[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 160 (Tuesday, October 17, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H10109-H10110]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               THE FALL RIVER VISITOR CENTER ACT OF 1995

  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 629) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
participate in the operation of certain visitor facilities associated 
with, but outside the boundaries of, Rocky Mountain National Park in 
the State of Colorado.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 629

       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 Fall River Visitor Center 
     Act of 1995''.

     SEC. 2. EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS OUTSIDE AUTHORIZED BOUNDARY OF 
                   ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK.

       (a) Visitor Center.--The Secretary of the Interior is 
     authorized to collect and expend donated funds and expend 
     appropriated funds for the operation and maintenance of a 
     visitor center to be constructed for visitors to and 
     administration of Rocky Mountain National Park with private 
     funds on the privately owned lands described in subsection 
     (b).
       (b) Description of Parcels of Land.--The lands referred to 
     in subsection (a) are described as follows:
       Being land owned by H.W. Stewart, Inc., and more 
     particularly described as follows:
       Beginning at the southwest corner of the north one-half of 
     section 16, township 5 north, range 73 west of the sixth 
     principal meridian, Colorado; thence south eighty-seven 
     degrees six minutes east, eight hundred and fifty-four feet; 
     thence north two degrees west, three hundred and forty-six 
     and one-tenth feet to the south boundary of the right-of-way 
     of U.S. Highway 34; thence northwesterly along said south 
     boundary nine hundred and sixty feet to the west line of said 
     section 16; thence south along the west line of said section 
     16 to the point of beginning.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Colorado [Mr. Allard] will be recognized for 20 minutes, and the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Miller] will be recognized for 20 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado [Mr. Allard].
  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. ALLARD asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, this bill was brought before the Natural 
Resources Committee's Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands 
last year but could not be moved forward because of concerns raised 
during the planning process. I am happy to report that all of those 
concerns have now been addressed and the proposal was approved by the 
Larimer County Planning Commission in January. The Larimer County 
Commissioners approved the plan in March. Finally, last year the Park 
Service suggested a technical change to the bill language which was 
incorporated into this year's bill. This legislation is a fine example 
of how the Government and private sector can work together and I 
appreciate the opportunity to bring the bill before the House today.
  This bill is a simple piece of legislation, but one that will have a 
noticeable impact on the people who enjoy 

[[Page H 10110]]
the beauty and recreational opportunities at Rocky Mountain National 
Park. The legislation simply allows the National Park Service to enter 
into a cooperative agreement to operate and maintain a visitor center 
at the Fall River entrance to the park. The bill gives the Secretary of 
Interior the authority to collect and expend donated funds and expend 
appropriated funds for the operation and maintenance of the visitor 
center, which will be located outside the boundary of Rocky Mountain 
National Park. I introduced this legislation on January 23, 1995, and 
Senator Hank Brown introduced a companion bill in the Senate on 
February 7, 1995.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a unique project that deserves our attention and 
utmost consideration. For some time now there has been tremendous 
support to construct a visitor center at the Fall River entrance of 
Rocky Mountain National Park. With 1 million tourists entering the park 
at this entrance every year, the need to provide an orientation and 
interpretation facility is well known. As you can imagine, park 
visitation through this entrance is expected to increase in coming 
years, not decrease.
  The need and desire for a visitor center at the Fall River site is 
not new. It was first documented in a plan prepared by the Park Service 
in 1976, and again in 1989. However, due to budget pressures and fiscal 
constraints this plan was never set into motion.
  It was not until early 1993 that the prospect for constructing a new 
visitor center actually became possible. It was then that Mr. Bill 
Carle, owner of H.W. Stewart, Inc., approached the park superintendent 
with his idea for the creation of the Fall River Visitor Center.
  Under the Fall River proposal, the visitor center would be built with 
private funds on land that will remain privately owned. The National 
Park Service, with assistance from the Shirley S. Scrogin Charitable 
Trust, the Rocky Mountain Nature Association, and the Rocky Mountain 
National Park Associates, would operate and maintain the visitor 
center. The park will use existing staff and operational funds to 
operate the center. Besides covering the cost of construction, 
the Shirley S. Scrogin Trust would also contribute funds annually for 
the maintenance of the center. The Rocky Mountain Nature Association, a 
friends of the park group, will provide a book sales operation and 
staff support for the center. Revenue generated from book sales will 
assist in defraying costs associated with the visitor center's 
operation. The Rocky Mountain National Park Associates, another friends 
of the park group, will assume the financial expenses for exhibit 
planning, design, and construction.

  Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Budget Committee, I can attest 
to the difficulty the committee faces all the time when trying to stay 
within the budget requirements and utilize taxpayer's money 
judiciously. We are constantly looking for ways to reduce spending, cut 
duplicative programs, and put Congress on a path toward fiscal 
responsibility. I believe H.R. 629 fulfills these goals and will yield 
savings for the Federal Government, as well as produce rewards.
  I am sure you understand the financial constraints that face our 
National Park Service today. Due to the scarcity of dollars, it is 
doubtful that Rocky Mountain National Park will be appropriated--at any 
time in the near future--the funds necessary to construct a new visitor 
center from start to finish. Thus, the opportunity before us today is 
unique and one that we must not let fall through the cracks. The idea 
of a private-public partnership is one that I know many in Congress and 
the administration support. It makes sense from both a fiscal and 
practical point of view.
  As I have tried to note, the benefits of this proposal are numerous: 
Visitors who come to Rocky Mountain National Park can enjoy the new 
visitor center; the Park Service will be allowed to collect fees at the 
Fall River entrance; and the developer will be able to reopen his 
businesses that were lost during a fire.
  In summary, this proposal brings together the best qualities in both 
the public and private sectors. It combines the strengths and visions 
of both entities and provides a blueprint for similar joint ventures in 
the future. Whenever Congress has the opportunity to provide the public 
with the services it needs, while at the same time saving taxpayer's 
money, it must seize that opportunity. By passing this legislation 
today, we will have taken the first important step on the road to 
similar public-private partnerships in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  (Mr. MILLER of California asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Colorado 
has quite accurately reflected the content of H.R. 629. It had 
bipartisan support coming out of the committee. We continue to support 
it.
  Mr. Speaker, if enacted this legislation would allow the National 
Park Service to enter into cooperative agreements with private and not-
for-profit entities in order to construct, maintain, and operate a 
visitors center on private land outside park boundaries of the Rocky 
Mountain National Park. This would be the first ever such public/
private venture to address a park need.
  Rocky Mountain National Park is the No. 1 tourist attraction in the 
State of Colorado with an annual visitation of almost 3 million people. 
Currently, almost 1 million of those visitors enter the park through 
the Fall River entrance and do so without benefit of a National Park 
Service facility. Such a facility would greatly enhance the stay of the 
park visitor by providing information on camping, trails, park rules, 
safety tips, and historical data on the terrain and wildlife.
  There has been much local input on this proposal and I believe all 
parties have addressed the foreseeable issues. I look forward to the 
outcome of this joint venture as I believe it may be a model for 
similar agreements in the future.
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 629 is a noncontroversial bill 
which will authorize the National Park Service to spend Federal funds 
to operate a new visitor center. The center will be developed with 
private funds and located on private lands just outside the entrance of 
Rocky Mountain National Park. The bill is consistent with Park Service 
plans, supported by the administration and will be funded from existing 
funds.
  Mr. Speaker, Rocky Mountain National Park is the No. 1 tourist 
attraction in the State of Colorado and a new visitor center will serve 
to educate the visitors about the park and its resources, while 
encouraging a partnership with the private sector. I urge my colleagues 
to support this bill.
  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Colorado [Mr. Allard] that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 629.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________