[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 103 (Tuesday, July 13, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H5511-H5512]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK LEASING AND BOUNDARY 
                         EXPANSION ACT OF 2010

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4438) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter 
into an agreement to lease space from a nonprofit group or other 
government entity for a park headquarters at San Antonio Missions 
National Historical Park, to expand the boundary of the Park, to 
conduct a study of potential land acquisitions, and for other purposes, 
as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4438

       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 ``San Antonio Missions 
     National Historical Park Boundary Expansion Act of 2010''.

     SEC. 2. PARK BOUNDARY STUDY.

       Section 201 of Public Law 95-629 (16 U.S.C. 410ee) is 
     amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsections (b), (c), (d), (e), and 
     (f) as subsections (c), (e), (f), (g), and (h) respectively;
       (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new 
     subsection:
       ``(b)(1) The Secretary shall conduct a study of lands 
     within Bexar and Wilson Counties, Texas, to identify lands 
     that would be suitable for inclusion within the boundaries of 
     the park. In conducting the study, the Secretary shall 
     examine the natural, cultural, recreational, and scenic 
     values and characteristics of lands within Bexar and Wilson 
     Counties.
       ``(2) Not later than 3 years after the date funds are made 
     available for the study under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
     shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the 
     House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and 
     Natural Resources of the Senate a report on the findings, 
     conclusions, and recommendations of the study.''; and
       (3) by inserting after subsection (c) (as so redesignated) 
     the following new subsection:
       ``(d) The Secretary may assign park employees to provide 
     interpretive services, including visitor information and 
     education, at facilities outside the boundary of the park.''.

     SEC. 3. BOUNDARY EXPANSION.

       Section 201(a) of Public Law 95-629 (16 U.S.C. 410ee(a)) is 
     amended as follows:
       (1) By striking ``In order'' and inserting the following: 
     ``(1) In order''.
       (2) By striking ``The park shall also'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(2) The park shall also''.
       (3) By striking ``After advising the'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(4) After advising the''.
       (4) By inserting after paragraph (2) (as so designated by 
     paragraph (2) above) the following:
       ``(3) The boundary of the park is further modified to 
     include approximately 151 acres, as depicted on the map 
     titled `San Antonio Missions National Historical Park 
     Proposed Boundary Addition 2009', numbered 472/68,027, and 
     dated November 2009. The map shall be on file and available 
     for inspection in the appropriate offices of the National 
     Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. The Secretary 
     of the Interior may not use condemnation authority to acquire 
     any lands or interests in lands under this Act.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Lummis) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam.


                             General Leave

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Guam?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4438 was introduced by Representative Ciro 
Rodriguez from San Antonio, Texas. The bill would expand the boundaries 
of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and require a 
study of possible further additions.
  San Antonio Missions National Historical Park was established in 1978 
to preserve, restore, and interpret four Spanish missions along the San 
Antonio River. H.R. 4438 would expand the current boundaries of the 
park to include 151 acres of land that has already been found suitable 
for addition to the park. The bill also would direct the NPS to study 
other lands that might be suitable for inclusion in the park boundaries 
in Bexar and Wilson Counties.
  The version before the House today does not include language that 
would have authorized the park to lease space outside the park for 
headquarters offices and an educational center. We have removed that 
provision to address PAYGO concerns.
  Mr. Speaker, Representative Rodriguez has been an excellent advocate 
for the many people in his district who hope to see this important and 
historic park grow and flourish. I commend his efforts, and I urge the 
House to support this excellent bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. LUMMIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 4438 has both fiscal and policy problems. The stated purpose of 
this bill is to expand the park by an additional 151 acres. The reasons 
for the expansion are vague, but the CBO cost estimate is fairly 
precise, $4 million. Add to this another $350,000 that will be spent by 
the National Park Service to determine whether it wants even more 
property.
  The current level of Federal spending is too high to rubber-stamp the 
flood of plans to expand our government's property holdings. Our parks 
are important assets, but I question the wisdom of going further into 
debt to continually expand Park Service holdings while our existing 
parks face a $9 billion backlog in maintenance and upkeep.
  I am pleased that the Resources Committee did include one Republican 
amendment to prohibit takings by condemnation. However, under this 
bill, property owners who have not consented to being included within 
the expanded boundaries of this park may find themselves fending off 
the unwanted attention of Federal officials pursuing their land. This 
can be an overwhelming burden and not one with which we should yoke the 
American people.
  I am also concerned that national parks are increasingly being used 
by litigation-prone environmental activists and by some in the National 
Park Service to control activities outside the congressionally 
determined boundaries of each park.

                              {time}  1440

  De facto buffer zones have been used to interfere with energy 
projects that are planned near and even far from national parks.

