[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 125 (Wednesday, October 6, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10570-S10573]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CARPER (for himself and Mr. Biden):
  S. 2899. A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct 
a special resources study to evaluate resources along the coastal 
region of the State of Delaware and to determine the suitability and 
feasibility of establishing 1 or more units of the National Park System 
in Delaware, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources.
  Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, a few minutes ago, I was recognized and I 
spoke about the first State. The first State is Delaware. Delaware 
became the first State December 7th, 1787, when we ratified the 
Constitution. For 1 week, Delaware was the entire United States of 
America. We opened things up for the rest of the country, and 
Pennsylvania came in, New Jersey, and others. For the most part, we are 
pleased the way it turned out.
  It is ironic that the State that helped start this country, the State 
whose history is part of the fabric of this country's history, has no 
national park to celebrate our place in the founding of this country 
and the growth of this country over the last 200-some years.
  A couple of years ago, my family and I were planning a vacation. We 
were trying to decide where to go. We were thinking about going to 
Alaska. We actually got on the National Park Service Web site to see 
about the national parks in Alaska. They have terrific national parks. 
We went up there and had a wonderful visit. Before we did that, we 
looked at that National Park Service Web site to see what other 
attractions there are in the other 49 States. There is a unit of the 
National Park Service in 49 States in this country, but we found 
nothing for Delaware.
  For years gone by and for the immediate future when families like 
ours are deciding where they are going to go on their summer vacation 
in 2005 or 2006, they will have the same choices as they had in 2004 
and the years before this, businesses, one of the most enduring 
businesses, large or small, in the United States.
  There are other attractions. The Underground Railroad literally runs 
the length and breadth of our State. Many slaves found their freedom 
crossing the Christina River into northern Delaware not far from where 
the first Swedes landed just down the river.
  A second hub would be located in the southern part of New Castle 
County along the Delaware River. Not far from where the hub would be is 
Fort Delaware. During the Confederate war, tens of thousands of 
Confederate soldiers were held prisoner at Fort Delaware, in the middle 
of the Delaware River. From that hub, Port Penn, along the Delaware 
River, will emanate to the spokes that lead to attractions, including 
Fort Delaware.
  A third hub is Kent County, DE. Kent County, DE, is home of the 
Golden Fleece Tavern. On December 7, 1787, a band of several dozen men 
decided, after studying and debating the Constitution that had been 
sent out from Philadelphia, from the Constitutional Convention, they 
decided to ratify at the Golden Fleece Tavern on that cold December 
morning.
  Not far from that is a place called John Dickinson Mansion. That 
mansion was home of a Delawarean who participated in the Constitutional 
Convention. At that Constitutional Convention, he worked with folks 
from Connecticut to develop the compromise that makes it clear that 
every State gets two Senators today and that all the States have 
representatives in the House of Representatives right down that hall in 
coordination with the size of the population of that State. That is 
just one of the many and those choices will not include a national park 
in Delaware or a unit of National Park in our State.
  Senator Biden, a couple of years ago, tried to address this problem. 
For a while, the idea of creating a national park gave some thought to 
creating a national park in the Great Cyprus Swamp in the southeast 
corner. Those familiar with Bethany, Rehoboth, and Lewes may or may not 
know there is a huge swamp where the last of the bald cyprus in North 
America are. We thought of designating the Great Cyprus Swamp as a 
national park. The idea ran into some disfavor in southern Delaware and 
was abandoned.
  I am delighted Senator Biden has joined in introducing today our 
legislation to call on the Department of the Interior to conduct a 
feasibility study to see if what we think is a great idea developed by 
our park committee in Delaware, led by Dr. Jim Soles over the last 
year, might find favor with the Department of the Interior, the 
Congress, and with the President.
  The committee has envisioned four wheels, four hubs, starting in the 
northern part of our State in Wilmington, DE, where the first Swedes

