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81-552 PS 2003

H.R. 282, H.R. 3747, H.R. 4692

and H.R. 5318

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

SECOND SESSION

September 5, 2002

Serial No. 107-151

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

(II)

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

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

J.D. Hayworth, Arizona

C.L. ‘‘Butch’’ Otter, Idaho

Tom Osborne, Nebraska

Jeff Flake, Arizona

Dennis R. Rehberg, Montana

George Miller, California

Edward J. Markey, Massachusetts

Dale E. Kildee, Michigan

Peter A. DeFazio, Oregon

Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American Samoa

Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii

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

Anibal Acevedo-Vila, Puerto Rico

Hilda L. Solis, California

Brad Carson, Oklahoma

Betty McCollum, Minnesota

Tim Holden, Pennsylvania

Tim Stewart, Chief of Staff

Lisa Pittman, Chief Counsel/Deputy Chief of Staff

Steven T. Petersen, Deputy Chief Counsel

Michael S. Twinchek, Chief Clerk

James H. Zoia, Democrat Staff Director

Jeffrey P. Petrich, Democrat Chief Counsel

(III)

SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, RECREATION,

AND PUBLIC LANDS

GEORGE P. RADANOVICH, California, Chairman

DONNA M. CHRISTENSEN, Virgin Islands Ranking Democrat Member

Elton Gallegly, California

John J. Duncan, Jr., Tennessee

Joel Hefley, Colorado

Wayne T. Gilchrest, Maryland

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

Anibal Acevedo-Vila, Puerto Rico

Hilda L. Solis, California

Betty McCollum, Minnesota

(V)

CONTENTS

Page

Hearing held on September 5, 2002 ....................................................................... 1

Statement of Members:

Bishop, Hon. Sanford, a Representative in Congress from the State of

Georgia, Oral statement on H.R. 4692 ....................................................... 3

Cannon, Hon. Chris, a Representative in Congress from the State of

Utah ............................................................................................................... 22

Prepared statement on H.R. 5318 ........................................................... 23

Christensen, Hon. Donna M., a Delegate to Congress form the U.S. Virgin

Islands ............................................................................................................ 18

Duncan, Hon. John J., a Representative in Congress from the State

of Tennessee .................................................................................................. 5

Inslee, Hon. Jay, a Representative in Congress from the State

Washington, Oral statement on H.R. 3747 ................................................ 6

LaTourette, Hon. Steven C., a Representative in Congress from the State

of Ohio ............................................................................................................ 19

Prepared statement on H.R. 282 ............................................................. 21

Radanovich, Hon. George P., a Representative in Congress from the State

of California ................................................................................................... 2

Prepared statement on H.R. 282, H.R. 3747, H.R. 4692 and

H.R. 5318 ............................................................................................... 2

Statement of Witnesses:

Ash, Tracey, Secretary/Treasurer, Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation,

Mentor, Ohio ................................................................................................. 23

Prepared statement on H.R. 282 ............................................................. 24

Hughes, Jim, Deputy Director, Bureau of Land Management, U.S.

Department of the Interior ........................................................................... 13

Prepared statement on H.R. 5318 ........................................................... 14

Kordonowy, Hon. Darlene, Mayor, Bainbridge Island, Washington ............ 30

Prepared statement on H.R. 3747 ........................................................... 31

Letter submitted for the record ................................................................ 36

Moriwaki, Clarence, Chair, Bainbridge Island WWII Nikkei Internment

and Exclusion Memorial Committee, Bainbridge Island, Washington ..... 28

Prepared statement on H.R. 3747 ........................................................... 29

Parsons, John, Associate Regional Director for Lands, Resources, and

Planning, National Capital Region, National Park Service,

U.S. Department of the Interior ................................................................. 8

Prepared statement on H.R. 282 ............................................................. 8

Prepared statement on H.R. 3747 ........................................................... 10

Prepared statement on H.R. 4692 ........................................................... 12

Sheffield, Langdon, President, Friends of Andersonville, Americus,

Georgia ........................................................................................................... 25

Prepared statement on H.R. 4692 ........................................................... 27

(1)

LEGISLATIVE HEARING ON H.R. 282, TO

AUTHORIZE THE PYRAMID OF REMEMBRANCE FOUNDATION TO ESTABLISH A

MEMORIAL IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

OR ITS ENVIRONS TO SOLDIERS WHO HAVE

LOST THEIR LIVES DURING PEACEKEEPING

OPERATIONS, HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS,

TRAINING, TERRORIST ATTACKS, OR

COVERT OPERATIONS; H.R. 3747, TO DIRECT

THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO

CONDUCT A STUDY OF THE SITE COMMONLY KNOWN AS EAGLEDALE FERRY

DOCK AT TAYLOR AVENUE IN THE STATE

OF WASHINGTON FOR POTENTIAL INCLUSION IN THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM;

H.R. 4692, TO AMEND THE ACT ENTITLED

‘AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ANDERSONVILLE NATIONAL

HISTORIC SITE IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA,

AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES’, TO PROVIDE

FOR THE ADDITION OF CERTAIN DONATED

LANDS TO THE ANDERSONVILLE NATIONAL

HISTORIC SITE; AND H.R. 5318, TO PROVIDE

FOR AN EXCHANGE OF CERTAIN PRIVATE

PROPERTY IN COLORADO AND CERTAIN

FEDERAL PROPERTY IN UTAH;

Thursday, September 5, 2002

U.S. House of Representatives

Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands

Committee on Resources

Washington, DC

2

The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:03 a.m., in

room 1334, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. George

Radanovich [Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.

STATEMENT OF HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Mr. RADANOVICH. Good morning. The Subcommittee on National

Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands will come to order. I want to

thank everyone for being here today. We are considering three

bills, or four bills.

Our first bill as introduced is H.R. 282, which was introduced by

Representative Steve LaTourette of Ohio. This would authorize the

Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation to establish a memorial in

the District of Columbia or its environs to soldiers who have lost

their lives during peacekeeping operations, humanitarian efforts,

training, terrorist attacks, or covert operations.

The second bill is H.R. 3747, introduced by our Committee colleague Jay Inslee of Washington State, which would direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of the site commonly

known as the Eagledale Ferry Dock at Taylor Avenue in the State

of Washington for potential inclusion into the National Park System.

The third one is H.R. 4692, introduced by Representative Sanford Bishop of Georgia, which would amend the Act establishing

the Andersonville National Historic Site in the State of Georgia to

provide for the addition of certain donated lands to the national

historic site.

And the final bill that we will hear is H.R. 5318, introduced by

our Subcommittee colleague John Duncan of Tennessee, which

would provide for an exchange of certain private property in Colorado and certain Federal property in Utah.

I think that what we are going to do is go ahead and start with

the first panel. Before that, though, I would ask unanimous consent that Mr. LaTourette, Mr. Bishop, and Mr. Inslee be permitted

to sit on the dias following the statements. Without objection, so ordered.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Radanovich follows:]

Statement of George P. Radanovich, a Representative in Congress from the

State of California

Good morning. The hearing will come to order.

This morning the Subcommittee will hear testimony on four bills, H.R. 282, H.R.

3747, H.R. 4692, and H.R. 5318.

Our first bill, H.R. 282, introduced by Representative Steve LaTourette of Ohio,

would authorize the Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation to establish a memorial

in the District of Columbia or its environs to soldiers who have lost their lives during peacekeeping operations, humanitarian efforts, training, terrorist attacks, or

covert operations.

Our second bill, H.R. 3747, introduced by our Committee Colleague Jay Inslee of

Washington State, would direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of

the site commonly known as Eagledale Ferry Dock at Taylor Avenue in the State

of Washington for potential inclusion in the National Park System.

Our third bill, H.R. 4692, introduced by Representative Sanford Bishop of Georgia, would amend the Act establishing Andersonville National Historic Site in the

State of Georgia, to provide for the addition of certain donated lands to the National

Historic Site.

3

The final bill we will hear, H.R. 5318, introduced by our Subcommittee colleague

John Duncan of Tennessee, would provide for an exchange of certain private property in Colorado and certain Federal property in Utah.

Before turning the time over to Mrs. Christensen, I would ask unanimous consent

that Mr. LaTourette, Mr. Bishop, and Mr. Inslee be permitted to sit on the dais following their statements. Without objection, so ordered.

I now turn to the Ranking Member, Mrs. Christensen for any opening statement

she may have.

Mr. RADANOVICH. I am informed that Mrs. Christensen will be

here shortly, and when she arrives, we will turn time over to her

for any statement that she may have.

With that, I think that, Mr. Bishop, I would like to welcome you

to the Committee and appreciate your being here. If you would like

to begin testimony on your bill, that would be terrific. Thank you.

STATEMENT OF HON. SANFORD BISHOP, A REPRESENTATIVE

IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF GEORGIA

Mr. BISHOP. Thank you very much, Chairman Radanovich, Ranking Member Dr. Christensen, distinguished witnesses, ladies and

gentlemen. I would like to thank you for convening this meeting to

discuss this legislation, which is so important to those people who

live in the Second District of Georgia, those people who travel in

and around the Macon County, Georgia, area, and those who have

served in our armed forces and the POWs and members of their

families all across our country.

I come before the Committee today to ask for your support for

H.R. 4692, a bill which I sponsored that would amend the 1970 Act

that established Andersonville as a National Historic Site. This legislation simply amends the original bill by allowing for an increase

in the acreage ceiling in order to move a section of County Road

49, thereby providing direct access without using the interests of

the park as a thoroughfare.

Andersonville is a tribute to all of those who have served in our

armed forces. After the National Park Service was authorized to

create the National Prisoner of War Museum in 1998, Andersonville became the only national park that serves as a memorial to

all of America’s prisoners of war throughout the history of our

country. These are the men and women who served our country

with the realization that the fate of becoming a POW is always a

possibility during times of war. The Andersonville POW museum

that exists today is truly a heart-wrenching example of the great

sacrifice that these men and women have performed for their country.

Prior to 1998, three families living near the site on County Road

49 used an intersecting road known as 191 to access their homes.

This was a dangerous road that was unpaved and had blind curves.

In 1998, after the National Park Service was authorized to create

the National Prisoners of War Museum on the grounds of Andersonville, the residents spoken of were allowed for safety purposes

to use the new park entrance as a road courtesy of the Park Service. As a result of this use, the Park Service decided to leave the

road open at night. It has since been determined, for obvious reasons, that leaving this entrance open during the night creates a security risk for the park.

4

This legislation would allow a nonprofit group called the Friends

of Andersonville to donate all their purchased land to the park. The

additional 20 acres would allow a new road to be built giving these

residents safe access to their homes while allowing the main entrance to the park to be closed at night. The Macon County Commission fully supports this project, as does the Park Service and,

obviously, the residents of the homes that are in need of access.

There is no known opposition to the plan.

Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Dr. Christensen, I would

like to add that last week, my entire staff, my Washington staff as

well as my district staff, had an opportunity to visit the Andersonville National Prisoner of War Museum while we were having a

staff retreat down in the Second District. To see this museum in

its finished form, a project of which I am very proud to have been

a part, was truly moving. From the architecture design to symbolize a POW camp, to the bronze statute of the POW cradling the

precious water from the very same stream that provided hope to

the Union prisoners of war 138 years ago, the site is simply captivating.