[[Page H5512]]

  To restrain this particular abuse, Republicans offered amendments in 
the Resources Committee to prevent the park designation from being 
misused to prohibit construction and maintenance of power generating 
facilities, whether coal-fired, wind or solar. With some people opposed 
to almost any new power facility, and others opposed only to those near 
their backyards, this has been an escalating problem. The National Park 
Service has participated in killing or delaying affordable and 
renewable energy projects from coast to coast. Unfortunately, Committee 
Democrats rejected these commonsense amendments on nearly party-line 
votes, and those protections are not in this bill today.
  Unfortunately, we are considering this bill under suspension of the 
rules and we are being denied the opportunity to offer amendments to 
salvage this flawed legislation. I urge my colleagues to exercise some 
fiscal restraint here today, support property rights, and oppose this 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez), the author of the bill.
  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, and Madam Chairman, I stand here today in 
support of my legislation, H.R. 4438, a bill to authorize the expansion 
of the San Antonio Mission National Historic Park boundaries, and to 
authorize a boundary study that would identify possible lands for 
inclusion in the park within Bexar and Wilson Counties.
  This bipartisan piece of legislation is cosponsored by all three of 
my colleagues from San Antonio, Congressman Charlie Gonzalez, 
Congressman Lamar Smith, and Congressman Henry Cuellar. My colleague in 
the Senate, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, has also introduced companion 
legislation.
  The San Antonio Missions is the largest concentration of Catholic 
missions in North America and serve as some of the most well preserved 
representations of Spanish colonial history, influence and culture in 
the Southwest. It is on this foundation that the City of San Antonio 
was established, and today the Missions serve as an important reminder 
of the connections to the city's rich past.
  Built along the San Antonio River in the early 1700s by Spanish 
missionaries, the Missions became important social and cultural centers 
of the time. Today, four missions still stand and continue to be active 
parishes.
  Established as a national park in 1978, the National Park Service and 
the City of San Antonio and Bexar County have worked diligently to 
restore and preserve the Missions and the surrounding river area.
  After years of channelization, the area along the river is at last 
being restored to its natural ecosystem. Preserving the natural habitat 
in an urban area is hugely important and has long been a priority of 
the San Antonio community. Now that this process is underway, expanding 
the Missions National Park to include this area is vital to creating a 
continuous and seamless park along the river.
  This legislation will authorize the acquisition of previously 
identified lands currently owned, and I stress, currently owned, by the 
City of San Antonio and Bexar County that are suitable for inclusion in 
the park. These are willing sellers.
  It will also authorize a boundary study for future areas. This bill 
will continue the deep tradition of preservation for the parks and 
river region, while also ensuring its future growth.
  The need to prepare for this growth is clear. Just last year alone, 
in 2009, the park had a record-breaking year of visitations with over 
1.7 million people visiting the park, a 35 percent increase over 2008 
levels.
  This legislation ensures that future generations will be able to walk 
along the river and see the city through the eyes of its past 
inhabitants as they look upon these historic structures and learn about 
the people that settled the region.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 4438.
  Mrs. LUMMIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.
  Mr. Speaker, I would note that the gentlelady from Wyoming has 
expressed concerns over the pending measure and the one we considered 
prior to it, which was a National Park Study bill. The next bill we 
will consider is also a National Park Study bill, and I will be pleased 
to support it, noting that the gentlelady from Wyoming is that bill's 
sponsor.
  Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members to support the bill.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H.R. 4438, the ``San Antonio Missions National Historical Park 
Leasing and Boundary Expansion Act of 2010,'' as introduced by my 
fellow member of the Texas delegation, the distinguished Ciro 
Rodriguez. This bill will expand the boundaries of the San Antonio 
Missions National Historical Park, adding an additional 150 acres of 
land to the site that preserves important pieces of Texas history.
  In the early 18th Century, the five missions in San Antonio were the 
largest concentration of Catholic missions in North America. Built 
primarily to expand Spanish New World influence northward from Mexico, 
the missions also served to introduce native inhabitants into Spanish 
society. All five thrived through the middle of the 18th Century, and 
then slowly declined towards the end of the 1700s, through disease, 
inadequate military support, and increased hostility from Comanches and 
Apaches.
  The Alamo, the most famous of the missions, is well known to all, as 
a shrine of Texas history. The other four missions--San Jose, San Juan, 
Concepcion, and Espada--have been in active operation as houses of 
worship since the 1800s, and are still important to the history of 
Texas.
  In 1978, the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park was 
authorized by the National Park Service. At that time, the San Antonio 
River, which runs through much of the Park's area, was somewhat 
polluted. It was always planned and expected that, as the river was 
cleaned up, the Park would expand to take advantage of the unpolluted 
riverside areas. Now, that time has come.
  H.R. 4438 will direct the Secretary of the Interior to study lands 
within Bexar and Wilson Counties in Texas, to identify lands that would 
be suitable for inclusion. It will also authorize the leasing of office 
space for a headquarters and support building, and allow the 
construction of an education and research center. It is only fitting 
that, as Mission Concepcion has recently been restored, and Mission San 
Jose is about to be restored, that the Park they are a part of is 
expanded to what it was originally imagined to be. Therefore, I 
strongly support this legislation, and urge my colleagues to join me.
  Ms. BORDALLO. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 4438, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mrs. LUMMIS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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