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77-545 PS 2002

H.R. 2628, H.R. 2643 and

H.RES. 261

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

February 7, 2002

Serial No. 107-82

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

James P. McGovern, Massachusetts

Anibal Acevedo-Vila, Puerto Rico

Hilda L. Solis, California

Brad Carson, Oklahoma

Betty McCollum, Minnesota

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

James P. McGovern, Massachusetts

Anibal Acevedo-Vila, Puerto Rico

Hilda L. Solis, California

Betty McCollum, Minnesota

(V)

CONTENTS

Page

Hearing held on February 7, 2002 ......................................................................... 1

Statement of Members:

Baird, Hon. Brian, a Representative in Congress from the State of

Washington .................................................................................................... 10

Prepared statement on H.R. 2643 ........................................................... 11

Cramer, Hon. Robert ‘‘Bud’’, a Representative in Congress from the State

of Alabama ..................................................................................................... 4

Prepared statement on H.R. 2628 ........................................................... 6

Davis, Hon. Jo Ann, a Representative in Congress from the State of

Virginia .......................................................................................................... 12

Prepared statement on H.Res. 261 ......................................................... 14

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

of California ................................................................................................... 1

Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 2

Wu, Hon. David, a Representative in Congress from the State of Oregon .. 8

Prepared statement on H.R. 2643 ........................................................... 9

Statement of Witnesses:

Borlaug, David, President, National Council of the Lewis and Clark

Bicentennial, Washburn, North Dakota ...................................................... 42

Prepared statement on H.R. 2643 ........................................................... 43

Conner, Jane, Retired Teacher and Stafford County Historian, Stafford,

Virginia .......................................................................................................... 46

Prepared statement on H.Res. 261 ......................................................... 47

Gonce, Nancy, Executive Director, Music Preservation Society, Florence,

Alabama ......................................................................................................... 26

Prepared statement on H.R. 2628 ........................................................... 28

Jones, Durand, Deputy Director, National Park Service, U.S. Department

of the Interior, Washington, D.C. ................................................................ 15

Prepared statement on H.Res. 261 ......................................................... 16

Prepared statement on H.R. 2628 ........................................................... 17

Prepared statement on H.R. 2643 ........................................................... 18

Rosenbaum, Alvin, CultureNet Consultant and Senior Visiting Scholar,

The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. ............................ 37

Prepared statement on H.R. 2628 ........................................................... 38

Scouten, Rex, Former White House Curator, Fairfax, Virginia ................... 44

Prepared statement on H.Res. 261 ......................................................... 45

(1)

LEGISLATIVE HEARING ON H.R. 2628, TO

DIRECT THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR

TO CONDUCT A STUDY OF THE SUITABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING THE MUSCLE SHOALS NATIONAL

HERITAGE AREA IN ALABAMA; H.R. 2643, TO

AUTHORIZE THE ACQUISITION OF ADDITIONAL LANDS FOR INCLUSION IN THE

FORT CLATSOP NATIONAL MEMORIAL IN

THE STATE OF OREGON, AND FOR OTHER

PURPOSES; AND H.RES. 261, RECOGNIZING

THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE

AQUIA SANDSTONE QUARRIES OF GOVERNMENT ISLAND IN STAFFORD COUNTY,

VIRGINIA, FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO

THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CAPITAL OF

THE UNITED STATES.

Thursday, February 7, 2002

U.S. House of Representatives

Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands

Committee on Resources

Washington, DC

The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:05 a.m., in room

1334, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. George Radanovich

[Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.

STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE GEORGE P. RADANOVICH,

CHAIRMAN, SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS,

RECREATION, AND PUBLIC LANDS

Mr. RADANOVICH. Good morning and welcome to the Subcommittee on National Parks Recreation and Public Lands. We are

hearing regarding 3 bills today regarding H.R. 2628, H.R. 2643,

and H.Res. 261. Good morning to everybody. Thank you for being

here. I am looking forward to everybody’s testimony on these bills.

The first bill that we are going to consider, H.R. 2628, was introduced by Congressman Bud Cramer, and directs the Secretary of

2

the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating

the city of Muscle Shoals and the surrounding counties of northwest Alabama as a national heritage area. The area would commemorate the birthplace of the Tennessee Valley Authority, historic trails and Civil War sites and other areas of historical significance.

The next bill is H.R. 2643, introduced by Congressman David

Wu, who is here with us today as well, and it would expand the

boundary of Fort Clatsop National Memorial while also facilitating

the construction of a trail to the Pacific Ocean. For quite some time

this bill’s major obstacle was the question of 300 acres of private

timberland owned by the Willamette Industries, which would be included in the boundary. Both parties have come to an agreement

that based on questions of title, the best solution would be a friendly condemnation.

Between the time that this hearing was scheduled and now,

Weyerhauser has moved to acquire Willamette Industries, and

while it has been our understanding that this transaction would

not alter the agreement representatives, of which Willamette

declined an invitation to testify at in hearing because they felt it

would be inappropriate to characterize Weyerhauser’s position regarding the agreement until the acquisition is finalized later this

week. That is one of the longer sentences I have read. When that

acquisition is finalized, we will be interested to know if there has

been any change in this position.

And finally, we will hear testimony regarding House Resolution

261 introduced by Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis. This resolution

will commemorate the historical significance of the Aquia sandstone quarries at Government Island in Stafford County, Virginia,

which was selected by our first, President George Washington, to

be used for the construction of the U.S. Capitol building. I look forward to hearing the testimony offered today. At this time, I would

like to ask unanimous consent that Congresswoman Davis, Congressman Wu, and Congressman Baird be permitted to sit on the

dais, following their statements if they choose to do so also. Without objection, so ordered.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Radanovich follows:]

Statement of The Honorable George P. Radanovich, Chairman,

Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands, on

H.R. 2628, H.R. 2643, H.Res. 261

Good morning and welcome to the hearing today. The Subcommittee will come to

order. This morning, the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public

Lands will hear testimony on two bills, H.R. 2628, H.R. 2643, and a resolution,

H.Res. 261.

The first bill, H.R. 2628, introduced by Congressman Bud Cramer, directs the

Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the

City of Muscle Shoals and the surrounding counties of northwest Alabama as a national heritage area. The area would commemorate the birthplace of the Tennessee

Valley Authority, historic trails, civil war sites, and other areas of historical significance.

The next bill, H.R. 2643, introduced by Congressman David Wu would expand the

boundary of Fort Clatsop National Memorial while also facilitating the construction

of a trail to the Pacific Ocean. For quite some time this bill’s major obstacle was

the question of 300 acres of private timberland owned by Willamette Industries

which would be included in the boundary. Both parties had come to an agreement

that, based upon questions of title, the best solution would be friendly condemnation. Between the time that this hearing was scheduled and now, Weyerhauser has

3

moved to acquire Willamette Industries. While it had been our understanding that

this transaction would not alter the agreement, representatives of Willamette declined an invitation to testify at this hearing because they felt it would be inappropriate to characterize Weyerhauser’s position regarding the agreement until the acquisition is finalized later next week. When that acquisition is finalized we will be

interested to know if there has been any change in position.

And finally, we will hear testimony regarding House Resolution 261, introduced

by Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis. This resolution would commemorate the historical

significance of the Aquia sandstone quarries at Government Island in Stafford

County, Virginia which were selected by our first president George Washington to

be used for the construction of the U.S. Capitol building.

I look forward to hearing the testimony offered today. At this time, I would like

to ask unanimous consent that Congresswoman Davis, Congressman Wu, and Congressman Baird be permitted to sit on the dais following their statements, if they

choose to do so. Without objection [PAUSE], so ordered.

Once again, I appreciate the witnesses being here to testify today and I now turn

the time over to the ranking member, Mrs. Christensen for an opening statement.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Once again, I appreciate the witnesses being

here to testify today, and I now turn my time over to the ranking

member, Mrs. Christensen, for an opening statement.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I want to join

you in welcoming our colleagues this morning. As you indicated

today, we are going to receive testimony in a varied group of bills.

House Resolution 261, which was introduced by Congresswoman Jo

Ann Davis, recognizes the historical significance of the Aquia sandstone quarries of Government Island in Stafford County, Virginia,

for their contributions for the construction of the Capitol of the

United States and commend the Stafford County commissioners

and local residents for their efforts to preserve those quarries.

Stone from these particular quarries, which date back to the late

17th century, were then chosen by President George Washington

for use at Mount Vernon as well as construction of the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the original Treasury Building, the Patent

Office, and the earliest locks and bridges of the C&O Canal. Over

time, the quarries have been exhausted and the site has since been

through a number of private hands and has entered in and out of

public ownership.

We are eager to hear from Congresswoman Davis and our other

witnesses regarding the latest efforts by Stafford County to preserve the interesting history of this area. A second bill, H.R. 2628,

introduced by our other colleague, Representative Cramer, would

direct the Secretary of the Interior to do a national heritage area

study of the Muscle Shoals area of northern Alabama. Evidently

the Muscle Shoals area has a long history of industry, transportation, and music among other things. I am sure that our witnesses

here today, including Representative Cramer will detail and expand upon that history for the Subcommittee. Finally the Fort

Clatsop National Memorial, located in the far northwestern corner

of Oregon, marks the area where Meriwether Lewis, William Clark

and their Corps of Discovery spent the winter months of 1805 to

1806.

Given the critical importance of the Louisiana Purchase and the

Lewis and Clark Expedition in American history, the significance

of this turnaround camp site is indisputable. Lewis and Clark

turned the fort over to the Clatsop tribe on their departure, but it

soon fell into disrepair and unfortunately farming and clear cutting

4

destroyed the remains of the fort. However, through the efforts of

the Oregon Historical Society and later the National Park Service,

the fort has been reconstructed based on William Clark’s original

drawings and the surrounding area is slowly being returned to the

way it might have looked when the Corps of Discovery camped

there.