To see the look on my staffers’ faces as we walked out into the

main field where Union prisoners were kept so long ago, bordered

by the manmade earthen barriers, was equally moving. We visited

Andersonville on a very hot Georgia day. Our time out in the main

prisoner area exposed to the elements was only temporary, but I

could tell by the look on my staffers’ faces that they were imagining being confined there and what it must have been like when

it was, in fact, a prisoner of war camp.

Inside the museum, the displays have been designed to chronologically take the visitor through the history of the wars in which

the United States has participated. The conditions experienced by

American POWs in each different war are present at the museum

and are presented. In some instances, actual shackles from foreign

prisons have been installed. Among the truly moving exhibits are

personal accounts of POW experiences. Hundreds of these have

been videotaped and archived and will remain as an historical

record that is virtually unmatched.

Mr. Chairman, am I to understand that that is a red light and

that my time is expired?

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you very much.

Mr. BISHOP. Thank you. I would like to welcome also one of the

witnesses, Mr. Langdon Sheffield, who will be on the third panel

but who represents the Friends of Andersonville, which is a nonprofit group that supports the Andersonville museum, the memorial site, and I would certainly ask consideration for him and I appreciate the Committee’s indulgence in allowing me to join you on

the rostrum.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you very much, Mr. Bishop, and indeed,

you are all very welcome to join us on the dias as we hear from

other members regarding some other bills and then move on to our

next panel. Again, thank you for your testimony.

Next, I want to introduce Congressman Jimmy Duncan of Tennessee to speak on H.R. 5318. Jimmy, welcome to your Committee.

5

STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR., A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF TENNESSEE

Mr. DUNCAN. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank

you for holding this hearing today. The legislation I have introduced, which you just mentioned, involves a small land exchange

in Colorado and Utah between a private property owner and the

Bureau of Land Management. The reason that we have to do this

through legislation is that the Federal Land and Policy Management Act, FLPMA, does not provide for cross-State exchanges and

this property sits right on the State line. The property my constituent will be getting is in Utah. The property he is giving up is

in Colorado, and he has a home right on the State line. I have introduced this, as I said, because this private property owner happens to be one of my constituents in Tennessee.

This exchange is in the public interest for several reasons. One,

the BLM will obtain property that will provide the public access to

other BLM property that the public does not currently have access

to without crossing private property.

Secondly, my constituent has agreed to convey a conservation

easement on the property that he will obtain to the Utah Division

of Wildlife for the purposes of improving wildlife management in

this area.

Thirdly, my constituent is obtaining basically a rugged mountaintop area in Utah and giving up a portion of a beautiful valley

in Colorado that has some water on it, and apparently, in his opinion, at any rate, will appraise for a greater value than the property

that he is obtaining.

The Utah Division of Wildlife supports this bill and it has agreed

to accept the offer of this conservation easement. The Colorado Division of Wildlife supports the transfer. The legislation is supported

by the Moffat County Commission, and this is the county that will

obtain more public land. There are grazing rights on the BLM land

that my constituent has met with the permit holders and they also

support this bill. And I am pleased that Congressman Scott

McInnis and Congressman Chris Cannon have signed onto this bill

as original cosponsors. These are the two members whose districts

contain the land involved in this transfer.

Finally, we have included provisions in the bill to ensure that

this is an exchange of equal value, perhaps even weighted more toward the government. Once the property has been appraised, any

difference in value can be made up in either land or through cash

payments.

Just this morning, we have received a letter from the Southern

Utah Wilderness Coalition—a phone call from the Southern Utah

Wilderness Coalition, so you have environmental groups, you have

the government, you have just about everybody who has taken a

look at this supporting this. The BLM has not been able to analyze

it fully as of yet, so they cannot come out and endorse it because

they have had other exchanges that are bigger that they have had

to spend time and money on, but I know that my constituent has

been talking to the BLM for almost a year now and I think that

anyone who looks at this in any detail is going to see that this is

a good thing for the government, as well as my constituent.

6

So I appreciate your holding this hearing and for allowing me to

make this statement at this time. Thank you very much.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you very much, Jim.

The third bill that we are here to be considering is H.R. 3747,

introduced by our Committee colleague Jay Inslee of Washington

State. Jay, I see you in the back there. If you would like to come

up and give us your testimony, we would greatly appreciate it.

STATEMENT OF HON. JAY INSLEE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN

CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

Mr. INSLEE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the Committee. I appreciate an opportunity to talk about a pretty exciting

bill for my neck of the woods and, I think, for the country. Let me

preface my comments that this bill, when I was thinking about it,

is sort of evidence of the fact that we have the greatest country

that the world has ever known because when I was thinking about

this bill, it made me realize that we are a country that learns from

its history and learns from its mistakes and we improve as a result

of that. And this bill to establish the Bainbridge Island Japanese

American Memorial Study Act, would, in fact, help Americans

learn from its history and help our continued march of progress on

freedom and civil liberty.

As you know, March 30, 1942, 227 people from Bainbridge Island, Washington, as a result of an Executive Order signed by the

President of the United States, were marched at gunpoint by the

U.S. Army to the Eagledale Ferry Dock at the end of Taylor Avenue in Bainbridge Island, Washington, where they were shipped to

camps where they were kept in captivity with absolutely no legal

redress or cause individually to themselves presenting any threat

to the United States of America.

And it is that event that we seek to memorialize and to begin

that process with this study act. At the site, with this, one of the

greatest violations of civil liberties in American history took place,

and we do so for a couple of reasons. One, we do it out of pride

in America, that we are a country that does not hide from our failures. We do not hide from misjudgments. We do not hide from instances where we have succumbed to fear, as we did in 1942. and

the reason we do not is because we realize that if we know about

what happened in our history, hopefully, we learn from it. And certainly following September 11, we understand fear and we understand the difficulties in working through the thick of the civil liberties and securities interests. I am happy that we have not followed what happened in 1942 since September 11, by and large.

But we would seek to memorialize for the entire country the very

beginning of this sad chapter in American history because we are

proud of this country and we are proud of the fact that we want

to share the lessons of the past so we do not repeat them.

Secondly, this memorial is a tribute to the individuals involved,

and I know quite a number of these individuals involved, many of

whom still live on Bainbridge Island. We had a very, very successful and viable Japanese American community on Bainbridge Island, and happily, still do. There is a lot of courage and success in

talking about the individuals who are involved in this sad tale. and

the reason is that these folks came back and remained patriotic,

7

good, solid, American citizens who are dedicated to their country,

where many of their sons and daughters served for their country

during World War II and came back and were welcomed in the

arms of their neighbors on Bainbridge Island.

And it is a tale of their individual courage, as well. It is not just

a monument to what America needs to think about at the times it

is in fear and crisis, but it is an individual monument to themselves, as well.

And in part, it is also a monument to some individuals who supported those people. Bainbridge Island has a real interesting history. One of the reason this started on Bainbridge Island, this was

the very first internment in America, and one of the reasons that

was given is it was close to Fort Warden, which is a radio listening

post, and we actually dedicated a part of Bainbridge Island to that

radio listening post where we actually intercepted the Japanese

radio transmission on December 7.

Two weeks ago when I was there dedicating that park, I talked

to a fellow who said that he had a day’s liberty so that he could

go down and work at Fort Warden and so that he could go down

and protect the washing machine and pickup truck of one of the

families that was interned. We have some happy and courageous

individual stories that we should celebrate as well as have a position as close to the population center. This is the only place that

is close to real Americans, where they live. It is a short ferry ride

from downtown Seattle.

We need on the West Coast of the United States a national

monument, a national warhead to a site where people have access

to, where they can tell their story for their children of what happens when we succumb to fear. This is a perfect spot for doing it.

I hope that the Committee will pass this unanimously as quickly

as possible.

I stand for questions. Thank you very much.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you very much, Mr. Inslee, and again,

please feel free to join us on the dias for the discussion by the next

two panels.

Mr. INSLEE. Thank you very much.

Mr. RADANOVICH. You are very welcome.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Next up is H.R. 282, introduced by Steve

LaTourette, which would authorize the Pyramid of Remembrance

Foundation to establish a memorial that is in the District of Columbia. Steve is managing a bill on the floor and will not be here

to testify. If he can make it at a later date, we will give him the

opportunity, but that completes our first panel, so that what we

will do is just move on to panel two, which consists of Mr. John

Parsons, Associate Regional Director of the National Capital Region of the National Park Service, and Mr. Jim Hughes, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Land Management.

Gentlemen, welcome. You are here to speak on all four bills. Mr.

Parsons, if you would want to begin on behalf of the National Park

Service, we would appreciate that, and if you could keep your comments under 5 minutes, that would be even more appreciated.

8

STATEMENT OF JOHN PARSONS, ASSOCIATE REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR LANDS, RESOURCES, AND PLANNING, NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Mr. PARSONS. Good morning, Mr. Chairman, members of the

Committee, and others. I will be testifying on all three bills and try

to do this in 5 minutes.

Let me start with H.R. 282, which is the bill introduced by Mr.

LaTourette to authorize the Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation

to erect a memorial here in the District of Columbia or its environs

to soldiers who have lost their lives during peacekeeping operations, humanitarian efforts, training, terrorist attacks, or covert

operation.

The Department commends the idea of establishing such a memorial, which is particularly timely in light of the approach of the

1-year anniversary of September 11. Lives lost by members of our

armed services in events that are not formally declared wars are

very much in the minds of people today. However, we recommend

that the Committee and sponsor work with the Department of Defense to develop an appropriate amendment that would authorize

such a memorial to be established on military land rather than

park land.

The National Capital Memorial Commission, which is responsible

for advising Congress on legislation authorizing memorials within

the District of Columbia or its environs under the Commemorative

Works Act of 1986 considered the proposal contained in H.R. 282

in April of last year. Section 3(b) of the Commemorative Works Act

provides that a military commemorative work may only be authorized on park land to commemorate a war or a similar major military conflict or to commemorate a branch of the United States

armed services. The Commission, therefore, advised the most appropriate placement for this memorial would be on military property and the Department concurs with the Commission in that regard.

For that reason, we recommend that H.R. 282 be amended to authorize the Pyramid of Remembrance to be established on military

property and to eliminate the bill’s references to the Commemorative Works Act, which applies only to land in the nation’s capital

under our jurisdiction under the General Services Administration.

We also recommend the bill’s title be amended to use the same

term for those who would be honored that is used in the text of the

bill, that is, they refer to soldiers in one location and members of

the armed services in the other. We feel that should be clarified.

The administration would be pleased to work with the Committee and Representative LaTourette, as we have in the past, to

address our technical concerns.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Parsons on H.R. 282 follows:]

Statement of John Parsons, Associate Regional Director for Lands, Resources, and Planning, National Capital Region, National Park Service,

Department of the Interior on H.R. 282

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to present the views of the Department of the Interior on H.R 282, a bill sponsored by Representative LaTourette to

authorize the Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation to establish a memorial in the

District of Columbia or its environs to soldiers who have lost their lives during

9

peacekeeping operations, humanitarian efforts, training, terrorist attacks, or covert

operations.

