[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 137 (Tuesday, September 27, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 27, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM REFORM ACT OF 1994

  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 4476) to provide for the development of a plan and a management 
review of the National Park System and to reform the process by which 
areas are considered for addition to the National Park System, and for 
other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4476

       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 ``National Park System Reform 
     Act of 1994''.

                   TITLE I--NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM PLAN

     SEC. 101. PREPARATION OF NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM PLAN.

       (a) Preparation of Plan.--The Secretary of the Interior 
     (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary''), 
     acting through the Director of the National Park Service, 
     shall prepare a National Park System Plan (hereinafter in 
     this Act referred to as the ``plan'') to guide the direction 
     of the National Park System into the next century. The plan 
     shall include each of the following:
       (1) A statement of goals and objectives for use in defining 
     the mission and role of the National Park Service in 
     preserving our national natural and cultural heritage, 
     relative to other efforts at the Federal, State, local, and 
     private levels.
       (2) Detailed criteria to be used in determining which 
     natural and cultural resources are appropriate for inclusion 
     as units of the National Park System.
       (3) Identification of what constitutes adequate 
     representation of a particular resource type and which 
     aspects of the national heritage are adequately represented 
     in the existing National Park System or in other protected 
     areas.
       (4) Identification of appropriate aspects of the national 
     heritage not currently represented in the National Park 
     System.
       (5) Priorities of the themes and types of resources which 
     should be added to the National Park System in order to 
     provide more complete representation of our Nation's 
     heritage.
       (6) A statement of the role of the National Park Service 
     with respect to such topics as preservation of natural areas 
     and ecosystems, preservation of industrial America, 
     preservation of non physical cultural resources, and 
     provision of outdoor recreation opportunities.
       (7) A statement of what areas constitute units of the--
     National Park System and the distinction between units of the 
     system, affiliated areas, and other areas within the system.
       (b) Consultation.--During the preparation of the plan under 
     subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with other 
     Federal land managing agencies, State and local officials, 
     the National Park System Advisory Board, resource management, 
     recreation and scholarly organizations and other interested 
     parties as the Secretary deems advisable. These consultations 
     shall also include appropriate opportunities for public 
     review and comment.
       (c) Transmittal to Congress.--Prior to the end of the third 
     complete fiscal year commencing after the date of enactment 
     of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit the plan developed 
     under this section to the Committee on Natural Resources of 
     the United States House of Representatives and the Committee 
     on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Senate.

     SEC. 102. MANAGEMENT REVIEW OF NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM.

       (a) Review.--(1) Using the National Park System Plan 
     prepared pursuant to section 101 as a guide, the Secretary 
     shall review the existing National Park System to determine 
     whether there are more appropriate alternatives for managing 
     specific units or portions of units within the system, 
     including partnerships or direct management by States, local 
     governments, other agencies and the private sector. The 
     Secretary shall develop a report which contains a list of 
     areas within the National Park System where National Park 
     Service management should be modified or terminated.
       (2) In developing the list under paragraph (1), the 
     Secretary shall consider such factors as duplication within 
     the National Park System, better representation of a 
     particular resource type under management of another entity, 
     lack of significance, lack of management feasibility, cost, 
     lack of visitor accessibility, modifications that change the 
     character of the resource, lack of collaboration to protect 
     resources, suitability for management by another agency, and 
     the compatibility of the resource with the present mission 
     role of the National Park Service.
       (3) For any areas for which termination of National Park 
     Service management is recommended, the Secretary shall make 
     recommendations regarding management by an entity or entities 
     other than the National Park Service. For any area determined 
     to have national significance, prior to including such area 
     on the list under paragraph (1) the Secretary shall identify 
     feasible alternatives to National Park Service management 
     which will protect the resources thereof and assure continued 
     public access thereto.
       (b) Consultation.--In developing the list referred to in 
     subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with other 
     Federal land managing agencies, State and local officials, 
     the National Park System Advisory Board, resource management, 
     recreation and scholarly organizations and other interested 
     parties as the Secretary deems advisable. These consultations 
     shall also include appropriate opportunities for public 
     review and comment.
       (c) Transmittal to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after 
     the Secretary completes the plan referred to in section 101 
     of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit the report 
     developed under this section simultaneously to the Natural 
     Resources Committee of the United States House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources of the United States Senate. The report shall 
     contain the recommendations of the Secretary concerning 
     modifications or termination of National Park Service 
     management for any areas within the National Park System and 
     the recommendations regarding alternative management by an 
     entity or entities other than the National Park Service.

