SPEAKERS CONTENTS INSERTS
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71-154 DTP
2001
HEARING ON H.R. 146, H.R. 182, AND H.R. 601
LEGISLATIVE HEARING
before the
SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, RECREATION, AND PUBLIC LANDS
of the
COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
March 13, 2001
Serial No. 107-4
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Printed for the use of the Committee on Resources
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/house
or
Committee address: http://resourcescommittee.house.gov
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: (202) 512-1800 Fax: (202) 512-2250
Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-0001
COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES
JAMES V. HANSEN, Utah, Chairman
NICK J. RAHALL II, West Virginia, Ranking Democrat Member
Don Young, Alaska,
Vice Chairman
W.J. ''Billy'' Tauzin, Louisiana
Jim Saxton, New Jersey
Elton Gallegly, California
John J. Duncan, Jr., Tennessee
Joel Hefley, Colorado
Wayne T. Gilchrest, Maryland
Ken Calvert, California
Scott McInnis, Colorado
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Richard W. Pombo, California
Barbara Cubin, Wyoming
George Radanovich, California
Walter B. Jones, Jr., North Carolina
Mac Thornberry, Texas
Chris Cannon, Utah
John E. Peterson, Pennsylvania
Bob Schaffer, Colorado
Jim Gibbons, Nevada
Mark E. Souder, Indiana
Greg Walden, Oregon
Michael K. Simpson, Idaho
Thomas G. Tancredo, Colorado
C.L. ''Butch'' Otter, Idaho
Tom Osborne, Nebraska
Jeff Flake, Arizona
Dennis R. Rehberg, Montana
VACANCY
George Miller, California
Edward J. Markey, Massachusetts
Dale E. Kildee, Michigan
Peter A. DeFazio, Oregon
Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American Samoa
Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii
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Solomon P. Ortiz, Texas
Frank Pallone, Jr., New Jersey
Calvin M. Dooley, California
Robert A. Underwood, Guam
Adam Smith, Washington
Donna M. Christensen, Virgin Islands
Ron Kind, Wisconsin
Jay Inslee, Washington
Grace F. Napolitano, California
Tom Udall, New Mexico
Mark Udall, Colorado
Rush D. Holt, New Jersey
James P. McGovern, Massachusetts
Anibal Acevedo-Vila, Puerto Rico
Hilda L. Solis, California
Brad Carson, Oklahoma
Betty McCollum, Minnesota
Allen D. Freemyer, Chief of Staff
Lisa Pittman, Chief Counsel
Michael S. Twinchek, Chief Clerk
James H. Zoia, Democrat Staff Director
Jeff Petrich, Democrat Chief Counsel
SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, RECREATION, AND PUBLIC LANDS
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JOEL HEFLEY, Colorado, Chairman
DONNA M. CHRISTENSEN, Virgin Islands Ranking Democrat Member
Elton Gallegly, California
John J. Duncan, Jr., Tennessee
Wayne T. Gilchrest, Maryland
George Radanovich, California
Walter B. Jones, Jr., North Carolina,
Vice Chairman
Mac Thornberry, Texas
Chris Cannon, Utah
Bob Schaffer, Colorado
Jim Gibbons, Nevada
Mark E. Souder, Indiana
Michael K. Simpson, Idaho
Thomas G. Tancredo, Colorado
Dale E. Kildee, Michigan
Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American Samoa
Frank Pallone, Jr., New Jersey
Tom Udall, New Mexico
Mark Udall, Colorado
Rush D. Holt, New Jersey
James P. McGovern, Massachusetts
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Anibal Acevedo-Vila, Puerto Rico
Hilda L. Solis, California
Betty McCollum, Minnesota
C O N T E N T S
Hearing held on March 13, 2001
Statement of Members:
Christensen, Hon. Donna, a Delegate to Congress from the Virgin Islands, Prepared statement on H.R. 146, H.R. 182 and H.R. 601
Corzine, Hon. Jon S., a U.S. Senator from the State of New Jersey, Statement submitted for the record on H.R. 146
Hefley, Hon. Joel, a Representative in Congress from the State of Colorado
Prepared statement on H.R. 146, H.R. 182 and H.R. 601
Pallone, Hon. Frank, Jr. a Representative in Congress from the State of New Jersey, Prepared statement on H.R. 146
Pascrell, Hon. Bill, Jr., a Representative in Congress from the State of New Jersey
Prepared statement on H.R. 146
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Simmons, Hon. Rob, a Representative in Congress from the State of Connecticut
Prepared statement on H.R. 182
Letters submitted for the record on H.R. 182
Simpson, Hon. Mike, a Representative in Congress from the State of Idaho
Prepared statement on H.R. 601
Letters submitted for the record on H.R. 601
Torricelli, Hon. Robert G., a U.S. Senator from the State of New Jersey, Statement submitted for the record on H.R. 146
Statement of Witnesses:
Clower, Don, Idaho Fish and Game Commission, Meridian, ID
Prepared statement on H.R. 601
DiIanni Pat, President, Vision 20/20, Hawthorne, NJ
Prepared statement on H.R.146
Doddridge, Joseph E., Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC
Prepared statement on H.R. 146
Prepared statement on H.R. 182
Prepared statement on H.R. 601
Response to questions submitted for the record
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Dopirak Anna-Lisa, Director, Community Development for the City of Paterson, Paterson, NJ
Prepared statement on H.R. 146
Fisher, Jack W., Idaho Wildlife Federation, Nampa, ID
Prepared statement on H.R. 601
Frohling Nathan M., Program Director, The Nature Conservancy, Middletown, CT
Prepared statement on H.R. 182
Merrow, Susan, First Selectman, Town of East Haddam, Connecticut
Prepared statement on H.R. 182
Additional materials supplied:
DiFrancesco, Hon. Donald T., Acting Governor, State of New Jersey, Letter submitted for the record on H.R. 146
Fennell, Rosalyn J., and Chandler, William J., Letter on H.R. 601 submitted for the record by The Wilderness Society
Filippone, Dr. Ella F., Executive Administrator, Passaic River Coalition, Basking Ridge, NJ, Statement submitted for the record on H.R. 146
Goldsmith, Bhanu, Letter on H.R. 146 submitted for the record by The Honorable Bill Pascrell, Jr.
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Kubofcik, Hon. William, Resolution on H.R. 146 submitted for the record by The Honorable Bill Pascrell, Jr.
Mallik, Arjun, Letter on H.R. 146 submitted for the record by The Honorable Bill Pascrell, Jr.
Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders Resolution on H.R. 146 submitted for the record by The Honorable Bill Pascrell, Jr.
Pou, Assemblywoman Nellie, Letter on H.R. 146 submitted for the record
Smyk, Edward A., Passaic County Historian, Paterson, NJ, Letter submitted for the record on H.R. 146
Sunday, Nick, Director, The Alexander Hamilton National Memorial, New York, NY, Letter submitted for the record on H.R. 146
Text of H.R. 146
Text of H.R. 182
Text of H.R. 601
HEARING ON H.R. 146, TO AUTHORIZE THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO STUDY THE SUITABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF DESIGNATING THE GREAT FALLS HISTORIC DISTRICT IN PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, AS A UNIT OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES; H.R. 182, TO AMEND THE WILD AND
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SCENIC RIVERS ACT TO DESIGNATE A SEGMENT OF THE EIGHTMILE RIVER IN
THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT FOR STUDY FOR POTENTIAL ADDITION TO THE
NATIONAL WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS SYSTEM, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES; AND
H.R. 601, TO ENSURE THE CONTINUED ACCESS OF HUNTERS TO THOSE FEDERAL
LANDS INCLUDED WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CRATERS OF THE MOON
NATIONAL MONUMENT IN THE STATE OF IDAHO PURSUANT TO PRESIDENTIAL
PROCLAMATION 7373 OF NOVEMBER 9, 2000, AND TO CONTINUE THE
APPLICABILITY OF THE TAYLOR GRAZING ACT TO THE DISPOSITION OF GRAZING
FEES ARISING FROM THE USE OF SUCH LANDS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
Tuesday, March 13, 2001
House of Representatives
Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands
Committee on Resources
Washington, DC
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 2 p.m., in Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Joel Hefley [Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.
STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE JOEL HEFLEY, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF COLORADO
The
committee will come to order. Good afternoon and welcome to the hearing today. This
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afternoon, the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands will hear
testimony on three bills, H.R. 146, H.R. 182 and H.R. 601. H.R. 146
was introduced by Congressman Bill Pascrell of New Jersey. This bill would authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the Great Falls
Historic District in Paterson, New Jersey, as a unit of the National Park System.
H.R. 182 was introduced by Congressman Rob Simmons of Connecticut. This bill would amend the
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a segment of Eightmile River in the State of
Connecticut for study for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
Lastly, H.R. 601 was introduced by Congressman Mike Simpson of Idaho. This bill would ensure that
hunters enjoy continued access to Federal lands included within the expanded boundaries of the
Craters of the Moon National Monument in the State of Idaho. Last November, the Clinton
Administration expanded the monument through a Presidential proclamation from 54,000 acres to
add an additional 661,000 acres. The effect of the Administration's action was to close
approximately 410,000 acres to hunting. This bill would reopen the
closed areas to hunting. The bill would also provide that the Taylor Grazing Act would control
the manner in which grazing fees arising from the use of the land within the expanded boundaries
of the monument are distributed.
[The texts of H.R. 146, H.R. 182, and H.R. 601 follow:]
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Mr. HEFLEY. I would
like to thank all of our witnesses for being here today to testify on these bills, and since I have no
ranking member, we are going to go directly to the first panel.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Hefley follows:]
Statement of The Honorable Joel Hefley, Chairman, Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands, on H.R. 146, H.R. 182 and H.R. 601
Good afternoon and welcome to the hearing today. This afternoon, the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands will hear testimony on three bills H.R. 146, H.R. 182 and H.R. 601.
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H.R. 146 was introduced by Congressman Bill Pascrell of New Jersey. This bill would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the
Great Falls Historic District in Paterson, New Jersey, as a unit of the National Park System.
