[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 157 (Wednesday, October 11, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1924]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HELP FOR THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

                                 ______


                          HON. JAMES V. HANSEN

                                of utah

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 11, 1995

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I am today introducing a bill which will 
help to depoliticize and professionalize the National Park Service. My 
bill will accomplish this by establishing a 5-year term for the 
National Park Service Director and by making the Director subject to 
Senate confirmation.
  Mr. Speaker, at the beginning of the Clinton administration, there 
were stories indicating that a movie star and television actor were 
being considered for the position of Director of the National Park 
Service. While those stories indicated that such persons were being 
considered because the agency currently faces a morale crisis, I would 
suggest that it will take more than selection of a celebrity as 
Director to resolve those problems. In fact, selection of someone whose 
major qualification is that they have visited national parks since 
childhood, but who have no prior experience in Federal land management 
issues would in my opinion be adverse, not beneficial, to the agency 
and employee morale.
  The media has also been replete with stories about how key slots in 
this administration are being selected. According to some reports, 
ethnic diversity, gender, and political paybacks are being considered 
just as much as qualifications in the selection of key positions within 
the administration. In my view, this is wrong.
  My bill would address this problem by setting professional standards 
as the basis for selecting the Director of the National Park Service. 
It would further ensure that the National Park Service is able to 
develop and carry out its programs in a professional manner by 
isolating the appointment of the Director from the Presidential 
election cycle.
  Currently, the heads of the Bureau of Land Management and Fish and 
Wildlife Service are subject to Senate confirmation. The Forest 
Service, has throughout its history been headed by a career 
professional, until the recent politicalization of this position by the 
Clinton administration. While the Senate confirmation process has in 
recent years focused too heavily on factors unrelated to the 
qualification of an individual for a particular position, overall I 
believe this process has merit and can see no reason for the current 
double standard in the selection of heads for the land management 
agencies.
  Therefore, I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this 
important measure.

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