[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 24 (Thursday, February 14, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S787]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Ms. Warren, and Mr. 
        Cowan):
  S. 371. A bill to establish the Blackstone River Valley National 
Historical Park, to dedicate the Park to John H. Chafee, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I am reintroducing legislation with my 
colleagues Senators Whitehouse, Warren, and Cowan that would create the 
Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park. Our legislation seeks 
to preserve the industrial, natural, and cultural heritage of the 
Blackstone Valley, assist local communities by providing economic 
development opportunities, and build upon the foundation of the John H. 
Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor.
  In 1793, Samuel Slater began the American Industrial Revolution in 
Rhode Island when he built his historic mill along the Blackstone 
River. Today, the mills and villages found throughout the John H. 
Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor in Rhode 
Island and Massachusetts stand as witnesses to this important era of 
American history.
  Not only is the Blackstone Valley a window to our nation's past but 
it is also includes thousands of acres of pristine, undeveloped land 
and waterways that are home to a diverse ecosystem.
  The combined efforts of the National Park Service and Federal, State, 
and local officials in our or two states, along with dedicated 
volunteers, have rejuvenated the communities within the Corridor and 
renewed interest in the rich history of the Blackstone River and 
valley. This kind of economic and environmental revitalization is 
indicative of the tradition of the valley in its successful reinvention 
over the past two centuries.
  For example, the Ashton Mill in Cumberland is an excellent 
illustration of local redevelopment. With the designation of the 
National Heritage Corridor, the cleanup of the river, the creation of 
the state park, and the construction of the Blackstone River Bikeway, 
the property was restored for adaptive reuse as rental apartments. Once 
again, the mill and its village are a vital part of the greater 
Blackstone valley community.
  I have been pleased over the years to help support the preservation 
and renewed development of the Blackstone River Valley.
  In 2005, I cosponsored legislation with former Senator Lincoln 
Chafee, now our State's governor, requiring the completion of a Special 
Resource Study to determine which areas within the Corridor were of 
national significance and possibly suitable for inclusion in the 
National Park System. After extensive input from local stakeholders and 
historians, in 2011 the completed study recommended the creation of a 
new unit of the National Park System.
  The legislation I am reintroducing today with my colleagues from 
Rhode Island and Massachusetts seeks to establish the two-state 
partnership park described in the study, with sites including the 
Blackstone River and its tributaries, the Blackstone Canal, the 
historic district of Old Slater Mill in Pawtucket, the villages of 
Slatersville and Ashton in Rhode Island, the villages of Whitinsville 
and Hopedale in Massachusetts, and the Blackstone River State Park. The 
National Park Service would partner with the local coordinating entity 
of the surrounding Heritage Corridor, the Blackstone River Valley 
National Heritage Corridor, Inc. That non-profit would then lead 
efforts with other regional and local groups to preserve the 
surrounding rural and agriculture landscape within the greater 
Blackstone River Valley.
  Creating a national historic park will enable us to safeguard our 
cultural heritage for future generations; improve the use and enjoyment 
of the area's resources, including outdoor education for young people; 
enhance opportunities for economic development; and increase protection 
of the most important and nationally significant cultural and natural 
resources of the Blackstone River Valley.
  I am proud that this park would be dedicated to my late colleague 
John H. Chafee, who worked tirelessly for many years, along with others 
in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, to protect and preserve the 
Blackstone River Valley.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this legislation 
to establish the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park.

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