[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13640]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



            INTRODUCTION OF SAINT CROIX ISLAND HERITAGE ACT

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                        HON. JOHN ELIAS BALDACCI

                                of maine

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 10, 2000

  Mr. BALDACCI. Mr. Speaker, I am introducing today legislation to help 
Calais, Maine, commemorate the 400th anniversary of an internationally 
historic event. In 1604, a group of adventurers led by a French 
nobleman established a settlement on Saint Croix Island in the Saint 
Croix River that forms part of the border between Maine and New 
Brunswick. By accounts it was one of the earliest settlements in North 
America.
  The residents of the region, with the Saint Croix Economic Alliance 
and the Sunrise County Economic Council and with the cooperation of 
state and federal agencies have worked for several years to develop a 
regional heritage center to mark the event with a celebration in 2004 
with the United States, Canada and France. The island itself is the 
only international historic site in the National Park System. The 
heritage center in Calais will preserve and chronicle the region's 
cultural, natural, and historical heritage.
  The work began with an evaluation of the market potential for the 
heritage center and preparation of a preliminary exhibit and operating 
plans. The loose-knit coalition secured planning funds and seed money 
from local businesses, the city of Calais, and the U.S. Forest Service. 
A full-time project coordinator is in place to oversee the development 
of the project.
  It is time for the National Park Service to step forward. The Saint 
Croix Island Heritage Act would grant the Park Service the authority to 
provide assistance. The bill directs the Park Service to facilitate the 
development of the heritage center in time for the 400th anniversary of 
the island's settlement by French explorers. It authorizes the 
Secretary of the Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with 
other federal agencies as well as with nonprofit organizations, and 
state and local governments. It also authorizes $2.5 million for this 
endeavor.

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