H.R. 182 was introduced by Congressman Rob Simmons of Connecticut. This bill would amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a segment of the Eightmile River in the State
of Connecticut for study for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
Last, H.R. 601 was introduced by Congressman Mike Simpson of Idaho. This bill would ensure that hunters enjoy continued access to Federal lands included within the expanded
boundaries of the Craters of the Moon National Monument in the State of Idaho. Last November,
the Clinton Administration expanded the monument through a Presidential Proclamation from
54,000 acres to add an additional 661,000 acres. The effect of the Administration's action was to
close approximately 410,000 acres to hunting. This bill would reopen the closed areas to hunting.
The bill would also provide that the Taylor Grazing Act would control the manner in which
grazing fees arising from the use of the land within the expanded boundaries of the monument
are distributed.
I'd like to thank all of our witnesses for being here today to testify on these bills and now
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turn the time remaining over to the Ranking Member, Ms. Christensen.
[The prepared statements of Senator Corzine and Senator
Torricelli follow:]
Statement of The Honorable Jon S. Corzine, U.S. Senator, State of New Jersey on H.R. 146
Mr. Chairman, thank you for this opportunity to submit written testimony in support of this
bill, which authorizes the National Park Service to assess the potential for incorporating the
Great Falls Historic District in Paterson, New Jersey, as a unit of our National Park System. I am
a co-sponsor of the Act with Senator Robert Torricelli in the Senate and Congressman Bill
Pascrell in the House. Please enter this testimony into the record.
In 1976, when Congress designated the Great Falls area as a National Historic District, it
recognized Paterson's singular history as the cradle of American industry and invention. Planned
by Alexander Hamilton, Paterson has played a unique role in the story of working people in this
country. American industry and American labor are rooted here. This is the home of
technological and social innovation in the United States, and this legislation will determine the
best way to create living history out of this special resource.
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The study we are requesting is a logical extension of the commitment Congress has already
made to restoring the Great Falls and making it accessible to all our citizens. It builds on the
1976 designation and the Federal Urban History Initiative (UHI) that my predecessor, Senator
Frank Lautenberg, authored in 1991.
The City of Paterson and the National Park Service have a long history of working together
to implement the kind of restoration, envisioned in those earlier initiatives, that will let history
live on in our generation and the generations to follow. I am confident your Committee will
concur that authorization of the Great Falls Historic District Study Act of 2001 is essential to
enhancing the heritage that built our country and sustains it to this day.
Again, Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to submit this written testimony.
Statement of The Honorable Robert G. Torricelli, U.S. Senator, State of New Jersey, on H.R. 146
Thank you Chairman Hansen, Ranking Member Rahall, and members of the Resources
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Committee (Committee) for the opportunity to testify before the Committee on H.R. 146,
legislation introduced by Congressman Bill Pascrell to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
study the suitability and feasibility of designating the Great Falls Historic District in Paterson,
New Jersey, as a unit of the National Park System (NPS).
I have introduced similar legislation in the Senate, with my colleague from New Jersey, Mr.
Corzine, and am seeking hearings on my bill, S. 386. These important bills recognize the
historical significance of the Great Falls area in Paterson, New Jersey, and I am hopeful that our
colleagues in both chambers join us in support of this effort.
Paterson is known as America's first industrialized city. Alexander Hamilton founded
Paterson in 1792 as a mercantile private-public partnership, using the powerful falls to power
industry. He built a laboratory, and established the Society for the Establishment of Useful
Manufactures which actively promoted the textiles industry. Textiles were a large part of the
development of industry in Paterson, once known as the Silk City, and regarded as the center of
the textile industry for many years.
New and developing industries located to Paterson and contributed to the growth of the city.
New immigrants, arriving at nearby Ellis Island, settled in Paterson, and provided the workforce
necessary for this newly industrialized city to thrive.
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Rich in history, the Paterson Great Falls is also endowed with natural beauty. The Great
Falls is an island of beauty in a sea of urban development. The Great Falls is the second largest
waterfall on the East Coast, and attracts visitors from within and outside of New Jersey.
Paterson Great Falls is also an educational tool for New Jersey's children. Students young
and old travel to Paterson Great Falls to witness its natural splendor, to learn about the industrial
revolution, and the pioneers who helped build our nation.
This area is truly a valuable asset to the State of New Jersey, and I feel it is only proper to
share this wonderful resource with the entire nation by establishing the Paterson Great Falls as a
unit of the National Park System (NPS).
The Federal Government has already acknowledged the significance of Great Falls, by
designating the area a national historic landmark. Establishing it as a unit of the NPS would
increase the presence of Great Falls, and the NPS would provide staff and tours, and allow for a
better, more educational interpretation of the site.
This designation is warranted. Our nation's urban history is currently under-represented by
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the NPS. Not many sites tell the story of the growth of our nation and its economy from that of
agrarian to industrial. Other than Lowell, Massachusetts, a one-time industrial powerhouse
whose historic district was designated a national park, I am not aware of another NPS site which
represents our nation's early rich urban history.
Congressman Pascrell's legislation would take the first step toward this important
designation by directing the NPS to study the feasibility of establishing a national park at the
Paterson Great Falls area. I wholly endorse this initiative, and look forward to the consideration
of H.R. 146 in the Senate. This legislation is necessary so that a critical chapter in the story of our
nation may be told to future generations.
Mr. HEFLEY. The first
panel is made up of The Honorable Rob Simmons, Second District of Connecticut, and The Honorable Bill Pascrell, Jr., the Eighth District of New Jersey. Have you all flipped a coin or
decided who would like to go first? Mr.
PASCRELL. I will lead off, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. HEFLEY. Bill, you
take it from there.
STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE BILL PASCRELL, JR., A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY
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Mr. PASCRELL. Well,
thank you, Mr. Chairman, for allowing us the opportunity to testify here today. H.R. 146 calls
for a study of the Great Falls National Historic District, in my district and in my hometown of
Paterson, New Jersey, to determine the feasibility of adding Paterson, the historic district, to the
National Park System. There is no dispute that the Great Falls Historic District possesses an
historic significance that makes it an area to be preserved and treasured. The history is rich.
Alexander Hamilton realized the incredible beauty and potential of the
Great Falls when he founded Paterson in 1792. As America's first planned industrial city, it is
our duty to ensure its preservation for generations to come. As we revisit Alexander Hamilton,
Mr. Chairman, we see a very different Hamilton than we learned perhaps in our schools. The
greatness of this man is yet not discovered. Already tourists pour into
this area to see the 77-foot Great Falls of the Passaic River and to partake in the preserved
history; 20,000 yearly visitors have attended the Paterson Museum, which is in the district. The
falls and the surrounding neighborhood really represent the genesis of the American economic
miracle. Increasing the presence of the National Park Service will give the area the attention and
resources it really deserves. As a key to our manufacturing roots, these
mills that sit today at the Great Falls constructed paper and cotton, and manufactured the first
revolver at Sam Colt's Works, the first locomotives at the Rogers Works, as well as airplane
engines and, of course, silk. Paterson was the Silk City. Paterson is known around the world for
being the producer of such silk. These buildings represent the various stages of the Industrial
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Revolution. They stand as monuments to progress. They are a mirror to hard-working American
families. As a result of the employment opportunities that abound in Paterson because of these mills, Mr. Chairman, the city's population grew and diversified
rapidly. Between 1850 and the turn-of-the-century, Paterson's population increased from 11,000
to 105,000 people, growing by an average of 50 percent per decade. As a result, Paterson is
representative of the waves of immigration in the United States. The Irish and the English
immigrants, replaced later by the Italians and subsequently Spanish-speaking populations who
still reside here today, 57 ethnic groups. Chronicling the patterns and cultures of the immigrants
that came to Paterson from the 18th through the 20th centuries would provide us with a microcosm of
the effect of immigration in shaping this greatest of all lands. The
historic labor unrest in Paterson focused on anti-child labor legislation, safety in the workplace,
the minimum wage and reasonable working hours. Some of the most important figures in early
20th-century labor history were involved in the Great Silk Strike of 1913, and while teaching
modern-day Americans about the history of the industry, the mills at Great Falls also set the
backdrop for the history of the labor movement. Today, they can teach both histories so tightly
intertwined. Not only is the Great Falls Historic District historically
significant, but the city of Paterson stands ready to work in conjunction with the National Park
Service to develop its potential. I am confident that the city is up to this task. This is the first
legislative step I have taken on behalf of the Great Falls toward joining the National Park
Service, but it is not the first time I have worked with the city of Paterson to enhance and develop
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this valuable and important area. I have long thought that the Passaic
River and the Great Falls are not only a critical part of our past history, they are the key to our
future, to the city's future, to the region's future. We must do all we can in a united fashion to
protect these most valuable assets. As the Mayor of Paterson, I went to Washington in 1993 to
testify before the House Subcommittee on Parks and Public Lands, to help convince Congress
that this area was worth protecting. I was proud to work with then-United States Senator Frank
Lautenberg to secure Federal funds to revitalize the Great Falls Historic District.
Our work paid off, and the following year I stood with the Senator on
the steps of the Paterson Museum and accepted $4.1 million in Federal dollars, secured under the
Urban History Initiative, to restore and rebuild the Stoney Road Bridge over the upper raceway, as
well as hiking trails. This helps strengthen the relationship between the National Park Service
and the city of Paterson.
The Great Falls District has been on the
National Register of Historic Places since 1970, has been a national landmark named by
President Ford, and I was so proud to be there at the time that he named, in 1976, this great, great
landmark. He defined it. He came to Paterson to do such. In 1988, the Interior Department
listed the district as a Priority One threatened National Historic Landmark. So the Park Service has
long been aware of our need to protect and save this area. Since the beginning of our
relationship, the city and the Park Service have worked together in a partnership that has helped
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the city begin to develop and revitalize the Great Falls Historic District.
You will hear later on, Mr. Chairman, members of the Committee, from
Anna-Lisa Dopirak, the director of community development for the city of Paterson, who will
share with you many examples of the strong relationship between the city and the National Park
Service. In addition to a strong partnership with the city, I believe the key to the success of
creating a viable and healthy historic district is community involvement, and that is why we
created an Advisory Committee that meets regularly with the Park Service to choose the priorities
and shape the direction the Great Falls Historic District will move in. As Mayor, I attended many
of those meetings and was impressed by the community's interest and support on the issue.
