[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 130 (Tuesday, October 17, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H9966-H9969]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




AUTHORIZING FUNDS TO REHABILITATE GOING-TO-THE-SUN ROAD IN GLACIER PARK

  Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4521) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to authorize 
and provide funding for rehabilitation of the Going-to-the-Sun Road in 
Glacier National Park, to authorize funds for maintenance of utilities 
related to the Park, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4521

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) The historic significance of the 52-mile Going-to-the-
     Sun Road is recognized by its listing on the National 
     Register of Historic Places in 1983, designation as a 
     National Historic Engineering Landmark by the American 
     Society of Civil Engineers in 1985, and designation as a 
     National Historic Landmark in 1997.
       (2) A contracted engineering study and Federal Highway 
     Administration recommendations in 1997 of the Going-to-the-
     Sun Road verified significant structural damage to the road 
     that has occurred since it opened in 1932.
       (3) Infrastructure at most of the developed areas is 
     inadequate for cold-season (fall, winter, and spring) 
     operation, and maintenance backlog needs exist for normal 
     summer operation.
       (4) The Many Glacier Hotel and Lake McDonald Lodge are on 
     the National Register of Historic Places and are National 
     Historic Landmarks. Other accommodations operated by the

[[Page H9967]]

     concessioner with possessory interest and listed on the 
     National Register of Historic Places are the Rising Sun Motor 
     Inn and Swiftcurrent Motel.
       (5) The historic hotels in Glacier National Park, operated 
     under concession agreements with the National Park Service, 
     are essential for public use and enjoyment of the Park.
       (6) Public consumers deserve safe hotels in Glacier 
     National Park that can meet their basic needs and 
     expectations.
       (7) The historic hotels in Glacier National Park are 
     significantly deteriorated and need substantial repair.
       (8) Repairs of the hotels in Glacier National Park have 
     been deferred for so long that, absent any changes to Federal 
     law and the availability of historic tax credits, the 
     remodeling costs for the hotels may exceed the capacity of an 
     investor to finance them solely out of hotel revenues.
       (9) The current season of operation for hotels is 
     approximately 4 months because the developed areas lack 
     water, sewer, and fire protection systems that can operate in 
     freezing conditions, lack building insulation, and lack 
     heating systems.
       (10) The National Park Service Concessions Management 
     Improvement Act of 1998 is based upon sound principles and is 
     achieving its basic purposes, but there appear to be selected 
     instances where the National Park Service may need additional 
     authority to conduct demonstration projects.
       (11) A demonstration project is needed for the repair of 
     the historic hotels in Glacier National Park.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Advisory committee.--The term ``Advisory Committee'' 
     means the Going-to-the-Sun Road Citizens Advisory Committee.
       (2) Park.--The term ``Park'' means Glacier National Park.
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.

     SEC. 3. GOING-TO-THE-SUN ROAD STUDY.

       (a) Feasibility Study.--Not later than December 31, 2001, 
     the Secretary, in consultation with Advisory Committee, shall 
     complete a feasibility study for rehabilitation of Going-to-
     the-Sun Road located in the Park. The study shall include--
       (1) alternatives for rehabilitation of Going-to-the-Sun 
     Road and a ranking of the feasibility of each alternative;
       (2) an estimate of the length of time necessary to complete 
     each alternative;
       (3) a description of what mitigation efforts would be used 
     to preserve resources and minimize adverse economic effects 
     of each alternative;
       (4) an analysis of the costs and benefits of each 
     alternative;
       (5) an estimate of the cost of each alternative;
       (6) an analysis of the economic impact of each alternative;
       (7) an analysis of long-term maintenance needs, standards, 
     and schedules for the road, alternatives to accomplish the 
     rehabilitation, maintenance staff needs, and associated cost 
     estimates;
       (8) a draft of the environmental impact statement required 
     under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy 
     Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)); and
       (9) an analysis of improvements to any transportation 
     system relating to the Park that are needed inside or outside 
     the Park.
       (b) Continuation Maintenance.--Nothing in this section 
     shall affect the duty of the Secretary to continue the 
     program in effect on the day before the date of the enactment 
     of this Act to preserve, maintain, and address safety 
     concerns related to Going-to-the-Sun Road.
       (c) Implementation of Plan.--As soon as practicable after 
     completing the study required by subsection (a), the 
     Secretary shall--
       (1) consider the recommendations of the Advisory Committee;
       (2) choose an alternative for rehabilitation of the Going-
     to-the-Sun Road from the alternatives included in the study 
     based upon the final environmental impact statement required 
     under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy 
     Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)); and
       (3) begin implementation of a plan based on that choice.
     Implementation actions that are authorized include 
     rehabilitation of Going-to-the-Sun Road and expenditure of 
     funds inside or outside the Park for transportation system 
     improvements related to the Park and impact mitigation if 
     recommended by the study and the Advisory Committee. The 
     Secretary shall also seek funding for the long-term 
     maintenance needs that the study identifies.
       (d) Report.--Not later than 30 days after completion of the 
     study required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
     submit a copy of the study to--
       (1) the Committee on Resources and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
       (2) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the 
     Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
       (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated $200,000,000 to the Secretary to carry out 
     this section, including--
       (1) implementation of the plan under subsection (c); and
       (2) the cost of any necessary environmental or cultural 
     documentation and monitoring, including the draft 
     environmental impact statement required under subsection 
     (a)(8).

