[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 110 (Wednesday, September 7, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9735-S9736]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CARPER (for himself and Mr. Biden):
  S. 1627. 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 a unit of the National Park System in 
Delaware; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, some folks were looking for a place to go 
on summer vacation on the Internet. A lot of people go to national 
parks. A couple of summers ago, my family and I went to Alaska and 
visited Denali, a national park bigger than my State. We had a 
wonderful time in Alaska. But if you go to the national park Web site, 
you can find national parks to visit in 49 States. There is one State 
that has no national park. It is my State.
  I am reintroducing legislation Senator Biden and I introduced at the 
end of the last Congress. We will reintroduce that so we get our State 
on the road to having our own national park and providing people around 
the country and the world the opportunity to learn about our coastal 
heritage, which included the landing of the first Swedes and Finns when 
they came to America. They landed in Wilmington, DE, to establish the 
colony of New Sweden. I don't think the Finns called it that, but the 
Swedes did. We want to have a national park of our own that would 
include that discovery, commemorate that discovery.
  Our bill authorizes the National Park Service to conduct a Special 
Resource Study of Delaware's coastal region. This study is the first 
step toward establishing the first national park in Delaware.
  Delaware's coastal region is rich in historical sites, parks, and 
wildlife areas. This Special Resource Study will trace the various 
threads that make up the fabric of Delaware, which are an ideal 
microcosm for the tapestry of America. Together, these sites highlight 
the threads of history, heritage, commerce, and nature. The result 
would be a national park highlighting America's history, cultural 
heritage, commercial progress and natural beauty.
  The study would be anchored on Fort Christina and the 7th Street 
Peninsula in Wilmington. It would extend south from there to include 
old New Castle and points along Delaware's coast in Kent and Sussex 
Counties, which have been the location of many significant events 
throughout America's history.
  This proposed study will help encapsulate the human and natural 
activity that has occurred along our coast that has helped create the 
very fabric of our society.
  I am confident this study will prove that a national park 
highlighting Delaware's rich coastal heritage 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.
  Delaware is first in so many ways, but it is the only state without a 
national park. Every year, millions of Americans plan their vacations 
around our nation's national park system. They log onto the Park 
Service web site 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 national park. Those trips will be a significant boost to 
our economy and will teach new generations of Americans about 
Delaware's rich cultural heritage.
  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.
  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.

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