archaeological sites on the property dating back nearly 
10,000 years. The park is home to a rich diversity of animal and plant 
life, providing valuable habitat for bald eagles, blue herons, and 
ospreys.
  The Park includes the National Colonial Farm, a living historical 
farm operated by the Accokeek Foundation; Marshall Hall, the remains of 
an historic plantation dating back to the early 1700's; and the Hard 
Bargain Farm Environmental Center, a cooperative environmental 
education program developed by the Alice Ferguson Foundation where 
thousands of children come each year to learn about the natural beauty 
of this area and the importance of environmental stewardship. It is an 
oasis in the midst of an area that is highly urbanized and subject to 
continued population growth and development pressures.
  In 1991, the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, commissioned a study of 
the viewshed from the piazza of Mount Vernon to ensure that this vista 
was thoroughly protected. The study identified two major parcels of 
land beyond the current boundaries of Piscataway Park which, if 
developed according to existing zoning regulations, would intrude on 
this otherwise completely protected viewshed. The subject tracts 
comprise approximately 163 acres. They are steeply sloped; thus any 
development would present a visual intrusion on the viewshed and 
reverse the public benefits gained through the original authorizing 
legislation for Piscataway Park. They contain many important natural, 
historic, and cultural resource values, including several documented 
archeological sites from an Indian tribe which occupied the area. They 
also provide important habitat for threatened species and a variety of 
other animals, fish, and plants.
  The viewshed study provided the basis for developing the legislation 
which I introduced to expand the boundaries of Piscataway Park. The 
legislation authorizes the National Park Service to acquire these 
remaining and critical unprotected areas. It will not only preserve the 
historic viewshed of Mount Vernon, but conserve the properties' 
important resource values. Federal ownership of this shoreline would 
also help provide additional protection to our Nation's river. Action 
is urgently needed before the opportunity and the decades of effort 
already made to protect the natural beauty of the area are lost 
forever.
  The legislation has bipartisan support. It is cosponsored by Senators 
Warner, Robb, Mikulski, Kassebaum, and Lugar. It has been endorsed by 
the Mount Vernon Ladies Association of the Union, the Accokeek 
Foundation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National 
Park Service, the Alice Ferguson Foundation, the Moyaone Association, 
the Maryland Environmental Trust and many individual citizens.
  I urge my colleagues to approve this measure.

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