     SEC. 4. MAINTENANCE AND UPGRADE OF UTILITY SYSTEMS.

       (a) In General.--As soon as practicable after funds are 
     made available under this section, the Secretary shall begin 
     the upgrade and continue the maintenance of utility systems 
     which service the Park and facilities related to the Park.
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this 
     section, $20,000,000.

     SEC. 5. VISITOR FACILITIES PLAN.

       (a) Plan for Visitor Facilities.--Not later than December 
     31, 2001, the Secretary shall complete a comprehensive plan 
     for visitor facilities in the Park. The comprehensive plan 
     shall include the following:
       (1) A completed commercial services plan, as called for in 
     the Park General Management Plan.
       (2) A plan for private financing of rehabilitation of 
     lodging facilities and associated property that are listed on 
     the National Register of Historic Places or are part of a 
     district listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 
     which may include historic tax credits, hotel revenue, and 
     other financing alternatives as deemed appropriate by the 
     Secretary, and which may include options such as extending 
     the Park's visitor season, additional visitor facilities, and 
     other options as deemed appropriate by the Secretary in order 
     to recover the rehabilitation costs.
       (3) A financial analysis of the plan under paragraph (2).
       (4) A plan by the Secretary to provide necessary assistance 
     to appropriate interested entities for the restoration or 
     comparable replacement of tour buses for use in the Park.
       (5) A plan for a new visitors center at the west side of 
     the Park, including an appropriate location and design for 
     the center and suitable housing and display facilities for 
     museum objects of the Park as set forth in the Park General 
     Management Plan, including any studies required to be carried 
     out under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
     U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and other applicable laws.
       (6) A parkwide natural and cultural resources assessment, 
     in accordance with sections 203 and 204 of the National Parks 
     Omnibus Management Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-391; 112 Stat. 
     3497), including a comprehensive inventory of resources of 
     the Park.
       (7) A description of any additional authority requested by 
     the Secretary to implement the comprehensive plan.
       (b) Submission of Plan.--The Secretary shall submit copies 
     of the comprehensive plan to the Committee on Resources of 
     the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and 
     Natural Resources of the Senate.
       (c) Implementation of Plan.--As soon as practicable after 
     completion of the comprehensive plan, the Secretary shall 
     implement the comprehensive plan, including construct the 
     visitors center pursuant to the plan required by subsection 
     (a)(5).
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary $1,000,000 to complete 
     the comprehensive plan.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Calvert) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert).
  Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  H.R. 4521, as introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from Montana 
(Mr. Hill), will ensure the future protection of Glacier National Park 
by laying out a plan to restore the Going-to-the-Sun Road, upgrading 
utility systems in the park, and the future of the grand lodges in the 
park. The gentleman from Montana has worked diligently on this 
legislation and should be commended for his service to Montana and the 
Congress.
  Madam Speaker, this is good legislation that will ensure that future 
steps taken by Glacier National Park will enhance the ability of the 
public to access and to enjoy one of America's great parks. I urge my 
colleagues to support H.R. 4521, as amended.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. HOLT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, H.R. 4521, introduced by our colleague, the 
gentleman from Montana (Mr. Hill), would direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to develop and implement a plan, at a cost of up to $200 
million, for the rehabilitation of the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier 
National Park. The bill also authorizes $20 million for maintenance of 
utility systems.
  The third significant provision of this bill deals with the 
rehabilitation of the Many Glacier Hotel and other structures in the 
park. When the Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands held a 
hearing on the bill, the administration and others raised a number of 
concerns with the bill's language. Following the hearing, meetings were 
held with the staff of our colleague from Montana and the congressional 
delegation from Montana, the