The Department commends the idea of establishing such a memorial, which is

particularly timely in light of the approach of the one-year anniversary of September 11. Lives lost by members of our Armed Services in events that are not formally declared wars are very much on the minds of all Americans these days. However, we recommend that the committee and sponsor work with the Department of

Defense to develop an appropriate amendment that would authorize such a memorial to be established on military land rather than park land.

The National Capital Memorial Commission, which is responsible for advising

Congress on legislation authorizing memorials within the District of Columbia and

its environs under the Commemorative Works Act of 1986, considered the proposal

contained in H.R. 282 in April, 2001. Section 3(b) of the Commemorative Works Act

provides that a military commemorative work may only be authorized on park land

to commemorate a war or similar major military conflict or to commemorate a

branch of the Armed Services. The Commission therefore advised that the most appropriate placement for this memorial would be on a military property. The Department concurs with the Commission about this matter.

For that reason, we recommend that H.R. 282 be amended to authorize the Pyramid of Remembrance to be established on military property and to eliminate the

bill’s references to the Commemorative Works Act, which applies only to land in the

Nation’s Capital under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior and the

General Services Administration. We also recommend that the bill’s title be amended to use the same term for those who would be honored that is used in the text

of the bill. The Administration would be pleased to work with the committee and

Representative LaTourette to address our technical concerns.

Mr. Chairman, this concludes my remarks. I will be happy to answer any questions you or the other committee members have.

Mr. PARSONS. We move then to the next bill, which is H.R. 3747,

a bill to direct the Secretary of Interior to conduct a study of the

site we have just heard described by Mr. Bishop known as

Eagledale Ferry Dock on Bainbridge Island in the State of Washington for potential inclusion in the National Park System.

Mr. RADANOVICH. That was Mr. Inslee, I think. Did you mention

somebody else?

Mr. PARSONS. I am sorry. Of course, it was. Thank you very

much.

The Department does not oppose this bill. Presently, there are 34

similar studies pending which have been authorized by Congress

which we expect to transmit forward those back to the Congress by

the end of this year.

To meet the President’s initiative to eliminate the deferred maintenance backlog in the National Park Service, we must continue to

focus our resources on caring for existing areas. Thus, we have concerns about adding new funding requirements for new park units,

national trails, wild and scenic rivers, or heritage areas at the

same time we are trying to reduce our maintenance backlog. As

such, we would identify all acquisition, one-time and operational

costs of the proposed site as part of this study. At this time, none

of these costs are known.

Because of their proximity to Fort Warden, a key Pacific theater

listening post, the Japanese Americans from Bainbridge Island

were the first group to be interned under the Civilian Exclusion

Order Number 1. On March 30, 1942, 6 days after the order was

initiated, 227 men, women, and children were forcibly removed

from their homes, boarded the ferry at Eagledale, bound for

Manzanar and Minidoka relocation centers. Members of an exceptionally integrated community on the small island, their internVerDate 11-MAY-2000 12:15 May 20, 2003 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 J:\DOCS\81552.SF HRESOUR2 PsN: HRESOUR2
10

ment was strongly protested by the local newspaper editor and

many members of the community. Powerful historic photographs

record the passage of the internees as they were marched down

Taylor Avenue to the ferry dock. Many of the internees returned

to their Bainbridge Island home after the war to rebuild their lives.

Survivors and their children and grandchildren, together with the

larger Bainbridge community, are today committed to creating an

enduring memorial to honor the internees and tell the story of the

internment.

The National Park Service manages Manzanar National Historic

Site and the Minidoka Internment National Monument, to which

many of these internees were taken. We have recently begun developing a general management plan for Minidoka Internment National Monument, which was established in 2001. This plan will

consider the relationships of sites such as Eagledale Ferry Dock to

the Minidoka Internment National Monument. The National Park

Service is also working with citizens’ groups and the city of Bainbridge Island to document the significance of the Eagledale Ferry

Dock site as it relates to the story of the internment of Japanese

and Japanese Americans during World War II.

The National Park Service is sponsoring National Historic Landmark theme studies related to the history of Japanese Americans

and to the home front during World War II. Both studies should

provide significant information on the history of the Japanese in

the Pacific Northwest, including those who settled on Bainbridge

Island.

That concludes my testimony on that matter.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Parsons on H.R. 3747 follows:]

Statement of John Parsons, Associate Regional Director for Lands, Resources, and Planning, National Capital Region, National Park Service,

Department of the Interior on H.R. 3747

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to present the Department’s views

on H.R. 3747, a bill to direct the Secretary of Interior to conduct a study of the site

commonly known as Eagledale Ferry dock at Taylor Avenue in the state of Washington for potential inclusion in the National Park System.

The Department does not oppose this bill. Presently, there are 34 studies pending,

of which we expect to transmit 4 to Congress by the end of 2002. We have also testified this Congress on 15 proposals that would authorize studies of new sites. To

meet the President’s Initiative to eliminate the deferred maintenance backlog, we

must continue to focus our resources on caring for existing areas in the National

Park System. Thus, we have concerns about adding new funding requirements for

new park units, national trails, wild and scenic rivers or heritage areas at the same

time that we are trying to reduce the deferred maintenance backlog. As such, the

Department will identify all acquisition, one time and operational costs of the proposed site. At this time, those costs are unknown.

Because of their proximity to Fort Warden, a key Pacific theater listening post,

the Japanese–Americans from Bainbridge Island were the first group to be interned

under Civilian Exclusion Order No. 1. On March 30, 1942 only six days after the

order was issued, 227 men, women, and children were forcibly removed from their

homes, boarded the ferry at Eagledale, bound for Manzanar, and later Minidoka Relocation Centers. Members of an exceptionally integrated community on the small

island, their internment was strongly protested by the local newspaper editor and

many members of the community; powerful historic photographs record the passage

of the internees as they were marched down Taylor Avenue to the ferry dock. Many

of the internees returned to their Bainbridge Island home after the war to rebuild

their lives. Survivors and their children and grandchildren, together with the larger

Bainbridge community, are today committed to creating an enduring memorial to

honor the internees and tell the story of internment.

11

The National Park Service has begun developing a General Management Plan for

the Minidoka Internment National Monument established in 2001. Inasmuch as the

Eagledale Ferry dock was used as the embarkation point for Japanese and Japanese–Americans forced to move to internment camps, the General Management

Plan will consider the relationship of sites such as the Eagledale Ferry Dock to the

Minidoka Internment National Monument. The National Park Service has also been

working with citizen groups and the City of Bainbridge Island to document the significance of the Eagledale Ferry Dock site as it relates to the story of the internment

of Japanese and Japanese Americans during World War II.

At the national level, the National Park Service is sponsoring National Historic

Landmark theme studies related to the history of Japanese Americans and to the

home front during World War II. Both studies should provide significant information on the history of the Japanese in the Pacific Northwest, including those who

settled on Bainbridge Island. In addition, we serve as the stewards of two of the

camps to which the Bainbridge internees were sent—Manzanar National Historic

Site and Minidoka Internment National Monument.

This concludes my testimony. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss this issue

and I would be willing to answer any questions you may have on this issue.

Mr. PARSONS. Now we will move to Mr. Bishop’s proposal. This

bill, of course, would authorize the increase in acreage ceiling of

the Andersonville National Historic Site from 500 to 520 acres.

The Department enthusiastically supports H.R. 4692. The bill

would facilitate the conclusion of the scenic and appropriately respectful approach to this historic park while enhancing the safety

of our visitor and park neighbors. Inclusion of this land in the historic site would not entail additional expenses for the National

Park Service because the management and operation of the land

added to the boundary would not result in any additional facilities,

operating costs, or staffing.

The story of Andersonville National Historic Site revolves around

Camp Sumter, the largest prisoner of war camp in the Civil War.

The camp held 45,000 Union prisoners, of which 12,920 died of

starvation or disease. The park’s 1970 enabling legislation requires

the park to share the larger story of the Civil War POWs held in

Northern and Southern camps along with all POWs in American

history. The park also operates the only active national cemetery

in Georgia.

In 1998, during dedication ceremonies for the National Prisoner

of War Museum, a new park entrance road was opened. In 2001,

the Friends of Andersonville acquired a 20-acre parcel of land contiguous to that entrance road with the specific intent of assisting

the park in the creation of a more visually appealing and appropriate approach into the park. However, the Friends have been prevented from donating the land to the National Park Service as they

wish to do because the park’s land base is held at 496 acres and

it has nearly reached, of course, the 500-acre limitation. So

H.R. 4692 would increase the allowable size of the park to 520

acres, thereby enabling the Park Service to accept this generous donation.

The Friends of Andersonville started locally in 1985. It has become a valued partner in the management of Andersonville National Historic Site, and membership from throughout the country

includes descendants of prisoners of Andersonville, as well as

former POWs from several of America’s recent conflicts. This

Friends group is active with local youth groups, participates in eduVerDate 11-MAY-2000 12:15 May 20, 2003 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 J:\DOCS\81552.SF HRESOUR2 PsN: HRESOUR2
12

cational outreach programs, and is integral to the management of

the National Prisoner of War Museum.

The park’s general management plan and land protection plan

recognize the need for a safer and statelier entrance to the park.

Until recently, County Road 191, used by three land owners to access their residences, bisected the park entrance road in a manner

that created a safety hazard for visitors and park neighbors. Macon

County has corrected this safety issue by closing the county road

and developing an improved alternative access for these three residences to Georgia Highway 49. The completion of the county’s actions, coupled with this acquisition, sets the stage for establishing

a landscaped entrance to the prisonsite, the museum, and the cemetery that is in keeping with the reverential and historical nature

of the site.

Providing for the Park Service management of the additional 20

acres will also allow for improved security at the park. Repositioning the park entrance road gate to this location will enhance

the ability of the park to prevent vandalism and inappropriate use

of the park and national cemetery lands during the night.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and I stand ready to answer any questions you may have.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you very much, Mr. Parsons.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Parsons on H.R. 4692 follows:]

Statement of John Parsons, Associate Regional Director for Lands, Resources, and Planning, National Capital Region, National Park Service,

U.S. Department of the Interior on H.R. 4692

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to present the Department of the

Interior’s views on H.R. 4692. This bill would authorize an increase in the acreage

ceiling of the Andersonville National Historic Site from 500 to 520 acres, thus allowing the National Park Service to accept the donation of a twenty-acre parcel of land

contiguous to the Historic Site.

The Department supports H.R. 4692. The acquisition would allow the National

Park Service to create a scenic and appropriate approach to this historic park, while

enhancing the safety of our visitors and park neighbors. The inclusion of this land

into the Historic Site would not entail additional expenses for the National Park

Service because the management and operation of the land added to the boundary

would not result in any additional facilities, increased operating costs, or additional

staffing.

The story of Andersonville National Historic Site revolves around Camp Sumter,

the largest Prisoner of War camp in the Civil War. The camp held 45,000 Union

prisoners, of which 12,920 died from starvation or disease. The park’s 1970 enabling

legislation requires the park to share the larger story of Civil War POWs held in

northern and southern camps, along with all POWs in American history. The park

also operates the only active national cemetery in Georgia.

