[Senate Report 106-212]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 368
106th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 106-212
======================================================================
WORLD WAR VETERANS PARK AT MILLER FIELD
_______
November 2, 1999.--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 H.R. 592]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the Act (H.R. 592) to designate a portion of Gateway
National Recreation Area as ``World War Veterans Park at Miller
Field'', having considered the same, reports favorably thereon
without amendment and recommends that the Act do pass.
Purpose of the Measure
The purpose of H.R. 592, as ordered reported, is to
redesignate Miller Field within the Staten Island Unit of
Gateway National Recreation Area, as ``World War Veterans Park
at Miller Field.''
Background and Need
Gateway National Recreation Area, located in New York and
New Jersey, was established in 1972 as a unit of the National
Park System. This National Recreation Area contains units in
Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, New York, and in New
Jersey. The Staten Island Unit includes Fort Wadsworth, Miller
Field, Great Kills Park and two small islands. Both Miller
Field and Great Kills Park are former New York City parks and
are popular sites for recreational activities.
H.R. 592 redesignates Miller Field as ``World War Veterans
Park at Miller Field'' to honor World War II and other military
veterans.
Legislative History
H.R. 592 was passed by the House of Representatives on June
30, 1999 and was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources on July 12, 1999.
On October 13, 1999 the Subcommittee on National Parks,
Historic Preservation, and Recreation held a hearing on H.R.
592 and on companion legislation, S. 497, sponsored by Senator
Moynihan.
At its business meeting on October 20, 1999, the Committee
on Energy and Natural Resources ordered H.R. 592, favorably
reported, without amendment.
Committee Recommendation
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open
business session on October 20, 1999, by a unanimous voice vote
of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass H.R. 592.
Summary of the Measure
H.R. 592 amends Section 3(b) of Public Law 92-592 to
redesignate Miller Field as ``World War Veterans Park at Miller
Field.''
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, October 26, 1999.
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 H.R. 592, an act to
designate a portion of Gateway National Recreation Area as
World War Veterans Park at Miller Field.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
Sincerely,
Barry B. Anderson
(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
Enclosure.
congressional budget office cost estimate
H.R. 592--An act to designate a portion of Gateway National Recreation
Area as World War Veterans Park at Miller Field
H.R. 592 would designate a portion of the Gateway National
Recreation Area (currently known as Miller Field) as the World
War Veterans Park at Miller Field.
CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 592 would have no
significant impact on the federal budget. The act would not
affect direct spending or receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go
procedures would not apply. H.R. 592 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 government.
On June 11, 1999, CBO prepared a cost estimate for H.R. 592
as ordered reported by the House Committee on Resources on June
9, 1999. The two versions of the legislation are identical, as
are the cost estimates.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis.
This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy
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 H.R. 592. 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 H.R. 592, as ordered reported.
Executive Communications
The legislative report received by the Committee from the
Department of the Interior setting forth Executive agency
recommendations relating to the H.R. 592, is set forth below:
U.S. Department of the Interior,
Office of the Secretary,
Washington, DC, October 15, 1999.
Hon. Frank Murkowski,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: This letter responds to your request for
views on H.R. 592, a bill rename Miller Field, a site within
Gateway National Recreation Area on Staten Island in New York,
as World War Veterans Park at Miller Field.
The Department supports enactment of H.R. 592, as passed by
the House. H.R. 592, as originally introduced, would have
renamed Great Kills Park, a site within Gateway National
Recreation Area on Staten Island in New York, as World War II
Veterans Park at Great Kills. However, H.R. 592, as passed by
the House of Representatives, renames Miller Field, another
site within Gateway National Recreation Area on Staten Island
in New York, as World War Veterans Park at Miller Field.
The Department does not support renaming Great Kills Park
as the World War II Veterans Park at Great Kills because Great
Kills Park has no specific connection to World War II Veterans.
In 1973, the Gateway National Recreation Area's enabling
legislation authorized the acceptance and inclusion of Great
Kills Park, then a city park, into the National Park System.
The site was transferred in 1974, and has since been managed by
the National Park Service. Great Kills Park is a 960-acre site
on Staten Island in New York that includes a large natural area
featuring migratory birds and coastal vegetation, a swimming
beach, athletic fields and walking and hiking trails. The area
around the park has been known as Great Kills for four
centuries. Local Dutch settlers named the area Great Kills in
the 1600s after a nearby body of water. ``Kill'' or ``kell'' in
old Dutch means a stream, creek or tributary. According to
historic periodicals, ``In 1865, the village was named Great
Kills, after the body of water that lies to the east.'' This
reference is to what is now called Great Kills Harbor, located
within the federal park boundary, east of the Great Kills
Village site.
The renaming of Great Kills as ``World War II Veterans Park
at Great Kills'' is not descriptive of the site or of its
historical associations. NPS policy regarding naming of sites
and memorializing groups is that such a designation is
appropriate when the association between the site and the group
is of transcendent importance and where the surrounding or site
are relevant to the subject or group to be commemorated. That
is the policy that governs the NPS's own designation decisions,
and the recommendations we make to Congress.
While the NPS does not in any way wish to diminish the
importance of World War II Veterans or to interfere with
commemorating their service to America, there are other sites
within the National Park System and elsewhere which are more
suitable for this commemoration. To designate Great Kills Park
in recognition of World War II veterans could be misleading
because it suggests historical connections that do not exist.
We do feel there are suitable locations within Gateway NRA on
Staten Island where veterans of this era might be recognized.
Renaming Miller Field, which was an U.S. Army airfield and base
from 1922-1969, certainly would be appropriate. During World
War II, Miller Field was involved in preparing military
equipment for shipping overseas, supported warehouses and
temporary housing, and was the location of anti-aircraft guns
to protect the area from invasion. The NPS recently approved
the installation of a monument to the 102nd Observation
Squadron, located at Miller Field until 1940. Miller Field
would be an appropriate place to recognize World War II
Veterans and other military veterans.
The NPS worked with the House Resources Committee and the
House sponsor of H.R. 592, Representative Vito Fossella, to
craft a compromise bill. The result if H.R. 592 as passed by
the House. H.R. 592 designates Miller Field on Staten Island as
``World War Veterans Park at Miller Field.'' This designation
recognizes the contributions of veterans and addresses the
NPS's concern that a site's name have an historical connection
to the place. We support H.R. 592 as passed by the House and
recommend that the Senate pass similar legislation.
The Office of Management and Budget advises that there is
no objection to the presentation of this report from the
standpoint of the Administration's program.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Barry,
Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
Changes in Existing Law
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law by H.R.
592, 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);
[Public Law 92-592, October 27, 1972]
* * * * * * *
Sec. 3. (a) * * *
(b)(1) The Secretary shall designate the principal visitor
center within the recreation area as the ``William Fitts Ryan
Visitor Center'' in commemoration of the leadership and
contributions which Representative William Fitts Ryan made with
respect to the creation and establishment of this public
recreation area. To inform the public of contributions of
Representative Ryan to the creation of the recreation area, the
Secretary shall provide such signs, markers, maps, interpretive
materials, literature, and programs as he deems appropriate.
Not later than December 31, 1980, the Secretary shall take such
additional actions as he deems appropriate to recognize and
commemorate the contributions of Representative Ryan to the
recreation area.
(2) The portion of the Staten Island Unit of the recreation
area known as Miller Field is hereby designated as ``World War
Veterans Park and Miller Field''. Any reference to such Miller
Field in any law, regulation, map, document, record, or other
paper of the United States shall be considered to be a
reference to ``World War Veterans Park at Miller Field''.
* * * * * * *