The last one, H.R. 2643 sponsored by our colleague, Representative Wu, would continue the process of restoring and preserving

this fascinating memorial by allowing several critical areas to be

included within the memorial’s boundaries. We welcome representative Wu’s testimony today as well as input from the two original

co-sponsors of the bill, Representative Baird and our colleague on

the Subcommittee Representative Souder. We appreciate the time

and efforts of all of our witnesses and welcome your input on the

bills before the Subcommittee this morning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you, Mrs. Christensen. And Mr.

Cramer, please forgive me for not including you on the list to join

us on the dais after your presentation, please feel welcomed to do

so.

Mr. CRAMER. Thank you.

Mr. RADANOVICH. And if you would like to begin with your testimony that would be terrific.

STATEMENT OF THE HON. ROBERT ‘‘BUD’’ CRAMER, A

REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF

ALABAMA (H.R. 2628)

Mr. CRAMER. I would be happy to, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. On

behalf of my community there in north Alabama, we appreciate

this opportunity. We look forward to it. Madam ranking member,

we appreciate your interest and enthusiasm as well. We have a

map over here for your benefit and on that map, the big gray

square is the area of my congressional district that I want to talk

about today. That is called the Shoals area.

Muscle Shoals is, in fact, a city, but it is really an area in northwest Alabama and it’s America’s best kept secret. The line going

through there is the Tennessee River, and on the western edge of

that gray square is the State of Mississippi and then above it is

the State of Tennessee. So we occupy the northwest corner of Alabama. The gray dots represent National Park Service units and national historic landmark sites. So you can see that we have a number of those units and sites around us. Now, the river has culturally and geographically defined our area. It’s a fascinating history.

TVA was born in Muscle Shoals, and we frankly consider that we

are the home—it should be the home of TVA as well. I have a set

of letters here from the community that I would like to make a

part of this record because my effort is supported by many across

the state, many across the area as well. Our colleagues, Roger

Wicker, who represents a corner of Mississippi to my west, Robert

Aderholt is to the south of me. They are both co-sponsors of this

bill as well.

The Shoals is a collection of communities like any other area in

that geographic square would be. There are a number of cities in

5

there, a number of communities in there. When you talk about

Florence, Alabama, you’re talking about its native W. C. Handy,

who is referred to as the father of the blues. We have a remarkable

blues festival down there in the whole area that brings thousands

of people from all over the country. If you are talking about another city there, Tuscumbia, Alabama, you are talking about the

birth place of Helen Keller, of course, who has inspired all of us.

If you talk about that same area as well, you are talking about

the home of Jessie Owens, who has demonstrated through his courage and his brilliance what youth can model after, and what ‘‘say

no’’ can mean and the inspiration that he gave us.

So we are excited about this opportunity to tell you about the

history of our community. The river was dammed by TVA. That

damming of the river enabled us to enjoy much more economic

prosperity but it never robbed us of what the river meant to us in

terms of its inspiration and the creativity that it gave us. I have

with me today Nancy Gonce and Alvin Rosenbaum. They will be

testifying also on a later panel.

Nancy Gonce is renown in our community as a person who can

accomplish anything she takes on. She has been my role model

since I have been in Congress and she has been my partner since

I have been here. Alvin Rosenbaum as well. His family donated a

Frank Lloyd Wright house, which is a remarkable museum, in the

Florence area. So both of those individuals come from the area and

they know culturally and historically about the area and will offer

you that information as well.

The letters that I am offering you here today speak from the Alabama Historical Commission, Alabama State Council on the Arts

as well as the business community, the cultural community of that

whole area of Alabama and Mississippi as well. We are fiercely

proud of what that area represents and think this gives the National Park Service an opportunity to study the area and enter us

on its record of accomplishment as well. Another line that you can

see on the map there is the Natchez Trace Parkway, and that goes

right through the edge of this particular area as well. So we live

and breathe the history that is around us and think that what we

are trying to do here today will allow us to fall right in line with

the cataloguing and study process that needs to occur.

When I first came to Congress, a few years after that I met Bill

Ferris. Bill Ferris is from Jackson, Mississippi. He eventually became NEH director. He is a blues fan, studies the blues, and he

quickly encouraged me to make sure with the history of our area,

and the W.C. Handy birthplace there, that we had this opportunity

to catalogue and study what went on there.

So I am in a way following his advice in pursuing this. So thank

you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you Madam Ranking Member. The

Muscle Shoals Heritage Study Act of 2001 is certainly worthy of

your consideration. Thank you.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you very much Mr. Cramer and I look

forward to the testimony from your two witnesses which will be on

the third panel coming up today.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Cramer follows:]

6

Statement of The Honorable Bud Cramer, a Representative in Congress

from the State of Alabama, on H.R. 2628

Mr. Chairman, Madame Ranking Member, and Members of the Subcommittee, I

appreciate the opportunity to testify before you today in support of my legislation,

H.R. 2628, the ‘‘Muscle Shoals National Heritage Study Act of 2001.’’ As the map indicates, the area that we in North Alabama generally refer to as

the Shoals, is located in the Northwest corner of Alabama. The Shoals has a total

population of approximately 209,000 people spread across six major municipalities— Florence, Sheffield, Tuscumbia, Muscle Shoals, Russellville, and Moulton—in two

full counties and portions of two others. In addition, the map shows some of the numerous National Park Service units and National Historic Landmark Sites in or

near the Shoals, thereby, giving some indication of the historical importance of the

region.

In general, mine is a District that is geographically and culturally defined by the

Tennessee River.

This is particularly true for the Shoals. It is the river that defines and anchors

us, gives us sustenance, sparks our creativity, and centers our lives. Our history,

therefore, is intertwined with that of the Tennessee River. This history runs deep

and speaks directly to what it means to be an American. The earliest days of our

history can be tracked to when native Americans once freely roamed the river’s

banks to those dark days centuries later when they were forced to march pass its

somber banks during the Trail of Tears.

It can be found in the Civil War when the river ran red as brother fought brother

in a struggle that would determine the fate of our union.

It can be seen at that moment early the 20th century when the river was tamed

by the massive Wilson Dam that foretold the advent of public power as manifested

by the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Moreover, the richness of the Shoals’ history is revealed by the contributions

made to American History by the sons and daughters of the Shoals. Whether you

talk about Florence native W.C. Handy—often called the ‘‘Father of the Blues’’ and

the role he played in developing this most uniquely American music. Or whether

you’re in Tuscumbia visiting the birthplace of Helen Keller—one of this century’s

most outstanding examples of an individual overcoming tremendous personal disabilities through determination, perseverance and strength of character. Or whether

you talk about North Alabama native, Jesse Owens who through his athletic grace

transcended sports and shook the conscience of the world by discrediting Hitler’s

theory of racial superiority. The Shoals has a story to tell that, I believe, is as central to the story of America as can be told by any other region in the country.

My bill, H.R. 2628, the ‘‘Muscle Shoals National Heritage Study Act of

2001’represents my attempt to get this story told. The Subcommittee should also

know that while the bill primarily focuses on my Congressional District, it does include language allowing for the scope of the feasibility study to include areas that

‘‘are adjacent to or in the vicinity of’’ the Shoals area. Consequently, I’m pleased to

report to the Subcommittee that both Representatives Robert Aderholt, whose district is just south of my Congressional District, and Roger Wicker, whose district

is just west of my Congressional District in Mississippi, have signed onto my bill

as co-sponsors.

In addition, H.R. 2628, represents the culmination of several years of grassroots

efforts on the part of the business, academic, and civic leadership of Northwest Alabama to categorize, preserve, and showcase the rich natural, cultural, and historic

resources of the Muscle Shoals Area. To demonstrate the extraordinary level of local

support this bill has generated, I would like to submit along my testimony, the two

dozen or so support letters I’ve received from a wide spectrum of the communities’

local leadership. Included among these are letters of support from Senator Bobby

Denton, and Representative Nelson Starkey, both of whom represent parts of the

Shoals communities in the Alabama State Assembly. I’ve also included letters of

support from the Alabama Historical Commission, the Alabama State Council on

the Arts, as well as from the Shoals Chamber of Commerce, the Lawrence County

Chamber of Commerce, the Tennessee Valley Art Association, and the W.C. Handy

Music Festival.

These letters demonstrate what I’ve found as I’ve talked to people throughout the

Shoals about this bill—and that is that we in North Alabama are fiercely proud of

our history and we believe that our history, with all of its many different tales of

tragedy and redemption, offers a glimpse into the American spirit. H.R. 2628 gives

us the opportunity to share this history with the rest of the country and the world.

As the legislative process moves forward, I hope you will come to this same conclusion. Thank you Mr. Chairman, Madame Ranking Member and Members of the

7

Subcommittee for allowing me to offer testimony in support of my legislation, the

‘‘Muscle Shoals National Heritage Study Act of 2001.’’

I look forward to working with each of you in the coming months to move this

bill through the legislative process. I would be pleased to answer any questions you

may have.

[A map attached to Mr. Cramer’s statement follows:]

8

Mr. RADANOVICH. Congressman Wu from Oregon, welcome and,

Dave, give us your testimony.

STATEMENT OF THE HON. DAVID WU, A REPRESENTATIVE IN

CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF OREGON (H.R. 2643)

Mr. WU. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. It is a pleasure

to be you today and thank you for holding this hearing on the bill

which Mr. Souder, Mr. Baird and I have submitted, H.R. 2643. Approximately 200 years ago from a small community just south of

here, Ivy, Virginia, a young man left his home plantation and after

brief stops in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia for career and

other reasons for those stops, he was commissioned to cross this

country and after 8,000 miles and 28 months later, they forever expanded the American concept of this Nation and what it is to be

an American. I will not walk you there all 8,000 miles or 28

months of the journey and I will just briefly summarize my written

statement which I will submit for the record.