In 1998, during dedication ceremonies for the National Prisoner of War Museum,

which is included within the park, a new park entrance road was opened. In 2001,

the Friends of Andersonville acquired a 20-acre parcel of land contiguous to the entrance road, with the specific intent of assisting the park in creating a more visually

appealing and appropriate approach into Andersonville National Historic Site.

However, the Friends have been prevented from donating the land to the National

Park Service, as they wish to do, because the park’s land base, at 496 acres, has

nearly reached its maximum authorized size of 500 acres. H.R. 4692 would increase

the allowable size of the park to 520 acres, thereby enabling the National Park

Service to accept this donation.

The Friends of Andersonville, started locally in 1985, has become a valued partner

in the management of Andersonville National Historic Site. Their membership, from

throughout this country, includes descendants of prisoners of Andersonville as well

as former POWs from several of America’s recent conflicts. This Friends group is

active with local youth groups, participates in educational outreach programs and

is integral to the management of the National Prisoner of War Museum.

13

The park’s General Management Plan and Land Protection Plan recognize the

need for a safer and statelier entrance to the park. Until recently, County Road 191,

used by three land owners to access their residences, bisected the park entrance

road in a manner that created a safety hazard for visitors and park neighbors.

Macon County has corrected this safety issue by closing the county road and developing an improved alternative access for these three residences to Georgia Highway

49. The completion of the County’s actions, coupled with this acquisition, sets the

stage for establishing a landscaped entrance to the prison site, the museum, and

the cemetery that is in keeping with the reverential and historical nature of the

site.

Providing for National Park Service management of the additional 20 acres will

also allow for improved security at the park. Repositioning the park entrance road

gate will enhance the ability of the park to prevent vandalism and inappropriate

use of the park and national cemetery lands during the night.

Mr. Chairman, that concludes my statement. I would be pleased to answer any

questions you or other members of the subcommittee may have.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Hughes, welcome to the Committee, and if

you want to begin your testimony on H.R. 5318, we would appreciate it.

STATEMENT OF JIM HUGHES, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF

LAND MANAGEMENT

Mr. HUGHES. Mr. Chairman, members of the Subcommittee,

thank you for the opportunity to appear here today to discuss

H.R. 5318, a bill to provide for the exchange of certain private

property in Colorado and certain Federal property in Utah.

The Bureau of Land Management has some concerns about the

exchange, which I will briefly discuss. Based on these discussions,

the Department of Interior does not support the legislation at this

time. I will summarize my written remarks that we have submitted

for the record.

H.R. 5318 provides for an exchange of approximately 2,048 acres

of private property in Colorado and approximately 3,888 acres of

Federal property in Utah and in Colorado. The bill requires an appraisal to be done of the properties, that any difference in the value

of the properties be equalized, and that a conservation easement to

the State of Utah be placed on the Federal lands to be exchanged

under the bill.

The private land has not been identified as necessary or desirable for Federal acquisition in the existing BLM land use management plan for the area. The land abuts the BLM’s Diamond Breaks

Wilderness Study Area, WSA, but it does not exhibit wilderness

characteristics nor would its acquisition by the Federal Government significantly improve access to the Diamond Breaks WSA.

Other private lands would continue to block access routes to public

lands in the general area, we believe at this time.

There are other elements that should be considered by Congress

in directing the BLM to implement this exchange. First, there have

been no assessments to determine whether hazardous materials or

noxious weed infestations might exist on the property. Such review

would help avoid potential liability for the public.

Second, the private lands encompass several small reservoirs. Acquiring these might obligate the government to conduct inspections

and, if necessary, to bring dams into compliance with dam safety

regulations.

14

Third, there are some old buildings on the private land that

could potentially create a liability for the Federal Government and

might need to be removed prior to conveyance.

Fourth, an inventory of archaeological, paleontological, and historic resources should be conducted and boundary surveys will need

to be completed in order to determine the accuracy of the boundaries with other adjacent private lands.

The Federal land consists of two parcels located within a large

consolidated block of public lands located to the northwest of the

Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado and Utah. The land has

not been identified for transfer from Federal ownership in the BLM

land use management plan for this area. The BLM manages these

lands currently for multiple-use resources that include grazing and

outdoor recreation. Four-wheel-drive trails cross these public lands

and provide access to the mountaintop for hunting and general outdoor recreation. The area is considered crucial summer range for

deer and elk, as well as habitat for sage grouse. Finally, the public

lands include archaeological and paleontological sites.

The bill requires immediate conveyance without limitation of the

public land involved in the exchange. This would not apparently be

conditioned on whether or not the land owner can convey acceptable title to the United States, nor does the legislation make provisions for title insurance to protect against defects in the title.

These are important elements to protect the public interest in any

land exchange.

No provision is made for sharing any of the costs, other than appraisal costs, associated with this exchange, which should include

compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, NEPA,

cultural resource assessments, hazardous material clearances, and

administrative and title transfer costs. The legislation would impose a disproportionate share of the costs for implementing this exchange on the Federal taxpayer.

Finally, it is important to note that conservation easements can

represent a significant portion of the property’s appraised value.

The proposed legislation requires the transfer of a conservation

easement as part of the land exchange, but does not specify whether the conservation easement must be considered in establishing

the appraised value of the public land. Typically, the conveyance of

such a conservation easement is a condition precedent to completion of the exchange, rather than being included as a reversion requirement as is currently provided by the bill.

H.R. 5318 presents a number of issues that would need to be

worked out before the Department could view this exchange to be

in the public interest and offer support for it. The Department is

prepared to work with the Committee and the bill’s sponsor in a

cooperative manner to determine if we can reach this point. I

would be pleased to answer any questions that you or other members of the Subcommittee may have.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you, Mr. Hughes.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Hughes follows:]

Statement of Jim Hughes, Deputy Director, Bureau of Land Management,

U.S. Department of the Interior

Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity

to appear here today to discuss H.R. 5318, a bill ‘‘to provide for an exchange of cerVerDate 11-MAY-2000 12:15 May 20, 2003 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 J:\DOCS\81552.SF HRESOUR2 PsN: HRESOUR2
15

tain private property in Colorado and certain Federal property in Utah.’’ The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has some concerns about the exchange, which are

discussed more fully below. Based upon those concerns the Department does not

support the legislation at this time.

Overview

H.R. 5318 provides for an exchange of approximately 2,048 acres of private property in Colorado and approximately 3,888 acres of Federal property in Utah and in

Colorado. The bill requires appraisals of both the Federal and private lands sought

to be exchanged, and provides the appraisal costs be shared equally between the private property owner and the Federal Government. H.R. 5318 also requires that any

difference in the value of the properties to be exchanged be equalized through a

monetary payment or a reduction in the amount of land conveyed. Finally, the bill

mandates the conveyance of a conservation easement to the State of Utah on the

Federal lands to be exchanged within two years of the date of conveyance in order

to protect the cultural and natural resources located on the land to be transferred

under the bill.

Private Land to be Exchanged

The private lands proposed for exchange represent an aggregation of five parcels

which originated as homestead lands that were settled in the 1920s and 1930s. This

land has not been evaluated for its livestock grazing, habitat or recreation potential

and it has not been identified as necessary or desirable for Federal acquisition in

the existing BLM land use management plan for the area. The land abuts the

BLM’s Diamond Breaks Wilderness Study Area (WSA), but it does not exhibit wilderness characteristics nor would its acquisition by the Federal Government significantly improve physical or legal access to the Diamond Breaks WSA because other

private lands would continue to block access routes to public lands in the general

area. There are other elements that should be considered by Congress in directing the

BLM to implement such an exchange. First, there have been no assessments to determine whether hazardous materials or noxious weed infestations might exist on

the property. Such review would help us to avoid potential liability for the public.

Second, the private lands encompass the Miles Reservoir and other small reservoirs.

Acquiring these will obligate the government to conduct inspections and if necessary, to bring such dams into compliance with dam safety regulations. This can

be a significant expense. Third, existing improvements on the private land (such as

old buildings and fences) may create liability for the Federal Government and might

need to be removed prior to conveyance. Fourth, an inventory of archaeological, paleontological, and historical resources should be conducted and boundary surveys

will need to be completed in order to determine the location and accuracy of the

boundaries with other adjacent private lands.

Federal Land to be Exchanged

The Federal land identified in H.R. 5318 consists of two parcels located within a

large, consolidated block of public lands located to the northwest of the Dinosaur

National Monument in Colorado and Utah. The land has not been identified for

transfer from Federal ownership in the BLM land use management plan for this

area. The BLM manages these lands for multiple resource uses that include grazing

and outdoor recreation. They are within the Ruple Cabin Grazing Allotment permitted to the Uintah Basin Grazing Association, and we understand that the Uintah

Basin Grazing Association has entered into a grazing lease with the land exchange

proponent. Four-wheel drive trails also cross these public lands and provide access

to the mountain top for hunting and general outdoor recreation. The area is considered crucial summer range for deer and elk as well as habitat for sage grouse. Finally, the public lands do include archaeological and paleontological sites, one of

which is called the Hatch Cove Site.

Other Issues

The bill requires immediate conveyance, without limitation, of the public land involved in the exchange, if the owners of the private land convey title to the private

land to the United States. This would not apparently be conditioned on whether or

not the landowner can convey acceptable title to the United States, nor does the legislation make provision for title insurance to protect against defects in the title.

These are important elements to protect the public interest.

Additionally, the bill requires that appraisal costs be shared equally between the

government and the private landowner. No provision is made, however, for sharing

any of the other costs associated with this land exchange, which should include compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), cultural resource asVerDate 11-MAY-2000 12:15 May 20, 2003 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 J:\DOCS\81552.SF HRESOUR2 PsN: HRESOUR2
16

sessments, hazardous material clearances, and administrative and title transfer

costs. As written, the legislation would impose a disproportionate share of the costs

for implementing this exchange on the Federal taxpayers, with no demonstrated

proportionate benefits.

Finally, it is important to note that conservation easements can represent a significant portion of a property’s appraised value. The proposed legislation requires

the transfer of a conservation easement as part of the land exchange, but it does

not specify whether the conservation easement must be considered in establishing

the appraised value of the public land. Typically, the conveyances of a conservation

easement are a condition precedent to completion of the exchange, rather than being

included as a reversionary requirement, as is currently provided by the bill. To be

properly considered, the conservation easement must be executed, recorded, and

placed in escrow before titles are transferred in the land exchange.

Conclusion

As stated above, H.R. 5318 presents a number of issues that would need to be

worked out before the Department could view this exchange to be in the public interest and offer support for it. The Department is prepared to work with the Committee and the bill’s sponsor in a cooperative manner to determine if we can reach

that point.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today. I would be pleased to

answer any questions that you or the other members of the Subcommittee may

have.

[An attachment to Mr. Hughes’ statement follows:]

17

18

Mr. RADANOVICH. I now recognize the ranking member, Mrs.

Christensen, for any opening statements or any questions.

STATEMENT OF HON. DONNA M. CHRISTENSEN, A

REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE VIRGIN ISLANDS

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I apologize for arriving a bit late. I would like to welcome my colleagues here this

morning and the other members of the panel from the Department

of Interior.