You will also hear from Pat DiIanni, the president of Vision 20/20, a
community organization that is providing grass-roots support for the revitalization of the entire
county of Passaic, including the Great Falls Historic District. He will share with you many
examples of how the community has evolved. These falls really
represent our city, Mr. Chairman, its people and its potential. This place can be a real
destination, help us in creating jobs, grow businesses and bring people back from all over. You
cannot put a velvet rope around the district. We must make it a living, breathing attraction that
will celebrate our past, present and future. In conclusion, I will steal
the words of the National Park Service in the Design Guidelines they created for the Great Falls
Historic District in 1999. ''The district bears eloquent testimony to astounding feats of
engineering and construction, to ingenious manufacturers and to the courage, creativity and
drudgery of untold lives spent within those mills. It is also about the human propensity to
harness the forces of nature, to put water and gravity and stone to work. The district retains the
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sense of having been one large factory, driven by one powerful engine, an image completely
consistent with Hamilton's vision of a centralized national manufactory.''
Thank you again, Mr. Chairman, and I am honored to appear before
your Committee.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Pascrell follows:]
Statement of The Honorable Bill Pascrell, Jr., a Representative in Congress from the State of New Jersey, on H.R. 146
Thank you Mr. Chairman and the entire subcommittee for allowing me the opportunity to testify here today. My legislation, H.R. 146, calls for a study of the Great Falls National Historic
District in my hometown of Paterson, New Jersey, to determine the feasibility of adding it to the
National Park System.
There is no dispute that the Great Falls Historic District possesses a historic significance
that makes it an area to be preserved and treasured. The history here is rich. Alexander Hamilton
realized the incredible beauty and potential of the Great Falls when he founded Paterson in 1792
as America's first planned industrial city and it is our duty to ensure its preservation for
generations to come.
Already, tourists are pouring in every year to see the 77-foot Great Falls of the Passaic
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River and to partake in our preserved history. For the past 12 years, an average of 20,000 yearly
visitors have attended the Paterson Museum in the Historic District. And the Great Falls Visitors
Center reports almost 5,000 visitors to the center in the last year.
The Falls and the surrounding neighborhood really represent the genesis of the American
economic miracle, and increasing the presence of the National Park Service here will give the
area the attention and resources it rightly deserves.
As a key to our manufacturing roots, the mills that sit today at the Great Falls constructed
paper, cotton,. They manufactured the first revolver at Samuel Colt's Works, the first
locomotives at the Rogers Works, as well as airplane engines, and of course silk. Paterson is
known around the world as the Silk City. These buildings represent the various stages of the
industrial revolution in the United States. They stand as monuments to progress, and could
provide living museums for present day Americans to learn about this important part of our
history.
As a result of the employment opportunities that abounded in Paterson because of the mills,
the city's population grew and diversified rapidly. Between 1850 and the turn of the century, the
population of Paterson increased from 11,000 to 105,000 growing by an average of 50 percent
per decade.
As a result, Paterson is representative of the waves of immigration in the United States, as
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Irish and English immigrants were replaced later by Italians, and then subsequently
Spanish-speaking populations who still reside there today.
Chronicling the patterns and cultures of the immigrants that came to Paterson from the 18th
through the 20th centuries would provide us with a microcosm of the effect of immigrants in the
shaping of the United States.
This convergence between the burgeoning industrial workplace and the fledgling immigrant
communities resulted in conflicts that led to the modern day labor movement.
The historic labor unrest in Paterson focused on anti-child labor legislation, safety in the
workplace, minimum wage, and reasonable working hours. Some of the most important figures
in early 20th Century American labor history were involved in the Great Silk Strike of 1913.
While teaching modern day Americans about the history of industry, the mills at Great Falls
also set the backdrop for the history of the labor movement. Today they can teach both
histories—so tightly intertwined—together.
Not only is the Great Falls Historic District historically significant, but the city of Paterson
stands ready to work in conjunction with the National Park Service to develop its potential. My
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goal is to create a synergistic partnership between the city of Paterson and the National Park
Service. I am confident that Paterson is up to the task.
This bill is the first legislative step I have taken on behalf of Great Falls toward joining the
National Park Service. But it is not the first time I have worked with the city of Paterson to
enhance and develop this valuable and important area. I have long thought that the Passaic River
and the Great Falls are not only a critical part of our past history. They are the key to our future,
and we must do all we can in a united fashion to protect these most valuable assets.
As Mayor of Paterson, I went to Washington in 1993 to testify before the House
Subcommittee on Parks and Public Lands to help convince Congress that this area was worth
protecting.
I was proud to work closely with our former U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg to secure
Federal funds to revitalize the Great Falls Historic District. Our work paid off and the following
year, I stood with Senator Lautenberg on the steps of the Paterson Museum and accepted $4.1
million in Federal dollars secured under the Urban History Initiative to restore and rebuild the
Stoney Road Bridge over the Upper Raceway as well as hiking trails.
This helped strengthen a relationship between the National Park Service and the city of
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Paterson that is ongoing today. But the city of Paterson has an even longer history of working
with the Federal Government to preserve its historic lands.
The Great Falls district has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1970 and
has been a National Historic Landmark since 1976. Since 1988, the Interior Department has
listed the district as a Priority One threatened National Historic Landmark. So the Park Service
has long been aware of our need to protect and save this area.
Since the beginning of our relationship, the City and the Park Service have worked together
in a partnership that has helped the City begin to develop and revitalize the Great Falls Historic
District.
You will hear later from Anna-Lisa Dopirak, the Director of Community Development for
the city of Paterson, who will share with you many examples of the strong relationship between
the City and the National Park Service.
In addition to a strong partnership with the City, I believe that the key to the success of
creating a viable and healthy historic district is community involvement. That is why we created
an Advisory Committee that meets regularly with the Park Service to choose the priorities and
shape the direction the Great Falls Historic District will move in.
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As Mayor of Paterson, I attended as many of those meetings as possible. I was impressed by
the community's interest and support in this issue.
You will hear later from Pat DiIanni, the President of Vision 20/20, a community
organization that is providing grassroots support for the revitalization of Passaic County,
including the Great Falls Historic District. He will share with you other examples of community
support and efforts to develop and protect the area through community involvement.
These Falls really represent our city, its people and all its potential. This place can be a real
destination that will create jobs, grow businesses and bring people in from all over. We cannot
put a velvet rope around the district we must make it a living, breathing attraction that will
celebrate our past, present and future.
In conclusion, I will steal the words of the National Park Service in the Design Guidelines
they created for the Great Falls Historic District in 1999, ''The district bears eloquent testimony to
astounding feats of engineering and construction, to ingenious manufacturers, and to the courage,
creativity, and drudgery of untold lives spent within the mills. It is also about the human
propensity to harness the forces of nature, to put water and gravity and stone to work. The district
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retains the sense of having been one large factory driven by one powerful engine, an image
completely consistent with Hamilton's vision of a centralized national manufactory.''
Thank you again for this opportunity.
Mr. HEFLEY. Thank
you, Mr. Pascrell. Mr. Simmons?
STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE ROB SIMMONS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT
Mr. SIMMONS.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to be here this afternoon to testify in support of H.R.
182, which is a bill to study the inclusion of Connecticut's Eightmile River as part of the National
Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and we have a map here in the chamber, Mr. Chairman, which
we can use to illustrate the location of this river. As you probably know, Connecticut has a
wealth of natural resources, and the Eightmile River, which is located in the area to the east of
the Connecticut River, which bisects the State, is the area that we are talking about. It is a
watershed from three of our towns down into a cove, which then flows into the river and then
into Long Island Sound. This river has been identified as an exemplary
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source of resources. It is free-flowing. It has excellent water quality. It has a diversity of
aquatic water habitats and fish species, including native trout, and it is also a recreational
resource which figures into the communities which surround it. Unfortunately, because of the
trends of development in Connecticut in recent years, it is not likely to remain in its current
condition without some community effort and some effort on our part to preserve and protect it.
That is why, on the very first day that I was sworn in as a freshman
member of this House of Representatives, I introduced a bill to study the Eightmile River for
wild and scenic status. I was pleased to be joined in that effort by all of my House colleagues on
both sides of the aisle, from Connecticut, and as well, I received commitments from Senators
Dodd and Lieberman on the Senate side to introduce companion bills in that body. For more
than 30 years, the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act has protected some of our nation's most
precious rivers, and they are not all out west or in some of the vast reaches of our country. In
fact, in northwestern Connecticut, the Farmington River has achieved that status through
legislation introduced by Congresswoman Nancy Johnson. Connecticut can have a wild and
scenic river. It is possible.
This Act makes sure that certain select
rivers of the Nation that have these outstanding assets will be preserved and protected, and that
they will be available to future generations. I think that the Eightmile River possesses all of
these qualities. I believe that the dollars we are requesting for a study will demonstrate that
beyond a reasonable doubt, and this is the process we follow in these cases. I am proud to
submit this legislation on behalf of my constituents in those three towns, and I would like to
request if we could, Mr. Chairman, that some correspondence between individuals and
organizations be introduced into the record. This is an initiative that has broad-based support in
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the community, and these letters demonstrate that commitment. I am
also excited that one of our three first selectmen from this area is here with us today. That is Sue
Merrow of East Haddam. She has some testimony she would like to submit, and also Nathan
Frohling of The Connecticut Nature Conservancy is here to testify on behalf of this bill. I thank
you, Mr. Chairman, for your attention. I am happy to answer any questions that you have, and I
look forward to working with you and your Committee on this legislation as we move forward.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Simmons follows:]
Statement by The Honorable Rob Simmons, a Representative in Congress from the State of Connecticut, on H.R. 182
Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, I am pleased to be here
this afternoon to testify in support of H.R. 182, a bill to study the inclusion of Connecticut's
Eightmile River as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
Eastern Connecticut is fortunate to have a wealth of natural beauty, such as the Eightmile
River. The river, and the watershed it supports, is an outstanding ecological system. It has been
identified as an exemplary occurrence of one of Connecticut's most imperiled natural
communities. Its streams are free flowing, contain excellent water quality and a diversity of
aquatic habitats and fish species, including native and stocked trout. The Eightmile River is also
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an important recreational resource and figures prominently in the character of the communities in
which it flows.