After leaving the east coast, Meriwether Lewis picked up William

Clark along the way and passing by near to St. Louis, crossed the

continent and forever changed the American physical and psychological and mental landscape. And I think that by walking, riding,

boating and canoeing across this continent, they not only exemplified a great exploration for their era, but continued to teach us valuable lessons in our day.

Most relevant to this body, they originally appropriated $2,500.

They spent $38,000 instead on their expedition. Sometimes exploration takes a little bit longer and costs a little bit more than one

expects. Every time that I fly back and forth between my home in

Oregon and here, I put it in perspective that it took some folks

more than 2 years to go the same distance, and they had to walk

and use other forms of transportation much more troublesome than

the ones to which we have access today.

The principal purposes for which the expedition set forth to find

a water route to the west coast, to bind the Indian Nations together in forming a trading system in the great west. Those were

not realized, one from a lack of cultural understanding and the

other from a lack of understanding from the geography. However,

this mission, this expedition, set standards for natural science

which stand to this day. Meriwether Lewis was not a trained naturalist; yet his notes to this day can teach us much about western

geography and western wildlife and plants. Their expedition truly

expanded this Nation from sea to shining sea.

And finally, I think that it is most important to note that the

word ‘‘can’t,’’ the word ‘‘can’t’’ is not a part of the American vocabulary, and I think that the Lewis and Clark expedition was a very,

very important step in taking the word ‘‘can’t’’ out of our national

lexicon. It is important that we commemorate this expedition. We

are coming up on the 200th anniversary and we are looking to a

great celebration of that across this Nation and one of those celebrations will be in Clatsop County at the Fort Clatsop Memorial.

This bill will expand the Memorial from 130 acres to 1,500 acres

and bring in some of the coastal territory which Lewis and Clark

explored and also was an important part of their destination.

9

All of the property is going to be acquired in the manner which

the current owners requested that the Federal Government acquire

from them, both the private property owners, individual property

owners, and the corporate property owners. We look forward to

working with the Committee and you, Mr. Chairman, to pass this

bill; and Mr. Baird will address aspects of this bill which will further appropriately commemorate the expedition and their accomplishments on the now Washington side of the river.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you Mr. Wu.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Wu follows:]

Statement of The Honorable David Wu, a Representative in Congress from

the State of Oregon

Mr. Chairman, I want to begin by extending my sincere thanks to you for holding

a hearing today on this important bill.

H.R. 2643, the Fort Clatsop National Memorial Expansion Act, would authorize

the National Park Service to expand the boundaries of Fort Clatsop National Memorial in accordance with the recommendations of the 1995 National Parks Service

General Management Plan.

The National Memorial System is the commemorative division of America’s National Parks System. Our 28 National Memorials are reserved to commemorate the

lives of great Americans, and the great sacrifices and heroic deeds of our countrymen. The Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials honor our greatest leaders. The Wright

Brothers Memorial commemorates American ingenuity. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the USS Arizona Memorial remind us of the sacrifices our military veterans have made on America’s behalf.

Mr. Chairman, Fort Clatsop National Memorial is a monument to the spirit of

American exploration and discovery and reminds us all of the rewards that come

from determination and perseverance.

Located near Astoria, Oregon, Fort Clatsop marks the spot where the Corps of

Discovery, commanded by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, spent the winter

of 1805–1806. The Fort was a 50-foot square structure located in a beautiful forest

of Spruce, Douglas fir, and Western Red Cedar. It provided shelter for Lewis and

Clark and 31 of their companions, including Sacagawea and her infant son, for 106

continuous days while they waited for the snows of the Rockies to melt.

Fort Clatsop was the first army outpost west of the Rockies and it is the only unit

of the National Parks System solely dedicated to the Lewis and Clark expedition.

The persistent rainfall of the Pacific Northwest caused the original Fort to rot

away by the mid nineteenth century. In 1955, to coincide with the sesquicentennial

celebration of the expedition, Oregonians built a near-exact replica of the Fort out

of logs donated by a local timber company.

In 1958 Congress added Fort Clatsop to the National Park System. In 1978 Congress added to the Memorial a site on the Pacific coast where members of the expedition spent the winter making salt through the laborious process of boiling off sea

water. With the addition of the salt works, Fort Clatsop had effectively reached its

congressionally authorized acreage limit.

By raising the acreage limit from 130 to 1,500 acres, H.R. 2643 would allow the

Park Service to add land between the replica of the Fort and the Pacific Ocean. This

area includes the historic Lewis and Clark trail allowing visitors to the Memorial

to retrace the historic steps of Lewis and Clark from the Fort to the ocean.

As the committee is well aware, Mr. Chairman, we are quickly approaching the

celebration of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. During the bicentennial, the National Parks Service estimates that well over one million people will visit Fort

Clatsop. In fact, the Park has already begun to notice an increase in its visitation.

This bill is strongly supported by the State of Oregon, Clatsop County, city governments in the region, nearby tribal authorities, state and local Lewis and Clark

bicentennial celebration Organizations, and the National Council of the Lewis and

Clark Bicentennial. Fort Clatsop will be the centerpiece of the Oregon Lewis and

Clark bicentennial celebration and will be the site of one of the five national signature events.

This bill is also supported by Willamette Industries, the principal landowner,

which worked closely with the National parks Service to design the expanded

boundary. An identical bill sponsored by Senator Wyden passed the Senate by unanimous consent this past October.

10

When President Jefferson, in 1803, laid out a challenge to a group of brave men

to search for a navigable water route to the Pacific Ocean, he set a precedent for

the great American expedition into the unknown. The clearest echo of Jefferson’s challenge came when President Kennedy set a national goal to put a man on the

moon within a decade.

As America ventures further and is lifted by the spark of discovery, today and

in years to come, it behooves our nation to look to those who have paved the way

before us. Whether pushing the frontiers of freedom here on earth, the frontiers of

exploration in the heavens, or the frontiers of knowledge everywhere there is ignorance, the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition is one that demonstrates the

power of what is possible when a people, and a nation, have the curiosity to ask,

‘‘why?’’; the sense of unbounded possibility to ask, ‘‘why not?’’; and the resolve to

remake the world.

Again, I thank the Chair for holding this hearing today, and I ask the committee

to support this bill, which will help to inspire our country with this great American

story.

Mr. RADANOVICH. And good morning, Mr. Baird, if you would go

ahead and proceed that will be fine.

STATEMENT OF THE HON. BRIAN BAIRD, A REPRESENTATIVE

IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF WASHINGTON (H.R. 2643)

Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Chairman, I would like to begin by thanking you

and Ranking Member Christensen for holding this important hearing, and to thank my good friend and colleague, Mr. Wu, for his

work not only on the Clatsop side, but to include sites within

Washington State in this commemoration. I am also very grateful

for Committee Member Souder, who I am glad to see he is joining

us. He has been a tremendous help on this. And for Don Striker,

who is here to testify today. He is superintendent of Fort Clatsop.

As Congressman Wu identified, the bicentennial of Lewis and

Clark is virtually upon us. In 2003, they started their journey and

they reached the Pacific coast in 2005. I have with me, if I may

with your indulgence, show you a couple of maps to illustrate the

area we are talking about and its importance. I would like to have

my staff put that up there— Mr. RADANOVICH. Sure.

Mr. BAIRD. It is easier for me if I go around. Is that all right— Mr. RADANOVICH. No problem. Do it how you want to.

If it is OK with you.

Mr. BAIRD. What I am handing you is the actual map that Lewis

and Clark drew of the area we are talking about, that is actually

from their journals. You will see from the Washington side of the

river it is well-documented in their journals.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Souder was there during that time.

Mr. BAIRD. What happened was Lewis and Clark basically traveled, when they reached the Columbia River, down river to on the

Washington side. Upon reaching the end of their journey, they

were in terrible shape. They had a difficult decision. They had

opened to find a ship. Here is the area we are talking about. They

traveled down the Washington State side and they were hoping to

find a ship to take them back but there were none. They were

going to have to winter over. The question is where do we winter

over?

At a very important site, they took an important vote, stateside

Washington here. They took a vote and what is so remarkable

about the vote is that 100 years before suffrage, 60 years before

11

emancipation, both Sacagawea and York, who was a black slave of

Clark’s, both were included in the vote and it is recorded in their

journals. They took a vote and they said well, we are going to eventually spend the winter over on what is now the Oregon side over

in what is today the Fort Clatsop site, but the important point of

this legislation is it does two things: One, it expands Fort Clatsop,

which is in Congressman Wu’s district; but, two, it includes the

Washington State side as a study to see if possible inclusion of this

side of the river for a national historic side.

Mr. WU. Let the record show that they voted to come to Oregon.

Mr. BAIRD. Legend has it that the Chinook Indians wanted them

out of Washington over on the Oregon side.

The important point is this: To really appreciate the historical

value of this journey, and frankly I believe it to be, perhaps apart

from the Apollo moon landing, the greatest journey in American

history. To appreciate it you need to travel to both sides of the

river. It is critical for historical reasons to get the flavor to stand

there on the beautiful headlands above the ocean and imagine

being Lewis and Clark looking out over that vast ocean and remembering the journey, you have just been there, and saying my

goodness, there is no ship there, we have got to spend the winter

and then we have to go back.

Only by integrating those two sites can we fully grasp the history

of this mission, only by honoring Station Camp and Fort Canby can

the public get a full richness of the teamwork and the togetherness

that enabled them to succeed. So without taking more time because

I know we have a vote, I am very, very grateful.