[[Page H9968]]

National Park Service, and the committee staff.
  While major progress was made in addressing the issues with the bill, 
significant issues remained. Instead of seeking closure on these 
remaining issues, the Committee on Resources adopted a new amendment 
offered by the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Hill) that discarded the 
progress that had been made in addressing the park hotel rehabilitation 
and instead proposed new language that had not been discussed yet, let 
alone agreed to by the parties.
  As a result, the bill reported by the committee has substantive and 
procedural problems. It fails to address the concerns raised by the 
administration and the historic preservation and environmental 
community, and it does not reflect the unified position within the 
Montana congressional delegation. The bill reported from the committee 
fails to authorize the one authority, historic leasing, that the 
National Park Service says they need for park hotel rehabilitation. It 
creates a new responsibility for the National Park Service to provide 
park road reconstruction impact mitigation assistance.
  In addition, the amended bill directs preparation of a new visitor 
facilities plant. Further, the time frame, December 31 of 2001, for 
completion of the visitor's facility plan, and also the required 
concession services plan and natural resource assessment, is too short 
to do the necessary work and environmental analyses.
  Finally, the bill's findings represent a particular point of view and 
are inconsistent with the authorities contained in the bill.
  Madam Speaker, the minority is willing to work with the interested 
parties to address the concerns with this legislation. Unfortunately, 
what is being presented to the House today fails to correct the bill's 
shortcomings.
  Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume 
only to comment that the condition of the lodge, which I think we all 
agree at the park is in horrendous condition, and while we have minor 
differences on how to go about this, the problem is that we may lose 
that facility forever if we do not work to pass this legislation 
immediately.
  Madam Speaker, I move to pass this good piece of legislation by our 
colleague, the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Hill), who is retiring from 
the United States House of Representatives.
  Mr. HILL of Montana. Madam Speaker, H.R. 4521 attempts to deal with 
the serious infrastructure issues that exist in Glacier National Park 
in northwest Montana, one of the truly heavenly places on earth.
  The Going-to-the-Sun Road, which runs through the park and is 
consistently rated among the top scenic routes in the nation, has 
degraded severely since it opened in 1932. The utility infrastructure, 
particularly the sewer system, is badly in need of repair. Recently 
about 180,000 gallons of raw sewage leaked onto the south shore of Lake 
McDonald, and the state of Montana is threatening to take action 
against the park. And the historic hotels of Glacier Park, many of 
which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, are 
quickly becoming safety issues that threaten the visitor experience. 
Recently the Park imposed corrective measures at Many Glacier Hotel to 
address fire code violations that are a result of deferred maintenance. 
The rehabilitation costs at Many Glacier alone are estimated at more 
than $30 million, with overall costs at around $100 million.
  This bill addresses these issues by authorizing funds to repair the 
park's infrastructure, with the exception of the hotels, and setting a 
timetable for a specific plan to privately finance the rehabilitation 
of the park's historic hotels, in which there is currently significant 
possessory interest. It authorizes funds for the repair of the Going-
to-the-Sun Road. The bill also requires that the Secretary work with a 
Citizen Advisory Committee that has been gathering local input and 
determining the best possible option for the repairs. The bill also 
authorizes funds to repair the park's failing utility systems.
  These repairs are already authorized under the Park Service's General 
Authorities Act. However, the situation in Glacier is critical and is 
near the top of the Park Service's priority list. This bill will put 
Congress on record regarding the importance of Glacier National Park, 
as well as move the Park Service in the direction it has said it 
intends to go.
  Some have discussed the issue of cost relating to the Going-to-the-
Sun Road. For those who have been privileged to drive this scenic 
route, it is like no other, at times clinging to a mountainside and 
ascending the Continental Divide. It is the only route through the park 
and provides millions of Americans with views of diverse wildlife and 
great natural beauty. But it is at risk of catastrophic failure, and it 
will be costly to replace. Repair costs are compounded by a short 
construction season in this extreme climate, the topography and access 
issues, as well as the historic stone retaining walls that are built 
from local materials. Costs will also be partly determined by the 
construction alternative selected, and the need for appropriations 
could be significantly mitigated.
  A source of greater controversy, however, was how best to finance the 
rehabilitation of the historic hotels. Originally, the hotel-financing 
provision was written with significant input from the Park Service and 
was intended to provide the Secretary with the greatest degree of 
latitude in achieving private financing for the project. Key to this 
goal was providing a way to capture historic restoration tax credits of 
20 percent which require investment over a 50-year period, realizing 
that our current concessions law limits contracts to no more than 20 
years.
  This Park Service's provision came under fire from environmental 
organizations. Unfortunately, rather than defend the provision, the 
Park Service quickly back-pedaled and opposed it. This left us in a 
precarious position. The Park Service then proposed an alternate 
version that would use historic leasing authority to rehabilitate the 
hotels. But members of the minority as well as the administration were 
never able to get on the same page. And we in the majority and others 
have had concerns with the various proposals that began emerging.
  It was disappointing when the support that had been building behind 
the bill evaporated after interest groups who oppose the idea of 
private investment in national parks weighed in. The result was 
proposals that were, at best, financially questionable and, at worst, 
extinguished the notion of possessory interest in these historic 
structures altogether. This is a dangerous path to go down, and which 
represents a serious step backward in the body of law that has been 
crafted by Congress regarding national parks.
  I am disappointed that Democrats and the administration were never 
able to agree among themselves. I was willing to accommodate these 
various proposals even though I and others in the business and 
financial communities had serious questions about them, provided that 
they be willing to consider other alternatives such as the original 
financing mechanism. But there was never an inch of latitude given.
  The new version of this bill was intended to pull us back from the 
notion of moving toward a single financing mechanism that ultimately 
may not work. While the Park Service should be lauded for its 
creativity in crafting a plan based on historic leasing, there were too 
many unanswered questions about that proposal that I fear may go 
unanswered. Specifically, I cannot understand what objections the Park 
Service would have, if we are going to settle on a single option, to 
ensuring its option will work financially before we move forward with 
it. After we have that data, the bill would direct the Secretary to 
request any additional authority he may require from Congress to 
complete the plan.
  My staff and I numerous times attempted to discuss the committee-
approved version of the bill with the minority. Then one legislative 
day before the full House was originally to consider this bill, a list 
of new concerns emerged from the minority. One that is particularly 
intriguing is the contention that the deadline for the visitor 
facilities plan and other provisions of the bill--December 31, 2000--is 
too ambitious. It is intriguing because the minority initially argued 
that the deadline in the bill was a delaying tactic. Which is it, a 
delaying tactic, or too ambitious? This all leads one to suspect that 
the goal of some has not been to improve upon this legislation, but 
rather, to defeat it for the sake of defeat.

