[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 25, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S8222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BENNETT:
  S. 1240. A bill to provide for the acquisition of land and 
construction of an interagency administrative and visitor facility at 
the entrance to American Fork Canyon, Utah, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Timpanogos 
Interagency Land Exchange Act of 2001.
  Before I explain the details of my legislation I would like to share 
with my colleagues a bit of the area's history. So everyone understands 
the lay of the land, Timpanogos Cave is in American Fork Canyon, which 
is a 45-50 minute drive south of Salt Lake City. Now that my colleagues 
have a general idea of the location let me share some information on 
the designation of the cave. After being solicited by a group of Utahns 
familiar with Timpanogos Cave, President Warren G. Harding, invoking 
the Antiquities Act, designated the Timpanogos Cave National Monument 
on October 14, 1922. It just so happens that today is the 77th 
anniversary of the dedication of the Timpanogos Cave National Monument. 
The dedication took place on July 25, 1924. The Secretary of the 
Interior at that time, Hubert Work, invited a group of journalists from 
New York City on a five week tour of the recently created national 
parks and monuments in the west. Ostensibly, the tour had been 
organized to publicize the features of the new parks of the quickly 
growing National Park Service. After spending over a month visiting 
National Parks, the group arrived at Timpanogos Cave National Monument 
of the 25th of July where Mr. Alvah Davison, a noted New York 
publisher, gave the dedication speech.
  I believe it is fitting on the 77th anniversary of the dedication of 
the Timpanogos Cave National Monument to introduce legislation that 
will enhance the unique visitor experience at this site. The Timpanogos 
Interagency Land Exchange Act of 2001 authorizes the exchange of 266 
acres of United States Forest Service land for 37 acres of private 
land. This newly acquired land will serve as the site for a new visitor 
center and administrative offices of the Pleasant Grove Ranger district 
of the Uinta National Forest and the Timpanogos Cave National Monument. 
My legislation also authorizes the construction of the new interagency 
facility. This new facility, which will be located near the mouth of 
American Fork Canyon in the town of Highland, UT, will not only benefit 
the visiting public, but will also result in better coordination 
between the NPS and USFS.
  The land exchange requires the Secretary of Agriculture's approval 
and must conform with the ``Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal 
Land Acquisitions.'' Furthermore, the exchange is being conducted with 
a private landowner who is willing to trade his property for various 
USFS parcels on the Uinta National Forest.
  The necessity for this legislation is ten years overdue. The original 
visitor center at Timpanogos Cave was built as part of the NPS's 
Mission '66 program. Unfortunately it burned down in 1991. In 1992, as 
an emergency measure, the NPS began use of a 20 foot by 60 foot double-
wide trailer to serve temporarily as a make-shift visitor center. The 
trailer still serves today as the visitor center. The trailer is not 
suitable for the monument's annual visitation of 125,000 people. On 
high visitation days the center is easily overrun by the public. 
Additionally, the center suffers from rock-fall that has caused 
significant damage to the roof of the trailer and raises obvious safety 
issues.
  The NPS will not be the only beneficiary of this new site. As I 
stated before,the Pleasant Grove Ranger District of the Uinta National 
Forest will also be getting a new home. Currently, the Pleasant Grove 
Ranger District is housed in a 1950's era building that was not 
designed for today's staffing requirements or modern day computer and 
communications needs. It is simply too small and too outdated. The new 
facility will meet the space needs of the ranger district and be more 
technology friendly. Furthermore, the public now will be able to visit 
one conveniently located office to inquire about NPS and USFS 
activities.
  I view the Timpanogos Interagency Land Exchange Act of 2001 as simple 
legislation that will correct a decade old problem. I look forward to 
working with the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to move this 
legislation quickly.
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