And let me just finally say this: The time really is urgent on this

legislation and on this recognition. The Lewis and Clark commemoration is expected to attract quite literally millions of visitors from

around the world in this region and we need to have in place the

mechanisms and the facilities to entertain those folks and give

them the full flavor of this great adventure. I yield back my time

and—

Mr. RADANOVICH. Good. Thank you. And we will have some questions regarding the map too but we will wait until we get done

with this panel and on to the next ones.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Baird follows:]

Statement of The Honorable Brian Baird, a Representative in Congress

from the Third District of Washington

First, I would like to thank the Chairman of the Subcommittee, Mr. Radanovich,

for holding a hearing on this important piece of legislation. I would also like to

thank my colleague from Oregon, David Wu, for working to ensure that Southwest

Washington’s role in the Lewis and Clark commemoration can be recognized by the

National Park Service and enjoyed by all Americans. I am also grateful to Congressman Mark Souder, for his strong support of the bill.

The Bicentennial Commemoration of the Lewis and Clark expedition is only one

year away. In 2003, communities across the nation will begin commemorating the

Corps of Discovery and the promise that they brought back. It is my hope that during this commemoration, Americans will visit important stops along this journey of

discovery in the Third Congressional District, including Station Camp and Fort

Canby State Park.

On November 15, 1805, William Clark stopped at Station Camp, sometimes referred to as Megler’s Rest, and proclaimed, ‘‘I am in full view of the ocean.’’ It was

at this historic site that Clark penned his famous map indicating that the Corps

had completed one of Thomas Jefferson’s directives—to reach the Pacific Ocean.

This is also the site of the historic vote taken by Captains Meriwether Lewis and

12

William Clark to determine where the Corps would camp for the winter. Although

the year was 1805, nearly 60 years before the emancipation of the slaves and a century before women were given the privilege of voting, Lewis and Clark called for

a vote by the entire Corps. Both Sacagawea, the Shoshone interpreter, and York,

Clark’s slave, were allowed an equal vote with all other members of the Corps. This

historic moment occurred at Station Camp. It is indicative of the forward thinking

employed by the Captains throughout the journey which led to their incredible level

of success.

Today, I welcome the opportunity to discuss the importance of this legislation,

which seeks to expand the Ft. Clatsop National Memorial, the only unit in the National Park System that is solely dedicated to the amazing journey of Lewis and

Clark. Of great importance to my congressional district, the legislation calls for the

Secretary of the Interior to study the inclusion of the ‘‘Station Camp’’ site and Fort

Canby within the Fort Clatsop National Memorial.

Although ‘‘Station Camp’’ is considered the end of the voyage, it is also true that

the Northwesternmost point of exploration of the Corps of Discovery was their trip

to Cape Disappointment, now embedded within Fort Canby State Park. Here, the

party had direct contact with the Pacific, which Clark described in his memoir.

The legislation calls for the National Park Service to work collaboratively with the

States of Washington and Oregon and Indian tribes on the expansion of Fort

Clatsop to study including these new sites before the start of the bicentennial of the

Lewis and Clark Expedition, planned to take place from 2003 to 2006. Companion

legislation has already passed the Senate by unanimous consent and the bill enjoys

broad support from the Washington and Oregon congressional delegations as well

as from the Washington State Historical Society’s Lewis and Clark bicentennial

project.

I appreciate your careful consideration of this request for inclusion of these important historical sites within the Fort Clatsop National Memorial and I look forward

to answering any questions from members of the Committee.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Good morning Mrs. Davis and welcome and we

have got good time to take your statement as well and then afterwards we will leave for our vote and then please join us on the dais

when we get back for the rest of the hearing. Good morning.

STATEMENT OF THE HON. JO ANN DAVIS, A REPRESENTATIVE

IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF VIRGINIA (H.RES. 261)

Mrs. DAVIS. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, ranking member and

members of the Committee, I want to thank you for taking up

House Res. 261, commemorating the contributions of Government

Island. As Virginia’s member of the First Congressional District to

the U.S. House of Representatives, I am very proud of the many

historically significant contributions the great Commonwealth has

offered our Nation.

Virginia has given America eight of its distinguished men to the

office of presidency, and I might add, three of the first five were

born in my district, which is why congressman Bateman referred

to it as America’s first district, and countless other elected officials,

military heroes and active citizens, to the cause of freedom and democracy.

As our forefathers struggled to create a Nation through a declaration of independence and an enduring revolution, they sought

to create symbols to express the permanence of their new-found

freedom. Led by First Congressional District and Virginia native

George Washington, the Founding Fathers began to plan a city

that would dignify the grandeur of the new United States of America. They chose the lands situated geographically centered in the

new Nation up the Potomac River and to the top of what was

13

known as Jenkin’s Hill, a place Pierre Charles L’Enfant, the city’s

planner, called a pedestal waiting for a monument.

I could not agree more. Our Capitol has survived over 200 years

through the War of 1812 and the Civil War. More recently, the

building was a suspected target, as you all know, of the recent horrific terrorist attacks on our country. This building has expanded

and matured into the great symbol of America. The freedoms we

hold so dear and recent events have only solidified my deep fondness for our Capitol and what it represents. Although little known,

the first section of the north wing of the Capitol and the White

House were constructed of Aquia sandstone from Government Island in the Aquia Creek in Stafford County, Virginia, another

proud Virginia contribution.

I have introduced, as you know, Res. 261 in remembrance of this ‘‘jewel of the First’’ and to mark the accomplishments of the Stafford Board of Supervisors and Stafford citizens for their good work

in preserving this national treasure. House Res. 261 commemorates Government Island and its contributions to the early construction of our Nation’s Capitol and the new Capital City and

seems well-placed in this time of overwhelming patriotism and national pride. It seems only fitting to recognize the contributions of

the Aquia quarries to our Nation. After all, the placing of our Capitol building’s cornerstone was, in many respects, symbolic of in our

Nation’s beginning over 200 years ago.

I would like to thank the entire Virginia Delegation for joining

me as co-sponsors of this resolution, and additionally, I would like

to thank two individuals who join me today to testify on behalf of

the resolution. They, along with Stafford’s Commission on Government Island, have worked tirelessly for this worthy cause. First

Rex Scouten, who spent nearly 50 years at the White House serving Presidents from Truman to Clinton. Rex began his career at

the White House as a Secret Service agent, and after 10 years of

service, became the assistant usher.

Rex was later promoted to chief usher and then finally named as

White House curator. A very distinguished career he should be

commended on, but thankfully for Government Island, it didn’t stop

there. Rex was tapped to serve on Stafford’s Committee on Government Island, and I am grateful for his dedication to our local and

national treasure.

Second, Jane Conner, a long-time Stafford teacher and resident.

Jane—and I hope she is here. She was tied up in traffic. Jane has

published several articles in the definitive history of Government

Island. She is also a former president of the Stafford County Historical Society and a member of the Stafford Historical Committee.

Mr. Donald Kennon, historian of the U.S. Historical Society called

this, in quotes, an excellent resolution, and he continued in quotes

‘‘I fully support it.’’

It is my hope that you might see this resolution in the same

light, Mr. Chairman, and members of the Subcommittee, and I encourage you to support this important resolution, and I thank you

for bringing up this matter today. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you very much, Mrs. Davis. And with

that, we are going to recess briefly, go take a vote and everybody

is welcome to join us back here. We will continue with the hearing.

14

[The prepared statement of Jo Ann Davis follows:]

Statement of The Honorable Jo Ann Davis, a Representative in Congress

from the State of Virginia

Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member and Members of the Committee, I thank you for

taking up House Resolution 261 commemorating the contributions of Government

Island.

As Virginia’s Member of the First Congressional District to the United States

House of Representatives I am very proud of the many historically significant contributions the great Commonwealth has offered our Nation. Virginia has given

America eight of its distinguished men to the office of the Presidency and countless

other elected officials, military heroes, and active citizens to the cause of freedom

and democracy.

As our forefathers struggled to create a Nation through a Declaration of Independence and an enduring Revolution, they sought to create symbols to express the

permanence of their new found freedom. Led by First Congressional District and

Virginia native George Washington, the Founding Fathers began to plan a city that

would dignify the grandeur of the new United States of America. They chose the

land situated geographically centered in the new nation, up the Potomac River and

to the top of what was known as Jenkin’s Hill, a place Pierre Charles L’Enfant, the

city’s planner, called ‘‘a pedestal waiting for a monument.’’

I could not agree more. Our Capitol has survived over two hundred years through

the War of 1812 and the Civil War. More recently, the building was a suspected

target of the recent horrific terrorist attacks on our country. This building has expanded and matured into the great symbol of America. The freedoms we hold so

dear, and recent events, have only solidified my deep fondness for our Capitol and

what it represents.

Although little known, the first section of the North wing of the Capitol and the

White House were constructed of Aquia Sandstone from Government Island in the

Aquia Creek in Stafford County, Virginia: another proud Virginia contribution.

I have introduced, as you know, House Resolution 261 in remembrance of this

‘‘jewel of the First’’ and to mark the accomplishments of the Stafford Board of Supervisors, and Stafford’s citizens, for their good work in preserving this national

treasure.

H.Res. 261 commemorates Government Island and its contributions to the early

construction of our Nation’s Capitol and the new Capital City, and seems well

placed in this time of overwhelming patriotism and national pride. It seems only fitting to recognize the contributions of the Aquia quarries to our Nation. After all,

the placing of our Capitol Building’s cornerstone was in many respects symbolic of

our Nation’s beginning over 200 years ago.

I would like to thank the entire Virginia Delegation for joining me as co-sponsors

of this resolution. Additionally, I would like to thank two individuals who join me

today to testify on behalf of this resolution; they, along with Stafford’s Commission

on Government Island, have worked tirelessly for this worthy cause.

