[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 186 (Monday, November 20, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2219]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




THE NATIONAL PARKS AND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEMS FREEDOM ACT OF 
                                  1995

                                 ______


                             HON. DON YOUNG

                               of alaska

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 20, 1995

  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce today, 
along with a number of my distinguished colleagues, including Jim 
Hansen, Jim Saxton, Ken Calvert, and J.D. Hayworth, the National Parks 
and National Wildlife Refuge Systems Freedom Act of 1995.
  The purpose of this legislation is to ensure that our national parks 
and wildlife refuges are not closed in the future because of a lack of 
Federal funding to operate them.
  During this past weekend, we witnessed the sad spectacle of the 
Department of the Interior closing our Nation's 369 parks and 504 
national wildlife refuge units.
  These lands, which comprise about 181 million acres, were acquired 
through the hard work of millions of American taxpayers, who paid for 
them with entrance fees, excise taxes, duck stamps, and income tax 
payments.
  It is terribly wrong to close these facilities and to deny the 
American people the right to enjoy their beauty, splendor, and various 
recreational opportunities.
  In the State of Arizona, Governor Fife Symington offered to operate 
and keep the Grand Canyon open by using the State National Guard 
personnel. Regrettably, the Governor's request was denied because the 
Department of the Interior currently lacks the legal authority to allow 
the States to manage these lands.
  The National Parks and National Wildlife Refuge Systems Freedom Act 
will require the Secretary of the Interior to accept the services of 
State employees to operate any parks or refuge units when the Federal 
Government is in a period of a budgetary shutdown.
  Under the terms of my bill, a State would not be forced to operate 
any park or refuge within its geographic boundaries, but would simply 
be given the opportunity to offer their services, like Governor 
Symington.
  Furthermore, the term ``government budgetary shutdown'' has been 
narrowly defined to only cover those circumstances when there is a 
failure to enact a timely appropriations bill for the Department of the 
Interior and there is a lack of temporary or continuing appropriation 
funds.
  Mr. Speaker, our national parks and wildlife refuge systems must 
never be closed again in the future. This legislation will ensure that 
if there is ever another budgetary meltdown, the American people will 
not be denied the chance to visit the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, 
the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, Yellowstone National 
Park, or the Washington Monument.
  I urge my colleagues to join with me in support of the National Parks 
and National Wildlife Refuge Systems Freedom Act of 1995.

                          ____________________