Unfortunately, the Eightmile River is not likely to remain in this outstanding condition
without a concerted community effort to protect it.
That's why on my very first day in Congress, I introduced H.R. 182, a bill authorizing the
National Park Service to study and determine whether the Eightmile River is eligible for
designation as a National Wild and Scenic River. I was pleased to be joined in this effort by
every member of Connecticut's congressional delegation.
For more than 30 years, the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act has safeguarded some of
the nation's most precious rivers. The Act intends that certain select rivers of the Nation that
possess outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic,
cultural or other similar values, shall be preserved in free-flowing condition, and that they shall
be protected for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. Designated rivers
receive protection to preserve their-free-flowing condition, to protect the water quality and to
fulfill other vital national conservation purposes. I believe Connecticut's Eightmile River
possesses all of these qualities, deserves all of these protections and should be looked at by the
National Park Service as an important addition to the National Wild and Scenic River System.
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I am very proud to submit this legislation at the request of my constituents in East Haddam,
Salem and Lyme. I am excited that the First Selectman of East Haddam, Sue Merrow and Nathan
Frohling of the Connecticut Nature Conservancy are here in Washington to testify on behalf of
this bill. Thank you.
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Mr. HEFLEY. Thank
you very much, both of you, for your testimony. Let me ask you, Mr. Simmons, is there
general—I take it from what you said, you feel there is general local support for this?
Mr. SIMMONS.
Absolutely, and that is a critical point. We have in these letters, they will demonstrate, I think,
beyond a reasonable doubt that each of the three municipalities, and many of the entities of those
municipalities, official entities of those municipalities, and citizens and citizens groups support
this initiative. In a sense, I inherited the issue because, shortly after the election, I went down
into this area and was briefed on the project, and I would say two years at work, at least, had
gone into preparing materials in anticipation of submitting this legislation. So, when I was
briefed, I got a very comprehensive briefing, and I got a very clear sense from public officials,
private individuals and non-profit organizations, that they are all in support of this initiative.
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Mr. HEFLEY. Well,
that is good, because we would not want, you would not us to force this on the people of
Connecticut if they do not want it personally. Mr.
SIMMONS. That is a critical comment and that
is why I have asked, as two additional witnesses; one, that we have a representative from the
Nature Conservancy to talk about the environmental aspects of the river, but secondly, we have a
local elected official, a First Selectman, which is essentially a Mayor of one of the three towns,
testify. If, in fact, we were allowed to have more mayors testify, we would have them here, but
we were asked only to bring one. Mr.
HEFLEY. Thank you. Mr. Pascrell, what is there,
there in Paterson for people to see? Are the mills still in existence, and that is part of what you
are wanting to save? Mr.
PASCRELL. Mr. Chairman, many of those mills
are still in existence. They have been converted, some of them, to schools, to a museum, to other
manufacturing activities. Most of them are still there, most of them have been preserved, Mr.
Chairman, and this is really something to see in its present form. We just imagine what it would
look like and what would be and what it would produce if we are able to really have this
partnership I have been talking to you about. This is a nonpartisan
project, Mr. Chairman. The Governor of the State, Donald DiFrancesco just became the
Governor, has written, you have it in the record, his endorsement of this project. The two
Senators from New Jersey are with us one hundred percent, as are the New Jersey members of
this Committee, in support of this project. Mr.
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HEFLEY. Okay. Thank you. Mrs. Christensen?
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will enter my statement for the record if that is okay with you.
Mr. HEFLEY. Without
objection.
[The prepared statement of Mrs. Christensen follows:]
Statement of The Honorable Donna Christensen, a Delegate to Congress from the Virgin Islands
Mr. Chairman, today the Subcommittee will receive testimony on three unrelated bills.
Our first bill, H.R. 146, introduced by Rep. Pascrell, would authorize a National Park Service study of the suitability and feasibility of designating the Great Falls Historic District in Paterson, New Jersey, as a unit of the National Park System. I understand the area has a rich industrial history and that our witnesses will provide us with some details of the resource values found there. Our second bill, H.R. 182, by Mr. Simmons, would authorize a study to determine whether it would be appropriate to designate the Eightmile River as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The Eightmile River is located in Southern Connecticut and has already been identified by the National Park Service as a potential Wild and Scenic River based on its outstanding scenic, geologic, and wildlife values.
While there is no controversy regarding the merits of H.R. 182, it is our understanding that the Administration will testify in opposition to the bill based on its newly proposed moratorium on new additions to the National Park System. We look forward to hearing more about this new policy.
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Our last bill, H.R. 601, introduced by Rep. Simpson, would provide for hunting on the Federal lands that were included within the Craters of the Moon National Monument when the monument was enlarged on November 9, 2000. The bill also provides for the disposition of grazing fees arising from the use of the expansion area. I understand that there are some unusual circumstances pertaining to these matters at the monument that the Administration witness will be able to elaborate on.
Mr. Chairman, we appreciate the presence of our witnesses here today and look forward to their insights on the legislation that is before us.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. I
have also been asked to enter the statement of Congressman Pallone for the record, I ask
unanimous consent. Mr.
HEFLEY. Without objection.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Pallone follows:]
Statement of The Honorable Frank Pallone, Jr., a Representative in Congress from the State of New Jersey, on H.R. 146
I support H.R. 146, legislation introduced by my colleague Representative Pascrell of New
Jersey. H.R. 146 calls for a study of the Great Falls National Historic District to determine the
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feasibility of adding this location to the National Park System. Representative Pascrell has
identified a unique place, rich in the history of America's development. The Great Falls Historic
District deserves great attention; it deserves designation as a National Park.
At the heart of the Great Falls Historic District is the 77-foot Great Falls of the Passaic
River, the second largest waterfall by volume east of the Mississippi River and a key in our
nation's manufacturing history. In 1791, Alexander Hamilton selected the Great Falls for the
creation of an industrial site and with Pierre Charles L'Enfant designed a waterpower system to
increase the Nation's manufacturing capabilities. Hamilton believed that America to be free from
British influence, must be industrially free ; Great Falls is one or our founding father's creations.
The Great Falls Historic District contains examples of 18th, 19th, and 20th-century
water-powered remnants, including a three-tiered raceway and an abundance of mills. This
District is the historical home to the first Colt revolver at Samuel Colt's Works, the first
locomotives and airplane engines at Rogers Works, and is also known around the world as
''Silk City''. Great Falls Historic District includes examples of almost every type of manufacturing
facility built during America's industrial revolution.
Additionally, Paterson, New Jersey is rich with the history of America's immigrant workers.
Migration patterns of workers in Paterson provide a sketch of America's immigrant population
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and the role of immigrants in America's factories. Further, labor issues in this industrial
workplace led to the need for labor laws that formed the foundation of today's labor movement.
I support my colleague's approach to review the potential of the Great Falls Historic District
as a National Park. The Great Falls Historic District is an example of New Jersey's development,
New Jersey's brilliant ingenuity and New Jersey's insight that should be preserved to serve as a
history lesson to Americans for years to come.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. I
want to welcome my colleagues, my classmate, Congressman Pascrell, who has introduced the
bill to authorize the National Park Service study. I am well aware of your efforts on all fronts to
improve the economic conditions of Paterson and the surrounding area, and I see this as one
other way of doing this. I did not know that we shared Alexander Hamilton, who grew up in my
district in the Virgin Islands, which makes me even more interested in your bill.
Mr. Simmons, when I said I would see you soon, I did not expect to see
you this soon at our Committee. Welcome. I am very interested in your bill. I have always been
a supporter of the Scenic River Program, however, at this point, it is my understanding that the
Administration has imposed a moratorium. I will be looking forward to hearing from the
Administration on more about the policy and why it is in place. But, just welcome, and thank you
for being here. Mr.
SIMMONS. Thank you.
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Mr. HEFLEY. Thank
you. Mr. Simpson, did you have some testimony you wanted to share?
Mr. SIMPSON. No.
Mr. HEFLEY. Mr.
Gilchrest? Mr.
GILCHREST. Just a quick question, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Pascrell, how many acres does this cover in Paterson? Mr.
PASCRELL. About 112 acres, sir.
Mr. GILCHREST. Who
owns it now? Mr.
PASCRELL. Well, various people. God owns the
falls, which is in the river and the river runs right through the district. There are private
ownerships. In fact, most of the ownership in the district is privately owned—I would say most of
the commercial properties, there are also residents. It is a mixed zone where the Great Falls
Historic District is. As I pointed out before, President Ford named this landmark back in
1976. We need the help of the Park Service, in a synergistic partnership, to develop this so that
it is really not only a destination for tourists, but that the area itself is alive and continues to grow.
Mr. GILCHREST. I am
not familiar with the bill. Is it your intention to have this owned and then run by the National
Park Service? Mr.
PASCRELL. Part of the district, as I said, is the
falls itself. There are parks on both sides of the falls, and that is something, since I am not
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officially part of the government of Paterson, I would recommend that there be some kind of
relationship, some kind of partnership in overseeing that particular parkland. It was never my
intention that the Park Service or the Federal Government own the entire district, sir.
Mr. GILCHREST. The
entire district is a little over 100 acres? MR.
PASCRELL. That is correct, sir.
Mr. GILCHREST. Has
the State wanted to make it a State Park or work with the county to make it a county-state
partnership? Do you need the money from the Federal Government to get some infusion of cash
to make all this happen? Mr.
PASCRELL. We have had some infusion of Federal
dollars, as I pointed out, back in 1995 to begin the process. This is our first real attempt to get
the Park Service officially to be involved, physically, to be involved there in this
partnership I have talked to you about. The county has endorsed this. The State of New Jersey,
as I have just said to you, the Governor wrote a letter endorsing this particular project. We have
worked this on many different levels, but we do need the Park Service there. I know many times
we are reluctant to talk about the Park Service in urban areas. We tend to think of them more
on a grandiose. This is a very different Committee, though. In the last two sessions we have
gone beyond those old parochialisms and commend this Committee, and that is why I am very
optimistic when I appear before you. Mr.
