89–010 

Calendar No. 531 

111TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 111–261 

HEART MOUNTAIN RELOCATION CENTER STUDY ACT 

AUGUST 5, 2010.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. BINGAMAN, from the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 2722] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the bill (S. 2722) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior 

to conduct a special resource study to determine the suitability and 

feasibility of adding the Heart Mountain Relocation Center, in the 

State of Wyoming, as a unit of the National Park System, having 

considered the same, reports favorably thereon without amendment 

and recommends that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE

The purpose of S. 2722 is to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the suitability 

and feasibility of adding the Heart Mountain Relocation Center, in 

the State of Wyoming, as a unit of the National Park System. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

In 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 

9066, authorizing the War Department to exclude persons of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast military areas and intern them 

in relocation centers. The Heart Mountain Relocation Center (Center) is nationally significant because it is one of ten relocation centers built by the War Relocation Authority during World War II. 

The Center was occupied from August 1942 to November 1945 and, 

at its peak, housed 10,767 people of Japanese ancestry, two-thirds 

of whom were U.S. citizens. 

In 1992, Congress enacted Title II of Public Law 102–248, which 

authorized and directed the Secretary of the Interior to prepare a 

Japanese American National Historic Landmark (NHL) Theme 

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Study, titled the ‘‘Japanese Americans in World War II.’’ The study 

identified, evaluated, and nominated as national historic landmarks those sites that best commemorate the period in American 

history from 1941–46 when Japanese Americans were interned 

pursuant to Executive Order 9066. The Heart Mountain Relocation 

Center was recommended for study for possible National Historic 

Landmark designation. 

Today, four of the approximately 650 buildings constructed for 

the Heart Mountain Relocation Center remain, including a housing 

unit, a boiler house, a warehouse and a mess hall. The Bureau of 

Reclamation owns the 71 acre-parcel where the four buildings 

stand. In 1985, 30 acres were listed in the National Register. 

S. 2722 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 

special resource study of the Heart Mountain Relocation Center to 

evaluate the national significance of the site and to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating the site as a unit of the National Park System. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

S. 2722 was introduced by Senators Barrasso and Enzi on November 3, 2009. The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on the bill on December 3, 2009. The Committee on Energy and 

Natural Resources considered the bill at its business meeting on 

June 16, 2010, and ordered S. 2722 favorably reported without 

amendment at its business meeting on June 21, 2010. 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open business session on June 21, 2010, by a voice vote of a quorum present, 

recommends that the Senate pass S. 2722. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1 provides the short title, the ‘‘Heart Mountain Relocation Center Study Act of 2009.’’ 

Section 2(a) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to conduct 

a special resource study. 

Subsection (b) provides that the study shall determine the suitability and feasibility of adding the Heart Mountain Relocation 

Center as a unit of the National Park System, and shall consider 

other alternatives for the preservation, protection and interpretation of the site by Federal, State or local government entities or 

any other interested individuals. The study is also required to identify the costs estimates for any Federal acquisition, development, 

interpretation, operation and maintenance associated with the 

range of management alternatives. 

Subsection (c) directs the study to be conducted in accordance 

with the requirements of section 8 of Public Law 91–383, relating 

to National Park Service study requirements. 

Subsection (d) requires the Secretary to prepare and submit for 

review the results, conclusions, and recommendations of the study 

within 3 years after the date funds are made available for the 

study. 

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COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

The following estimate of costs of this measure has been provided 

by the Congressional Budget Office: 

S. 2722—Heart Mountain Relocation Center Study Act of 2009 

S. 2722 would require the National Park Service (NPS) to conduct a special resource study of the Heart Mountain Relocation 

Center in Wyoming. In the study, the NPS would evaluate the national significance of the site, which was used to intern Japanese 

Americans during World War II, and determine the suitability and 

feasibility of designating it as a unit of the National Park System. 

The NPS would have three years to complete the study and report 

to the Congress on its results. 

Based on information provided by the NPS and assuming the 

availability of appropriated funds, CBO estimates that carrying out 

the study required by S. 2722 would cost about $200,000 over the 

next three years. Enacting the legislation would not affect direct 

spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would 

not apply. 

S. 2722 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

impose no costs on state, local, and tribal governments. 

On June 21, 2010, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 

3989, the Heart Mountain Relocation Center Study Act of 2009, as 

ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on 

June 16, 2010. The two pieces of legislation are similar, and the 

CBO cost estimates are the same. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. The estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Assistant Director for 

Budget Analysis. 

REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUTION

In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following evaluation 

of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in carrying out 

S. 2722. 

The bill is not a regulatory measure in the sense of imposing 

Government-established standards or significant economic responsibilities on private individuals and businesses. 

No personal information would be collected in administering the 

program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal privacy. 

Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the enactment of S. 2722, as ordered reported. 

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

S. 2722, as ordered reported, does not contain any congressionally directed spending items, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff 

benefits as defined in rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the Senate. 

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

The testimony provided by the National Park Service at the December 3, 2009 Subcommittee hearing on S. 2722 follows: 

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STATEMENT OF KATHERINE H. STEVENSON, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, BUSINESS SERVICES, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, thank 

you for the opportunity to appear before you today to 

present the Department of the Interior’s views on S. 2722, 

to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the suitability and feasibility of adding the Heart Mountain Relocation Center, in 

the State of Wyoming, as a unit of the National Park System. 

The Department supports S. 2722. However, we feel that 

priority should be given to the 49 previously authorized 

studies for potential units of the National Park System, 

potential new National Heritage Areas, and potential additions to the National Trails System and the National Wild 

and Scenic River System that have not yet been transmitted to Congress. 

S. 2722 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior 

(Secretary) to conduct a special resource study to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the 

Heart Mountain Relocation Center as a unit of the National Park System. The study would also consider other 

alternatives for the preservation, protection and interpretation of the site by federal, State, or local governmental 

entities, or private and nonprofit organizations. The bill 

also directs the Secretary to identify any potential impacts 

to private landowners if the site is designated as a unit of 

the National Park System and specifies that the Secretary, 

through the study process, shall consult with interested 

federal, State, or local governmental entities, federally recognized Indian tribes, private and nonprofit organizations, 

and owners of private property that may be affected by 

any designation. Not later than three years after funds are 

made available, the Secretary is directed to submit the results and recommendations of the study to Congress. We 

estimate that this study will cost approximately $240,000. 

Located in northwest Wyoming, in the Shoshone River 

Valley, the Heart Mountain Relocation Center is one of 10 

relocation centers established by the U.S. military to incarcerate Japanese Americans during World War II. The Center opened on August 11, 1942, and operated for 39 

months, closing on November 10, 1945. At its peak, Heart 

Mountain contained 10,767 Japanese Americans, nearly all 

of whom were former residents of California, Oregon, and 

Washington, and two-thirds of whom were United States 

citizens. 

The site tells the story of a group of American citizens 

whose constitutional rights were abrogated during a time 

when our nation was at war. Heart Mountain is also directly associated with one of the largest single draft resistance movements in United States history. To protest the 

confinement of their families, 315 Japanese Americans 

from all 10 relocation centers were imprisoned for resisting 

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induction into the military. Heart Mountain had the highest rate of resistance with 85 men imprisoned for their resistance to the draft. 

The Heart Mountain Relocation Center originally encompassed 

21,521 acres. However, the center’s core developed area, which included the residential and administrative areas, contained approximately 740 acres. 

Jointly managed by the Bureau of Reclamation and the Heart 

Mountain, Wyoming Foundation, the current Heart Mountain National Historic Landmark contains 124 acres with the remaining 

parts of the area privately owned. The Bureau of Reclamation owns 

and administers 74 acres, which includes the site of the original 

hospital complex and a portion of the administrative complex. The 

Heart Mountain, Wyoming Foundation owns 50 acres, which includes the relocation center’s military police compound. The Foundation is currently engaged in a significant fundraising campaign 

to construct an 11,000 square foot Interpretive Learning Center at 

the site. To date, nearly one-half of the needed funds have been 

raised. 

Although, as a nation, we are not proud of what happened at the 

Heart Mountain Relocation Center and the other nine detention 

sites where Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World. 

War II, such sites allow us to learn from our history and remind 

us of how far we have come. The designation of the Heart Mountain Relocation Center as a National Historic Landmark has 

brought increased public recognition and awareness of the site. 

However, this designation does not guarantee additional safeguards or protection of the site. The special resource study process 

would allow all interested parties to comment on ways to preserve 

and allow for visitor enjoyment of the Heart Mountain Relocation 

Center. 

Mr. Chairman, this concludes my prepared remarks. I would be 

happy to answer any questions you or any other members of the 

subcommittee may have. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no changes in existing law are made by the bill S. 2722, as ordered reported. 

Æ 

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