[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 17, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S3188]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. LANDRIEU:
  S. 626. A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the 
suitability and feasibility of designating sites in the Lower 
Mississippi River Area in the State of Louisiana as a unit of the 
National Park System, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources.
  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation 
entitled the Lower Mississippi River National Historic Site Study Act. 
This bill will direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the 
suitability and feasibility of designating sites in Plaquemines Parish 
along the Lower Mississippi River Area as a unit of the National Park 
System. I cannot think of a more timely occasion to reintroduce this 
bill as Secretary Salazar is expected to be touring southeast Louisiana 
tomorrow.
  The first step to becoming a unit in the National Park System is to 
conduct a special resources study to determine whether an area 
possesses nationally significant natural, cultural, or recreational 
resources to be eligible for favorable consideration. This is exactly 
what my bill does--it asks the Department of the Interior to take the 
first step in determining what I already know--that the Lower 
Mississippi River Area would be a suitable and feasible asset to the 
National Park Service.
  I am proud to come to the floor today to reintroduce this bill. This 
area has vast historical significance and is an area with rich cultural 
history. In the 1500s, Spanish explorers traveled along the banks of 
the river. In 1682, Robert de LaSalle claimed all the land drained by 
the area. In 1699, the area became the site of the first fortification 
on the Lower Mississippi river, known as Fort Mississippi. Since then, 
it has been the home to 10 different fortifications, including Fort St. 
Philip and Fort Jackson.
  Fort St. Philip, which was originally built in 1749, played a key 
role during the Battle of New Orleans when soldiers blocked the British 
navy from going upriver. Fort Jackson was built at the request of GEN 
Andrew Jackson and partially constructed by famous local Civil War 
General P.G.T. Beauregard. This fort was the site of the famous Civil 
War battle know as the Battle of Forts which is also referred to as the 
``night the war was lost.'' Mr. President, as you can see, from a 
historical perspective, this area has many treasures that provide us a 
glimpse into our past. These are areas that have national significance. 
They should be maintained and preserved.
  There are also many other important and unique attributes to this 
area. This area is home to the longest continuous river road and levee 
system in the United States. It is also home to the ancient Head of 
Passes site, to the Plaquemines Bend, and to two national wildlife 
refuges.
  Finally, this area has a rich cultural heritage. Over the years, many 
different cultures have made this area home including Creoles, 
Europeans, Indians, Yugoslavs, African-Americans and Vietnamese. These 
cultures have worked together to create the infrastructure for 
transportation of our nation's energy which is being produced by these 
same people out in the Gulf of Mexico off our shores. They have also 
created a fishing industry that contributes to Louisiana's economy.
  I think it is easy to see why this area would make an excellent 
addition to the National Park Service. That is why I am reintroducing 
this bill--to begin the process of adding this area as a unit to the 
National Park Service by conducting a study to determine the 
suitability and feasibility of bringing this area into the system. I 
look forward to working with my colleagues to quickly enact this bill.

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