[[Page S10571]]

and Finns came in 1638. They landed at Port Christina and established 
the colony of New Sweden. That hub will serve as a gateway through 
which visitors might come.
  Think of a hub as a bicycle wheel with spokes emanating from the 
hubs, and the spokes would lead to attractions throughout the northern 
part of our State. One is the Hagley Museum, where the first powder 
mills were built along the banks of the Brandywine River providing 
support for what became the DuPont Company that has endured for over 
200 attractions that would lead from the hub down to the spokes that 
people who come to the central part of our State might visit.
  Further south in our State is a place called Lewes. It was settled by 
the Dutch back in the 1600s. It is a place that had been literally 
raided, attacked by Indians, wiped out, and came back to be a thriving, 
prosperous community. The history of early Lewes is captured in the 
Swaanendael Museum. Not far away is a beautiful State park, Cape 
Henlopen State Park, which a lot of people visit every year.
  We have wildlife refuges in the southern and northern part of the 
State. There are tens of millions of birds that stop and feed on the 
way either to the southern hemisphere in the winter or on the way back 
up North in the spring.
  Our State has a lot to offer. Our heritage is one that is rich and 
reflects the tapestry of our country we have had on the coastal regions 
of our State over the last 200 years. We do not want to keep it just to 
ourselves but share it with the rest of the country and the rest of the 
world.
  We are excited to work with the Department of the Interior, our 
colleagues, and the administration, present or future, to establish a 
coastal heritage park for the State of Delaware so a year or two from 
now, when people sit with their families, turn on their computers, and 
go to the National Park Service Web site to see what is available 
around the country to visit, they will find a lot of good things about 
the other 49 States, but they will find some very special things in 
Delaware, too.
  I thank Senators for the time to introduce this with my colleague, 
Senator Joe Biden.
  Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Delaware 
National Coastal Special Resources Study Act. I am pleased to be joined 
in introducing this bill by Senator Biden. This bill authorizes the 
Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility of establishing a 
National Park Service unit in Delaware.
  Delaware is first in so many ways. Yet we are the only State without 
a National Park. Last year, I wondered whether Delawareans agreed with 
me that we should have a unit of the National Park Service. Through 
surveys and town meetings, I polled Delawareans on this question in 
2003. The answer was a resounding and nearly unanimous ``yes.''
  However, folks were less unanimous on where the park should be 
located and which aspect of Delaware it should feature. So I formed a 
12-member committee representing communities throughout the State. They 
discussed many fine ideas, and narrowed them down to four proposals 
with a common thread. In one way or another, each proposal related to 
Delaware's coastal region.
  The committee recommended joining these proposals. The result would 
be a national park highlighting America's history, cultural heritage, 
commercial progress and natural beauty. The Delaware National Coastal 
Heritage Park will reveal that the various threads that together make 
up the fabric of Delaware are an ideal microcosm for the tapestry of 
America.
  To understand our proposal, first let me ask you to stop thinking 
about Yosemite or Yellowstone or Shenandoah. This proposal is not like 
those big, traditional national parks. Ours is a different, more 
innovative and creative way of thinking about a park. Delaware's 
coastal region is rich in historical sites, museums, parks, and 
wildlife areas. Together, these sites highlight the threads of history, 
heritage, commerce, and nature.
  A series of four gateway hubs, or interpretive centers, located along 
the coast will guide visitors to the many existing attractions in the 
