[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 129 (Thursday, October 6, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11222-S11226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. INHOFE (for himself and Mr. Coburn):
  S. 1832. A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to lease 
oil and gas resources underlying Fort Reno, Oklahoma, to establish the 
Fort Reno Management Fund, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, today I proudly rise to introduce the 
``Fort Reno Mineral Leasing Act''.
  Fort Reno was established as a frontier cavalry post in 1874, and it 
played a key role in the settlement of the west. It is a historic site 
of National significance and it is listed on the National Register of 
Historic places. Over 9,000 visitors view the fort each year.
  In 1948 the U.S. Army turned its lands and buildings, at Fort Reno, 
over to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Today, the original site 
remains intact as a complete frontier post. Dozens of buildings 
constructed by the military, as early as the 1880's, still stand around 
the Historic District.

[[Page S11225]]

  The Agricultural Research Service administers the fort site which 
includes the Grazinglands Research Facility, the Fort Reno Historic 
District, and the Fort Reno Science Park.
  Many of the historic buildings are in desperate need of restoration. 
A small agency like the Agricultural Research Service is not 
financially able to keep up with the continued costs of maintenance of 
so much aged infrastructure. Independent studies show that over $18 
million is now needed to restore the most important of the many old 
officers' quarters and other key buildings.
  I have been an active supporter of Fort Reno and its facilities. For 
instance, several years ago I helped secure a Save America's Treasures 
Grant of $300,000 to assist a local historical organization with the 
costs of stabilization of exteriors on those deteriorating buildings 
that are most in need of renovation. In fiscal year 2004, I arranged 
for an appropriation of $2.1 million for construction of two 
greenhouses for use in research on forage grasses that is conducted by 
the Agricultural Research Service at the Fort Reno site.
  The legislation I am introducing today will provide a revenue-
neutral, non-appropriated source of funding which will be adequate to 
restore the historical buildings of Fort Reno, so that they will be 
here for future generations.
  In addition, this bill authorizes the development of the oil and gas 
that lies beneath Fort Reno's 6,737 acres and places those funds in a 
special account in the U.S. Treasury that will be utilized for 
restoration and maintenance of those facilities. These funds will also 
be used to assist with handling visitors to the fort, historic 
interpretation and related activities. The remaining funds will be used 
to pay down the national debt.
  The Fort Reno Mineral Leasing Act is fully supported by State 
legislators, local municipalities, the Chamber of Commerce, farm 
groups, the USDA, and the ARS Administrator at Fort Reno.
  I look forward to seeing this Oklahoma-specific legislation enacted 
and am proud to have Senator Coburn as my original cosponsor.
  I ask unanimous consent that letters of support be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:


                                              City of El Reno,

                                  El Reno, OK, September 29, 2005.
     Hon. James Inhofe,
     U.S. Senate, Russell Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator: As you know, the citizens of the City of El 
     Reno and others from across Oklahoma have long maintained a 
     strong interest in restoring the military buildings and other 
     historic features at Fort Reno. Fort Reno serves as a focal 
     point for many of this community's cultural and historical 
     events, and it is visited by thousands of tourists each year.
       As vital as Fort Reno is to our community and the State of 
     Oklahoma, it has much more potential as a national historic 
     site. That potential cannot be realized until the historic 
     buildings are restored. Cost to restore this site will be 
     considerable. Not restoring this site will cause Americans to 
     lose a significant piece of our nation's history. When you 
     consider the importance of saving this site for generations 
     to come, the cost is insignificant by comparison.
       The citizens of El Reno are thankful that you have 
     graciously agreed to consider drafting legislation that would 
     provide financial support for restoration and maintenance of 
     Fort Reno's aged buildings. You are to be commended for 
     acknowledging it is our responsibility to preserve our past 
     for future generations. I sincerely appreciate your respect 
     for our past and vision for our future.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Debbie Harrison,
     Vice Mayor, City of El Reno.
                                  ____

                                                  City of El Reno,


                                   Office of the City Manager,

                                  El Reno, OK, September 29, 2005.
     Hon. Jim Inhofe,
     Russell Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator: The purpose of this letter is to express my 
     appreciation for your efforts on behalf of the citizens of 
     the City of El Reno, particularly as relates to restoration 
     of historic buildings at Fort Reno. We are grateful that you 
     assisted with the Save America's Treasures grant that 
     recently allowed work to begin on restoration of one of the 
     Fort's officers quarters, built before 1890. Fort Reno is one 
     of our city's most important resources, and we have long 
     looked forward to seeing it restored to its former glory.
       We understand that you intend to introduce legislation that 
     could allow more progress to be made toward complete 
     restoration and future maintenance of the Fort's buildings 
     and other historical assets. I urge you to do so. The 
     benefits will be considerable, not only for the people of 
     this city, but for the state of Oklahoma and the Nation.
           Sincerely,
                                                Douglas D. Henley,
     City Manager.
                                  ____



