[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 171 (Tuesday, December 11, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H9154-H9156]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            WOLF TRAP NATIONAL PARK FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2440) to rename Wolf Trap Farm Park as ``Wolf Trap National 
Park for the Performing Arts,'' and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2440

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

     SECTION 1. RENAMING OF WOLF TRAP FARM PARK.

       (a) Amendment.--The Wolf Trap Farm Park Act (Public Law 89-
     671; 16 U.S.C. 284 et seq.) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``Wolf Trap Farm Park'' each place it 
     appears and inserting ``Wolf Trap National Park for the 
     Performing Arts'';
       (2) in section 2, by inserting before the final period ``, 
     except that laws, rules, or regulations that are applicable 
     solely to units of the National Park System that are 
     designated as a `National Park' shall not apply to Wolf Trap 
     National Park for the Performing Arts''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new section:

     ``SEC. 14. REFERENCES.

       ``(a) By Federal Employees.--The Secretary of the Interior, 
     any other Federal employee, and any employee of the 
     Foundation, with respect to any reference to the park in any 
     map, publication, sign, notice, or other official document or 
     communication of the Federal Government or Foundation shall 
     refer to the park as `Wolf Trap National Park for the 
     Performing Arts'.
       ``(b) Other Signs and Notices.--Any directional or official 
     sign or notice pertaining to the park shall refer to the park 
     as `Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts'.
       ``(c) Federal Laws and Documents.--Any reference in any law 
     (other than this Act), regulation, document, record, map, or 
     other paper of the United States to `Wolf Trap Farm Park' 
     shall be considered to be a reference to `Wolf Trap National 
     Park for the Performing Arts'.''.
       (b) Applicability.--Section 14(c) of the Wolf Trap Farm 
     Park Act (as added by subsection (a) of this section) shall 
     not apply to this Act.

     SEC. 2. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.

       Section 4(c) of the Wolf Trap Farm Park Act (Public Law 89-
     671; 16 U.S.C. 284c(c)) is amended--
       (1) by realigning the second sentence so as to appear flush 
     with the left margin; and
       (2) by striking ``Funds'' and inserting ``funds''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest).
  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2440 would change the name of Wolf Trap Farm Park 
to Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.

[[Page H9155]]

