[Senate Report 107-256]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 573
107th Congress Report
SENATE
2d Session 107-256
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COLTSVILLE STUDY ACT OF 2002
_______
September 9, 2002.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Bingaman, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 2519]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the bill (S. 2519) to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a study of Coltsville in the State of
Connecticut for potential inclusion in the National Park
System, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon
with an amendment and recommends that the bill as amended do
pass.
The amendment is as follows:
On page 4, line 8, strike ``1 year'' and insert ``three
years''.
PURPOSE
The purpose of S. 2519 is to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a suitability and feasibility study of
Coltsville, a community in the State of Connecticut, for
potential inclusion in the National Park System.
BACKGROUND AND NEED
Located in central Connecticut near Hartford, the community
of Coltsville has a rich industrial history and played a major
role in the Industrial Revolution. The community was inspired
by Samuel Colt, founder of the Colt Manufacturing Company, and
his wife, Elizabeth Colt. In addition to manufacturing the
famous Colt six-shooter, the Colt Manufacturing Company was a
center of industrial innovation and development of technology
that changed the way of life in the United States and
flourished during the Industrial Revolution. Some of the
company's major innovations included the development of
telegraph technology and advancements in jet engine technology.
In 1998, the National Park Service conducted a special
resource reconnaissance study of the Connecticut River Valley
to evaluate the significance of historic manufacturing sites.
The conclusions of the study were that the Coltsville region
contains an unequaled concentration of historic resources
relating to precision manufacturing, and further study of the
area is warranted for potential designation as a unit of the
National Park System.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
S. 2519 was introduced by Senators Dodd and Lieberman on
May 15, 2002, The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing
on S. 2519 on June 20, 2002. At the business meeting on July
31, 2002, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered
S. 2519, as amended, favorably reported.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open
business session on July 31, 2002, by a voice vote of a quorum
present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 2519, if amended as
described herein.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
During the consideration of S. 2519, the Committee adopted
an amendment which would increase the time period for the
completion of the study from one to three years after the date
funds are made available, which is more consistent with the
time generally allowed for similar studies.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1 describes the short title as the ``Coltsville
Study Act of 2002.''
Section 2 contains congressional findings.
Section 3 (a) directs the Secretary of the Interior to
complete a study of the Coltsville site in the State of
Connecticut to evaluate its national significance and the
suitability and feasibility of designating the site as a unit
of the National Park System.
Subsection (b) requires that the study be conducted in
accordance with Public Law 91-383. Section 8 of that Act
includes requirements for studies of potential additions to the
National Park System.
Section 4 requires the Secretary to submit a report to the
Senate Energy and Natural Resources and House Resources
Committees within 30 days after the study is completed. The
report is to describe the study findings and any conclusions
and recommendations of the Secretary.
Section 5 authorizes the appropriation of such sums as are
necessary to carry out this Act.
COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS
The following estimate of the cost of this measure has been
provided by the Congressional Budget Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, August 12, 2002.
Hon. Jeff Bingaman,
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. 2519, the Coltsville
Study Act of 2002.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
Sincerely,
Robert A. Sunshine
(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
Enclosure.
S. 2519--Coltsville Study Act of 2002
S. 2519 would direct the Department of the Interior to
conduct a study of the area of Connecticut known as Coltsville
to evaluate the area's national significance. The study would
also assess the feasibility and suitability of designating
Coltsville a unit of the National Park System. The bill would
authorize the appropriation of whatever amounts are necessary
for the study and would require the department to report on its
findings and recommendations within three years of receiving
funds.
Assuming the availability of appropriated funds, CBO
estimates that it would cost about $250,000 over the next three
years to complete the required study and report. Enacting the
bill would not affect direct spending or receipts; therefore,
pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply.
S. 2519 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis.
The 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 S. 2519. The bill is not a regulatory measure in
the sense of imposing Government-established standards or
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 the
enactment of S. 2519, as ordered reported.
EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
The pertinent legislative report received by the Committee
from the Department of the Interior setting forth Executive
agency recommendations relating to S. 2519 is set forth below:
Department of the Interior,
Office of the Secretary,
Washington, DC, July 1, 2002.
Hon. Jeff Bingaman,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for the opportunity to present
the views of the Department of the Interior on S. 2519, the
Coltsville Study Act of 2002.
The Department supports this study. However, we did not
request additional funding for this study in fiscal year 2003.
