**STATEMENT OF KATHERINE H. STEVENSON, ACTING ASSISTANT DIRECTOR,
BUSINESS SERVICES, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON
ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES, CONCERNING S. 1365 TO AMEND THE OMNIBUS
PARKS AND PUBLIC LANDS MANAGEMENT ACT OF 1996 TO AUTHORIZE THE SECRETARY
OF THE INTERIOR TO ENTER INTO COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH ANY OF THE
MANAGEMENT PARTNERS OF THE BOSTON HARBOR ISLANDS NATIONAL RECREATION
AREA, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.**

**NOVEMBER 8, 2007**

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear before your
committee to present the views of the Department of the Interior on S.
1365, a bill to amend the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act
of 1996 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into
cooperative agreements with any of the management partners of the Boston
Harbor Islands National Recreation Area.

The Department has concerns with the bill as written. The Department is
particularly concerned about the use of cooperative agreements for
construction of park facilities by non-Federal partners using
appropriated funds. We would like to follow up with written comments on
how this bill could be modified to address the needs of the park and its
partners while ensuring the appropriate use of Federal funds.

This bill would change the authorizing legislation for the Boston Harbor
Islands National Recreation Area. Section 1029 of Public Law 104-333
authorized the Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements with the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts or its political subdivisions to implement
the management plan for the national recreation area. The law did not
authorize cooperative agreements with the non-profit organizations,
named within the Act, that administer the Boston Harbor Islands in
partnership with the Secretary through the Boston Harbor Islands
Partnership (Partnership) established in section (e) of the Act. S. 1365
would explicitly permit the Secretary to enter into cooperative
management agreements with the three non-profit organizations named in
section (e)(2) of the Act: the Island Alliance, The Trustees of
Reservations, and the Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center.
This authority would allow the Secretary to contract with these
non-profit organizations for any goods or services needed in the
administration of the recreation area

Authorized in 1996, the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
includes 30 islands within Boston Harbor, all located within 10 miles or
less of downtown Boston. Unlike most park units, the National Park
Service does not own any of the islands within the boundary of the
recreation area.

The recreation area has proven itself a model of collaborative park
management. The 13 entities named in the original legislation have
endorsed an ambitious management plan and have realized many of its
goals. Together they have spent \$78.5 million to provide visitor
services, rebuild island infrastructure and protect park resources, and
\$76.6 million to develop new parkland and facilities. Their combined
park operating expenditures total \$7.5 million annually. Federal
dollars total less than one-quarter of park expenditures, with the rest
coming from State and local government and private donations as required
in the enabling legislation. We believe that we can find a solution that
will allow us to work constructively with our partners and we intend to
follow up with further suggestions for amending this legislation.

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.