GILCHREST. I wish you well. I wish you good
luck. I also wish Mr. Simmons luck on the eight miles of wild and scenic. You don't often think
of Connecticut as wild and scenic, but if you can save a little wild and scenic in Connecticut, we
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are for it. Mr.
SIMMONS. I appreciate those remarks, sir. As I
indicated, we actually have the Farmington River in the northwestern part of the State, which
flows into the Connecticut River, and it currently has wild and scenic status due to the efforts of
my colleague, Congresswoman Nancy Johnson, some years ago. We do have some unique and
special spots buried away in our tiny little State. Mr.
GILCHREST. Maybe you can have a sister River in
Idaho called Moose Creek. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Simpson?
STATEMENT OF HON. MICHAEL K. SIMPSON, A
REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF IDAHO
Mr. SIMPSON. Thank
you, Mr. Chairman. I can tell you that I have been to Connecticut and there are places that are
both wild and scenic. I apologize for being late and I did have an opening statement on House
Bill 601 that is on the schedule today. I want to thank you for scheduling this hearing on H.R.
601. I would like to thank Don Clower of the Idaho Fish and Game Commission and Jack Fisher
of the Idaho Wildlife Federation for traveling all the way to Washington, D.C. to testify on
behalf of this legislation. I understand they are on panel number two.
On November 9, 2000, President Bill Clinton issued Presidential
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Proclamation 7373 to expand the boundaries of Craters of the Moon National Monument. Prior
to Clinton's proclamation, the monument was comprised of 52,440 acres. President Coolidge
established the monument in 1924. Former President Clinton's approximation expanded the
boundaries to include, approximately, 661,287 acres of additional Federal land. The area is
managed by the Secretary of Interior through the National Park Service and by the Bureau of
Land Management. The National Park Service manages approximately 410,000 acres of the
expansion, while the Bureau of Land Management manages the remaining 251,000 acres.
When the monument was expanded, it was understood that continued
access to hunting would be maintained. However, when the proclamation was issued, hunting
was restricted in the area of the expansion managed by the National Park Service. Under this
legislation, areas that were open to hunting before the expansion will remain open to hunting
under the jurisdiction and laws of the State of Idaho. The legislation also ensures the grazing
fees collected in the national monument are disposed according to the Taylor Grazing Act.
Unfortunately, due to the outmoded and antiquated national monument
process, there was not a formal means by which the State of Idaho, the congressional delegation
or the general public could comment on the proposed monument expansion. While the Idaho
Fish and Game Commission expressed their interest in working with the Secretary of Interior to
allow for appropriate wildlife management in the expanded area, their concerns were largely
ignored. When the Idaho congressional delegation and governor spoke with the Secretary of the
Interior about the Craters of the Moon expansion, we were led to believe that hunting would not
be affected. In fact, the relevant language of the proclamation says nothing in this proclamation
shall be deemed to enlarge or diminish the jurisdiction of the State of Idaho with respect to fish
and wildlife management. However, when the proclamation was
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issued, it was realized that current National Park Service regulations preclude hunting in the area
of the expansion managed by the National Park Service; therefore, denying access to traditional
hunting grounds. H.R. 601 is about fairness and ensuring that Idahoans are not locked out of
traditional hunting areas. H.R. 601 has the support of the Idaho Fish and Game Commission, the
Idaho Fish and Game Advisory Committee, the Idaho Wildlife Council, Idaho Wildlife
Federation and local county commissioners.
Once again, Mr.
Chairman, I want to thank you for taking the opportunity to hold a hearing on this piece of
legislation that is important to the State of Idaho. When you look at the expansion of the Craters
of the Moon into what is called the Great Rift, this 661,000 additional acres, it is largely lava
rock and sagebrush, and people ask if there are really any deer out there. I can tell you I have never
gotten one with a 30-06, but I have gotten one with a Corvette and a Jeep, so there are plenty of
deer out there. So thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Simpson follows:]
Statement of The Honorable Mike Simpson, a Representative in Congress from the State of Idaho
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Mr. Chairman, thank you for scheduling this hearing on H.R. 601. I would also like to thank Don Clower, Idaho Fish and Game Commission; and Jack Fisher, Idaho Wildlife Federation, for traveling all the way to Washington, DC to testify on behalf of this legislation.
On November 9, 2000, former President Bill Clinton issued Presidential Proclamation 7373 to expand the boundaries of the Craters of the Moon National Monument. Prior to Clinton's proclamation, the monument was comprised of 54,440 acres. President Coolidge established the monument in 1924.
Former President Clinton's proclamation expanded the boundaries to include approximately 661,287 acres of additional federal land. The area is managed by the Secretary of Interior through the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management. The National Park Service manages approximately 410,000 acres of the expansion, while the Bureau of Land Management manages the remaining 251,000 acres. When the monument was expanded it was understood that continued access to hunting would be maintained. However, when the proclamation was issued, hunting was restricted in the area of the expansion managed by the National Park Service. Under my legislation, areas that were open to hunting before the expansion will remain open to hunting under the jurisdiction and laws of the State of Idaho. The legislation also ensures that grazing fees collected in the national monument are dispersed according to the Taylor Grazing Act.
Unfortunately, due to the outmoded and antiquated national monument process there was not a formal means by which the State of Idaho, the congressional delegation, and the general public could comment on the proposed monument expansion. While the Idaho Fish and Game expressed their interest in working with the Secretary of Interior to allow for appropriate wildlife management in the expanded area, their concerns were ignored by an administration that cared little for public input in land management decisions.
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When the Idaho congressional delegation and Governor spoke with the Secretary of Interior about the Craters of the Moon expansion we were led to believe that hunting would not be affected. However, when the proclamation was issued it was realized that current National Park Service regulations preclude hunting in the area of the expansion managed by the National Park Service. Therefore, denying access to traditional hunting grounds.
H.R. 601 is about fairness and ensuring that Idahoans are not locked out of traditional hunting areas. H.R. 601 has the support of the Idaho Fish and Game Commission, Idaho Fish and Game Advisory Committee, Idaho Wildlife Council, Idaho Wildlife Federation, and local county commissioners.
Once again, I want to take this opportunity to thank you for holding this hearing. I am hopeful that the information presented here will allow us to move forward with this common sense legislation.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. HEFLEY. My chief ability to harvest deer in
Colorado has been with my car, too, so I understand what you mean. Gentlemen, if you would
like to join us up here for the remaining part of the hearing, or as much as you can stay, or if you
would like to participate with us in the hearing, we would love to have you do it.
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Let us go to a second panel. Mr. Joseph Doddridge, Acting Assistant
Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Department of the Interior; Mr. Don Clower, Idaho
Fish and Game Commission; and Mr. Jack Fisher, Idaho Wildlife Federation. I want to take the
two Gentlemen from Idaho first, because you have come a long way and I understand you have an
airplane to catch later this afternoon. You can choose whichever one of you would like to speak
first and we will go from there.
Mr. Fisher, you drew the short straw?
Mr. FISHER. Yes, Mr.
Chairman, I believe that I won the toss in this case.
Mr. HEFLEY. Which goal do you choose to defend?
STATEMENT OF JACK FISHER, IDAHO WILDLIFE FEDERATION,
NAMPA, IDAHO
Mr. FISHER. We will
find that out here real soon. Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, I want to say my
name is Jack Fisher and I'm the President of the Idaho Wildlife Federation. I'm also a member of
the Idaho Fish and Game Advisory Committee. I want to thank you for allowing us to
participate in today's hearing on H.R. 601. My testimony will focus primarily on the hunting
aspect of this resolution, and will be on behalf of the Idaho Wildlife Federation and the Idaho
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Fish and Game Advisory Committee. The Idaho Wildlife Federation is Idaho's oldest
conservation organization. The Federation's primary mission is to promote citizen support for the
conservation of Idaho's wildlife and natural resources, for fishing, hunting and outdoor recreation
benefiting all future generations. Our current membership totals nearly
6,000 Idaho citizens. The Idaho Wildlife Federation was founded in 1936 and, in fact, this
Friday we will be celebrating our 65th anniversary at our annual meeting. I would also like to
mention that the Idaho Wildlife Federation is an affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation.
Mr. Chairman, the sportsmen and women of Idaho are extremely
concerned over the loss of the hunting opportunity due to assignment of management
responsibility for the expanded acres of the Craters of the Moon National Monument to the
National Park Service. In our opinion, H.R. 601 has more to do with instilling a sense of faith
in the integrity of our government. When the Craters of the Moon National Monument was being
discussed in Idaho, the Idaho Wildlife Federation voiced concerns that hunting opportunities
might be lost, and it seems that those concerns have proved to be well founded.
It is our understanding that assurances were given to Idaho's
congressional delegation, as well as Idaho's governor, that hunting would continue to be allowed
if the expansion was approved. Some believe that by merely assigning management
responsibility of the expanded area to the National Park Service, it was going to automatically
eliminate hunting. That is certainly what has happened, and while there are those who support
such restrictions, the Idaho Wildlife Federation is not one of them. The
very size and remoteness of the area that now comprises the Craters of the Moon National
Monument makes restrictions for hunting needless. I believe it is important to put the size of the
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area we are talking about into perspective. I have researched the size of Washington D.C., and
found out that it encompasses approximately 43,000 acres, or 68.2 square miles. By comparison,
the expanded portion of the Craters of the Moon National Monument encompasses some 661,000
acres, or 948 square miles, which is about 14 times the size of Washington, DC.
As for lost hunting opportunity, in 1999, elk hunters spent an estimated
2,158 man days afield, and additionally deer hunters spent another 1,238 man days in the area.
In addition, antelope, sage grouse and doves are hunted in significant numbers, which would
further add to the utilization in this area. The loss of nearly 4,000 man days of hunting
opportunity will put additional stress on surrounding wildlife management areas at a time when
hunting pressure is of a growing concern. The economic impact for
just the deer and elk hunting alone equates to about $210,000. Now, that may not seem like
much of a dollar impact, but in rural Idaho it is definitely very significant. I believe that it is
important to mention that currently the area does not have a wildlife deprivation problem that
would be involving adjacent private landowners' agricultural crops. However, the loss of hunting
opportunity and the lack of harvest of the surplus deer and elk and antelope will most certainly
result in future deprivation problems.