The first measure, H.R. 282, which authorizes a private organization, the Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation, to establish a

memorial on Federal land to honor members of the armed forces

of the United States who have lost their lives during peacekeeping

operations, humanitarian efforts, training, terrorist attacks, or covert operations, would be funded privately, as I understand.

I certainly share Representative LaTourette’s desire to honor the

commitment and sacrifice of soldiers lost in such peacekeeping or

humanitarian efforts. However, as you know, Mr. Chairman, the

issues surrounding the addition of new memorials on land in and

around Washington are complicated and so I support the National

Park Service position that it is better placed on military property

and we look forward to working with you on that.

Our second bill, H.R. 3747, introduced by our colleague on the

Resources Committee, Jay Inslee, would provide for a special resource study of the Eagledale Ferry Dock at Bainbridge Island in

Washington State. It is our hope that the study provided by this

bill would help in the interpretation and appropriate remembrance

of the social injustice and hardships that were inflicted upon numerous Japanese Americans during World War II and we are

pleased to support that bill, as well.

Our third bill, sponsored by my good friend and colleague Sanford Bishop, is quite straightforward in that it simply expands the

authorized size of the Andersonville National Historic Site by 20

acres. Once enacted, this increase would allow the local Friends

group to donate property they recently acquired to the National

Park Service so that it could be added to this site. As we heard in

Congressman Bishop’s testimony, there is no controversy, no opposition regarding this proposal and so we are pleased to support

that, as well.

Our final bill, which was introduced by Representative Duncan,

our colleague on the Committee, provides for a land exchange in

Colorado and Utah. It is our understanding that this new bill is a

successor to H.R. 4996 that Representative Duncan introduced in

June. I share many of the questions associated with this land exchange proposal and I look forward to hearing other testimony on

some of those issues, such as the valuation, the resources involved,

the current and proposed uses, and the apparent waiver of many

of the normal procedures found in law for accessing land exchanges.

I do not have any specific questions at this time, Mr. Chairman,

so I will yield back the balance.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you, Mrs. Christensen.

I now recognize the gentleman from Tennessee, Mr. Duncan.

19

Mr. DUNCAN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Let me tell you that,

first of all, I think that most of the concerns that the BLM has

raised about this legislation are things that can easily be addressed

and worked out, because every group that has looked at this, and

the only ones that have looked at it have been the environmental

and government groups because there are no development proposals, there are no business groups involved, everyone who has

looked at it has come out in favor of it.

I have many things that I can say, but I will be very brief. The

Director of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources says, in part,

in his letter, the proposed easement would preclude development

and would facilitate range improvements beneficial to several species of wildlife, i.e., big game, sage grass, et cetera. This exchange

would open opportunities for our agency and Mr. Rogers to work

cooperatively on habitat projects on his private lands in Utah and

would improve public access to BLM lands in Colorado.

Then the Director of the Division of Wildlife in Colorado has

written this exchange. It would benefit sportsmen in Colorado by

opening up thousands of acres of Federal land that in the past was

blocked to public access. In addition, the private land in Utah

would have a conservation easement placed on the property to protect habitat in perpetuity.

Have you seen those letters, Mr. Hughes?

Mr. HUGHES. Yes, we have. The two from the two States? Yes,

sir.

Mr. DUNCAN. So I think that when everybody looks at this, I just

hope that we do not delay this thing indefinitely since this is a

smaller exchange and not a huge one in the overall picture because

I do think it is justified. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you very much, Mr. Duncan.

Mr. Bishop, did you have any questions of the panel?

Mr. BISHOP. No, I did not.

Mr. RADANOVICH. OK, great. Any other questions of this panel?

If not, Mr. Parsons, Mr. Hughes, thank you for being here and that

completes your testimony.

I would like to introduce Mr. Steve LaTourette, our colleague, regarding H.R. 282, a bill that would authorize the Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation to establish a memorial in the District of

Columbia or its environs to soldiers who have lost their lives during peacekeeping operations, humanitarian efforts, training, terrorist attacks, and covert operations.

Mr. LaTourette, thanks for being available to the Committee and

you are certainly welcome to begin your testimony.

STATEMENT OF HON. STEVE LaTOURETTE, A

REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF OHIO

Mr. LATOURETTE. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I want

to thank you and the other members of the Subcommittee for making time for this piece of legislation. I know that the Subcommittee

has a lot of important work to do, but I did want to, first of all,

ask unanimous consent that my entire statement appear in your

record.

Mr. RADANOVICH. There being no objection, so ordered.

20

Mr. LATOURETTE. Thank you. I will be joined today on this legislation by Ms. Tracey Ash, who will speak specifically to the foundation that has been established under 501(c)(3) permission for the

construction, hopefully, of the Pyramid of Remembrance. I wanted

to come by this morning and just talk a little personally about why

I feel committed to this project.

When I was first sworn in in the 104th Congress, I was approached by a group of high school students at Riverside High

School and they were in an arts concept class. During the course

of that class, they had seen what now most of America has seen

if they watched the movie ‘‘Black Hawk Down.’’ They saw the horrifying site of an American serviceman being dragged through the

streets of Mogadishu. They began looking around to determine

where a person who died in an undeclared war would be remembered and honored in our nation’s capital, and they, like I, after

they came to see me, were surprised that there was no such thing.

Each and every year, people die in training accidents, men and

women who have put on the uniform of the United States armed

forces. Every year, it seems that the United States is engaged in

some peacekeeping operation in Somalia or in Bosnia and now in

Afghanistan, the war on terrorism. All are undeclared wars and all

of the casualties in those wars will have no memorial separate and

apart from any other memorial in Washington, D.C.

The wonderful thing about this proposal, not only is it appropriate, is that it is being led by Generation X, that generation of

people that are not supposed to care about much of anything. And

as I indicated, I first introduced this legislation in 1995 and have

every Congress since then. It passed the 106th Congress under suspension, thanks to the work of the Committee at the time. But the

students obviously in the last 8 years have graduated from high

school. They are now in college. Some have graduated from college.

They continue to come back and back and back in support of this

project.

So if for no other reason than that, I am committed to making

sure that this legislation passes and that they have the opportunity

to have the foundation authorized and they can begin raising

money for planning, construction, and let us get this thing done.

I know that in conversations that my staff has had with the Subcommittee staff, there are some concerns about the ability of this

foundation, comprised of high school students, college students,

business leaders, and community leaders, to get the job done in

terms of raising the money. I think when you hear from Ms. Ash,

you are going to find that this is as dedicated a group as you will

find anywhere in the country and I have absolute faith that they

will do it.

We have submitted to you, I think, articles that have appeared

in the American Legion magazines and we have already gotten the

eye of some national organizations. We have letters of support that

we have sent to you from former Secretary of Defense Cohen,

former Chief of Staff to the Army Chiefs of Staff Shelton, and

former President Bush 41. They all thought it was a good idea. I

do, too. I hope you do, too, and I hope you will help us move this

legislation and I yield back my time.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you very much, Steve.

21

[The prepared statement of Mr. LaTourette follows:]

Statement of Hon. Steven C. LaTourette, a Representative in Congress from

the State of Oklahoma

Mr. Chairman, when I first came to Congress in 1995, a group of students from

Riverside High School in Painesville, OH, asked to meet with me and presented an

idea for a military memorial in our nation’s capital to honor the men and women

of our Armed Forces who’ve died in training exercises, peacekeeping missions, humanitarian efforts and terrorist attacks. The students vowed to honor this sacrifice

with a memorial called the ‘‘Pyramid of Remembrance.

While I was immediately convinced of the worthiness of the students’’ proposal,

in all honesty I feared these students had stumbled onto a great idea that was already taken. Surely, I thought, there must be a memorial in Washington to honor

those who die in peacekeeping accidents, training exercises, humanitarian efforts

and terrorist attacks. I was wrong.

No such memorial exists. One should. Today, we have an opportunity to make this

worthy military memorial one step closer to reality.

H.R. 282 will authorize a foundation to create the Pyramid of Remembrance. The

memorial will be built on Department of Defense land here in the Washington area,

and without the use of taxpayer funds. It is important to note, Mr. Chairman, that

no one has suggested this memorial be placed on the Mall, and that is not under

consideration. Instead, the Pyramid of Remembrance will be erected on DoD land.

Fort McNair is one location that’s been suggested, but site selection is many steps

down the road.

The Pyramid of Remembrance has attracted some high-level endorsements—-

from former Secretary of Defense William Cohen, Gen. Hugh Shelton, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and former President Bush.

Mr. Chairman, our nation has been reeling since the terrorist attacks of September 11th, and here in Washington we are especially mindful of the loss of life

at the Pentagon. In the last Congress, we mourned the loss of life of 17 sailors who

were killed when a bomb ripped a 40-by–40 foot hole in the hull of the great USS

Cole in the Yemeni port of Aden. Nearly 40 other sailors were injured in that terrorist attack, including a young man from Lorain County in my home state of Ohio.

Today, there is no memorial in Washington to specifically honor these men and

women of courage, largely because their heroism and sacrifice occurred in a time

other than a declared conflict. Their sacrifice doesn’t fall into one tidy category, but

it is just as worthy of those who died fighting in our greatest wars. What’s more,

the sacrifice of the men and women of the USS Cole and the Pentagon surely reflects the changing role of our Armed Forces as we enter this new century and a

host of new challenges, including terrorism directed specifically at the United States

of America.

Mr. Chairman, the idea for the Pyramid of Remembrance originated in a classroom in Painesville, OH, and was sparked by the sight of a U.S. soldier being

dragged through the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia. That horrible image was seared

into our nation’s consciousness, and it spurred discussion of other worthy sacrifice

that is regrettably overlooked. The National Capital Memorial Commission has already heard about our proposal for the Pyramid of Remembrance, and made it quite

clear that they believe it will fill a void in our nation’s military memorials.

Not only will the Pyramid of Remembrance honor those who died in terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and the USS Cole, but also those who lost their lives in Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo and Panama; during the bombing of the Marine barracks in

Beirut; during the failed rescue attempt of American hostages in Iran; and in the

far too many deadly training accidents that occur on land, in air and at sea so our

forces can be ready for combat.

Mr. Chairman, September 11th has caused Americans to pause and ponder the

true cost of our freedom. In all corners of the world, members of the Army, Navy,

Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard lay their lives on the line every single day so

our freedom remains secure. That has never been more true than in our current

War on Terror.

Such heroism, courage and dedication to our country is to be commended, and deserves permanent recognition here in Washington. The Pyramid of Remembrance

will be an enduring memorial spawned by the youth of America and pledged to all

other generations as well. It will honor those who died defending our country in our

nation’s earliest days and for centuries to come. It will provide great comfort to the

loved ones of those whose courageous sacrifice often fades from the public’s memory

after memorial services conclude and ‘‘Taps’’ has been played.

22

Mr. Chairman, I thank the students of Riverside High School for coming up with

this wonderful idea, and for not giving up on their dream. I also thank the fine folks

at STERIS Corp. and Lubrizol Corp. who have devoted their time to this worthy

cause and the establishment of the Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation. I hope

you will join me in supporting this worthy legislation, and am happy to address any

questions you might have.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Any questions? Again, thank you, Mr.

