[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 146 (Tuesday, September 19, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H9220-H9221]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PARK REFORM AND H.R. 260

  (Mr. RICHARDSON asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, today the House has an opportunity to 
remove the ``For Sale'' sign from our National Park System by voting no 
on H.R. 260. The administration is against this bill, as well as every 
environmental organization.
  This bill establishes a Park Closure Commission to make 
recommendations to Congress on which units of the National Park System 
should be closed, privatized or sold to the highest bidder.
  If you can imagine a Walmart in the middle of Valley Forge National 
Historical Park or a Wendy's inside the gates of Little Bighorn 
National Battlefield Park, then you have some idea of the brave new 
world after H.R. 260.
  While Congress is poised to sell off our priceless national 
treasures, the American people we represent are making their voices 
known in ever-increasing visitation numbers to the parks.
  In fact, park visitation, which will hit 270 million this year, is 
expected to hit 360 million by the year 2000, just 5 years from now.

[[Page H9221]]

  I urge Congress to heed the concerns of the American people, not the 
beltway bandits who would rob us of our most precious assets. I urge a 
``no'' vote on H.R. 260.

         Executive Office of the President, Office of Management 
           and Budget,
                               Washington, DC, September 16, 1995.

                   Statement of Administration Policy


 this statement has been coordinated by omb with the concerned agencies

  H.R. 260--National Park System Reform Act of 1995--Hefley and eight 
                               cosponsors

       The Administration strongly opposes H.R. 260 unless amended 
     to delete provisions in sections 101 and 102 that establish a 
     process for identifying National Park System (NPS) units that 
     should be closed. This emphasis on closing existing parks 
     undermines the commitment made by previous generations to 
     protect this Nation's important natural and historic 
     resources. The Administration supports other, forward-looking 
     provisions in H.R. 260 that provide for a NPS Plan and the 
     establishment of a clear process for identifying and 
     evaluating potential new NPS units.
                                                                    ____



                                League of Conservation Voters,

                                               September 18, 1995.
     Re oppose H.R. 260, the National Park System Reform Act.
     U.S. House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.

       Dear Representative: The League of Conservation Voters is 
     the bipartisan, political arm of the national environmental 
     movement. Each year, LCV publishes the National Environmental 
     Scorecard, which details the voting records of Members of 
     Congress on environmental legislation. The Scorecard is 
     distributed to LCV members, concerned voters nationwide and 
     the press.
       This Tuesday, the House of Representatives is expected to 
     vote on a motion to suspend the rules and consider H.R. 260, 
     the National Park System Reform Act. Under the guise of 
     reforming and improving the National Park System H.R. 260 
     creates a politically appointed commission, whose sole 
     responsibility would be to determine which park units should 
     be closed. While there may be units in the National Park 
     System that deserve scrutiny, LCV opposes the creation of a 
     politically appointed parks closure commission and urges you 
     to vote against passage of H.R. 260.
       H.R. 260, and the parks closure commission it creates, 
     threatens 315 units of the National Park System including: 
     urban parks, historic sites, national monuments, national 
     seashores, national recreation areas, and Civil War 
     Battlefields. Instead of considering ways to improve the 
     National Park System H.R. 260 unnecessarily creates a new 
     layer of government and an expensive bureaucratic process, 
     when in fact Congress already has the authority to remove 
     units from the National Park System.
       LCV views H.R. 260 as an assault on the protection of our 
     cultural and natural heritage. By bringing H.R. 260 to the 
     House floor on the suspension calendar Members are prevented 
     from offering amendments which could significantly improve 
     this flawed legislation. LCV believes that the full House of 
     Representatives, like the House Resources Committee, should 
     have an opportunity to vote on an amendment to delete the 
     park closure commission. LCV urges you to oppose H.R. 260 so 
     that this and other amendments can be offered under regular 
     House procedures. LCV's Political Advisory Committee will 
     consider including a vote on passage of H.R. 260 in compiling 
     its 1995 Scorecard.
       Thank you for your consideration of this issue. For further 
     information, please call Betsy Loyless in my office at 202/
     785-8683.
           Sincerely,
                                                        Frank Loy,
     Acting President.
                                                                    ____

                                    Congress of the United States,


                                     House of Representatives,

                               Washington, DC, September 19, 1995.

 H.R. 260 is Bad for America--Park Closure Commission Could Close Park 
                                 Units

       Dear Colleague: the House today is scheduled to vote on 
     H.R. 260, legislation to establish a park closure commission 
     which would have the authority to recommend to Congress which 
     units of the National Park System should be considered for 
     closure, privatization or sale to the highest bidder.
       H.R. 260 specifically exempts the 54 units of the National 
     Park System from the closure commission recommendations 
     leaving less visited, smaller budgeted parks and important 
     national monuments like Independence Hall, the Statute of 
     Liberty, Mt. Rushmore, the Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson 
     Monuments and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic 
     Site on the chopping block.
       Please consult the map and descriptive listing of the 369 
     units of the National Park System printed on the reverse of 
     this page for more information on the specific units in your 
     district.
       H.R. 260 is highly controversial legislation which is 
     opposed by a bipartisan coalition of Americans including the 
     Clinton Administration, editorial boards from newspapers 
     across the nation, and nearly every major national 
     environmental organization. It does not belong on the 
     suspension calendar.
       When the House votes on H.R. 260 this morning, I urge a NO 
     vote.
       Who Opposes H.R. 260?
       The White House.
       The Department of Interior.
       The National Park Service.
       The League of Conservation Voters.
       Environmental Action Foundation.
       Sierra Club.
       The National Parks and Conservation Association.
       Defenders of Wildlife.
       Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund.
       Friends of the Earth.
       Izaak Walton League of America.
       American Hiking Society.
       The Wilderness Society.
       What papers have issued editorials against H.R. 260?
       The New York Times.
       The Salt Lake Tribune.
       The Miami Herald.
       The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
       The Philadelphia Inquirer.
       The Wichita Eagle.
       The Las Vegas Sun.
       Please contact Ben Finzel of my staff (x56190) with any 
     questions or for more information.
           With warm regards,
                                                  Bill Richardson,
     Chief Deputy Whip.

                          ____________________