[Senate Report 105-405]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                                       Calendar No. 629
105th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE

 2d Session                                                     105-405
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              FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

                                _______
                                

 October 10 (legislative day, October 2), 1998.--Ordered to be printed

_______________________________________________________________________


  Mr. Murkowski, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 2246]

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 
referred the bill (S. 2246) to amend the Act which established 
the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site, in the 
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by modifying the boundary, and 
for other purposes, having considered the same, reports 
favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the 
bill do pass.

                         Purpose of the Measure

    The purpose of S. 2246 is to authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior to expand the boundaries of Frederick Law Olmsted 
National Historic Site in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to 
allow for the donation of a 5.35-acre parcel of land contiguous 
to the park.

                          Background and Need

    Frederick Law Olmsted is best known as the creator of major 
urban parks, including Central Park in New York and the U.S. 
Capital grounds in Washington, DC. He left his imprint across 
the Nation, in the green spaces of towns and cities, and in 
protection efforts for wilderness areas. Olmsted saw the need 
for preserving green and open spaces where people could escape 
city pressures and nourish body and spirit.
    The National Park Service acquired the Olmsted National 
Historic Site in 1980 (Public Law 96-87) and inventoried the 
historic design records, including thousands of plans and 
photographs dating from 1860 to 1980. Olmsted National Historic 
Site transcends the traditional role of a museum by serving as 
a center for the study and preservation of landscapes. 
Landscape and architect researchers throughout the Nation are 
assisted through the Olmsted Archives and the Olmsted Center of 
Landscape located at the site.
    S. 2246 would expand the boundary of the Frederick Law 
Olmsted National Historic Site to add 5.35 acres of donated 
land. The Brookline Conservation Land Trust has agreed to 
donate the property to the National Park Service to help 
preserve the integrity of the historic site.

                          Legislative History

    S. 2246 was introduced June 26, 1998 by Senator Murkowski 
at the request of the administration, and referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The Subcommittee on 
National Parks, Historic Preservation, and Recreation held a 
hearing on S. 2246 on September 17, 1998.
    At its business meeting on September 24, 1998, the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 2246, 
favorably reported.

            Committee Recommendation and Tabulation of Votes

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open 
business session on September 24, 1998, by a unanimous voice 
vote of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 
2246, as described herein.

                           Summary of S. 2246

    S. 2246 amends Public Law 96-87 authorizing the Secretary 
of the Interior to acquire, through donation only, a 5.35 acre 
parcel of land owned by the Brookline Conservation Land Trust. 
The Brookline Conservation Land Trust has agreed to donate the 
property to the National Park Service to help preserve the 
setting of the historic site and to make it available for 
educational purposes.

                   Cost and Budgetary Considerations

    The following estimate of costs of this measure has been 
provided by the Congressional Budget Office:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                Washington, DC, September 25, 1998.
Hon. Frank H. Murkowski,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, U.S. Senate, 
        Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 2246, a bill to 
amend the act which established the Frederick Law Olmsted 
National Historic Site, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 
by modifying the boundary, and for other purposes.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
            Sincerely,
                                         June E. O'Neill, Director.
    Enclosure.

               congressional budget office cost estimate

S. 2246--A bill to amend the act which established the Frederick Law 
        Olmsted National Historic Site, in the commonwealth of 
        Massachusetts, by modifying the boundary, and for other 
        purposes

    S. 2246 would authorize the National Park Service (NPS) to 
accept from the Brookline Conservation Land Trust the donation 
of lands (and associated easements) abutting the Frederick Law 
Olmsted National Historic Site.
    CBO estimates that the NPS would incur only minor expenses 
generally associated with accepting title to donated property, 
such as the costs of appraising and surveying the site. Based 
on information provided by the NPS, CBO expects that the agency 
would incur no significant additional development or operating 
expenses after the transfer has been completed.
    S. 2246 would not affect direct spending or receipts; 
therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply. The bill 
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as 
defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would have no 
significant impact on the budgets of state, local, or tribal 
governments.
    The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis. This estimate was 
approved by Paul N. Van de Water, Assistant Director for Budget 
Analysis.

                      Regulatory Impact Evaluation

    In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following 
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in 
carrying out S. 2246. The bill is not a regulatory measure in 
the sense of imposing Government-established standards of 
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals 
and businesses.
    No personal information would be collected in administering 
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal 
privacy.
    Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from 
enactment of S. 2256, as ordered reported.