We believe that any funding requested should be directed
towards completing previously authorized studies. There are 37
studies pending currently, of which we hope to transmit at
least seven to Congress by the end of 2002. To meet the
President's Initiative to eliminate the deferred maintenance
backlog, we must continue to focus our resources on caring for
existing areas in the National Park System. We caution that our
support of this legislation authorizing a study does not
necessarily mean that the Department will support designations
of this area as a unit of the National Park System. The study
would be undertaken with the full involvement of
representatives of the State of Connecticut, the City of
Hartford, property owners in the study area, and other
interested organizations and individuals in the region.
The bill directs the National Park Service to study the
site commonly known as ``Coltsville,'' and its surrounding area
within the City of Hartford, to evaluate its national
significance, suitability, and feasibility for designation as a
unit of the National Park System. The bill also directs NPS to
evaluate the importance of the site to the history of precision
manufacturing.
At the core of the Coltsville area, which is estimated as
some 260 acres is the 17-acre Coltsville Heritage Park. Owned
by a non-profit subsidiary of the Goodrich Corporation, this
site contains ten historic buildings, some of which are
occupied by commercial, residential, and office tenants; a
number of artists also live and work in the complex. Also
within the study area, but in separate ownership, are examples
of former Colt worker housing and other buildings associated
with Colt history. The potential study area borders Interstate
91, which parallels the Connecticut River, and is close to the
central business district where the State Capitol and Museum of
Connecticut State History are located. The State Museum is a
major repository of Colt-related artifacts and archives, as is
the Wadsworth Atheneum, a renowned museum also in the city
center.
Samuel Colt was born in Hartford in 1814 and died there in
1862. He obtained his first patent in 1836 and went on to found
a company that is still in operation today, although it moved
from the historic armory to West Hartford, Connecticut and is
no longer owned by the Colt family. The Colt name is known
throughout the world. Colt firearms and other products have
been used in every major conflict from the U.S.-Mexican War to
the present.
The Colt revolver was a revolutionary weapon that changed
military tactics and eventually made the sword obsolete in
combat. First produced in 1847, it maintained its reputation
through the Civil War despite competition from other
manufacturers. Colt's salesmanship was legendary, and the
company grew due to his marketing, advertising, and public
relations skills. He began construction of his first factory in
Hartford in 1847. At the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition in
London, Colt revolvers were displayed and their
interchangeability demonstrated as a highlight of the
``American System of Manufacturing.'' Colt was so impressed
with his reception in England that he would build a factory
there, becoming the first American to set up a manufacturing
plant overseas.
The Hartford facility expanded in the mid-19th century. The
armory's distinctive blue onion dome, a Hartford landmark
visible from I-91, was built in 1855. In order to attract
laborers, Colt built a self-contained community surrounding the
factory at Coltsville that included housing, gardens, beer
halls, and a band. A library and school were established for
the children of the workers, as well as a church and social
hall. Many of these structures are still extant and are part of
the Colt Industrial National Register District that was listed
in 1976. The Colt family home, Armsmear, a National Historic
Landmark, and its surrounding grounds are situated in Colt
Park, abutting the armory site. The original factory burned in
1864, but was rebuilt soon after.
Colt would continue to supply sidearms to the United States
military until 1985. Colt weapons were carried not only by the
American soldier on the frontier, but were the personal weapon
of choice of cowboys, both famous and infamous.
Colt history complements that of Springfield Armory
National Historic Site, which is managed by the National Park
Service in Springfield, Massachusetts, 25 miles north of
Hartford along the Connecticut River. Originally Springfield
Armory produced shoulder arms while Colt made handguns. Later
they worked together to bring the rapid-fire gun and later the
machine-gun into the inventories of the U.S. military. But in
1961 Colt challenged Springfield Armory's M14 rifle while
promoting its competing AR-15, now known as the M16 rifle. This
ultimately resulted in the demise of Springfield Armory in
1968.
The Colt story is also the story of Elizabeth Colt, who
took over the factory after her husband's death in 1862, and
ran it successfully for another 39 years. The history of this
remarkable woman is not well-known and should be included as
part of the study.
In our 1998 Connecticut River Valley Special Resource
Reconnaissance Study, we said, ``innovations stimulated by
firearms manufacture, notably mass production and the concept
of interchangeable parts, had far-reaching consequences
throughout American industry.'' As the skills developed in
firearms manufacture were given broader application, the
corridor between New Haven, Connecticut and Windsor, Vermont
became known as the ``Precision Valley.'' Developments in arms
making translated to other metal-working industries, such as
sewing machines, typewriters, bicycles, railway equipment, and
clocks.
It is appropriate for the National Park Service to explore
further this theme of American history. Only through further
investigation will it be possible to determine if it is
feasible and suitable for inclusion in the National Park
System.
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,
Craig Manson,
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, the Committee notes that no
changes in existing law are made by the bill S. 1519, as
ordered reported.