Controversy surrounding wildlife
deprivation statewide is a constant problem and was the primary reason for creating the Idaho
Fish and Game Advisory Committee initially in 1989. So, in closing, Mr. Chairman, I would
like to extend my appreciation to Representative Mike Simpson for presenting this legislation,
and I would like to point out that virtually nothing has changed except the designation of this
land as part of the Craters of the Moon National Monument, and the transfer of management
responsibility from one government agency to another, and as such, I urge that you and the
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members of your Committee support H.R. 601. As I had mentioned
earlier in my testimony, this is really an issue about instilling a sense of faith in the integrity of our
government, by keeping promises and restoring our traditional hunting opportunities in this area.
That concludes my testimony on this, sir.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Fisher follows:]
Statement by Jack W. Fisher, President, Idaho Wildlife Federation, and Member, Idaho Department of Fish and Game Advisory Committee
Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee:
Thank you for inviting us to participate in today's hearing on House Resolution 601. My testimony will focus on the hunting aspects of the resolution. However, before doing so, I believe it is important to provide you with some background information concerning the Idaho Wildlife Federation who I have the honor of representing. My testimony will also be on behalf of the Idaho Department of Fish and Gem's Advisory Committee of which I am a member. The Advisory Committee's membership represents both sportsmen and agricultural interests.
BACKGROUND
The Idaho Wildlife Federation is Idaho's oldest conservation organization. The Federation's primary mission is to promote citizen support for the conservation of the state's wildlife and natural resources for fishing, hunting, and outdoor recreation benefiting future generations. We currently have several hundred members and 25 affiliate organizations. Our affiliates represent diverse sportsmen's interests from throughout Idaho including archery, fishing, law enforcement, hunting dogs, wild turkeys and even a herpetological society. Membership to our affiliate groups varies from a relative handful to well over a thousand in the case of the Idaho State Bowhunters organization.
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The Idaho Wildlife Federation was founded in 1936 as an outgrowth of the national Civilian Conservation Corps program due to growing citizen concern about conservation and wildlife management. This Friday we will be celebrating our 65th anniversary at our annual banquet. I would also like to mention that the Idaho Wildlife Federation is an affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation although we function independently.
IDAHO WILDLIFE FEDERATION'S AND THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE'S INTEREST IN H.R. 601
The sportsmen of Idaho are extremely concerned over the loss of hunting opportunities due to assignment of management responsibility for expanded acreage of the Craters of the Moon National Monument to the National Park Service.
It is our opinion the resolution has more to do with instilling a sense of faith in the integrity of our government. When the expansion of Craters of the Moon National Monument was being discussed, the Idaho Wildlife Federation was concerned that hunting opportunities might be lost. It seems those concerns have proved to be well founded.
It has been our understanding that assurances were given to Idaho's congressional delegation as well as Idaho's Governor that hunting would continue to be allowed if the expansion was approved. We are uncertain if some of those involved may have known surreptitiously that, by assigning management responsibility for a portion of the expanded area to the National Park Service, hunting would automatically be restricted. However, that is certainly what has happened and while there may be those who support such restrictions, our organization is not one of them.
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IMPACTS DUE TO THE LOSS OF HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES
The very size of the area that now comprises the Craters of the Moon National Monument makes restrictions on hunting needless. I believe it is important to try and put the size of the area we are talking about into some sort of perspective. To do so, I researched the size of Washington, D.C. and found it encompasses about 43,648 acres or 68.2 square miles. By comparison, just the expanded area of the Craters of the Moon National Monument encompasses 607,000 acres or about 948 square miles, roughly 14 times the size of Washington, D.C. Thus, with the mere stroke of a pen, such a vast remote area was placed off limits to those who have traditionally hunted in the area.
I would like to point out that I am not aware of any hunting-related mishaps in the area in question so safety is really not an issue. As for lost hunting opportunities, in 1999 elk hunters spent an estimated 2,158 days in the field and deer hunters another 1,238 days in this area. I was unable to obtain similar estimates for other species such as antelope and sage grouse which would add to the hunter utilization information. From an economic impact standpoint for just elk and deer hunting in the management area involved, the numbers equate to about $210,795. That may not seem like much of a dollar impact to some of you, but in rural Idaho it's significant.
Additionally, I believe it is important to mention that currently the area does not have a wildlife depredation problem involving adjacent private landowners' agricultural crops. However, the loss of hunting opportunities and harvest of elk and deer will most likely result in a depredation problem due to the inability to keep wildlife populations in check by hunter harvest. Controversies surrounding wildlife depredation in general is a constant problem and was the primary reason for creating the Fish and Game Advisory Committee.
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CONCLUSION
Mr. Chairman, in closing I would like to extend appreciation to Representative Mike Simpson for sponsoring the resolution. I would also like to point out that virtually nothing has changed except for the designation of the bud as part of the Craters of the Moon National Monument and the transfer of management responsibility from one government agency to another. As such, I urge you and members of your Subcommittee to support House Resolution 601.
As I mentioned earlier in my testimony, this is really an issue about instilling faith and integrity in our government by keeping promises and retaining traditional hunting opportunities. I would be pleased to respond to any questions that you or other members of your Subcommittee may have at this time.
Mr. HEFLEY. Thank
you very much, Mr. Fisher.
Mr. Clower?
STATEMENT OF DON CLOWER, IDAHO FISH AND GAME COMMISSION,
MERIDIAN, IDAHO
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Mr. CLOWER. Mr.
Chairman, members of the Committee, I would like to take just a moment to thank you for the
opportunity to testify in front of the Subcommittee. My name is Don Clower. I am a member of
the Idaho Fish and Game Commission. A brief history of the Idaho Fish and Game Commission;
there are seven commissioners who are appointed by the Governor of Idaho to manage the affairs
of the Idaho Fish and Game department and manage the wildlife in the State of Idaho. I was
appointed to this commission in 1999 by Governor Dirk Kempthorne. The Craters of the Moon
National Monument was expanded to 661,000 acres. Hunting has been a traditional part of this
expansion long before white men ever came to the State of Idaho. I
would like to point out one part of the proclamation that has been brought up a couple of times
before, but I believe has a great amount of importance on this issue. The proclamation states that
nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to enlarge or diminish the jurisdiction of the State
of Idaho with respect to fish and wildlife management. We were led to believe, when this
monument proclamation was under discussion, that traditional hunting and other uses of this area
would be guaranteed. Immediately upon the Park Service taking over
the management of this land, we lost that ability to manage the wildlife and exercise the rights of
the State of Idaho to manage our wildlife. Hunting and trapping will not harm the resources the
monument was established to protect. The monument was originally established and recently
expanded to protect geological formations. This is a very isolated area in the central part of the
State of Idaho, very inaccessible. There is really only one road that passes through Craters of the
Moon. The other roads are two tracks, very unimproved roads that lead out into different
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sections of the lava flow that are available for hunting and trapping. Last year, Jack gave you the
number of man hours that were utilized in the Craters of the Moon for hunting.
We have a really good elk herd out there that produces outstanding
opportunities to elk hunt. We have a large deer herd and we have a large antelope herd, which
provide opportunity for sportsmen in the State of Idaho to harvest during hunting seasons. Our
hunting seasons are very short. They run for a couple of months in the late fall and they do not
interfere and never have interfered with the management of this particular area. Again, you will
have to understand, this is a very, very remote part of Idaho and fairly inaccessible.
Prohibiting hunting will result in a loss of unique and highly valued
recreational opportunities. There is a common misconception that no hunting takes place in the
lava flows, but there is a considerable amount of use of this particular area. Prohibiting hunting
and trapping on the expansion is also administratively impractical, if not impossible, because of
having to try to sign the different areas in the lava flow, because if you have ever been out to the
Craters of the Moon, the lava flow comes and goes in a very, very large area. I am not too sure
exactly how you would sign all this area to prohibit hunting in one portion and the other portion
managed by the BLM would continue to allow hunting. So it would be a very difficult area, in
our opinion, to try to manage. In closing, Mr. Chairman, the Idaho Fish
and Game Commission requests passage of H.R. 601 because it makes sense. The rules
regarding the use of the national monument should be tailored to the resource or the designation
it was designed to protect. Uses that do not conflict with the purpose of the designation should
not only be allowed, they should be encouraged. Hunting and trapping are compatible with the
expanded area of the Craters of the Moon National Monument. These activities have been going
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on there for years without harming the scenic beauty of this unearthly landscape. Let's keep it
that way. I would like to thank the Committee and Congressman Simpson for allowing us the
opportunity to come here today and speak in support of this legislation.
Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Clower follows:
Statement of Don Clower, Idaho Fish and Game Commission
My name is Don Clower. I am a member of and am testifying on behalf of the Idaho Fish and Game Commission. I appreciate the opportunity to address this Subcommittee in support of Congressman Simpson's bill regarding hunting on the recent expansion of the Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho.
The expansion of the Craters of the Moon National Monument was imposed by Presidential Proclamation on November 9, 2000. This expansion was significant, increasing the size of the monument nearly tenfold to 661,000 acres with 410,000 acres to be managed by the National Park Service (NPS). The remaining 250,000 acres will be managed by the BLM.
The NPS-administered portion of the expansion will be closed to hunting and trapping, in spite of language in the President's proclamation that states: ''Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to enlarge or diminish the jurisdiction of the State of Idaho with respect to fish and wildlife management.'' The rationale behind this decision to exclude hunting and trapping seems to be based on the practice that the NPS does not normally allow these activities on lands it administers unless there is legislation specifically allowing hunting and trapping. Hence the apparent need for Congressman Simpson's legislation. We urge you to support this legislation for the following reasons:
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Hunting and trapping will not harm the resources the monument was established to protect. The monument was originally established and recently expanded to protect geologic formations. These activities will not have any impact on the lava flows or other geologic features of the monument that are any different than other uses of the monument like hiking, photography or sightseeing. Vehicles are restricted to existing roads and trails and apply to all users.
Hunting and trapping will not interfere with other uses of the monument. Seasons for both activities are relatively short and have limited participation. Hunting is confined to the months of September through November, which are outside the high visitation months of June, July and August while trapping is conducted from December through February. Under Congressman Simpson's proposed legislation, these traditional activities would only be allowed on the expansion, the original monument with its parking areas and visitor center would remain closed to hunting.