     SEC. 103. NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM REVIEW COMMISSION.

       (a) Establishment of Commission.--If the Secretary fails to 
     transmit the report developed under section 102 within the 1-
     year period specified in section 102, a National Park System 
     Review Commission shall be established to review existing 
     National Park System units to determine whether there are 
     more appropriate alternatives for managing specific units or 
     portions thereof. Within one year after the date of its 
     establishment, the Commission shall prepare and transmit to 
     the Natural Resources Committee of the United States House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources of the United States Senate a report containing a 
     list of National Park System units or portions thereof where 
     National Park Service management should be modified or 
     terminated. In developing the list, the Commission shall 
     consider the factors referred to in section 102(a)(2). For 
     any listed areas, the Commission shall suggest alternative 
     management by an entity or entities other than the National 
     Park Service, and for any area determined to have national 
     significance, prior to including such area on the list the 
     Commission shall identify feasible alternatives to National 
     Park Service management which will protect the resources of 
     the area and assure continued public access thereto. In 
     developing the list, the Commission shall consult with other 
     Federal land managing agencies, State and local officials, 
     the National Park System Advisory Board, resource management, 
     recreation and scholarly organizations and other interested 
     parties as the Secretary deems advisable. These consultations 
     shall also include appropriate opportunities for public 
     review and comment.
       (b) Membership and Appointment.--The Commission shall 
     consist of 7 members each of whom shall have substantial 
     familiarity with, and understanding of, the National Park 
     System. Three members of the Commission, one of whom shall be 
     the Director of the National Park Service, shall be appointed 
     by the Secretary. Two members shall be appointed by the 
     Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and two 
     shall be appointed by the President Pro Tem of the United 
     States Senate. Each member shall be appointed within 3 months 
     after the expiration of the 1-year period specified in 
     section 102(c).
       (c) Chair.--The Commission shall elect a chair from among 
     its members.
       (d) Vacancies.--Vacancies occurring on the Commission shall 
     not affect the authority of the remaining members of the 
     Commission to carry out the functions of the Commission. Any 
     vacancy in the Commission shall be promptly filled in the 
     same manner in which the original appointment was made.
       (e) Quorum.--A simple majority of Commission members shall 
     constitute a quorum.
       (f) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at least quarterly 
     or upon the call of the chair or a majority of the members of 
     the Commission.
       (g) Compensation.--Members of the Commission shall serve 
     without compensation as such. Members of the Commission, when 
     engaged in official Commission business, shall be entitled to 
     travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, 
     in the same manner as persons employed intermittently in 
     government service under section 5703 of title 5, United 
     States Code.
       (h) Termination.--The Commission established pursuant to 
     this section shall terminate 90 days after the transmittal of 
     the report to Congress as provided in subsection (a).
       (i) Limitation on National Park Service Staff.--The 
     Commission may hire staff to carry out its assigned 
     responsibilities. Not more than one-half of the professional 
     staff of the Commission shall be made up of current employees 
     of the National Park Service.
       (j) Staff of Other Agencies.--Upon the request of the 
     Commission, the head of any Federal agency may detail, on a 
     reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of such agency to 
     the Commission to assist the Commission.
       (k) Experts and Consultants.--Subject to such rules as may 
     be adopted by the Commission, the Commission may procure 
     temporary and intermittent services to the same extent as 
     authorized by section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, 
     but at rates determined by the Commission to be advisable.
       (l) Powers of the Commission.--(1) The Commission shall for 
     the purpose of carrying out this title hold such public 
     hearings, sit and act at such times and places, take such 
     testimony, and receive such evidence as the Commission deems 
     advisable.
       (2) The Commission may make such bylaws, rules, and 
     regulations, consistent with this title, as it considers 
     necessary to carry out its functions under this title.
       (3) When so authorized by the Commission any member or 
     agent of the Commission may take any action which the 
     Commission is authorized to take by this section.
       (4) The Commission may use the United States mails in the 
     same manner and upon the same conditions as other departments 
     and agencies of the United States.
       (5) The Secretary shall provide to the Commission any 
     information available to the Secretary and requested by the 
     Commission regarding the plan referred to in section 101 and 
     any other information requested by the Commission which is 
     relevant to the duties of the Commission and available to the 
     Secretary.

                    TITLE II--NEW AREA ESTABLISHMENT

     SEC. 201. STUDY OF NEW PARK SYSTEM AREAS.

