[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.
______