**STATEMENT OF DANIEL N. WENK, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE,
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS OF
THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESORCES, CONCERNING S. 2513,
A BILL TO MODIFY THE BOUNDARY OF MINUTE MAN NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.**

**APRIL 23, 2008**

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear before your
committee to present the views of the Department of the Interior on S.
2513, a bill to modify the boundary of Minute Man National Historical
Park to include the home and surrounding farmland of Colonel James
Barrett and the area around the Joshua Brooks House.

The Department supports the enactment of this bill.

In December 2006, Congress directed the Secretary of the Interior to
conduct a study to evaluate the significance of the Colonel James
Barrett Farm and to assess the suitability and feasibility of including
the farm in the National Park System as part of the Minute Man National
Historical Park. The National Park Service consulted affected property
owners, state and local governments, preservation organizations, and the
public, and incorporated their views into the findings of the study. The
boundary study and environmental assessment, transmitted to Congress in
March 2008, concluded that the expansion of the boundary of the park to
include the home and surrounding farmland of Colonel James Barrett and
the area around the Joshua Brooks House, met the criteria for boundary
expansions and that inclusion within the boundary was important to
ensure the protection of nationally significant resources and values.
There is extensive public support for the boundary expansion.

S. 2513 would permit the inclusion of 67 acres of land within the
boundary of the Minute Man National Historical Park, thus adding
significant properties to the park that might be cooperatively managed
or acquired from willing sellers. The potential boundary expansions were
found to meet all National Park Service criteria including the ability
to protect significant resources, enhance opportunities for public
enjoyment, and improve management capabilities.

The most significant property proposed for inclusion within the revised
boundary is the Colonel James Barrett Farm, located at 448 Barrett's
Mill Road, Concord, Massachusetts, two miles from the town center and
from Minute Man National Historical Park. It includes the home and
surrounding farmland of Colonel James Barrett (1710-1779), Revolutionary
War patriot and one of the leading figures in the events leading up to
the British march on Concord in April 1775. The Barrett Farmhouse and a
total of 10 parcels on 64 acres of land that has been farmed
continuously since the 18^th^ century would be included in the expanded
boundary.

The farm was a major hiding place for the colonists' stores of arms and
ammunition. British troops headed there on April 19, 1775 but found
nothing, the residents having been alerted by Paul Revere in time to
secrete muskets, canons and powder in the fields. The Battles of
Lexington and Concord occurred later that day, marking the start of the
Revolutionary War. Minute Man National Historical Park encompasses 967
acres and includes the North Bridge, site of "the shot heard round the
world," and the historic Battle Road, where the British both advanced
and retreated. Barrett\'s farm was the impetus for the British advance
and the vigorous work of Colonel Barrett and his militia was a key
reason for the British retreat.

Considered for inclusion when Minute Man National Historical Park was
established in 1959, the farm was then in private ownership and not
available for acquisition. The farmhouse is now owned by Save Our
Heritage, Inc. a local nonprofit organization, which seeks to preserve
it for public use and enjoyment. The group has been working closely with
the Town of Concord and has expended over \$2 million to acquire the
farmhouse and in addition, has raised \$770,000 to provide urgently
needed stabilization of the building. Much of the surrounding acreage is
owned by the Town and is managed as agricultural conservation land, thus
preserving the historic agrarian landscape. Owners of the three private
parcels have been consulted and have no objection to the boundary
change.

The other property included in the proposed boundary expansion abuts the
historic Joshua Brooks House, which is owned by the National Park
Service. Located at 37 North Great Road (Battle Road), this 3-acre
parcel is partially inside the park boundary. Expanding the boundary
would ensure protection of the viewshed around the Joshua Brooks House,
a key spot on the Battle Road, by permitting acquisition of the property
in fee or through a less-than-fee purchase such as a conservation
easement.

The estimated increase in annual operations, maintenance and
interpretation costs resulting from the acquisition of lands authorized
with this proposed boundary expansion would be approximately \$65,000.

Of the 67 acres authorized in this boundary expansion, the only land
that is envisioned to be acquired by the National Park Service is the
4.5 acres that include the farmhouse and the adjacent farmland. The
approximate cost to acquire the 4.5 acres would be \$2.1 million.
Funding for these costs would be subject to NPS priorities and
availability of appropriations. For the remaining 62.5 acres, most of
the land (55+ acres) within the potential boundary expansion at
Barrett's Farm is owned by the Town of Concord or the Concord School
Committee. The park is only authorized to acquire land from a government
entity by donation. The rest of the acreage could be protected through
conservation easements or management agreements.

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.