Prohibiting hunting and trapping on the expansion is administratively impractical if not impossible. The expanded monument contains land managed by the NPS and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The NPS land includes the lava flows and the BLM land includes the sagebrush and grassland habitats surrounding the flows. The boundary between the land managed by the BLM, where hunting will continue to be allowed, and the NPS where hunting is prohibited is indistinct and is not readily discernible by the public. In order to post signs on the boundary, it would have to be surveyed, at considerable expense. The resultant signing would be unsightly and defeat the purpose of protecting the scenic beauty of the area. Until signing is completed, the public will not be able to tell if they are in the area open to hunting and trapping.
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Prohibiting hunting on the expansion will have negative impacts to nearby farmland. The loss of hunting and expanded refuge created by the monument is likely to result in increases in elk numbers. In the last twenty years, 'elk populations have increased dramatically on the sagebrush steppe lands surrounding the Monument and the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). These animals spend the daylight hours where hunting is prohibited and depredate adjacent agricultural lands at night. Large refuges like the INEEL and the expanded Craters Monument make it very difficult to control the size of these elk herds. In addition, higher elk populations could alter the unique native plant communities found in the lava flows and smaller kipukas that the monument desires to protect. Prohibiting hunting and other wildlife management practices will inhibit our ability to manage big game populations at a level that is compatible with other resource uses and values. We suggest that the proposed legislation allow other wildlife management practices on the expansion, like trapping and aerial survey.
Prohibiting hunting will result in the loss of a unique and highly valued recreational opportunity. There is a common misconception that no hunting takes place on the lava flows. Hunters and trappers do use this area. Those willing to brave the remote and hostile terrain are rewarded with a truly unique recreational experience. Trapping should also be authorized in the legislation.
Allowing hunting on lands managed by the National Park Service will not set a precedent. In the past the IDFG has successfully advocated maintaining hunting opportunity in the designation of National Monuments in Idaho. When the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument and the City of the Rocks National Reserve were designated, both remained open to hunting. The IDFG has worked closely with the NPS and the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation to ensure hunting does not conflict with other uses of these lands. The Department is committed to continuing this relationship on the expanded Craters of the Moon National Monument.
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The concerns I have outlined here today will come as no surprise to the NPS, the BLM and other Department of Interior (DOI) officials familiar with the proposal to expand the Craters of the Moon. We were disappointed in the lack of coordination by the DOI in the early phases of this proposal. We were not notified of or invited to participate in public meetings or interagency discussions on expansion of the Craters. In spite of this, the Commission made their concerns known in writing and in testimony prior to the President's proclamation, all to no avail. Our Governor, Dirk Kempthome, has written Secretary Gale Norton on this issue and our legislature has passed a memorial regarding hunting in the Craters expansion area.
In closing, Mr. Chairman, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission requests passage of this legislation because it makes sense. The rules regarding uses of National Monuments should be tailored to the resources the designation was designed to protect. Uses that do not conflict with the purpose of the designation should not only be allowed, they should be encouraged. Hunting and trapping are compatible with the expanded area of the Craters of the Moon National Monument. These activities have been going on there for years without harming the scenic beauty of this unearthly landscape. Let's keep it that way. I thank you for this opportunity to testify and for your favorable consideration of this request.
Mr. HEFLEY. Thank
you very much. Mr. Doddridge?
STATEMENT OF JOSEPH E. DODDRIDGE, ACTING
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ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE AND PARKS, DEPARTMENT OF
THE INTERIOR, WASHINGTON, DC
Mr. DODDRIDGE. Mr.
Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear before your Committee today. I have three
different bills to testify on, and I would like to present them, with your concurrence or approval,
in the order that they were presented to you. The first would be H.R. 146, a bill to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the Great Falls
Historic District in Paterson, New Jersey as a unit of the Park System. The Department of the
Interior recommends that the Committee defer action on H.R. 146 until the Park Service is able to
make further progress on the President's initiative to eliminate the deferred maintenance backlog
within the next five years. We are seeking a temporary moratorium on new park unit
designations or authorized new studies so that we can focus our existing staff and resources on
taking care of what we now own. We also want to use our available planning funds to complete
previously authorized studies in establishing new park units or expanding units.
I should say that, in addition, we are concerned that such a study could
serve to divert the city of Paterson and the National Park Service from the very real opportunities
authorized by Congress in 1992 and 1996, and opportunities that have yet to be fully realized.
As Congressman Pascrell stated, the 1996 legislation provides Paterson with the opportunity
both to demonstrate its capacity for leadership and partnership, and to develop and implement a
preservation program as indicators of its commitment and capacity. Successful completion of
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that program could lead to a future congressional designation or a reauthorized partnership
funding, as appropriate. Our concern is, given the limited resources we have for special
resources study, that this could divert attention from existing opportunity authorized in the 1996
Act.
This could take a few years to complete, especially when
considering other congressionally authorized studies that are competing for limited resources
available to the program. If the recommendations of the study were negative and the
congressional action forthcoming, there would be no preservation or development action
available to us. Mr. Chairman, that concludes my testimony. The next
bill, which is H.R. 182, would amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act by designating
segments of the Eightmile River for study and potential addition to the Wild and Scenic River
System. As in the previous bill, Mr. Chairman, we recommend that the Committee defer action on
this until we can make further progress on our initiative to eliminate the backlog within the next
five years. We are seeking this temporary moratorium until we can sort
this out and make some progress in this area. I should point out, as Congressman Simmons
indicates, that over the past couple of years, the Park Service has responded to interest and
inquiries from local advocates and town officials regarding a potential Wild and Scenic River
study for the Eightmile River. There appears to be strong local commitment and interest and
support for protecting the river system, as evidenced by the Committee's formation of an
intermunicipal watershed committee and the signing of an innovative Eightmile River watershed
conservation concept. The concept, signed by the communities of East Haddam, Lyme and Salem
acknowledge their commitment to protect and enhance water resources, wildlife habitats and
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rural landscapes in the watershed. I should also point out that, in going
through the material before this hearing, the Fish and Wildlife Service has also worked closely
with the local communities as far as possible additions to the Conte Refuge. So there is more
than one agency in the Department of the Interior that is interested in this watershed. But
notwithstanding the strong support, we again recommend that Congress defer action on this until
we make further progress in eliminating our maintenance backlog. Thank you.
As far as the third bill which I am here to testify on today, H.R. 601, a bill to ensure continued access of hunters to those Federal lands included within the
boundaries of the Craters of the Moon National Monument in the State of Idaho, pursuant to
Presidential Proclamation 7373 on November 9, 2000, and to continue the applicability of the
Taylor Grazing Act and the disposition of grazing fees arising from the use of such lands, and for
other purposes.
Mr. Chairman, the Department supports H.R. 601,
which would preserve hunting on the NPS-managed portion of the monument expansion. As
Congressman Simpson pointed out, and the gentleman from Idaho, prior to the recent
proclamation, Craters of the Moon National Monument was managed solely by the National Park
Service. The expansion of the monument, however, consists of lands that have been
administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The proclamation gives both agencies
responsibilities for administering the monument cooperatively. The National Park Service has
the primary management responsibility for the old monument, plus the approximate 400,000-acre
addition that consists of exposed lava flows. The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for
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administering the remainder of the portion. The proclamation specified
that the NPS portion is to be managed under the same laws and regulations that applied to the
original monument. Since hunting has not been authorized in the original Craters of the Moon
National Monument, the effect of the proclamation was to prohibit hunting in the NPS portion of
the monument expansion. However, the Department supports a clarification of this language to
allow continued use of the lands in the expanded monument area for hunting. Hunting in a
portion of the monument administered by the Bureau of Land Management is not affected.
The Department also recognizes that legislation to provide the authority
for hunting within the NPS management portion of the monument expansion would give the
superintendent the ability to work cooperatively with the State of Idaho on issues concerning
adjacent landowners. For example, hunting could be used as a tool in mitigating agricultural
depredation caused by elk grazing on alfalfa crops on privately owned lands outside the
monument. While the Department supports legislation to continue hunting in the NPS portion of
the monument, this does not include support for opening to hunting the portion of the monument
that existed prior to the proclamation. That portion has always been and should continue to be
closed to hunting. In addition, I would like to clarify that the Department's position on this specific
issue does not indicate support for opening other areas of the park system to hunting.
I will be finished shortly, Mr. Chairman. While the Department supports
the intent of H.R. 601, to open the NPS-managed portion of the monument expansion, we are
concerned over the language in Section 1(b) that appears to preclude any authority of the
Secretary to exercise jurisdiction over the activity. Is that an omen, Congressman?
[Laughter.]
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Mr. SIMPSON. I
would say that was the first negative thing you said. [Laughter.]
Mr. DODDRIDGE. We
believe that the Secretary has a role to play in cooperation with the State to ensure that hunting is
consistent with public safety, area administration, protection of the monument's resources, and
public use and enjoyment. We have attached proposed language for the Committee's
consideration that is consistent with similar provisions and laws that authorize hunting in other
park areas. H.R. 601 also requires the Taylor Grazing Act to continue to apply to the disposition
of grazing fees arising from the use of the expansion area. It requires a
certain percentage of fees to be returned to the grazing district in which the use occurs.
However, it is my understanding that since no grazing occurs in the NPS portion of the
expansion area and the proclamation does not affect grazing on the BLM portion, we feel this
provision is unnecessary. This concludes my testimony on the three bills, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you.
[The prepared statements of Mr. Doddridge follow:]
Statement of Joseph E. Doddridge, Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Department of the Interior, on H.R. 146
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear before your Committee to present the views of the Department of the Interior on H.R. 146, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the
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Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the Great Falls Historic District in Paterson, New Jersey, as a unit of the National Park System.
The Department of the Interior recommends that the Committee defer action on H.R. 146 until the National Park Service (NPS) is able to make further progress on the President's
Initiative to eliminate the deferred maintenance backlog within five years. We are seeking a temporary moratorium on new park unit designations or authorizations of new studies so that we
can focus our existing staff and resources on taking care of what we now own. We also want to use our available planning funds to complete previously authorized studies with a close examination of the life-cycle costs of establishing a new park unit, expanding an existing unit, or adding new NPS funding obligations.