coastal communities that underlie the park. Connecting these 
attractions through the National Park Service will allow us to tell our 
unique story to the Nation.
  And, as I'd like to demonstrate for you, our story is worth telling.
  The history of America, beginning well before the first European 
settlers, is seen in the Lenni Lenape and Nanticoke Native American 
tribes. They settled and prospered in the area in and around Delaware 
thousands of years before the first European settlement in the early 
1600s. Members of the modern Nanticoke Indian Association and the 
Lenape Tribe of Delaware trace their ancestry to the earliest 
inhabitants of Delaware's coastline. A visit to the Nanticoke Museum 
brings our early history to life.
  Delaware's shores were explored by the Swedes, Dutch and English. Our 
small State was the subject of competing claims for its territory from 
the beginning of European settlement. The earliest colonial settlement 
in Delaware, known as Swaanendael, was established in 1631 in what is 
present day Lewes. The settlement ended in tragedy when it was wiped 
out in a clash with the local Native American population. The 
Swaanendael Museum in Lewes illustrates Delaware's Dutch roots.
  The Swedes established the first permanent European settlement in the 
Delaware Valley. The Kalmar Nyckel, a replica of the ship that carried 
Swedes to our shores, is docked in Wilmington and currently hosts 
visitors from around the world.
  Founded in Wilmington in 1638, Fort Christina was the earliest 
lasting bastion in the region. However, as a main line for coastal 
defense in America, Delaware boasts forts throughout the State. Forts 
displaying various methods and philosophies of coastal defense can be 
found along the Delaware River from Fort Delaware and Fort Dupont in 
New Castle County to Fort Miles in Sussex County. Delaware was the site 
of military action in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. 
And at the onset of World War II, the U.S. Army established a military 
base at Cape Henlopen. You can still see the bunkers and gun 
emplacements that were camouflaged among the dunes along with the 
concrete observation towers that were built to spot enemy ships.
  Delaware's pivotal role in America's fight for independence 
culminated in Caesar Rodney's legendary ride to Philadelphia to sign 
the Declaration of Independence. The Golden Fleece Tavern in Kent 
County was the meeting place where, on December 7, 1787, it was 
unanimously decided that Delaware would ratify the Constitution, giving 
us the distinction of being the First State.
  Transportation was dominated by water. New Castle thrived as a port 
town, second only to Philadelphia. Additional ports in Wilmington and 
Lewes provided harbor for ocean-going vessels in the export trade. A 
walk through old New Castle is like stepping back in time.
  Delaware historically holds the distinction of being one of America's 
most prosperous industrial, economic and commercial centers. Some of 
the Nation's leading ship and rail building establishments were located 
in the State, as were textile and papermaking companies. Frenchman 
Eleuthere lrenee duPont founded a gunpowder mill on the banks of the 
Brandywine River near Wilmington. The history of the DuPont Company is 
captured at the scenic Hagley Museum.
  Delaware's role in the Underground Railroad is too important not to 
tell. There are documented Underground Railroad sites all over the 
State. Underground Railroad historians believe that Harriet Tubman made 
numerous trips through Delaware after her own daring escape. Tubman-
Garrett Park in Wilmington overlooks the spot where escaping slaves 
swam across the Christina River as part of their journey. Wilmington 
and Camden in Kent County were considered safe stations on the way to 
freedom. Through the Delaware National Coastal Heritage Park, more 
Americans could come to understand the historic road to freedom 
traveled by thousands of enslaved Africans.
  Delaware is not only rich in history. It is also famed for its 
natural refuges and conservatories. William Penn proclaimed that Cape 
Henlopen and its natural resources were for the common