       Section 8 of the Act of August 18, 1970, entitled ``An Act 
     to improve the administration of the national park system by 
     the Secretary of the Interior, and to clarify the authorities 
     applicable to the system, and for other purposes'' (16 U.S.C. 
     1a-1 and following) is amended as follows:
       (1) By inserting ``General Authority.--'' after ``(a)''.
       (2) By striking the second through the seventh sentences of 
     subsection (a).
       (3) By redesignating the last sentence of subsection (a) as 
     subsection (e) and inserting in such sentence before the 
     words ``For the purposes of carrying'' the following: ``(e) 
     Authorization of Appropriations.--''.
       (4) By striking subsection (b).
       (5) By inserting the following after subsection (a):
       ``(b) Studies of Areas for Potential Addition.--(1) At the 
     beginning of each calendar year, along with the annual budget 
     submission, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 
     Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and to the 
     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United 
     States Senate a list of areas recommended for study for 
     potential inclusion in the National Park System.
       ``(2) In developing the list to be submitted under this 
     subsection, the Secretary shall give consideration to those 
     areas that have the greatest potential to meet the 
     established criteria of national significance, suitability, 
     and feasibility. The Secretary shall give special 
     consideration to themes, sites, and resources not already 
     adequately represented in the National Park System as 
     identified in the National Park System Plan to be developed 
     under section 101 of the National Park System Reform Act of 
     1994. No study of the potential of an area for inclusion in 
     the National Park System may be initiated after the date of 
     enactment of this section, except as provided by specific 
     authorization of an Act of Congress. Nothing in this Act 
     shall limit the authority of the National Park Service to 
     conduct preliminary resource assessments, gather data on 
     potential study areas, provide technical and planning 
     assistance, prepare or process nominations for administrative 
     designations, update previous studies, or complete 
     reconnaissance surveys of individual areas requiring a total 
     expenditure of less than $25,000. Nothing in this section 
     shall be construed to apply to or to affect or alter the 
     study of any river segment for potential addition to the 
     national wild and scenic rivers system or to apply to or to 
     affect or alter the study of any trail for potential addition 
     to the national trails system.
       ``(c) Report.--The Secretary shall complete the study for 
     each area for potential inclusion into the National Park 
     System within 3 complete fiscal years following the date of 
     enactment of specific legislation providing for the study of 
     such area. Each study under this section shall be prepared 
     with appropriate opportunity for public involvement, 
     including at least one public meeting in the vicinity of the 
     area under study, and reasonable efforts to notify 
     potentially affected landowners and State and local 
     governments. In conducting the study, the Secretary shall 
     consider whether the area under study--
       ``(1) possesses nationally significant natural or cultural 
     resources, or outstanding recreational opportunities, and 
     that it represents one of the most important examples of a 
     particular resource type in the country; and
       ``(2) is a suitable and feasible addition to the system.

     Each study shall consider the following factors with regard 
     to the area being studied: the rarity and integrity of the 
     resources, the threats to those resources, whether similar 
     resources are already protected in the National Park System 
     or in other Federal, state or private ownership, the public 
     use potential, the interpretive and educational potential, 
     costs associated with acquisition, development and operation, 
     the socioeconomic impacts of any designation, the level of 
     local and general public support and whether the unit is of 
     appropriate configuration to ensure long term resource 
     protection and visitor use. Each such study shall also 
     consider whether direct National Park Service management or 
     alternative protection by other agencies or the private 
     sector is appropriate for the area. Each such study shall 
     identify what alternative or combination of alternatives 
     would in the professional judgment of the Director of the 
     National Park Service, be most effective and efficient in 
     protecting significant resources and providing for public 
     enjoyment. The letter transmitting each completed study to 
     Congress shall contain a recommendation regarding the 
     Administration's preferred management option for the area.
       ``(d) List of Areas.--At the beginning of each calendar 
     year, along with the annual budget submission, the Secretary 
     shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the 
     House of Representatives and to the Committee on Energy and 
     Natural Resources of the United States Senate a list of areas 
     which have been previously studied which contain primarily 
     cultural or historical resources and a list of areas which 
     have been previously studied which contain primarily natural 
     resources in numerical order of priority for addition to the 
     National Park System. In developing the list, the Secretary 
     should consider threats to resource values, cost escalation 
     factors and other factors listed in subsection (c) of this 
     section.''.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Minnesota [Mr. Vento] will be recognized for 20 minutes, and the 
gentleman from Colorado [Mr. Hefley] will be recognized for 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Vento].