Paterson, New Jersey has a rich history as the Nation's first planned industrial city as well as
containing some of the country's oldest textile mills. In 1792, Alexander Hamilton formed an
investment group called the Society of Useful Manufactures whose funds would be used to
develop a planned industrial city in the United States that was later to become Paterson.
Hamilton believed that the United States needed to reduce its dependence on foreign goods and
should instead develop its own industries. The industries developed in Paterson were powered by
the 77-foot high Great Falls of the Passaic, and a system of water raceways that harnessed the
power of the falls. The district originally included dozens of mill buildings and other
manufacturing structures associated with the textile industry and later, the firearms, silk, and
railroad locomotive manufacturing industries. In the latter half of the 1800's, silk production
became the dominant industry and formed the basis of Paterson's most prosperous period,
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earning it the nickname Silk City. Paterson was also the site of historic labor unrest that focused
on anti-child labor legislation, safety in the workplace, a minimum wage, and reasonable
working hours.
Industrial decline in Paterson followed the general pattern for northern textile cities, with a
major decrease in business during the middle third of the 20th Century. Today, the historic
district reflects many phases of decline and renewal: some buildings are deteriorated and vacant,
while others continue in industrial use or have been adaptively reused for housing and offices.
Because of its significant role in the economic and industrial development of the United
States, the 89-acre Great Falls of the Passaic/Society of Useful Manufactures Historic District
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and designated a National Historic
Landmark (NHL) in 1976. Since 1988 the District has been listed as a Priority One threatened
National Historic Landmark in the Department of the Interior's annual report to Congress on
NHLs. This threatened status is primarily based on the condition of the 7-acre site that formerly
housed the Allied Textile Printers. This site, immediately below the Great Falls, has been
devastated by a dozen fires over the last 15 years. The site was acquired by the city of Paterson
through foreclosure in 1994 and a developer is currently under contract to redevelop the site.
In addition, we are concerned that such a study would serve to divert the city of Paterson
and the National Park Service from the very real opportunities authorized by Congress in 1992
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and 1996, opportunities that have yet to be fully realized.
In the Fiscal Year 1992 Appropriations bill for the Department of the Interior, Congress
appropriated funds for the New Jersey Urban History Initiative to provide funding for historic
preservation projects that encourage economic development. The city of Paterson was authorized
to receive $4.147 million in Urban History Initiative funds to be administered by the NPS under
a cooperative agreement with the City. Over the years, the NPS has worked closely with the City
to use the money to protect historic resources while fostering compatible economic development.
This initiative has shown results such as funding projects for research, community grants, and
restoration of historic resources. For example, Urban History Initiative funds were used for an
oral history project and ethnographic study conducted by the Library of Congress American
Folklife Center. Funds were also used for the stabilization of the ruins of the Colt Gun Mill as
part of a match for a New Jersey Historic Trust grant to the city of Paterson.
The second major congressional initiative to support historic preservation opportunities in
Paterson is section 510 of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 (Public
Law 104-333; 110 Stat. 4158). The Great Falls Historic District was authorized for $3.3 million
in matching grants and assistance to develop and implement a preservation and interpretive plan
for the District, and permit the development of a market analysis with recommendations of the
economic development potential of the District. Yet, none of these funds authorized in 1996 have
been appropriated.
Although the City has committed to the raising of the matching funds required under the
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authorization, we do not believe that this has yet occurred. Such matching funds will be
important because recent legislation indicates that Congress expects significant non-Federal
matches for new units of the national park system containing large numbers of historic buildings
such as the New Bedford National Historical Park and Boston Harbor Islands National
Recreation Area. Without this demonstrated local financial support for the operation and
protection of new park units, it is probably not feasible to recommend their addition to the
System.
The 1996 legislation provides Paterson with the opportunity both to demonstrate its capacity
for partnership, and to develop and implement a preservation program as indicators of its
commitment and capacity. The successful completion of that program could lead to a future
congressional designation or reauthorized partnership funding as appropriate.
Our concern is that given limited resources, a special resource study (SRS) could divert
attention from the existing opportunities authorized in the 1996 Act. The SRS could easily take
years to complete, especially when considering other congressionally authorized studies that are
competing for limited money available in this program. If the recommendations of the study
were negative and no congressional action forthcoming, years would have passed with no
preservation or development action.
The National Park Service believes in the important historic and natural resources in the city
of Paterson, and we believe in the capacity of the City to identify matching funding. There are
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signs this is beginning to happen. The breadth of activities allowed under the 1996 Act is much
greater than those normally authorized for a national park unit. It is our sincere wish that the
currently authorized preservation initiative for Paterson be allowed to proceed rather than being
delayed by a study.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to comment. This concludes my prepared
remarks and I will be happy to answer any questions you or other Committee members might
have.
Statement of Joseph E. Doddridge, Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Department of the Interior, on H.R. 182
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the
views of the Department of the Interior on H.R. 182. H.R. 182 would amend the Wild and Scenic
Rivers Act by designating segments of the Eightmile River for study and potential addition to
the Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
The Department of the Interior recommends that the Committee defer action on H.R. 182
until the National Park Service (NPS) is able to make further progress on the President's
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Initiative to eliminate the deferred maintenance backlog within five years. We are seeking a
temporary moratorium on new park unit designations or authorizations of new studies so that we
can focus our existing staff and resources on taking care of what we now own. We also want to
use our available planning funds to complete previously authorized studies with a close
examination of the life-cycle costs of establishing a new park unit, expanding an existing unit, or
adding new NPS funding obligations.
The Eightmile River is located in the lower Connecticut River watershed in south central
Connecticut. Fifteen miles of the Eightmile River and its East Branch through the communities
of Lyme, East Haddam, and Salem, Connecticut are included on the National Park Service's
Nationwide Rivers Inventory of potential Wild and Scenic River segments. Both segments are
included on the Inventory for outstanding scenic, geologic, fish and wildlife values. Over eighty
percent of the Connecticut River watershed is still forested, including large tracts of
unfragmented hardwood forests that are home to a diverse assemblage of plants and animals
including bobcats, Great Horned Owls, red foxes, and the Cerbulean Warbler.
Over the course of the past two years, the National Park Service has responded to interest and
inquiries from local advocates and town officials regarding a potential Wild and Scenic River
study for the Eightmile River. There appears to be strong local support for protecting the river
system, as evidenced by the communities formation of an inter-municipal watershed committee
and the signing of an innovative Eightmile River Watershed Conservation Compact. This
compact, signed by the communities of East Haddam, Lyme and Salem, acknowledges their
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commitment to protect and enhance water resources, wildlife habitats, and rural landscapes in the
watershed.
Notwithstanding the strong local support, we again recommend that the Committee defer
action on the bill until the National Park Service is able to make further progress to eliminate the
deferred maintenance backlog.
This concludes my prepared remarks, Mr. Chairman. I will be happy to answer any
questions you or other Committee members may have regarding this bill.
Statement of Joseph E. Doddridge, Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Department of the Interior, on H.R. 601
Mr. Chairman, members of the Subcommittee, I appreciate the opportunity to appear before
you today to present the views of the Department of the Interior on H.R. 601, a bill to ensure the
continued access of hunters to those Federal lands included within the boundaries of the Craters
of the Moon National Monument in the State of Idaho pursuant to Presidential Proclamation
7373 on November 9, 2000, and to continue the applicability of the Taylor Grazing Act to the
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disposition of grazing fees arising from the use of such lands, and for other purposes.
The Department supports H.R. 601, which would preserve hunting on the NPS-managed
portion of the monument expansion.
Craters of the Moon National Monument was established by Proclamation of President
Calvin Coolidge in 1924 for the purpose of protecting the unusual landscape of the Craters of the
Moon lava field. This unusual landscape was thought to resemble the surface of the Moon and
the Proclamation stated that the area ''contains many curious and unusual phenomena of great
educational value and has a weird and scenic landscape peculiar to itself.'' Between 1924 and
1962, the monument was expanded and boundary adjustments were made through four
Presidential proclamations. In 1996, a minor boundary adjustment was made by section 205 of
the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 (110 Stat. 4093; Public Law
104-333). On November 9, 2000, President Clinton's proclamation expanded the 53,440-acre
monument by adding approximately 661,287 acres of Federal lands.
The expanded monument includes almost all the features of basaltic volcanism, including
the craters, cones, lava flows, caves, and fissures of the 65-mile long Great Rift, a geological
feature that is comparable to the great rift zones of Iceland and Hawaii. It comprises the most
diverse and geologically recent part of the lava terrain that covers the southern Snake River
Plain, a broad lava plain made up of innumerable basalt lava flows that erupted during the past 5
million years.
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Prior to the recent proclamation, Craters of the Moon National Monument was managed
solely by the National Park Service. The expansion area of the monument, however, consists of
lands that had been administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The proclamation gives
both agencies responsibilities for administering the monument cooperatively. The National Park
Service has the primary management responsibility for the old monument, plus the
approximately 400,000-acre portion of the expansion area that consists of exposed lava flows.
The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for administering the remaining portion of the
monument.
The proclamation specified that the NPS portion of the monument expansion is to be
managed under the same laws and regulations that applied to the original monument. Since
hunting has not been authorized in the original Craters of the Moon National Monument, the
effect of the proclamation was to prohibit hunting in the NPS portion of the monument
expansion. However, the Department supports a clarification of this language to allow the
continued use of the lands in the expanded monument area for hunting. Hunting in the portion of
the monument administered by the Bureau of Land Management is not affected.
Furthermore, although the proclamation specifies that the National Park Service has
jurisdiction over the exposed lava flows, the on-the-ground reality is that there is not a precise
delineation between areas of vegetation and areas of bare rock, making it difficult in many cases
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to determine the exact location of the boundary. For the average visitor or hunter, it would be
difficult, if not impossible to distinguish whether they were on BLM lands or NPS lands, at least
in the vicinity of the jurisdictional boundaries.
The Department also recognizes that legislation to provide the authority for hunting within
the NPS-managed portion of the monument expansion would give the Superintendent the ability