First, Rex Scouten, who spent nearly fifty years at the White House, serving

Presidents from Truman to Clinton. Rex began his career at the White House as

a Secret Service Agent and after ten years of service became the Assistant Usher.

Rex was later promoted to Chief Usher and then finally named as White House Curator. A very distinguished career he should be commended on, but thankfully for

Government Island it did not stop there. Rex was tapped to serve on Stafford’s Committee on Government Island and I am grateful for his dedication to our local, and

national, treasures.

And secondly, Jane Conner, a long time Stafford teacher and resident. Jane has

published several articles, and the definitive history of Government Island. She is

also a former President of the Stafford County Historical Society and member of the

Stafford Historical Committee.

Mr. Donald Kennon, Historian of the U.S. Historical Society, called this ‘‘an excellent resolution.’’ And continued ‘‘I support it fully.’’ It is my hope that you might

see this resolution in the same light. Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee I encourage your support of this important resolution and thank you

bringing up this matter today.

[recess.]

Mr. RADANOVICH. I want to welcome Mr. Randy Jones, who is the

new deputy director for the National Park Service, comes to us

15

from Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Randy, I want

to welcome you to Washington to this hearing.

Mr. JONES. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Being your maiden voyage here on the Hill,

and you are more than welcome to summarize briefly, if you want,

to all three of these bills.

Mr. JONES. Do you have a preference of which order I go in?

Mr. RADANOVICH. Why don’t you just go for it.H.R. 2628

STATEMENT OF RANDY JONES, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, NATIONAL

PARK SERVICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Mr. JONES. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We do ask that our statements be submitted for the record in their entirety, and I would be

happy to summarize each one. Thank you for the opportunity to

present the Department of Interior’s views on H.R. 2628, the bill

would direct the Secretary of Interior to study the suitability and

feasibility establishing the Muscle Shoals Heritage Area in Alabama. The Department supports this bill, although we did not request additional funding for the study in fiscal year 2003, and just

to update, the Committee of the 40 current studies we have pending, we do expect to have 15 completed by the end of this calendar

year.

And so we do look forward to starting Muscle Shoals, should it

be passed by the Congress at the earliest possible date with the existing funding levels. Muscle Shoals is the name of a section of the

Tennessee River in northwestern Alabama that was a major navigation hazard due to the Shoals and other obstructions in that part

of the river. It was selected by President Woodrow Wilson as a site

for a dam for electric power and two nitrate production plants as

a national defense measure during World War I.

When the Tennessee Valley Authority was established in 1933,

it was the first area that transferred to the TVA. Nearby areas in

northeastern Mississippi and southwestern Tennessee are part of

the Muscle Shoals. In addition to the Wilson dam, the area has

many notable historic and cultural resources. It is also an area that

is home to several musicians who have made significant contributions to contemporary American, and specifically the blues. The

National Park Service involvement in the area is with several

areas, the Natchez Trace Parkway, part of the Trail of Tears and

the Corinth, Mississippi unit, Shiloh Military Park.

We are pleased to see that the Committee—that the bill does include the language that has been traditionally used in the last few

years for the establishment and study of the heritage areas, and

it is also very evident that the communities and organizations in

the Muscle Shoals region value their heritage and open space and

are looking for ways to maintain and enhance these qualities. And

we look forward to working with these local communities in this

particular study. The heritage area study conducted by the National Park Service would help determine the level of support that

might exist in the study for heritage area designation and would

help identify a variety of protection and preservation options.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Jones on H.Res. 261 follows:]

16

Statement of Durand Jones, Deputy Director, National Park Service,

U.S. Department of the Interior, on H.Res. 261

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

Interior’s views on H.Res. 261, recognizing the historical significance of the Aquia

sandstone quarries of Government Island in Stafford County, Virginia, for their contributions to the construction of the Capital of the United States. Since the resolution involves a statement of Congressional recognition and would not become law,

our comments are limited to providing background information for the consideration

of the committee.

Aquia sandstone, or ‘‘freestone’’ as it was called in the colonial period, found along

the Potomac River, was prized for construction because of the ease with which it

could be carved and transported to building sites along the Potomac. The rock is

composed primarily of quartz sand, pebbles, and clay pellets, cemented by silica. But

unlike many sandstones, its matrix is harder than its crystals, giving it a quality

of toughness without brittle hardness. The course-grained stone is light gray or tan,

streaked or clouded with buff, yellow or red and thus is very warm toned. Although

the stone was eventually found to be ill-suited for building purposes, the problems

were overlooked at the time because of its immediate availability during the late

colonial-early republican period.

Large deposits of freestone existed on Wigginton’s Island, a twelve-acre tract

along Aquia Creek in Stafford County, Virginia, which would later become known

as ‘‘Government Island.’’ The island was purchased by George Brent in 1694. The

Brents established a quarry that provided tombstones and stone trim work for some

of the colonial mansions and churches of Virginia, among them Mount Airy,

Gunston Hall, Christ Church in Alexandria, and the Aquia Church in Stafford

County. George Washington had stone steps and walks for Mount Vernon quarried

and cut there in 1786.

While planning for the construction of the White House and the Capitol in the

new city of Washington, George Washington selected freestone as the building material for the new executive residence and Capitol. The Commissioners of the District

of Columbia sent Pierre Charles L’Enfant to locate quarry sites and buy the land

for the quarry. L’Enfant purchased Wiggington’s Island for the government in 1791.

Architect of the White House James Hoban was assigned the responsibility of superintending the construction of both the White House and the Capitol. The buildings used the same Aquia stone and appear to have been managed as a single construction project. In 1800 the President’s House and the Senate wing of the Capitol

were ready for use.

Aquia sandstone continued to be quarried until the finishing of the original Capitol in 1825. The original Treasury building, the earliest locks and bridges of the

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and the original Patent Office are all constructed of

Aquia sandstone. Also built with Aquia sandstone were the original gateposts and

gatehouse for a fence designed by Charles Bulfinch that once surrounded the U.S.

Capitol. The Bulfinch gatehouses and gateposts were moved from the Capitol

grounds in 1873 and can still be seen at the corners of 15th and 17th and Constitution Avenues. Here the original quarried Aquia sandstone can be seen in the raw,

without the paint and whitewash that covered the walls of the White House and

Capitol from the earliest times.

With the burning of the White House and Capitol by British troops in 1814, the

Aquia stone walls appeared cracked and split. Much of the walls had to be taken

down and rebuilt, and the defects of the stone became apparent. Many of the newer

government buildings were then built with marble and granite, brought to Washington by the new railroads.

In 1857 a nearby land owner complained to the Department of the Interior

through his Congressman that squatters were living on Wiggington’s Island (by then

known as Government Island) because the government had abandoned it after almost entirely exhausting the freestone. The Interior Department responded by appointing the landowner as a government agent for the island.

Federal ownership of Government Island became even more tenuous during and

after the Civil War. In 1878, the Aquia quarry was considered abandoned and sold

by the state of Virginia to a private landowner. In 1959, when the owner intended

to log the island, the unclear title was brought to the attention of the Architect of

the Capitol, who alerted the Justice Department of a possible Federal claim to the

property. Confirming Federal ownership, the Justice Department turned the property over to the General Services Administration for sale. In 1963, Government Island was sold by GSA to a private individual for $6,345.

Stafford County purchased Government Island a few years ago for use as a public

park. Currently, plans are being developed to open the site to the public and to

17

provide recognition of the important role the sandstone from the property played in

the history of the construction of our nation’s capital city.

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

questions you or other members of the subcommittee may have.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Jones on H.R. 2628 follows:]

Statement of Durand Jones, Deputy Director, National Park Service,

U.S. Department of the Interior, on H.R. 2628

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

Interior’s views on H.R. 2628. This bill would direct the Secretary of the Interior

to study the suitability and feasibility of establishing the Muscle Shoals National

Heritage Area in Alabama.

The Department supports this bill, but we did not request additional funding for

this study in Fiscal Year 2003. We believe that any funding requested should be

directed towards completing previously authorized studies. Presently, there are 40

studies pending, of which we hope to transmit 15 to Congress by the end of 2002.

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 work down the deferred maintenance backlog. To estimate these potential

new funding requirements, the Administration will identify in each study all of the

costs to establish, operate and maintain the proposed site.

Muscle Shoals is the name of a section of the Tennessee River in northwestern

Alabama that was a major navigation hazard due to the shoals and other obstructions in that part of the river. Repeated governmental efforts in the 1800’s to make

that part of the river safe for navigation by building canals and locks were unsuccessful. However, Muscle Shoals was selected by President Woodrow Wilson as the

site for a dam for electric power and two nitrate production plants as a national

defense measure during World War I, which was possibly the nation’s largest public

work of its time. The completion of the dam in 1925, named for President Wilson,

created a lake over the shoals and thus solved the river’s navigation problems. A

major debate over public versus private ownership of the Wilson Dam and the nitrate facilities made Muscle Shoals a focus of national attention during the 1920’s

and 1930’s. The issue was resolved when the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was

established in 1933 and the facilities were transferred to that entity. For that reason, Muscle Shoals is generally considered the birthplace of the TVA.

With the shoals submerged today, the name Muscle Shoals is used to refer to the

area that includes Lauderdale, Colbert, Franklin, and Lawrence counties in Alabama, within which lie the cities of Florence, Sheffield, Tuscumbia, and Muscle

Shoals City. Nearby areas in northeastern Mississippi and southwestern Tennessee

are considered part of the Muscle Shoals region. In addition to the Wilson Dam,

which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966, the area has many

notable historic and cultural resources including the home of Helen Keller, Frank

Lloyd Wright’s Rosenbaum House, and a number of historic Victorian and Arts and

Crafts residences. Florence hosts an annual music festival named for blues musician

W.C. Handy, who resided there, and the region is home to several other musicians

who have made significant contributions to contemporary American music.