                             general leave

  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks in the 
Record on the measure before us.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Minnesota?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. VENTO asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4476 is a measure designed to maintain 
the integrity of the National Park System through various improvements 
in the process of planning and establishing National Park System units.
  I am pleased that we have been able to come to the floor on a 
bipartisan basis with a compromise which takes the best elements of the 
H.R. 1508, introduced by Representative Hefley, and H.R. 3709, which I 
introduced.
  Mr. Speaker, the National Park Service is charged with the management 
of many of the Nation's most precious natural, cultural, and historical 
resources. The 367 areas which make up the National Park System are 
known throughout the world for their natural wonders, scenic beauty, 
and historical significance. Considering the exceptional quality of our 
national parks, it is our obligation to ensure that only outstanding 
resources are added to the National Park System. This is especially 
true in an era of fiscal constraint and large demands on the existing 
National Park System.
  In our National Park System, several important land forms and themes 
of American history are underrepresented or not represented at all. The 
National Park System needs the ability to expand in order to reflect 
the progression of history and to respond to a rapidly growing 
population. In expanding the system, however, great caution must be 
exercised in order to make sure that only high-quality resources are 
included. This concern is bipartisan, and it is shared by Congress, the 
administration, and the American people.
  H.R. 4476 addresses these concerns by providing for the following:
  It directs the Secretary of the Interior to prepare a plan to guide 
the direction of the National Park System into the next century. The 
plan would be submitted to Congress and would define the role of the 
National Park System in preserving our national heritage, relative to 
other efforts at the Federal, State, local, and private levels; it 
would identify aspects of our American heritage which are adequately 
and inadequately represented in the National Park System and would list 
priorities of the types of resources which should be added to the 
National Park System.
  There currently is no overall plan for the expansion of the National 
Park System. The only documents which can be considered plans are the 
thematic frameworks. These documents are not strategies or plans. 
Instead, they are documents which list major natural and historical 
themes of the United States and then describe how the themes are 
represented by existing NPS units and landmarks. These are not 
particularly helpful in telling Congress or anyone else the short- or 
long-term direction of the National Park System. This type of strategic 
planning is done by other Federal agencies and large organizations.
  The bill directs the Secretary to conduct a management review of the 
existing National Park System to determine if National Park Service 
management at any area should be modified or terminated. This review 
would be conducted using the direction provided by the National Park 
System plan. In developing the list of areas where NPS management would 
be proposed to be modified or terminated, the National Park Service 
would consult with other Federal agencies, State and local officials, 
resource management, recreation and scholarly organizations, and other 
interested parties. The list would be transmitted to Congress within 1 
year after the completion of the National Park System plan. It would 
require the National Park Service to recommend alternative entities to 
manage sites which would be proposed to no longer be managed by the 
National Park Service.

  The determination of what areas no longer deserve to be units of the 
National Park System is a highly sensitive task which appropriately 
should be done by the National Park Service with advice and 
consultation from outside organizations. I do not believe it is 
appropriate for this task to be undertaken by a Commission which is 
accountable to no one. This provision would allow us to take a hard 
look at the National Park System and see if any corrections or changes 
are needed. It will also allow us to improve management efficiency and 
cost-effectiveness in certain areas where termination is not 
recommended but some modification such as increased use of cooperative 
agreements is utilized.
  However, in the event that the Secretary does not submit the list of 
areas for termination or modification to Congress in the specified 1-
year time period, the bill calls for the establishment of a seven 
member Commission to carry out this task. The Commission would use the 
plan and any preliminary work done by the National Park Service to 
prepare the list. The list would be submitted to Congress and the 
Commission would expire. The bill does not contain any automatic 
closure procedures as proposed in H.R. 1508. The authority to designate 
National Park System units rests with Congress, and Congress should 
retain that authority with regard to deauthorizing units as well.
  The bill contains most of the provisions of my bill H.R. 3709, the 
National Park System New Area Study Reform Act. It would require all 
new area studies to be authorized by Congress after receiving a list of 
new area study priorities from the National Park Service. Studies would 
have to be completed in 3 years and would have to contain the 
management alternative preferred by the National Park Service. This 
provision does not cover technical assistance to State or local 
governments, wild and scenic rivers, national trails system units, or 
wilderness areas. The purpose of these reforms is to provide Congress 
with the professional opinion of the National Park Service earlier on 
in the process of considering areas for addition to the National Park 
System. This provision would also eliminate the confusion surrounding 
the multiple sources of new area study requests which result in delays, 
starts and stops, and other problems.
  Finally, the bill requires the Secretary to submit annually a list of 
previously studied areas in order of priority for addition to the 
National Park System. In accordance with an amendment adopted in the 
subcommittee, the National Park Service will submit two priority 
rankings, one for areas which are primarily cultural in nature and one 
for areas which contain primarily natural resources.
  Mr. Speaker, the bill before us (H.R. 4476) is a carefully crafted 
measure which will help to maintain a high level of integrity for the 
National Park System. I urge Members to support it today.