[[Page S10572]]

usage, thus establishing some of the Nation's first ``public lands.'' 
Some of America's earliest beach resorts sprouted up along the Delaware 
Bay and coastline during the mid-to-late 19th century. They remain in 
use to this day. The Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge is an 
important link in the Atlantic Flyway, a trail of wildlife refuges used 
by migrating birds each year. This makes Bombay Hook a must-see for 
bird watchers and nature lovers. The Little Creek Wildlife area is a 
4,500 acre mecca for crabbers and fishermen.
  This is just a taste of the scenic beauty, ethnic heritage, and 
historical significance that greet visitors to Delaware's coastal 
shores. The national park selection committee realized that these 
events and places are threads of human and natural activity that create 
the very fabric of our society. And the committee realized that a park 
unit that helped local residents and visitors alike recognize and 
understand these threads would be a very appropriate and fitting 
addition to the National Park system. Our national park would 
demonstrate that coastal regions like those found in Delaware are a 
vital part of America's past, present, and future.
  But the committee also felt that the park itself should be very 
different from traditional parks. Instead of a large landmass, the park 
will be structured much like a series of four bicycle wheels, each with 
a hub and spokes. The hubs will be interpretive centers located 
strategically along the coastline. Local residents and tourists would 
learn about how our coastline has contributed to the development of our 
State and our Nation. These centers would provide information and 
guidance about the many, many existing historic sites, natural areas, 
recreational opportunities and other attractions that are part of our 
coastal region. The spokes will be the multitude of attractions and 
sites that demonstrate the threads of America's history and scenic 
beauty.
  The gateway hub will be located at the 7th Street Peninsula at the 
site of the original Fort Christina. There are various attractions 
within a short walking distance related to the coastal theme of the 
park. This site would also provide information, advice and directions 
about other sites in the Wilmington area. It might also include a 
visitor's center, park headquarters, perhaps a replica of the original 
Fort Christina.
  A second hub would be located along the Delaware River in southern 
New Castle County. It would provide information on attractions such as 
Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island, Fort DuPont and the renowned 
historic district in the old city of New Castle as well other related 
attractions in New Castle County.
  The third hub would be located in Kent County, also along the coast 
of the Delaware River. It would provide information on the existing 
preserved natural areas and on the myriad other attractions in Kent 
County including the John Dickinson Mansion, Dover's historic Green and 
others.
  A Sussex County hub would be located in the Lewes area and would 
provide information on the numerous historic sites and natural areas 
that have made Sussex County's coastal region so pivotal to Delaware.
  Together, these four interpretive centers would direct visitors to 
the many existing attractions that would help our guests understand and 
appreciate the many threads of Delaware's Coastal Region--threads that 
help make up the fabric of America.
  Every year, millions of Americans plan their vacations around our 
Nation's national park system. They log onto the Park Service website 
and search for ideas for their family vacations. Right now, that search 
will turn up nothing for Delaware. With a national park unit here in 
Delaware, that will change.
  In the future, those families will be considering a trip to Delaware 
to visit our Coastal Heritage Park. Those trips will be a significant 
boost to our economy--they will create jobs and economic activity that 
can only be good for our State.
  Just as important--or maybe even more important--these additional 
visitors will bring more attention to our existing historic sites and 
other attractions. That additional attention will help guarantee they 
are preserved for future generations.
  By encouraging more Delawareans themselves to visit these wonderful 
places, a National Park unit will help enrich our own understanding of 
our own history.
  I have described to you today a vision resulting from the hard work 
of many dedicated Delawareans. Today, I take the next step in making 
their vision a reality.
  The bill I've introduced today--the Delaware National Coastal Special 
Resources Study Act--authorizes the National Park Service to conduct a 
``Special Resource Study'' to make recommendations as to the 
feasibility of this proposal. The study itself would take from 1 to 2 
years to complete and would include estimated costs of implementing the 
proposal.
  I believe this is an exciting proposal and one that, when 
incorporated into the National Park System, will become an important 
element in preserving the wonderful human and natural history presented 
by our coastal region.
  l ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2899

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Delaware National Coastal 
     Special Resources Study Act''.

     SEC. 2. STUDY.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior (referred to 
     in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall conduct a special 
     resources study of the national significance, feasibility of 
     long-term preservation, and public use of sites in the 
     coastal region of the State of Delaware.
       (b) Inclusion of Sites in the National Park System.--The 
     study under subsection (a) shall include an analysis and any 
     recommendations of the Secretary concerning the suitability 
     and feasibility of--
       (1) designating 1 or more of the sites along the Delaware 
     coast as units of the National Park System that relate to the 
     themes described in section 3; or
       (2) establishing a national heritage area that incorporates 
     the sites along the Delaware coast that relate to the themes 
     described in section 3.
       (c) Study Guidelines.--In conducting the study authorized 
     under subsection (a), the Secretary shall use the criteria 
     for the study of areas for potential inclusion in the 
     National Park System contained in section 8 of Public Law 91-
     383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5).
       (d) Consultation.--In preparing and conducting the study 
     under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with--
       (1) the State of Delaware;
       (2) the coastal region communities; and
       (3) the general public.

     SEC. 3. THEMES.