In addition, there are Native American and Civil War resources in the area, some

of which are managed by the National Park Service. The Natchez Trace Parkway,

following the historic route of the Trace, runs through the region. Part of the 1838

Trail of Tears is located in the area. The Corinth, Mississippi unit of Shiloh National Military Park is located in the vicinity.

H.R. 2628 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine whether the Muscle Shoals region is suitable and feasible to designate as a

national heritage area. The bill contains the criteria for making this determination

that has been used for other national heritage area studies that Congress has authorized in recent years, and it includes the three-year time frame for conducting

the study that most bills include. H.R. 2628 provides for the study to be conducted

in consultation with State historic preservation officers, State historical societies,

and other appropriate organizations. The bill further specifies that the study consider a number of factors including local and state interest and support.

The National Park Service has defined a national heritage area as a place designated by Congress where natural, cultural, historic and scenic resources combine

to form a cohesive, nationally distinctive landscape arising from patterns of human

activity shaped by geography. It is not the role of the National Park Service to manage or regulate a national heritage area, but to assist the variety of local partners

18

and landowners that work together to achieve the common goal of protecting and

interpreting important places where people live and work.

It is evident that communities and organizations in the Muscle Shoals region

value their heritage and open space and are looking for ways to maintain and enhance these qualities. The city of Florence, for example, has implemented a waterfront improvement program that includes an outdoor amphitheater, biking and hiking trails, a marina, public riverside walks, and other public spaces. The city has

also constructed a new bridge with intermodal connectors to road and trail systems

across the river in Colbert County and through the Tennessee Valley Authority Reservation, which provides linkages to Natchez Trace National Historic Trail and Trail

of Tears interpretive sites, Civil War sites, and other cultural resources along the

Tennessee River.

A heritage area study conducted by the National Park Service would help determine the level of support that might exist in the study area for heritage area designation and would help identify other protection and preservation options. The

study would likely examine existing efforts to enhance cultural, natural, and recreational opportunities, such as those that are underway at Florence, and assess

how such efforts might tie in with other resources and values identified in the study

area. A critical element of the study would be the evaluation of the integrity of the

resources and the nationally distinctive character of the region.

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

any questions you or other members of the subcommittee may have.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Jones on H.R. 2643 follows:]

Statement of Durand Jones, Deputy Director, National Park Service,

U.S. Department of the Interior, on H.R. 2643

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

Interior’s views on H.R. 2643, a bill to adjust the boundaries of Fort Clatsop National Memorial.

The Department of the Interior supports H.R. 2643, with some technical and

clarifying amendments as outlined in this testimony. This legislation will expand

the boundaries of Fort Clatsop National Memorial, as called for in the site’s General

Management Plan, to include lands on which a trail linkage between Fort Clatsop

and the Pacific Ocean will be established. The bill would also include within the

boundary lands that will create a buffer zone to protect the scenic and natural resources that frame the park setting. The Department previously testified in support

of a Senate companion bill, S. 423. The only substantive difference between the two

bills is that H.R. 2643 includes two additional sites within the study provision.

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set off with their Corps of Discovery on May

14, 1804, on an incredible journey that was to be a pivotal event in helping to shape

the young United States. Their instructions from President Thomas Jefferson were

to explore the Missouri River to its source, establish the most direct land route to

the Pacific Ocean, and to make scientific and geographic observations along the way.

A year and a half later, having traversed the continent, the expedition arrived at

the Pacific Ocean and soon thereafter found a site that was suitable for winter quarters on what is known today as the Lewis and Clark River. On December 8, 1805,

the expedition members began building a fort, and by Christmas Eve they were

under shelter. They named the fort for the friendly local Indian tribe, the Clatsops.

It would be their home for the next three months.

Life at the fort was far from pleasant. It rained every day but 12 of the 106 days

at Fort Clatsop. Clothing rotted and fleas infested the furs and hides of the bedding.

The dampness gave nearly everyone rheumatism or colds, and many suffered from

other diseases. With all the adversity, the members of the expedition continued to

prepare for the return trip that would take some home to family and friends, some

to wealth and fame, and others to new lives in the wilderness. All gained a place

in history among the greatest of explorers. They were truly the ‘‘Corps of Discovery.’’

Fort Clatsop National Memorial marks the spot where Lewis and Clark and the

Corps of Discovery spent the winter of 1805-1806, and is the only unit of the National Park System solely dedicated to the Lewis and Clark expedition. The bicentennial of the historic journey is fast approaching, and it is expected that well over

one million people will visit the site during the bicentennial years of 2003 through

2006.

The historic site of Fort Clatsop was originally preserved and protected by the Oregon Historical Society, and local citizens constructed an exact replica of the fort

itself, which had long ago disappeared, except for drawings and descriptions in the

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journals of Lewis and Clark. In 1958, Fort Clatsop National Memorial was established by Public Law 85–435, which authorized the inclusion within the memorial

of lands that are associated with the winter encampment of the Lewis and Clark

Expedition, including adjacent portions of the old trail which led overland from the

fort to the coast, where members of the expedition worked to make salt for their

trip back across the continent. The act also limited the site to no more than 125

acres.

Soon after the enactment of Public Law 85–435, the National Park Service acquired the land immediately surrounding the fort, and in 1978, the Salt Cairn site

on the coast was added to the memorial by Public Law 95–625. However, the lands

between the fort and the ocean, including the trail, have not been acquired. Legislation is needed to accomplish this goal since the memorial has already effectively

reached its acreage limitation.

The 1995 General Management Plan for the memorial calls for the establishment

of the trail linkage between Fort Clatsop and the Pacific Ocean, and in addition proposes to add sufficient land area to the memorial to provide for the protection of

the scenic and natural resources that frame the park setting. Since the natural setting of the encampment area is an important component of the Lewis and Clark

story, its preservation would assist in public interpretation at the fort, along with

providing a corresponding benefit to the natural environment surrounding the fort.

H.R. 2643 increases the authorized size of Fort Clatsop National Memorial from

125 acres to 1,500 acres and reflects the intent of the General Management Plan

to include these lands within the park’s boundary.

In addition, this legislation includes the addition of a ‘‘non-development buffer

zone’’ at the request of Willamette Industries, who suggested that these additional

lands, totaling approximately 300 acres, be included to protect the viewshed from

their timber operations. The Department and Willamette have agreed that these

lands should be acquired by condemnation because Willamette’s title to the property

is not clear. Since obtaining a quiet title to the standards required by the Department of Justice would be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, both parties have

agreed that condemnation is the best alternative.

The Department believes that this legislation is important for several reasons.

First, time is of the essence in completing the land acquisition, environmental reviews, engineering and design, and trail construction that is necessary to complete

this final link in the Lewis and Clark National Historical Trail for the bicentennial

commemoration. Secondly, this legislation represents the completion of a process

heavily influenced by local stakeholders. Third, this bill enjoys broad, bipartisan

support at all levels, including local and state bicentennial planning committees in

Oregon and Washington, Clatsop County, the Chinook Tribe, and the National

Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial.

As you know, the Department is committed to the President’s priority of eliminating the National Park Service’s deferred maintenance backlog and is concerned

about the development and life cycle operational costs associated with expansion of

parks already included in the National Park System. However, in light of the increasing interest in the Lewis and Clark story as we approach the bicentennial of

the expedition, the Department believes that the $7.5 million needed for land acquisition, and the $1.1 million for development costs associated with trailhead facilities,

parking lots, and other associated infrastructure are justified. Funding for land acquisition and development would be subject to NPS servicewide priorities and the

availability of appropriations.

In addition, we note that the Fort Clatsop Historical Association has already purchased some of the lands associated with this legislation and will donate them to

the park after the boundary has been adjusted. We expect that the government’s

efforts will be leveraged through several partners, including the Army National

Guard, local trail enthusiasts, and the local high schools, who have agreed to volunteer with trail construction and maintenance. We anticipate the park would seek

only minor increases in operational costs (below $250,000) beyond its existing base

funding of $1.1 million.

H.R. 2643 also includes a provision to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to

conduct a study of several locations on the Washington side of the Columbia River,

including the area known as ‘‘Station Camp,’’ which is where the Lewis and Clark

expedition camped from November 15–24, 1805. While the Department supports

this study provision in concept, we believe that the study should carefully examine

the full life-cycle operation and maintenance costs that would result from each alternative considered. In addition, in light of our commitment to eliminate the deferred

maintenance backlog in the national parks, our support for the study does not necessarily indicate that the Department would support any new commitments that

20

may be recommended by the study, and that could divert funds from taking care

of current responsibilities.

Our recommendations for technical and clarifying amendments are attached to

this testimony. In addition, Findings 5, 8, and 9 found in Section 2 of H.R. 2643

include language that indicates that some of the sites to be studied for possible addition to the park are nationally significant and should be added to the park. Since

the study would examine these issues, we would be happy to work with the subcommittee to develop language that will clarify these findings so that the outcome

of the study is not predetermined by this legislation.

That concludes my testimony. I would be glad to answer any questions that you

or the members of the subcommittee may have.

Proposed amendments to H. R. 2643:

On page 4, line 16, insert ‘‘as ‘Addition Lands’’’ after the word ‘‘depicted’’.

On page 4, line 18, strike ‘‘405–80016–CCO’’, and insert ‘‘405–80026A–CCO’’.

On page 4, line 18 through 21, strike the sentence that begins ‘‘The Secretary

shall maintain ‘‘’’, and insert ‘‘The area designated in the map as the ‘‘Buffer Zone’’

shall not be developed, but shall be managed as a visual buffer.’’