                              {time}  1710

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I cannot tell you how pleased I am we are getting the 
chance to discuss this bill and vote on it today. The bill that you 
have before you is an important measure. It is the product of a truly 
bipartisan effort to bring order and direction to the National Park 
System.
  In the 4 years I have been a member of the Committee on Natural 
Resources, we have repeatedly discussed the Park Service's backlog in 
construction, maintenance, and acquisition. Despite a backlog that runs 
into the billions, we have repeatedly added new parks that further sap 
the resources of the Park Service. Sometimes, Mr. Speaker, I think we 
have added rhinestones when we should have been taking care of the 
Nation's crown jewels.
  This bill is our attempt to do something about that. H.R. 4476 will 
establish a process in which proposals for new parks will have to be 
studied and recommended by the Park Service, then authorized by the 
Committee on Natural Resources in Congress, before any money is 
appropriated. It will direct the Park Service to stack a set of 
priorities for designating parks so that Congress will have a clear 
idea of what is necessary, and so that important ideas will not be 
pushed to a back burner by every new proposal or political trend. It 
will require the Director to review the existing park system to see 
that all of its units meet the high standards this process will 
establish and examine possible future options for management.
  There are also a number of things this bill will not do. This bill 
will not sell off the Grand Canyon, it will not turn the Park Service 
over to Disney, and it will not attempt to turn every unit into a 
profitmaking machine to the detriment of the resources.
  The full effects of the legislation will not be seen tomorrow or next 
year, but I believe that this bill will provide Congress and the Park 
Service with the blueprints and tools necessary to meet the challenges 
of the next century.
  In closing, I would like to emphasize the truly bipartisan nature of 
this legislation. It had its genesis in the thinking of our former 
Member and colleague, Robert Lagomarsino, more than 5 years ago. 
Today's bill is the product of working sessions between the majority 
and minority staffs and the National Park Service, the majority and 
minority Members of Congress. It would take some study to figure out 
who was with responsible for what portions of this final bill.
  I would like to commend the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Vento], and 
his staff for the work they have done on this issue. I would especially 
like to commend the Park Service representatives who worked on this 
bill. Their expertise was invaluable in preparing this legislation.
  This bill proves that Members of both parties can work together in a 
spirit of comity to solve important issues. After all the shouting and 
politicking is done, I think we all got into this line of work to do 
something for our country, to leave a mark, a legacy for future 
generations. I believe this bill can be that kind of legacy, and, 
therefore, I heartily endorse its adoption.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Utah [Mr. 
Hansen].
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4476, the 
appropriately titled ``National Park Service Reform Act.'' Mr. 
Chairman, this is an important, bipartisan bill which should help 
refine the mission of the National Park Service for the 21st century.
  Mr. Speaker, it seems hardly a week goes by in the House during which 
we are not considering some legislation to expand the mission of the 
National Park Service. It also seems that I spend a lot of time on the 
floor of this House opposing many of these bills, because of my 
concerns about the impact of these expansions on the greatest park 
system in the world.
  I am very concerned about both the fiscal impact of these proposals 
and their impact on the integrity of the park system. Mr. Speaker, with 
enactment of this bill there is hope we may spend less time in the 
future on the floor of the House opposing unnecessary park expansion 
bills.
  This is true because this measure requires the National Park Service 
to develop a vision of where to take the agency, instead of the current 
piecemeal approach to expansion of the park system. The agency will be 
required to prioritize future expansion proposals. Further, Congress 
can be assured that adequate information will be available each time a 
proposal for expansion of the park system is presented.
  Finally, this bill will help us redirect the limited financial 
resources of the agency by identifying areas where future National Park 
Service involvement is unnecessary or inappropriate and freeing up 
funds for other park areas managed by the agency.
  Mr. Speaker, I wish to commend the gentleman from Colorado for 
developing this measure. We have had many discussions about the 
problems which this bill is designed to address, but Mr. Hefley has 
devoted the time and energy to develop this measure and see it through. 
Also, I want to thank the chairman, Mr. Vento, for agreeing to work 
with the minority on this important measure and report Mr. Hefley's 
bill. Unfortunately, I often find myself in disagreement with the 
chairman on matters before our committee, but I have no less respect 
for him as a result of our disagreements. Few Members of this body take 
their chairmanship as studiously, or work any harder than this 
chairman, and I believe that both the products of our committee and the 
land management policies of this Nation are generally better off as a 
result of his efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, I note that the other body is also moving a similar 
bill, and I commend this bill to all of my colleagues as one of the 
most important things we can do for the National Park Service during 
this Congress.
  Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member, the gentleman from Utah [Mr. 
Hansen], for his kind comments. I would return them in kind. I know 
that the gentleman has worked hard on these bills. There have been 
numerous hearings on almost everything we have done. It has gone 
through the process very carefully.
  But in the end, Mr. Speaker, I do not think it is proper to rely upon 
one or two Members to make the judgments about what is appropriate with 
regard to the National Park Service policy, or, for that matter, 
whether we are dealing with the Forest Service or the BLM. But all too 
often I find myself referencing and using as benchmarks for the policy 
guidance that my colleagues look to me for really on some precedent 
that existed in the past, rather than on a sound review of what the 
proper policy path has been.
  I think during this session, I felt that there has been to some 
extent a loss of focus with regards to parks, and I think there is an 
amount of concern that has gripped me, and has gripped others. I have 
seen the same thing.
  I see an article that will come out this next month in the National 
Geographic magazine talking about the problems and the stresses that 
our parks face. It is time that we charge this administration and other 
administrations with the proper evaluation and study to put in place 
the type of framework that we need in terms of making sound public 
policy as it affects the National Park System.