LaTourette. If you want to join us on the dais to speak to the next

panel, you are very welcome to.

Mr. LATOURETTE. Thank you very much.

Mr. RADANOVICH. With that, I will introduce our next panel,

which consists of Ms. Tracey Ash, Secretary-Treasurer of the Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation, Mentor, Ohio; the Honorable

Darlene Kordonowy, the Mayor of Bainbridge Island, Washington;

Mr. Clarence Moriwaki, who is the Chair of the Bainbridge Island

World War II Nikkei Internment and Exclusion Memorial Committee from Bainbridge Island, Washington; and Mr. Langdon

Sheffield, President of the Friends of Andersonville, Americus,

Georgia.

We have got four bills here to talk about and I hope that everybody will stay within the 5-minute limit. Otherwise, you will hear

from me when it goes red.

Before we begin, though, I want to recognize the gentleman from

Utah, Mr. Cannon, to speak briefly on H.R. 5318, the land transfer

bill.

STATEMENT OF HON. CHRIS CANNON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN

CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF UTAH

Mr. CANNON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I apologize for being

late. We had a markup in Judiciary that we just finished and I

needed to be there to vote.

First of all, let me say that I am excited to see that one of Mr.

Duncan’s constituents has realized how beautiful parts of my district are, and if he knows any others who would like to exchange

Federal lands for lands in Utah, we would be happy to work with

them on that issue.

The reason I cosponsored H.R. 5318 is because I believe it would

be significantly beneficial to all the parties involved. It has the support of the Uintah Basin Grazing Association, the Utah Division of

Wildlife, Moffat County, and others. With over 64 percent of Utah’s

land being owned by the Federal Government, I think it is a good

thing when the amount of Federal land in the State of Utah is reduced and this bill does that. It also means revenues from private

lands and taxes for the county of Daggett in Utah.

I realize that there are some concerns and BLM has raised some

good points and there are some people out West who also have

some concerns. I can guarantee you that we will work with these

concerned parties and resolve all these concerns before the bill proceeds further.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time and thank you,

Mr. Chairman.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Cannon follows:]

23

Statement of the Hon. Chris Cannon, a Representative in Congress from

the State of Utah

Thank you Mr. Chairman,

First of all, let me say that I am excited to see that one of Mr. Duncan’s constituents has realized how beautiful parts of my district and state are. If he knows of

any others that would like to exchange federal lands in Utah for some private lands,

please, let me know.

The reason I cosponsored H.R. 5318 is because I believe it will be beneficial to

all parties involved.

It has the support of the Uintah Basin Grazing Association, the Utah Division of

Wildlife, Moffat County, and others.

With over 64% of Utah’s land being owned by the federal government, I think it’s

a good thing when the amount of federal land in the state of Utah is reduced. This

bill does that.

I realize there may be some concerns. The BLM has raised some good points in

their testimony and some people out West also have some concerns.

I can guarantee you that we will work with these parties and resolve all of these

concerns before the bill proceeds further.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you, Mr. Cannon.

With that, we will begin with the testimonies of each. I am going

to move from my left to right. Ms. Ash, welcome to the Committee

and if you would begin your testimony, that would be great.

STATEMENT OF TRACEY ASH, SECRETARY-TREASURER,

PYRAMID OF REMEMBRANCE FOUNDATION, MENTOR, OHIO

Ms. ASH. Good morning. Good morning and thank you, Mr.

Chairman and Committee. This morning, I was flying into Washington and I looked down upon your beautiful city and I saw from

the sky the monuments and the landmarks that dot your landscape

and I felt proud. I reflected upon this view and knew that I was

in a special place, that I was looking at the heart and soul and

power of the United States.

But in this single snapshot, I knew this was a place that lets everyone from every nation know that we are serious about sustaining the rights of democracy. We show that we honor and appreciate those people who fought to protect this right, and it is important that we remember.

What we have come here to realize since September 11 is that

when life is good, we take a lot for granted. We took for granted

the policemen and the firemen and our military personnel who

have chosen a career that puts their lives in inherent danger on

a daily basis. They chose this job to protect our country, our freedoms, our rights, and our citizens. They do such a good job that for

us, life is good. But the catch is, we soon forget.

This monument should be built here so everyone will remember

and know that we honor and appreciate every man and woman

who protects our rights and the rights of others. We are here before

you this morning to tell you that our Committee, that we are committed to this effort, that we have put the foundation in place to

see that the Pyramid of Remembrance is built. We have secured

our 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. We have put together a team of business leaders to take this to a national effort. We have the support

of nationally recognized New York Stock Exchange corporations

with more to follow. And we are doing the due diligence to learn

and know the best way to proceed.

24

We are committed to the military, their families, our veterans,

and the youth who conceived this idea to see that this monument

is built and built properly. Once this bill is passed, we are prepared

to hit the ground running.

Chairman, Committee, I ask you, what is it that you need to

know from us to help you make your decision and what can you

tell us that we need to know to understand so that we can proceed?

Thank you.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you very much, Ms. Ash.

[The prepared statement of Ms. Ash follows:]

Statement of Tracey Ash, Trustee, Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation

I appreciate the opportunity to testify in support of HR 282. My name is Tracey

Ash and I am a trustee with the Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation. Our organization seeks to establish a national memorial to honor members of our armed forces

who have lost their lives during peacekeeping operations, humanitarian efforts,

training accidents, terrorist attacks or covert operations.

I want to speak of our resolve and ability to raise the funds and lead this project

to a successful completion.

The idea to honor military personnel killed during undeclared wars was first conceived in 1993 by Riverside High School students in Painesville Township, Ohio during the Somalian conflict in Mogadishu. The photo that appeared on our televisions

and newspapers of Staff Sgt. William Cleveland being dragged through the streets

of Mogadishu has forever been galvanized in their minds and consciousness. The

event that most Americans have seen re-enacted in the recent movie, ‘‘BlackHawk

Down’’ was the catalyst for these students to recognize the need for a monument

honoring these forgotten soldiers and all military persons who have died in the line

of duty. Events of the ensuing decade, including the bombing of the USS Cole and

the tragedy of September 11 underscore the importance of their vision. Weekly we

read in our papers of soldiers killed in military accidents. As one student remarked,

‘‘just because soldiers are killed during peacekeeping missions and training accidents doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be remembered with a memorial—their sacrifices

are the same as those who perished in WWII and Vietnam.’’ What we have learned

and must recognize is that our military personnel have chosen a career that is filled

with inherent danger and that their lives are at risk everyday in order to allow us,

as Americans the freedoms we enjoy today. We must ‘‘Remember’’ those who have

died protecting them.

The National Capital Memorial Commission has said the Pyramid of Remembrance would fill a void in our nation’s military monuments. The idea has received

endorsements from former President George Bush, former Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen and General Henry Shelton, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of

Staff. We have attached copies of their letters for your review.

We are dedicated to building this memorial because it is the right thing to do.

An undertaking of this scope will require a coordinated, nation-wide campaign.

We have researched the efforts and chronology of other groups who are pursuing

national monuments. These include the WWII Memorial on the Mall, the Martin

Luther King Jr. Memorial on the Tidal Basin and the Air Force Memorial at the

Navy Annex site overlooking the Pentagon. We are factoring their experiences into

our plans. There is a challenging and complex road ahead of us.

Our organizational capabilities, board governance and fund-raising strategies are

being developed in anticipation of legislation being passed by Congress in 2002.

When President Bush signs Congressman LaTourette’s bill into law, support will escalate rapidly across the country. We are positioning ourselves to ‘‘hit the ground

running’’ when this occurs.

The Foundation achieved 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status earlier this year. A strategic

plan was created using input from business professionals, community leaders, educators, students, veterans and other stakeholders. It includes our mission, values

and objectives. Partnerships among businesses, civic organizations, government officials and community leaders at the local and national level will make this memorial

a reality.

Management expertise has been secured from local and national organizations.

Our Board of Advisors and Trustees are leaders in the community. They are professionals in business, legal, finance and marketing. They include educators and students. Some serve on the boards of other foundations and non-profit organizations.

25

Our goal is to broaden our leadership base as the project moves forward to the national level.

Support for this memorial continues to expand well beyond the classroom walls

where it began. It has grown locally to include our chamber of commerce and other

community - based organizations. They have helped us take important first steps

in this journey across America. It is now becoming a national undertaking. This is

compelling testimony to the power of perseverance and collaboration—how a community can help a small group of civic-minded students make a lasting difference

for an admirable cause.

Even at this early stage - without a bill being passed, executives from two national corporations with global operations are serving on our Board of Trustees. The

Lubrizol Corporation and the STERIS Corporation are both listed on the New York

Stock Exchange. Their headquarters are in Lake County, Ohio—close to where Riverside High School is located. One of those executives, David Enzerra, Lubrizol General Manager has joined me today to help answer questions. We have letters of support from the Chief Executive Officers of both of these organizations. They advocate

the type of corporate involvement in community projects we need to be successful.

This enthusiasm is being extrapolated to the national level. We are confident as

word of this project spreads, additional support, expertise and infrastructure will be

secured to raise the funds to construct this memorial. We have contacted the offices

of Senator DeWine and Senator Voinovich in this regard. Both indicate strong interest in sponsoring a companion bill to expedite passage in the Senate. We look forward to working with the appropriate committees in the Senate as we are doing in

the House.

Once the bill is signed into law our fund-raising, site selection and monument design activities can proceed in earnest.

Regarding site selection and design - we will work responsively with the appropriate Federal agencies such as the National Park Service and the National Capital

Memorial Commission. We intend to comply fully with the Commemorative Works

Act.

Regarding financing - we will incorporate the best practices others have used to

build memorials. We will seek endorsements from nationally known and respected

individuals and organizations. These include military personnel, veterans groups

and celebrities. We will utilize professional fund-raising expertise and proven strategies such as tiered giving from national corporations, foundations, individuals and

stakeholders. Students across America will be involved because of the unique educational aspects of this endeavor.

In summary, please be assured the Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation is prepared to take full responsibility for managing this project and raising the required

funds once legislation is passed. We appreciate any advice and assistance you can

provide. You can be confident supporting HR 282 knowing that our Foundation has

both the passion and the wherewithal to turn the dream of our students into a reality for America.

Mr. RADANOVICH. We are going to allow everybody to testify before we open up the panel for questions.

Next, we will begin with Mr. Langdon Sheffield. Welcome to the

Committee, Mr. Sheffield. The buzzers mean we do have votes coming up. It allows us some time. If you could stay within your 5-

minute limit, we will hear from perhaps you and Mr. Moriwaki and

then we will have to break briefly for a vote, so feel free to begin.

STATEMENT OF LANGDON SHEFFIELD, PRESIDENT, FRIENDS

OF ANDERSONVILLE, AMERICUS, GEORGIA

Mr. SHEFFIELD. Very good. Mr. Chairman and members of the

House National Parks Committee, it is indeed an honor to represent the Friends of Andersonville and offer testimony today on

behalf of H.R. 4692.