                                        Oklahoma State Senate,

                            Oklahoma City, OK, September 29, 2005.
     Hon. James Inhofe,
     Russel1 Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Inhofe. On behalf of my constituents and all 
     citizens of Oklahoma, I wish to thank you for assisting with 
     efforts to obtain funding for restoration of historic 
     buildings at Fort Reno. When they learn of it, many people in 
     my district will be grateful for your support. I and others 
     in the Legislature have worked hard to assist those who 
     operate the Fort Reno Visitors Center, but the level of 
     funding required to rescue and maintain these old structures 
     and other historical resources at the Fort is beyond our 
     abilities.
       Restoration and continued maintenance of the Fort's 
     buildings are of critical importance to all Oklahomans. Fort 
     Reno is a primary historic site in our area, and it attracts 
     over 9,000 visitors annually. It has great potential for 
     tourism and economic development, and that potential cannot 
     be realized until it is properly restored. I admire and 
     appreciate your willingness to introduce legislation that 
     will insure that Fort Reno's historic buildings are preserved 
     and maintained for future generations of Oklahomans.
       Please let me know if I can assist with this important 
     effort in any way.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Mike Johnson,
     Oklahoma State Senate, District 22.
                                  ____

                                       El Reno Chamber of Commerce


                                        and Development Corp.,

                                  El Reno, OK, September 29, 2005.
     Hon. James Inhofe,
     Russell Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator: On behalf of the members and Board of 
     Directors of the El Reno Chamber of Commerce, I wish to 
     express our gratitude to you for assisting the citizens of 
     this city and the State of Oklahoma to restore one of our 
     most cherished historical assets, the buildings of Fort Reno. 
     New sources of funding to restore and maintain the Fort's 
     buildings are of critical importance to us. Fort Reno is the 
     principle historic site in our area and it attracts almost 
     10,000 visitors to our city annually; however, it is badly in 
     need of repair and maintenance.
       As you know, the costs required to complete a restoration 
     project of this magnitude far exceeds the capabilities of any 
     state, local organization or entity. We appreciate your 
     willingness to assist us with legislation that will insure 
     that Fort Reno's historic buildings are preserved and 
     maintained, and made available for the benefit of both 
     Oklahomans and our out-of-state visitors.
       Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help 
     with this effort by calling (405) 262-1188.
           Sincerely,
                                                        Karen Nix,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____



                                         Oklahoma Farm Bureau,

                               Oklahoma City, OK, October 4, 2005.
     Hon. Jim Inhofe,
     U.S. Senate, Russell Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Inhofe: We appreciate your ongoing support for 
     the Ft. Reno Agricultural Research Service Station. As you 
     know, at one time the physical ARS facility had suffered from 
     neglect and the reorganization of ARS. Now the physical 
     facility is much improved, and the research staff are doing 
     great work. It is truly an operation in which many of us take 
     great pride.
       I appreciate that you have an interest in helping the 
     citizens of Oklahoma to preserve the historical buildings of 
     Fort Reno. Funding is badly needed to restore and maintain 
     these buildings, many of which were built as early as the 
     1880s. I understand you are willing to introduce legislation 
     that will ensure that these historic buildings are not lost, 
     but are preserved and maintained and made available for 
     viewing and use by future generations of Oklahomans.
       I understand the historic area of the Fort has a lot of 
     local support from the community, and that you support a 
     revenue-neutral approach to financing the restoration of Fort 
     Reno without increasing our tax burden. Our much missed state 
     board member, Henry Jo VonTungeln, was an active proponent of 
     using a revenue-neutral approach to funding the restoration 
     of the Fort.
       Your willingness to carry legislation to implement this 
     approach is greatly appreciated. The success of the 
     legislation will mean a great deal to Oklahomans and 
     Americans, as well as the thousands of people who visit Fort 
     Reno each year.
       Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Steve Kouplen,
     President.
                                  ____



                                       Oklahoma Farmers Union,

                            Oklahoma City, OK, September 30, 2005.
     Hon. James Inhofe,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Inhofe: On behalf of Oklahoma Farmers Union 
     and the 100,000 family

[[Page S11226]]

     farmers, ranchers and rural citizens our organization 
     represents, we appreciate your dedication to Oklahoma and 
     your current efforts to preserve, restore and maintain Fort 
     Reno here in the heart of our great state. This historical 
     location and buildings, built in the 1800s, remains an 
     attraction to thousands of Oklahomans and out-of-state 
     tourists each year.
       Thank you for your interest, and more importantly, your 
     efforts to ensure much needed funding for this project. The 
     legislation you are currently working on in regards to Fort 
     Reno will ensure these buildings and this historic site will 
     not be lost, but instead will be available for generations to 
     come. We sincerely appreciate the revenue-neutral approach to 
     financing the restoration of Fort Reno, without increasing 
     our tax burden.
       Again, thank you for your active role in preservation of 
     Fort Reno and all your efforts on behalf of our great state.
           Sincerely,
                                                      Ray L. Wulf,
                                                  President & CEO.

                                 ______