       The study authorized under section 2 shall evaluate sites 
     along the coastal region of the State of Delaware that relate 
     to--
       (1) the history of indigenous peoples, which would explore 
     history of Native American tribes of Delaware, such as the 
     Nanticoke and Lenni Lenape;
       (2) the colonization and establishment of the frontier, 
     which would chronicle the first European settlers in the 
     Delaware Valley who built fortifications for the protection 
     of settlers;
       (3) the founding of a nation, which would document the 
     contributions of Delaware to the development of our 
     constitutional republic;
       (4) industrial development, which would investigate the 
     exploitation of water power in Delaware with the mill 
     development on the Brandywine River;
       (5) transportation, which would explore how water served as 
     the main transportation link, connecting Colonial Delaware 
     with England, Europe, and other colonies;
       (6) coastal defense, which would document the collection of 
     fortifications spaced along the river and bay from Fort 
     Delaware on Pea Patch Island to Fort Miles near Lewes;
       (7) the last stop to freedom, which would detail the role 
     Delaware has played in the history of the Underground 
     Railroad network; and
       (8) the coastal environment, which would examine natural 
     resources of Delaware that provide resource-based 
     recreational opportunities such as crabbing, fishing, 
     swimming, and boating.

     SEC. 4. REPORT.

       Not later than 1 year after funds are made available to 
     carry out this Act under section 5, the Secretary shall 
     submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
     the Senate and the Committee on Resources of the House of 
     Representatives a report containing the findings, 
     conclusions, and recommendations of the study conducted under 
     section 2.

[[Page S10573]]

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
     necessary to carry out this Act.
  Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, today I rise in support of the Delaware 
National Coastal Special Resources Study Act and join my colleague, 
Senator Carper, in asking this body to support our efforts to construct 
the Delaware National Coastal Heritage Park. Delaware is the only State 
not to have a national park and we feel strongly that the time has 
come. Today, through this legislation, we are asking the Secretary of 
the Interior to study the feasibility of establishing a National Park 
Service unit in the State of Delaware.
  As I stand before you, I know what most of you are thinking. Do we 
have an area worthy of such designation? Do we have picturesque 
mountains like the Grand Tetons or the Great Smokey Mountains? Are 
people drawn to our coasts to find the spirituality of JoshuaTree? Do 
we possess landscape on par with the beauty and serenity of Acadia 
National Park? Well, in a word, yes. A little of all of the 
magnificence found in some of our Nation's most famous parks can be 
found in our State of Delaware and that is why the proposal presented 
by Senator Carper is so unique and worthy of the next step.
  I have to commend my colleague. Senator Carper brought together a 
committee of dedicated Delawareans to analyze the validity of a 
national park in the State of Delaware. After much deliberation, the 
committee suggested a series of four interpretive centers, scattered 
throughout the state, to highlight the many treasures of our state. 
While there are numerous sites identified in the proposal, I would just 
like to take a moment to speak to several that have been especially 
close to me in my years in the Senate.
  Pea Patch Island is a 228-acre park located off the coast of Delaware 
City, Delaware that houses Fort Delaware, one of our country's oldest 
Civil War-era fortifications and Delaware's oldest State Park. The 
island, with its fort, seawall and other archeological remains, is 
listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. The island also 
houses a State nature preserve, providing critical habitat to thousands 
of wading birds. It is also the largest heronry north of Florida.
  Delaware also played a special role in the Underground Railroad and 
the proposal will highlight the 18 sites in Delaware including a 
hideout at the Governor's mansion, the court house where abolitionist 
Thomas Garrett was tried, the Mother African Church in Wilmington where 
an African American Festival founded in 1814 was used as a cover to 
help slaves escape is still celebrated, and numerous other sites 
utilized by the principal Underground Railroad conductor, Harriet 
Tubman.
  Finally, I would like to mention our coastline, our beaches. Now into 
October, we have said goodbye to another fantastic beach season with 
millions of people visiting our shores. The historic sites and wildlife 
refuges that dot our coastline are unique to the area and to the 
Nation.
  These links to Delaware's past are important to our Nation's future 
and I am proud to join my colleague in supporting this legislation.
                                 ______