Mr. JONES. Moving on to H.R. 2643, to a bill to adjust the

boundaries of Fort Clatsop National Memorial, and I do have with

me today Don Striker, the superintendent, who is also available to

answer any questions you may have. The Department supports

H.R. 2643 with some technical and clarifying amendments as outlined in this testimony. The legislation will expand the boundaries

of Fort Clatsop National Memorial as called for in the site’s general

management plan that is consistent with park planning efforts over

the years, and would include lands of which a trail linkage between

Fort Clatsop and the Pacific Ocean would be established.

The bill also includes the boundary lands that would create a

buffer zone to protect the scenic and natural resources that frame

the park setting. The Department has previously testified in support of the Senate companion bill S. 423, and there are only minor

differences between the two bills, mostly regarding what lands

would additionally be studied in the State of Washington.

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set off with their Corps of

Discovery in 1804, an incredible journey that was pivotal to the

shaping of the young United States. The Fort Clatsop National Memorial marks the spot where Lewis and Clark and the Corps of

Discovery spent the winter of 1805 and 1806, and is the only unit

of the National Park system solely dedicated to the Lewis and

Clark expedition. This is a very timely piece of legislation giving

the celebration coming up over the next couple of years, and we do

support this legislation and hope it will be enacted.

The Department and Willamette Industries have agreed that the

lands that they currently hold should be acquired by condemnation

and the major purpose for this is dating back to the 1920’s and

1930’s. There are some issues of title that need to be cleared, and

both we and Willamette industries have agreed that the condemnation is the best way to solve those title questions in the acquisition

of the property. We believe legislation is important for several reasons.

First, the time is of the essence in completing the land acquisition, environmental reviews, engineering design and trail construction that is necessary to complete the final link in the Lewis and

Clark National Historical Trail for the bicentennial commemoration.

21

Second, the legislation represents completion of a process heavily

influenced by the local stakeholders in the establishment of this

proposal. And third, this bill enjoys broad bipartisan support at all

levels, including local and State bicentennial planning Committees

and Oregon and Washington Clatsop County, the Chinook tribe,

and the National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. We

believe the expenditure involved in this proposal, which would include 7.5 million for land acquisition and approximately 1.1 million

for the development costs associated with trail head facilities, parking lots, and other associated infrastructure is justified and an appropriate expenditure.

The Fort Clatsop Historical Association has already purchased

some of the lands associated with this legislation. We will donate

them to the park after the boundary has been adjusted. The bill

also includes a provision to authorize the Secretary to study several

locations in the Washington side of the river. We do propose some

technical clarifications to the legislation, and believe that the study

should look at a variety of protection options, for example, cooperative agreements and other methods that could be used to protect

the properties, not just whether they should be further additions

to the national park system.

Mr. JONES. And finally, and very brief is the testimony on the

House Resolution 261, concerning the historical significance of the

Aquia sandstone quarries of Government Island in Stafford County. Since the resolution involves a statement of congressional recognition and would not become law, our comments are limited to

providing background information for consideration of the Committee. The main thing, I guess, there is no doubt of the significance of the sandstone areas, their contributions to the construction of the White House and the Capitol, and, in fact, I would offer

as a personal note when I was at the White House yesterday, it

was a very powerful sight to see a section of the sandstone that is

left where you can still see the fire scarring of when the White

House was burned in 1814. And so it is actually a very moving experience to see that section of the sandstone and so we feel that

this is a good proposal.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Great. Thank you, Mr. Jones.

Mr. RADANOVICH. I have just got a couple questions, and then I

will defer to those who have bills here before us. Regarding 2628,

which would be the Muscle Shoals, is there currently any national

heritage area that encompasses similar cultural resources that are

proposed in this legislation?

Mr. JONES. The heritage areas all—they all are variations on a

theme of having significant, in some cases, natural resources, a

theme, for example, tying my experience in Colorado, the Cache La

Poudre Heritage Area has a strong statement about the history of

water development and the cultural resources of developing and

moving water from the west to the east slope of the Rocky Mountains. So there are a variety of themes that exist in different heritage areas, and the key thing is that what is important to the local

communities and what advice and technical expertise we can offer

to them as they come up with protection scenarios.

22

Mr. RADANOVICH. I see. OK. I am going to refer to other members to ask questions. I will start with Mr. Wu and then proceed

crisscross down the line if that is OK.

David, go ahead.

Mr. WU. No.

Mr. RADANOVICH. No questions? None at all?

Mark.

Mr. SOUDER. First of all, welcome to Washington.

Mr. JONES. Thank you.

Mr. SOUDER. It is good to see you in your new post, and I am

sure you will get to come up, and today will be easy to compared

to probably some the future. So it is a good hearing to start with.

I have a few questions. I have been very supportive of the Fort

Clatsop legislation. I believe that the Lewis and Clark event is indeed truly of tremendous national significance, and we need to

make sure that we are moving rapidly at this point to pull this

type of project together, because if indeed this land can be added

to Fort Clatsop, that means land transfers, that means trail preparation for those who when the actual bicentennial occurs, the ability to walk from the camp site to the ocean will be a tremendous

addition, but you don’t do that in just a few months.

So speed is important both for us here in Congress, and then

once we pass this legislation which is, presumably, not very controversial. It is just a matter of keeping it moving.

From what I can tell, the difference between the Senate and the

House bills is that it looks like there are three basic differences.

In the findings, the first eight findings actually are the same as I

think the six in the Senate. Merely, they are divided differently.

But I think the first four, in particular, are chopped in two and it

starts. But in finding number 9 about the Washingtonsites, it is actually identical language in study of station camp site.

In other words, in the findings, it is the same as the Senate bill,

but there is language that specifically says—and it is a difference

between the two bills that say the short term implementations of—

it says that the comprehensive study of alternative mechanisms for

long-term protection of and visitation of Lewis and Clark sites

along the lower Columbia River and the short-term implementation

of bicentennial commemorative activities.

Does the Park Service have any objection or comment on our putting into legislation the need for urgency, or can we get some kind

of a commitment that this can be done and turned around rapidly

as a study? Because if those Washingtonsites are not necessarily

going to be in the Park Service but included in the operation in

some way, we need to get a study back to us rapidly.

Mr. JONES. I think we need to differentiate from our priority setting in the Park Service right now of we do need to move very

quickly when it comes to implementing the legislation as far as the

land acquisition, and also the construction activities, to get ready

for the bicentennial. The challenge we have on the study side is the

fact that right now, the pipeline is pretty full and we are at static

funding levels to accomplish those studies. So I think it is premature at this point for me to commit to a detailed timetable on

the completion of the study. But I can certainly follow up on that

and will talk to our folks, because I understand the position you

23

are representing and share the concern is that there will be certainly national focus and attention on Lewis and Clark here in the

next couple of years.

Mr. SOUDER. I am going to come back to that in a second. The

other difference seems to be in the limitation it says in the Senate

bill, I believe, the lands depicted on the map referred to in section

2(b) may be acquired—will be purchased from willing sellers with

the exception of corporately owned timberlands, and the House

adds ‘‘acquired only by donation or purchase.’’

Now, at this point, it doesn’t seem that there is anybody who

wants to donate, but do you have any objections to adding donation, or do you feel that is necessary?

Mr. JONES. Actually, I believe there are a couple of properties

that might come to us as a donation, and there is no problem with

that as being an option. The key thing is that we do feel that the

condemnation is necessary for the title clearing purposes of the corporate timberlands, though.

Mr. SOUDER. Do you believe in the wording of the Senate bill currently if we don’t have donation—because one thing that is helpful

if the bills match, this would require us to have either a change

in the Senate or a conference. Do you believe that the Senate bill

prohibits donation?

Mr. JONES. I don’t believe it does.

Mr. SOUDER. Because—

Mr. JONES. Excuse me. The National Park Service does have generic authority to accept donations within the boundaries of areas.

Mr. SOUDER. The problem comes with the word ‘‘limitation.’’ the

lands depicted on the map referred to in Section 2(b) may be acquired only by purchase from willing sellers. It was intended to

make it willing sellers, but it sounds like it may have had a prohibition inadvertently on donation. If you could look at that specifically to make sure that we have that correctly addressed.

Mr. JONES. I understand the point you are making and would be

happy to work with you—

Mr. SOUDER. It would have been inadvertent if—

Mr. JONES. Yes.

Mr. SOUDER. —it was that.

Now if I could get back to the short-term questions on the Park

Service. I think that, while these Washingtonsites may very well

be worthy of the National Park Service inclusion with the Fort

Clatsop, I think we need to carefully consider whether we want to

mandate in effect that is what you are studying or whether you are

studying for a possible inclusion or alternative and whether we

want to preclude that. But I don’t necessarily disagree they should

be part of Fort Clatsop, but we want to have some way that it is

a fair study, and not that the Park Service, because they don’t

want additional things, kind of stiff-arms it if we change the language to say ‘‘or alternatives.’’

In other words, we want it to be a fair study. Should it be part

of the Park Service? Is it a logical extension or isn’t it? Are there

other means to do it? Because if it is a national significant site,

then it should be in the national historic site part. Not necessarily

because the State would take it should it go to the State. It is kind

24

of a blend of what is the logical thing from a consumer’s standpoint

as well as from a cost standpoint.

So I agree that the study—we could work out language—I think

Congressman Baird and the Washington delegation are going to be

very concerned about any kind of changes that would in effect enable the Park Service to avoid that becoming part of it. We don’t

want to prejudge either direction.

With indulgence of the Chairman, may I raise one other point?