                              {time}  1720

  I fear today that that has, as I said, the focus has not been as 
sharp as it should and could be. We need that today because of the 
types of problems we face in terms of fiscal responsibility, because of 
the increasing backlogs and problems with maintenance that exist. The 
maintenance backlogs and the backlogs in terms of construction have 
been referred to as soaring as high as $5 billion.
  I might remind my colleagues that that is almost four times more than 
the entire Park Service budget in a given year. That sort of, I think, 
epitomizes what we are up against in terms of this problem. Yet we have 
in just 10 years nearly doubled the number of people that visit our 
national parks. The projections into the future are that they will 
continue to increase. Our national parks are one of the leading 
attractions of people that visit this country from abroad. And as 
Members look at this, it is clear that we need to expand the park 
system in order to accommodate this, to try to disperse the use of the 
park system away from some of the areas that are heavily used in other 
areas that are equally important and can serve the needs of Americans 
and tourists on a broad basis.
  But in order to do that, we need to have the proper study and 
background. We need to charge the park service to reevaluate and to 
evaluate their mission and the designations, the work that we do in 
Congress.
  Congress has been instrumental throughout its history, throughout the 
park service history, in terms of designating these areas and 
establishing them. By and large, I think if we say the park system is a 
good system, I think a lot of the credit has to go back to the 
legislative bodies which have managed these lands in such a way as to, 
in fact, preserve these values and this fabric, this natural and 
cultural fabric.
  Today I think we are in the forefront again. Again, it has been 
Congress that has been in the forefront of laying forth the policy that 
is set forth in this bill. We have pushed the administration. And I 
might say that this administration, like those of the past, has not put 
forth a comprehensive policy plan, a comprehensive agenda to deal with 
the National Park System.
  The fact is that given no agenda, given no direction, I think that we 
have done a remarkably good job, I might say, in a bipartisan basis, in 
the House and in the Senate, in terms of trying to keep to a policy 
path with regards to parks that is logical, that is consistent. But it 
is increasingly difficult. So we are reaching out in this legislation 
and directing in this legislation and asking for some help of this 
administration and those in the future to get their act together so 
that we can do a better job in this body.

  It is pretty hard, Mr. Speaker, to work in this area without having 
the other hand working with you and wandering off in different 
directions. We need the focus, the expertise, the professionalism of 
the National Park Service, which characterizes the National Park 
Service, I might say, the professionalism to deal with that. We need to 
deal with the topics like the veil agenda and the professionalism of 
the Park Service.
  They are trying to reorganize themselves one more time to deal with 
the concerns in terms of how they are organized, but one place they 
need to organize, and that is their legislative program on this floor 
and their administrative structure throughout this Nation.
  That being said, let me thank my colleagues again.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bilbray). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Vento], that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4476.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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