  This is unacceptable, We must approve this bill and give the Senate a 
chance to do likewise before we adjourn. Anything less would be 
dereliction of our duty to protect our public lands, in this case, 
Glacier National Park.
  I'd like to briefly address some of the other criticisms I have heard 
recently. First, that the bill authorizes economic mitigation for the 
Going-to-the-Sun reconstruction. I have been willing to compromise on 
this issue. However, there is significant precedent within the Park 
Service to mitigate the impacts of its actions on communities around 
it, most notably the recent redwoods acquisition in California and the 
compensation of fishermen at Glacier Bay in Alaska. That being said, 
H.R. 4521 is not prescriptive. It merely authorizes mitigation 
assistance, it does not mandate it, and it does so within the overall 
bounds of the authorization of the road itself.

[[Page H9969]]

  Second, that there were not sufficient efforts to reach agreement in 
the Montana congressional delegation. My staff and I worked long and 
hard to find a solution that was pleasing both to the Montana 
delegation and to the majority and minority in the House. But it became 
apparent, at least as far as the hotels were concerned, that this would 
not be possible. No agreement ever existed, even though staff was 
circulating legislative language for the approval of members. It is 
unfortunate for those of us in Montana that some would kill this bill 
over the hotels provision and jeopardize the road and public access to 
the park.
  Despite the difficulties and frustrations in getting to this point, 
we have worked hard to make this a bipartisan effort, securing 33 
cosponsors from a variety of fiscal and ideological viewpoints. The 
people of Montana and all those who love Glacier National Park are 
grateful for these efforts. By some estimates, this park alone 
generates close to $200 million for Montana's economy, which needs 
tourism dollars now more than ever as forces continue to act to close 
down Montana's traditional industries. But for many of us, this park is 
about a whole lot more than money, it is about a unique character and a 
once-in-a-lifetime experience for those who visit. This legislation is 
needed to help restore those values.
  Mr. CALVERT. Madam 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 California (Mr. Calvert) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4521, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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