This is not my first trip to Washington to ask for Congressional

support regarding the Andersonville National Historic Site. In the

1960’s, I came to Washington with a number of individuals, including our local State Senator, Jimmy Carter, to ask Congress to pass

26

legislation that would create the Andersonville National Historic

Site. Part of this has just been a national cemetery, very active

with that, but not attentive at all to tourism, which we are so interested in now.

Our delegation met with Senators Russell and Talmedge and

Secretary of the Interior Udall. That bill was passed and now that

legislation designated the Andersonville to be the memorial for all

prisoners of war in American history.

My second trip to Washington on behalf of Andersonville was in

the mid-1990’s. I then asked for Congressional support to build a

visitors’ center and a museum to honor all prisoners of war in

American history that would tell their story to this and future generations.

My organization, the Friends of Andersonville, along with the

American Ex-Prisoners of War, raised a substantial share of the

construction funds for that museum. The Friends of Andersonville

is made up of 210 members across the country. The museum was

opened in 1998 and Senator John McCain of Arizona came and

dedicated this wonderful facility. Since that time, over a million

visitors have come to this powerful place to learn its remarkable

story.

In 1996, our organization, under the leadership of my good friend

Carl Runge, created an endowment fund that would support in perpetuity the Andersonville National Historic Site and the National

Prisoner of War Museum. We call this fund the Andersonville

Trust. Since 1996, we have raised over $800,000 in the coffers of

this fund. We have conservatively invested these funds, using only

the interest and not the corpus to benefit the park.

Shortly after the National Prisoner of War Museum opened, the

National Park Service approached the Friends of Andersonville for

help on a specific issue. A county road bisected the new park’s entrance, presenting a security and safety value that was unacceptable. The only way this problem could be solved would be by acquiring a parcel of land that would allow the road to be rerouted,

thus providing access to Georgia Highway 49 for the residents living near the park’s boundary. The Friends of Andersonville purchased 20 acres of land for $50,000 from the land owner. This was

a lengthy and complex process.

The Friends have owned the land for approximately 1 year.

Through the Macon County Board of Commissioners, the Friends

requested that the county road be rerouted so that it would not bisect the park entrance road. This was accomplished less than a

month ago. Also, we asked Boy Scouts to help landscape this new

land so that it would match with other adjacent park land.

Through a local Eagle Scout project, 100 trees were planted, which

were all designated by former prisoners of war.

Mr. Chairman, the Friends of Andersonville and the people of

Sumter and Macon County, Georgia, are extremely proud of our relationship with the National Park Service at Andersonville National Historic Site. Also, we are proud of the wonderful story that

is told on how captive Americans serving our nation’s military have

persevered for the sake of freedom despite the most horrible conditions and circumstances. For this reason, our organization continues to support the efforts of the National Park Service and urges

27

the speedy passage of the legislation to allow the Friends of Andersonville to donate this land to the government for the purpose of

the National Park Service.

Mr. Chairman, again, I thank you for the opportunity to speak

and to represent our organization in sharing our unwavering support for Congressman Bishop’s important legislation.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you very much, Mr. Sheffield.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Sheffield follows:]

Statement of Lang Sheffield, President, Friends of Andersonville

Mr. Chairman and members of the House of National Parks Subcommittee ’’..It

is indeed an honor to represent the Friends of Andersonville and offer testimony

today on behalf of House Bill 4692. This is not my first trip to Washington to ask

for congressional support regarding the Andersonville National Historic Site. In the

1960s, I came to Washington with a number of other distinguished individuals including our local State Senator, Jimmy Carter, to ask for Congress to pass legislation that would create the Andersonville National Historic Site. We met with Senators Russell and Talmedge along with Secretary of the Interior Udall to press for

the site’s inclusion in the National Park Service. That bill was passed and that legislation designated Andersonville to be the memorial for all prisoners of war in

American history. My second trip to Washington on behalf of Andersonville was in

the mid 1990s. I then asked for congressional support to build a Visitor Center and

Museum to honor all prisoners of war in American history that would tell their

story to this and future generations. My organization, the Friends of Andersonville

along with the American Ex–Prisoners of War, raised a substantial share of the construction funds for that museum. The Friends of Andersonville is made up of 210

members across the country. The museum was opened in 1998 and Senator John

McCain of Arizona came and dedicated this wonderful facility. Since that time, over

a million visitors have come to this powerful place to learn its remarkable story.

In 1996, our organization under the leadership of my good friend, Carl Runge, created an endowment fund that would support in perpetuity Andersonville National

Historic Site and the National Prisoner of War Museum. We called this fund the

Andersonville Trust. Since 1996, we have raised over $800,000 in the corpus of this

fund. We have conservatively invested those funds and used only the interest and

not the corpus in benefiting the park. Shortly after the National Prisoner of War

Museum opened, the National Park Service approached the Friends of Andersonville

for help on a specific issue. A county road bisected the new park’s entrance road

presenting a security and safety issue that was unacceptable. The only way that

this problem could be solved would be through acquiring a parcel of land that would

allow the road to be re-routed; thus, providing access to Georgia Highway 49 for the

residents living near the park’s boundary. The Friends of Andersonville purchased

20-acres of land for $50,000 from the landowner. This was a lengthy and complex

process. The Friends have owned the land for approximately one-year. Through the

Macon County Board of Commissioners, the Friends requested that the county road

be re-routed so that it would not bisect the park entrance road. This was accomplished less than a month ago. Also, we asked area Boy Scouts to help landscape

this new land so that it would match with other adjacent park land. Through a local

Eagle Scout project, 100 trees were planted all of which were donated by former–

POWs.

Mr. Chairman, the Friends of Andersonville and the people of Sumter and Macon

County, Georgia are extremely proud of our relationship with the National Park

Service at Andersonville National Historic Site. Also, we are proud of the wonderful

story that is told of how captive Americans serving in our nations military have persevered for the sake of freedom despite the most horrible conditions and circumstances. For this reason, our organization continues to support the efforts of the

National Park Service and urge the speedy passage of this legislation to allow the

Friends of Andersonville to donate this land to the government for the purposes of

the National Park Service.

Mr. Chairman...Again, I thank you for the opportunity to speak and to represent

our organization in sharing our unwavering support for Congressman Bishop’s important legislation. Thank you.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Moriwaki, if you would like to begin your

testimony and keep it as brief as possible, you will allow us 5 minVerDate 11-MAY-2000 12:15 May 20, 2003 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 J:\DOCS\81552.SF HRESOUR2 PsN: HRESOUR2
28

utes to get over and make our vote, so if you would like to begin,

that would be great.

STATEMENT OF CLARENCE MORIWAKI, BAINBRIDGE ISLAND

WWII NIKKEI INTERNMENT AND EXCLUSION MEMORIAL

COMMITTEE,

Mr. MORIWAKI. If you would like, I could continue after your

vote.

Mr. RADANOVICH. It is better to do it now, if you could.

Mr. MORIWAKI. Certainly.

Mr. RADANOVICH. That would be great.

Mr. MORIWAKI. Thank you, Chairman Radanovich and Ranking

Member Christensen and other members of the Committee. American history always remembers, and rightfully so, the first places,

and the mere mention of those places, you already know what that

moment in history is, like Kitty Hawk or Plymouth Rock. We believe that Eagledale Ferry Landing at Taylor Avenue on Bainbridge

Island, Washington, is definitely one of those first places.

It is the very first place where the first Japanese Americans

were forcibly removed from their homes and taken to concentration

camps with only 6 days’ notice to take care of their belongings.

They had friends on the island that would do that, but most places

did not. Most people lost a lot of things. And they were the first

people that went to Manzanar concentration camp.

The beauty about what happens on Bainbridge Island, should

this become a national memorial, is we already have those national

monuments at Manzanar and Minidoka where the Bainbridge Island people went to, but they are, by design, in far remote locations. The government wanted them far away and it is a hard place

for people to learn about this period in our nation’s history.

Bainbridge Island, as Jay Inslee will probably tell you, is this

beautiful place six miles just west of Seattle. It is a 30-minute ferry

ride and it is going to be in the reach of a lot more people to learn

about this period in our country’s history.

The important thing that we should remember is that this was

a huge violation of constitutional rights that the 14th Amendment

and these citizens were denied all their privileges. One-third of the

Bainbridge Island people were already going to serve in the U.S.

military, an irony, since they were taken away to concentration

camps and they were given weapons to fight for this country.

Clearly, the historical significance of this site is beyond recognition. I have distributed a packet to you that contains background

material, including a study that I think will help the Park Service

do this study in record time. This is probably one of the most documented moments in our nation’s history. We have also done preliminary work to try to get National Landmark status and that

work is within your packet and we hope you will have a chance to

look at that.

What we also have, March 30, 1942, with the 60th anniversary

of that event, we have commemorative tags that are in that packet.

This is marked to remember the tags that the people were forced

to wear. They were the tags that were exactly like the luggage

tags. They were only allowed to take what they could carry or

wear, and some layered up in clothing because they were not knowVerDate 11-MAY-2000 12:15 May 20, 2003 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00034 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 J:\DOCS\81552.SF HRESOUR2 PsN: HRESOUR2
29

ing where they were going or how long they would be there and

if they would ever even come back. These tags, everybody wore at

that ceremony. There were 500 people who came on that Easter

Saturday.

I just want to share two things that happened there. We had—

probably the most moving ceremony was the reading of all 272

names of the people who were forced to leave. As the Mayor will

testify and Jay Inslee and others who were there, it was pretty

quiet, and the names started being read and these crows started

to caw, you know, caw, caw. As the list got longer and longer, they

got louder and louder to where my friends in the back of the road

could not even hear the last final names. Then at the end of the

last name, and I was emceeing this event, I said, oh, gosh, we are

going to have a moment of silence. These damn birds had better

shut up. The last name was read, there was one caw, and complete

silence and we had 30 seconds of silence and I came up and

thanked the crowd and you could see all the birds fly away.

What was odd was I did not know this, but a Native American

friend of mine came up afterwards and said, you know, he was in

tears, and a lot of people were, and he said, ‘‘Do you understand

what happened at that moment?’’ I said, well, these birds came and

they were making too much noise and I was hoping they would

shut up. And he said, ‘‘No. In our Native American culture, the

shamen say that crows and ravens and blackbirds are the spirits

of your ancestors and that apparently your ancestors came back,

because of those 272 names, only about 50 of them remain,’’ and

that is my final point.

For far too often, our society makes monuments and memorials

to honor or to represent the events and people way long after they

have gone. It has been 60 years, and as you can figure by your

math, the youngest of those people are old. The sooner we have

this to memorialize in their memory and to honor and to recognize

and cherish the friends and the community and welcome them

home, the more appropriate this memorial will mean to all of us.

Thank you very much.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Moriwaki, very good testimony. I appreciate your contribution here.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Moriwaki follows:]

Statement of Clarence Moriwaki, Chair, Bainbridge Island WWII Nikkei

Interment and Exclusion Memorial Committee

On March 30, 1942, American history was made in Washington state when 227

Bainbridge Island men, women and children of Japanese ancestry—most of them

U.S. citizens - were escorted by armed U.S. Army soldiers and solemnly walked

down Taylor Avenue to the old Eagledale ferry landing.

