[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 136 (Tuesday, September 30, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S12194]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BENNETT:
  S. 1678. A bill to provide for the establishment of the Uintah 
Research and Curatorial Center for Dinosaur National Monument in the 
States of Colorado and Utah, and for other purposes; to the Committee 
on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Uintah Research 
and Curatorial Center Act. This bill would authorize the National Park 
Service, NPS, to construct a research and curatorial facility for 
Dinosaur National Monument and its partner, the Utah Field House of 
Natural History Museum (Museum), in Vernal, UT. The facility would be 
co-located with the Museum while helping to preserve, protect, and 
exhibit the vast treasures of one of the most productive sites of 
dinosaur bones in the world.
  Since the first discovery of Jurassic era bones by the paleontologist 
Earl Douglass in 1909, and the subsequent proclamation as a national 
monument in 1915 by President Woodrow Wilson, the Dinosaur National 
Monument has been a haven for both amateur and expert dinosaur 
enthusiasts. At present, Dinosaur National Monument has more than 
600,000 items in its museum collection. Unfortunately, these items are 
currently stored in 17 different facilities throughout the park. Many 
of these resources are at risk due to the failure of the scattered 
facilities to meet minimum National Park Service storage standards. A 
new research and curatorial facility is greatly needed to bring the 
park's collections up to standard and to ensure its protection.
  The curatorial facility will also fill a critical role as a 
collection center for the park and partners' fossil, archaeological, 
natural resource operations and collections, and park archives. 
Moreover, in these days of limited budgets, the decision to co-locate 
this facility with the State's museum will also save taxpayer dollars. 
The State of Utah is nearing completion of their new Field House Museum 
at a cost to the State of $6.5 million dollars. Because of the co-
location, NPS staff, visiting scholars, interns and volunteers would 
have access to the State museum's space for exhibit, classroom, 
conferencing, education, restrooms, public access, parking, and other 
needs not included in the curatorial facility.
  The 22,500 square foot facility will be built outside the boundaries 
of the park on land donated to the Park Service by the City of Vernal 
and Uintah County. The legislation will also permit the Park Service to 
accept the donation of the land, valued at approximately $1.5 million 
dollars. The Park Service estimates the total cost of adding the 
research and curatorial center to be $8.7 million dollars.
  Other Federal agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management and the 
Forest Service, who are also in need of collections storage, have 
become minor partners and would utilize a small portion of the storage 
facility. An additional partner in the project, the Intermountain 
Natural History Association, has agreed to fund and carry out the soil 
and environmental testing necessary to permit the Park Service to 
accept the donation.
  It is imperative that we care for these paleontological resources and 
ensure their availability to future generations, both for scientific 
study and the enjoyment of the public. This legislation is a proactive 
approach to accomplishing those objectives and is an excellent example 
of a cost effective partnership between the National Park Service, the 
State of Utah Department of Natural Resources, the City of Vernal, and 
Uintah County of which this Congress ought to applaud and support.
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