                        Executive Communications

    S. 2246 was introduce at the request of the Administration. 
On September 22, 1997 the Department of the Interior 
transmitted a letter to the Energy and Natural Resources 
Committee requesting that the bill be introduced and passed. A 
copy of the letter, and the testimony of the National Park 
Service follows:

                        Department of the Interior,
                                   Office of the Secretary,
                                Washington, DC, September 22, 1997.
Hon. Albert Gore, Jr.,
President of the Senate,
Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. President: Enclosed is a draft bill ``To amend the 
Act which established the Frederick Law Olmsted National 
Historic Site, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by 
modifying the boundary and for other purposes.''
    We recommend the bill be introduced, referred to the 
appropriate committee, and enacted. The purpose of the 
legislation is to allow the Secretary of the Interior to 
acquire, by donation only, lands owned by the Brookline 
Conservation Land Trust which are situated adjacent to the 
historic site. These lands remain much as they were during 
Olmsted's life and acquisition will help preserve the setting 
of the historic site. The Brookline Conservation Land Trust 
desires to donate the property to the National Park Service to 
help preserve the setting of the historic site and to make it 
available for educational purposes.
    The Office of Management and Budget has advised that there 
is no objection to the enactment of the enclosed draft 
legislation from the standpoint of the Administration's 
program.
            Sincerely,
                                   Donald J. Barry,
                             Acting Assistant Secretary for
                                       Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
                                ------                                


   Statement of Destry Jarvis, Assistant Director, External Affairs, 
           National Park Service, Department of the Interior

    Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear 
before you to discuss S. 2246, a bill to amend the Act which 
established Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site in the 
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to authorize the acquisition of 
certain lands adjacent to the site. Mr. Chairman, the National 
Park Service strongly supports enactment of S. 2246.
    S. 2246 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
acquire, by donation only, land and interests therein adjacent 
to the site and is owned by the Brookline Conservation Land 
Trust, a non-profit corporation established under the laws of 
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Such property would 
subsequently be included and administered as part of Frederick 
Law Olmsted National Historic Site.
    Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site was 
established on October 12, 1979, for the purpose of preserving 
the home and office of Frederick Law Olmsted, the great 
American landscape architect and park designer. After work on 
such landmark designs as Central Park and Prospect Park in New 
York, Olmsted moved to Brookline in 1883 where he established 
the first full-scale professional office for the practice of 
landscape architecture in the United States. Many of the 
nation's most significant landscapes were designed and 
developed in the Brookline office by Olmsted, his sons, and 
successors--thousands of designs, including those for the U.S. 
Capitol and White House Grounds, the U.S. Military Academy at 
West Point, Acadia National Park, and entire park systems in 
Boston, Chicago, Louisville, and Seattle.
    Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site is the most 
important site in the National Park Service dedicated to the 
history of American landscape architecture and urban planning. 
The historic office was actively used as a landscape design 
center by Olmsted and successor firms for nearly a century 
between 1883 and 1979. Housed on-site are the Olmsted Archives, 
which contains hundreds of thousands of design records 
including landscape architectural plans, drawings, and 
photographs. These records document work in 45 of the states 
and are of enormous interest to park and city planners across 
America engaged in the study and rehabilitation of historic 
landscapes. The site also includes 1.75 acres which formed the 
working environment of the firm. The plan for this historic 
landscape was originally conceived by Olmsted and serves as a 
model exhibit of his design principles, craftsmanship, and use 
of plant material.
    Management objectives for Olmsted NHS as stated in the 
General Management Plan (1983) emphasize preservation of the 
historic scene, including the landscaped grounds. The 
objectives also encourage preservation of the general 
neighborhood character. The National Park Service has recently 
completed a five-year program of rigorous landscape restoration 
to interpret better the characteristic Olmsted design and to 
demonstrate the importance of maintenance practices in historic 
landscape management. Fortunately the open lands and estates 
bordering the site have thus far remained largely as they were 
described when Olmsted first established his home in Brookline; 
however, neighboring estate properties are presently being 
developed.
    The Brookline Conservation Land Trust has willingly 
proposed to donate to Olmsted NHS six parcels of adjourning 
land totaling 5.35 acres in order to ensure preservation of one 
of the few remaining open field and woodland environments in 
Brookline. There are no buildings; seasonal mowing by the 
existing park staff would constitute the primary maintenance 
cost. Acquiring and protecting these lands, which constitute a 
key component of the historic viewshed at Olmsted NHS, will 
ensure that the visual and historic integrity of the site is 
maintained.
    Legislation to amend the Act which established the 
Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site is necessary in 
order to modify the existing boundary. If S. 2246 is enacted, 
no additional funding would be required since start-up and 
routine maintenance costs are expected to be minimal.
    This concludes my prepared testimony. I would be happy to 
answer any questions that you or members of the subcommittee 
may have.

                        Changes in Existing Law

    In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by 
the bill S. 2246, as ordered reported, are shown as follows 
(existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black 
brackets, new matter is printed in italic, existing law in 
which no change is proposed is shown in roman):

93 Stat. 664, Public Law 96-87--Oct. 12, 1979

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                                TITLE II

    Sec. 201. (a) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

    (d) In order to preserve and maintain the historic setting 
of the Site, the Secretary is authorized to acquire, through 
donation only, lands with associated easements situated 
adjacent to the Site owned by the Brookline Conservation Land 
Trust. These lands are to be used for educational and 
interpretive purposes and shall be maintained and managed as 
part of the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site.