With only six days notice and only allowed to bring what they could carry or wear,

they boarded the ferry Kehloken and said goodbye to Bainbridge Island, starting on

a lonely journey with an unknown destination and fate.

They were the first of more than 120,000 Japanese–Americans to be forcibly removed from their homes on the West Coast and experience three years of unconstitutional imprisonment.

Not all were imprisoned. Some were unjustly arrested, some moved away and others served in the U.S. military, but all were forbidden to remain.

Their only crime—being Nikkei, persons of Japanese ancestry.

The Bainbridge Island WWII Nikkei Exclusion Memorial Committee, a joint endeavor of the Bainbridge Island/North Kitsap Interfaith Council and the Bainbridge

Island Japanese American Community, has been working to establish a memorial

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that will honor the people and families who experienced this tragic moment in

American history tell a lasting story for future generations.

We have entitled this proposed memorial Nidoto Nai Yoni (Knee-doe-toe Nigh

Yoe-knee), or ‘‘Let it not happen again.’’

Currently there are national monuments at the Minidoka and Manzanar concentration camps in the distant deserts of Idaho and California. While these two

sites can clearly tell the story of a time in our nation’s history when constitutional

rights were ignored, these camps by design were placed in very remote places and

are not easily accessible.

That’s not the case here. Bainbridge Island is a short and pleasant ferry ride just

six miles west of Seattle in Puget Sound, and this important story can be told at

the Nidoto Nai Yoni Memorial within easy reach of many more people.

Indeed, for those discovering or wanting to learn about this period in our nation’s

history, since the first steps away from freedom began at the old Eagledale ferry

landing, the Nidoto Nai Yoni Memorial is the literal and symbolic starting point for

the existing national monuments at Minidoka and Manzanar.

Our vision is non-controversial and has received statewide, bipartisan support including the governor and unanimous resolutions from the state legislature, county

commissioners and city council, and it is the top legislative issue for the National

Japanese American Citizens League.

Clearly, the historic significance of the site is beyond question. History always recognizes ‘‘first places’’ and the mere mention of them tells the story—Kitty Hawk,

Plymouth Rock—and we are confident that a study by the Department of the Interior would clearly show that Bainbridge Island’s Eagledale Ferry landing is one of

those important first places in American history.

We believe the study could be done in record time. Most—if not all—of information that the Department of the Interior will need is already well documented and

readily available. Indeed, a comprehensive study of the site was completed a few

years ago by a team of University of Washington researchers as part of an effort

to designate the site as a National Landmark. However, since little of the original

site integrity remains today it would likely not qualify for landmark status.

Our committee has also developed some dream conceptual designs of what we

hope this national memorial could someday be, with the help of nationally recognized architect and fellow Bainbridge Island resident John Paul Jones,

A final point. Far too often, society creates monuments and memorials long after

the people who experienced that moment in history are no longer with us to be honored.

We have a unique opportunity on Bainbridge Island to create a national memorial

that will honor those who suffered, cherish the friends and community who stood

beside them and welcomed them home, and to inspire all Americans to safeguard

constitutional rights for all by embracing the spirit of our proposed memorial,

Nidoto Nai Yoni, or ‘‘Let it not happen again’’

Mr. RADANOVICH. Ms. Kordonowy, we will hear from you when

we get back. We have two votes, and we will be in recess until

then.

[Recess.]

Mr. RADANOVICH. We are back in session. I want to thank you

for indulging us while we get our votes out of the way.

I want to introduce the Honorable Darlene Kordonowy, who is

the Mayor of Bainbridge Island in Washington. Darlene, welcome

to the Committee and you may begin your testimony.

STATEMENT OF DARLENE KORDONOWY, MAYOR, BAINBRIDGE

ISLAND, WASHINGTON

Ms. KORDONOWY. Thank you, Chair Radanovich and all the rest

of the council members. I will take just a few minutes to add to

Mr. Moriwaki’s testimony.

Particularly, I want to emphasize that this is a non-controversial

subject back in the State of Washington, and at least around the

Seattle and the Kitsap County area, where I am from. The Kitsap

County commissioners have unanimously resolved to support this

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effort. The City Council of Bainbridge Island has resolved to do the

same. The State legislature unanimously passed a resolution in

support of the effort that we are undertaking, and Governor Locke

was at a memorial service on March 30 of this year.

We have been working at this since about 1995, looking at the

55-acre site where the Wyckoff creosote plant was, and where the

Japanese American Memorial site will be. We are concerned that

the area could go into development at some point in time if we do

not take action quickly. Your support of H.R. 3747 will be the first

step of a study that would allow us to examine the opportunities

that we have to look at the Japanese American Memorial, which

is about 14 acres. The remainder of the site is of significance, as

well, since it is a Superfund site. We believe the entire acreage of

55 acres has for us the significance of both the historical and cultural interest as well as environmental interest.

So we look forward to your support for the study and the people

of Bainbridge Island want to convey to you that we are willing to

do our part to limit the amount of tax dollars that would be required to both maintain this site and to raise funds to help purchase the site, if necessary. But again, the study is the first step.

Thank you.

Mr. RADANOVICH. You are very welcome. Thank you very much.

[The prepared statement of Ms. Kordonowy follows:]

Statement of Darlene Kordonowy, Mayor, City of Bainbridge Island,

Washington State

The City of Bainbridge Island strongly supports H. R. 3747, the study by the National Park Service of the Eagledale Ferry Dock for a national memorial. The City

has been actively working with the WW II Nikkei Exclusion Memorial Committee

to create a national memorial at the Eagledale Ferry Dock site.

The events that occurred there 60 years ago are part of the American story of the

1942 Exclusion Order that affected thousands of people. It is a story of social injustice, dealing with our fragile constitutional rights. An American story that needs to

be told. And it should be told through interpretation and in context of the historical

events of the time.

Sixty years ago we were a country at war, and because Bainbridge Island had two

military installations and was an island easily contained, our community was selected as the first to be affected by the Exclusion Order. While most people throughout America applauded the government’s action, most of the Bainbridge community

was opposed. These were our neighbors and friends being excluded. None were more

visibly opposed than the late Walt and Milly Woodward, publishers of the Bainbridge Review newspaper. This small newspaper was the first and only paper on

the West Coast that opposed the internment and bravely urged its readers to do

likewise. Throughout the war, the Woodwards continued to maintain contact with

those interned, reporting events and activities of the camp in the Island paper.

After the war and the release from the internment camps, more than half of the

Japanese Americans from Bainbridge Island came back home. Our community welcomed them, primarily because of the continued and vocal support of the Woodwards.

The Eagledale Ferry Dock is gone now, but the remnants of the pilings are still

visible, located in Eagle Harbor, across from Winslow. The proposed memorial site

is at the western end of a 55-acre Superfund site, that for more than 80 years was

the home of one of the West Coast’s most productive creosote wood treatment

plants. Currently under clean up, the Wyckoff Superfund site is linked both geographically and historically to the old Eagledale Ferry landing.

Our community is working toward establishing both these sites, the Eagledale

Ferry Dock and the Wyckoff Superfund site, as a place for education, interpretation

and healing. One area as a memorial, restoring human dignity; and the other as

a park, restoring nature. Both sites are linked, telling stories of our national history

and recognizing mistakes of our past actions.

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The story that Walt and Milly Woodward kept alive on their newspaper pages

needs to be told to every generation. I am confident that a study of Eagledale Ferry

landing by the National Park Service will clearly establish the importance of this

little piece of Bainbridge Island, not just as the place where we first said good-bye

to our neighbors, but as the beginning of the American story of the 1942 Exclusion

Order.

The proposed memorial has strong support, receiving statewide endorsement, including Governor Locke, the Washington State legislature, Kitsap County Commissioners, and the Bainbridge Island City Council. Thank you for this opportunity to

speak on behalf of my community in support of this National Parks study for the

Eagledale Ferry Dock.

[Attachments to Mayor Kordonowy’s statement follow:]

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Mr. RADANOVICH. I do not have anybody to recognize for questions.

[Laughter.]

Mr. RADANOVICH. I am kind of at a loss here, so hang on just a

second. I want to make sure I get a question out of each one of you.

These are going to be questions for the record. Ms. Ash, can you

tell me, has the foundation developed a financial and management

plan for this memorial that you want to place in D.C. and what

kind of money is raised, because there was a question of being able

to raise money, and how do you expect to raise money for the design and construction of the memorial?

Ms. ASH. Mr. Chairman, we received our 501(c)(3) nonprofit status earlier this year, in March. We were waiting to get that before

we could start to raise significant dollars. We have put together a

management team that can start to develop our financial plan, our

business plan, and we anticipate using best practices that we have

seen from other monuments that have been built and learn from

those and use corporate sponsorship, private funding, and other

similar fundraising activities.

Mr. RADANOVICH. OK, thank you.

Mr. Sheffield, regarding Andersonville, has the local government

been involved and supportive in the process of this effort?

Mr. SHEFFIELD. Yes, very much so. The State of Georgia, primarily through providing transportation facilities, widening of the

highway, and the entranceway was paid for by the State of Georgia. Local government supplied help all along. Macon County has

grade and based the access road for the people who live adjacent

to our park, so they have been most helpful in that way. The other

little towns around are helpful mainly in providing volunteers to

work with the help of the park.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you, Mr. Sheffield.

For Mr. Moriwaki or Ms. Kordonowy, there was mention in the

testimony regarding the Wyckoff Superfund site. What effect, if

any, would this have on the development of the Eagledale Ferry

Dock as a unit of the National Park System? For example, would

there be any cost associated with the cleanup or potential cleanup

of a site like that?

Mr. MORIWAKI. The 55-acre site, which is the south side of Eagle

Harbor, almost all of it is clean. Only the point where the actual

creosote operations took place. In the blue packets I passed around,

there is an overlay map. The Eagledale Ferry Landing was on the

very west end of the Wyckoff property. Actually, Taylor Road is a

territorial road with a right-of-way which is not even part of the

Wyckoff property. However, our envisioned plan needs an interpretive center, parking, and all of that, so it is part of the West end

of the Wyckoff property, which is clean and has been clean for

quite some time. None of the creosote operations took place on that

very west end or upper end of the property.

Mr. RADANOVICH. All right, thank you.

Ms. KORDONOWY. May I add to that, sir?

Mr. RADANOVICH. Sure.

Ms. KORDONOWY. We received a letter in August, August 2nd of

this year, from the Department of Ecology with the State saying

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that once the cleanup occurs, the State will fulfill its obligations for

any maintenance costs that might occur as a result of the cleanup.

Mr. RADANOVICH. OK, good. Can we get a copy of that letter for

the record?

Ms. KORDONOWY. Certainly, we will be sure to get you a copy.

Mr. RADANOVICH. That will be supportive in your effort there.

Ms. KORDONOWY. Thank you.

[The letter from the Washington State Department of Ecology

follows:]

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Mr. RADANOVICH. Are there any other questions? Jay, do you

have anything?

Mr. INSLEE. No.

Mr. RADANOVICH. OK, great. Thank you very much for coming to

Washington to testify for your projects. We appreciate it very

much.

With that, this hearing is closed. Thank you.

[Whereupon, at 11:36 a.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]

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