  Wolf Trap, located in Vienna, Virginia, enjoys a reputation as one of 
the premier venues for the Performing Arts in the country. The park 
plays host to every conceivable type of Performing Arts, from Native 
American folk festivals, to interpretive dance recitals, rock concerts 
and classical symphonies.
  While the Park Service maintains responsibility for the grounds and 
buildings, the non-profit Wolf Trap Foundation creates and selects 
programming, develops all educational programs, handles ticket sales, 
marketing, publicity and public relations, while also raising funds to 
support these programs. This bill would help alleviate confusion 
regarding its name and assist the nonprofit Wolf Trap Foundation in 
raising funds and resources for the park. The bill would not alter the 
legal status of the park nor its level of Federal funding.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a non-controversial bill, and I urge my 
colleagues to support its passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. UDALL of Colorado asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2440, introduced by the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Davis), renames Wolf Trap Farm Park, 
located in Northern Virginia, as the Wolf Trap National Park for the 
Performing Arts.
  Wolf Trap Farm Park was established in 1966 as a unit of the National 
Park Service. The park provides music and arts education programs and 
is best known for its annual summer concert series. Supporters of the 
park are seeking the name change to better reflect the park's operation 
as a performing arts center.
  Although no hearings were held on H.R. 2440 by the Committee on 
Resources, a similar bill passed the House at the very end of the last 
Congress, but no action on the bill occurred in the Senate. The 
language of H.R. 2440, including the clarifying amendment adopted by 
the Committee on Resources, has been worked out with the administration 
and the minority, and we are unaware of any problems with the bill.
  Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, we support H.R. 2440, as amended, and 
recommend its adoption by the House.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Davis).
  (Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support a 
bill that has been more than 3 years in the making. It was almost a 
year ago to the day that I was on this floor giving a very similar 
speech to a very similar bill. But, whatever the process may be, I am 
pleased today the House is now considering the bill that will allow the 
Wolf Trap Farm Park to become Wolf Trap National Park for the 
Performing Arts.
  Despite the relative straight-forwardness of this bill, it has taken 
years of careful negotiation and innumerable drafts to reach a 
consensus between the Park Service, the Department of Interior, the 
Wolf Trap Foundation, and the Committee on Resources. I am extremely 
pleased to say that as the first session of the 107th draws to a close, 
that consensus has been reached.
  As many of my colleagues undoubtedly know, Wolf Trap is one of the 
premier venues for the performing arts anywhere in the world. Nestled 
in a beautifully wooded site just outside of Vienna, Virginia, Wolf 
Trap plays host to every conceivable type of performing arts. It is the 
home to all the cultural diversity found in our great Nation.
  While I am disappointed it has taken this long to elevate Wolf Trap 
to the level of Federal recognition it deserves, I am very pleased that 
one of the final acts of this session will accomplish that goal.
  I would also like to thank my fellow Virginians, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Wolf) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran) for 
their tireless efforts in this endeavor. I am very grateful to the 
Members and staff of the Committee on Resources. Without their support, 
I am confident we would be revisiting this again in the next session. 
So, my thanks to all. I urge its adoption.
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).
  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Colorado 
for yielding me time.
  Mr. Speaker, doing the right thing should not be so difficult. We 
have been trying to do this for years, just to change the name from 
Wolf Trap Park to National Park so that it can better describe the 
actual legal status and the park's mission. The mission is to assist 
Wolf Trap Foundation in private fund-raising efforts.
  Wolf Trap Park is a beautiful location, nestled in the woods in 
Vienna, Virginia. It is about 136 acres. Any of my colleagues and their 
colleagues and staffs who have not been there should go visit Wolf 
Trap. It is a wonderful asset, not just for the Washington metropolitan 
area, but for the Nation, and that is the point of this legislation.
  It plays host to any number of performances, as the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Davis) 
and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) said. They described the 
wide gambit of classical symphonies, rock concerts, Native American 
folk festivals and so on, that use the stage at Wolf Trap. The Wolf 
Trap Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. It handles 
all the ticket sales, the publicity, the education programs, and does a 
wonderful job. The National Park Service is responsible for maintaining 
the grounds and the buildings. They also provide technical assistance 
for the performing arts centers.
  Now, in addition to the performances we see on the stage, there are 
any number of educational programs that are offered, not just locally, 
but also nationwide. Its premier education program, the Wolf Trap 
Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, places professional 
performing artists in preschool classrooms all across the country.

                              {time}  1815

  So the mission of Wolf Trap has been consistent with that of the 
National Park Service. It is the promotion of and access to 
appreciation of all of our natural resources and, in this case, our 
human resources as well and the performing arts. But because of this 
unique status within the national park system, we need to change the 
name from Wolf Trap Farm Park to Wolf Trap National Park. It is not 
going to affect the legal status or the Federal funding levels; it is 
not going to do anything but to alleviate confusion about this national 
park's mission, and it will assist the foundation in private fund-
raising efforts.
  So it is the right thing to do. From now on, we ought to call it Wolf 
Trap National Park; and I trust that all of my colleagues understand 
its national importance, significance, and accessibility for all of 
their constituents.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues from Virginia for bringing the 
bill to the floor.
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume. We have no further speakers on this issue.
  I would just ask my two colleagues from Virginia that when Wolf Trap 
Park holds traditional, historic country western music, if they would 
invite me to attend, I would be more than happy to do so.
  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, I 
trust the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Davis) will afford the gentleman 
from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest) a standing invitation.
  Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman from Maryland 
will yield, call me, and I would be happy to take the gentleman as my 
guest.
  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Duncan). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2440, as amended.

[[Page H9156]]

  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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