[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992-1993, Book II)]
[October 26, 1992]
[Pages 2002-2003]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Memorandum of Disapproval for Legislation Requiring an Historical and 
Cultural Resources Study in Lynn, Massachusetts
October 26, 1992

    I am withholding my approval of H.R. 2859, which would require the 
Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to identify historic sites 
in the vicinity of Lynn, Massachusetts, and provide alternatives on the 
appropriate Federal role in preserving and interpreting these sites.
    The National Park Service (NPS) studies many sites to determine if 
they are nationally significant and therefore suitable for inclusion in 
the National Park System. A site is nationally significant if it is an 
outstanding example of a unique natural, historic, or cultural resource 
with demonstrated importance to the entire Nation.
    In many instances, the Congress has used the findings of a 
congressionally mandated NPS study, regardless of the study's 
conclusion, to justify authorization of a new unit of the National Park 
System. To restore credibility and a national focus to its study 
process, the NPS re-established in 1991 a program to evaluate sites and 
prioritize candidates for future study. The most promising candidates 
identified by the NPS experts would be proposed for formal study.
    For my fiscal year 1993 Budget request, NPS professionals rated and 
ranked 41 candidates from criteria established by the Department of the 
Interior. The fiscal year 1993 Budget proposed $1.2 million to study the 
seven highest-rated candidates from the list of 41 originally reviewed. 
The Congress appropriated $848,000 to conduct four of the studies 
proposed by the NPS.
    The NPS experts have not identified the Lynn, Massachusetts, study 
as a high priority. The effect of this legislation would be to place 
completion of this study before the

[[Page 2003]]

completion of other studies that the experts agree are much more 
important to the Nation.
    H.R. 2859 would ignore professional analysis and budget constraints. 
It would also undermine the critical objective of identifying and 
evaluating the Nation's most promising natural, historic, and cultural 
assets for protection as units of the National Park System. I am 
therefore withholding my approval of H.R. 2859.

                                                             George Bush

The White House,
October 26, 1992.

                    Note: This memorandum was released by the Office of 
                        the Press Secretary on October 27.