In your testimony on Muscle Shoals, and you alluded to it and

some of the others, you have a statement, to estimate these potential new funding requirements, the administration will identify in

each study all the costs to establish, operate and maintain the proposed site. Is that a new—I mean, it is actually a good idea. I am

wondering if that is a new policy statement. I don’t recall— Mr. JONES. It is a clarification. In the past, some of our studies

we have been inconsistent; and, in some cases, we identified all the

associated costs and others we have not. And we feel, as a general

rule, to make the best informed decisions, cost needs to be a factor.

Mr. SOUDER. Do you believe that should be—when we do generic

heritage area legislation, this be done administratively or do you

feel that should be in each bill, that that be included?

Then, as a follow-up, if it is administrative rather than legislative, it would be, I think, important for our Committee to know exactly how you are doing these funding requirements. Because as I

see most of the heritage areas, they are really kind of vague in the

sense of—‘‘kind of vague’’ is a very kind statement. They are extremely vague as far as what is actually going to be included,

whether there are going to be visitor centers. Because what it

comes down to is how much can be raised locally and how much

can the member get out of the Appropriations Committee.

I would like to know more how you are going to establish and

estimate costs. Are you going to have plan A, plan B, plan C, if

they do this, if they do this, if they do this? For example, those

things all have tremendous impact on how much time and research

the Park Service would be required to support.

The funding side really is going to be done through the appropriations process, not really through the heritage area; and, quite

frankly, from what we have seen in the process, if this authorizing

Committee doesn’t declare the heritage area or the Park Service as

slow, it may go through the Appropriations Committee anyway

with a waiver and try to get this started. So trying to bring some

order makes sense, but it would help those Members, including me

and others who are working on heritage areas, to figure out how

to actually get some financial responsibility and clarification of

these processes.

So to the degree that you in your new position and others in the

administration can help us identify that so that—when we hear

these, every project sounds great. Every project sounds wonderful.

What is the actual cost if we do A, B and C? How do we as an authorizing Committee define this so it isn’t just who can get the lastminute thing in the appropriations process.

If I can make one other side comment with that, a similar thing

on the heritage areas. The reason I was concerned about the timing

on Lewis & Clark is because I am not sure—for example, is there

25

a way to check that heritage areas that were pushed through at

the end of a session, that that Member is even still in Congress or

the group that originally proposed the heritage area is still functioning? And is there a way in a logical identifying process—because we have been passing these heritage areas through like

crazy, the studies, and we haven’t made the responsible decision in

how to do a prioritization of this.

It sounds like you are saying it is chronological; and, if it is, then

Members of Congress need to know it is chronological. Because

some things may come up where there is a need for speed, such as

a bicentennial, such as an historic area that is at risk, an area that

has, in effect, raised 100 percent of what they need and another

area that is conceptual. We need to look at that if indeed this process of how you are doing the studies is chronological. Congress

needs to understand that so we can either, through legislation, direct on specific studies or put clear guidelines in.

Mr. JONES. There has been precedent in other pieces of legislation where we have been given exact deadlines to complete projects

as well.

Mr. SOUDER. In other words, you are saying you do it chronologically unless— Mr. JONES. Generally chronologically, except most of our studies

are worked through our regional offices; and, geographically, the

number of studies pending are not equal and so the pipeline is

fuller in some regions than in others.

Mr. SOUDER. So that, for example, if your study No. 5, even if

you were one of the first seven passed but there are five in one

area, a study that comes in much later in the Midwest or West, so

that gives some geographical balance to the country?

Mr. JONES. That is correct.

Mr. SOUDER. Thank you.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you.

Mr. Cramer.

Mr. CRAMER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will be brief.

Randy Jones, welcome aboard; and I look forward to working

with you as an appropriator for us to, as Mr. Souder indicated, to

establish some sort of businesslike and orderly approach to what

is involved, where the local community is coming from, what they

are putting on the table as well.

I appreciate the opportunity to, in your presence and in the Committee’s presence, to be able to talk about my area. A lot of what

happens around here with authorizing and then, hopefully, with

appropriations is that we stand in line for a while, and that is as

it should be. Because the Federal Government can’t afford every

project, and not every project is equally worthy. So what my community will offer you today and I offer the Committee today I hope

is more complete information about the 10 years that we have been

organizing and working on this.

We, too, have some deadlines like other communities might have.

We have got oral history that has been passed on that we are trying to preserve, a combination of different types of issues that we

are trying to collect together. But I appreciated my conversation

with you today and your interest in the heritage project. So I want

to reinforce that I will work with you any way that I and my

26

community can to make sure that we do what we need to do to

show our side of support for the project as well.

Mr. JONES. I am personally very excited by the heritage idea because it is a wonderful way to protect resources that are—decisions

are driven by the local people themselves. It is an appropriate concept, and it works very well, and I think they have been very successful. The speed and process is directly affected by how well organized groups are at the local level. Because when they have done

a lot of the work it makes it a lot easier to do the study.

Mr. CRAMER. And you have got 40 of these pending already; is

that correct?

Mr. JONES. Not just heritage areas but a variety of studies authorized by the Congress.

Mr. CRAMER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you.

Ms. Davis. No questions?

Thank you very much, Mr. Jones.

Mr. JONES. Thank you.

Mr. RADANOVICH. You are welcome.

Mr. RADANOVICH. We will move on to be our next panel which

includes Alvin Rosenbaum, who is a CultureNet Consultant and

Senior Visiting Scholar of George Washington University; Ms.

Nancy Gonce, Executive Director of the Music Preservation Society,

Florence, Alabama; Mr. Borlaug, President of the National Council

of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial from Washburn, North Dakota; Mr. Rex Scouten, former White House Curator from Fairfax,

Virginia; Ms. Jane Conner, retired teacher and Stafford County

Historian from Stafford, Virginia. Welcome.

I will say that we have got a vote coming up probably at about

11:30, so I would encourage those that are giving testimony to summarize from their prepared text, if you would wish. If you could

keep your comments to 5 minutes or less, that would be wonderful,

and that will give us time to have some conversation afterwards.

So welcome.

Mr. RADANOVICH. We will start with you, Nancy. Welcome and

please begin.

STATEMENT OF NANCY GONCE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MUSIC

PRESERVATION SOCIETY, FLORENCE, ALABAMA (H.R. 2628)

Ms. GONCE. Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity to address you today, Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee.

It is indeed an honor for me to appear before this Subcommittee

on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands in support of

H.R. 2628 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the

suitability and feasibility of establishing the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area in northwest Alabama.

I have submitted written testimony, and these comments today

will expand upon the earlier documents.

My name is Nancy Gonce, and I serve as executive director of the

Music Preservation Society, as Chairman of the Cultural Affairs

Committee of the Chamber of Commerce of Shoals and as chair of

Shoals CutureNet. Separately and in partnership we have been

working for a decade to study and identify the unique cultural

27

heritage and history of the Muscle Shoals area. Several reports

have been referenced in your packet.

This strong partnership potential is a significant factor in this request for the National Park Service study for the national heritage

area designation. We believe that our experience, research and

willingness to engage in strategic planning and long-range planning is evidence of our capacity to administer the proposed national

heritage in Alabama.

Separately and together we have a strong history of cooperation

through public/private initiatives and joint projects. Our arts and

cultural heritage bring us together, sustain us in a creative way

and provide lessons for the future. Our accomplishments include a

dedication as individuals and organizations to engage in research,

documentation, strategic planning and coalition building.

The most significant aspects of our heritage and culture is the

Tennessee River and the rocky shoals which gave the region its

name. Legends tells that us that our music started with water

rushing over rocky shoals. American Indians living along the banks

of the Tennessee River called the great inland waterway the Singing River.

Later, W.C. Handy heard the music and so did Sam Phillips and

Percy Sledge, hundreds of musicians and songwriters who have

roots in the shoals and who have created a unique place in the development of 20th century American music. That heritage is celebrated during the W.C. Handy Music Festival, at the Alabama

Music Hall of fame, the W.C. Handy Home and Museum and during the Muscle Shoals Musical Association’s Songwriters Festival.

The courage of our people may perhaps be best illustrated by the

life of America’s first lady of courage, Helen Keller. Ms. Keller’s

story is told each year at her home and birthplace, Ivy Green. William Gibson’s play The Miracle Worker is performed not many

steps from the pump where the waters helped her to understand

the meaning of words.

Courage is also exemplified by the young athlete who left his

north Alabama home and defied Hitler by winning medal after

medal at the Olympic games. We celebrate that life and the accomplishments at the Jessie Owens Memorial.

Our Indian Museum houses artifacts and history of the earliest

residents of the Muscle Shoals area. We commemorate the Trail of

Tears and the final journey west. It is said that one could hear the

artillery fire at Muscle Shoals as the Civil War battle of Shiloh

raged miles away. Pope’s Tavern served as a hospital for both

Union and Confederate wounded. Jackson’s military road passes

through the region.

There are more than 450 properties on the Register and 8 historic districts in Florence alone. Our architecture tells the American story as well as the Muscle Shoals story. The land boom of the

early 1900’s when Henry Ford and Thomas Edison came to Muscle

Shoals was not unlike the attention given in the region a century

earlier. The Cypress Land Company purchased what is now the

city of Florence from the U.S. Government. Some of the early landowners included General Andrew Jackson, former President James

Madison and President James Monroe.

28

The Muscle Shoals region has attracted and produced interesting

people, and our citizens have taken a place in our Nation’s creative

heritage. A partial list is included in your packets.

We urge you to support H.R. 2628 to permit the Muscle Shoals

National Heritage Area study. The honor of this designation would

provide us with the opportunity to develop new partnerships, preserve, present and promote our unique, cultural heritage, acknowledge our place in our Nation’s history, and create new economic development project.

Thank you, Congressman Cramer, for your kind words. Thank

you, Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, for this opportunity to come before you today in support of the Muscle Shoals

National Heritage Area study.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you, Ms. Gonce. Appreciate that.

[The prepared statement of Ms. Gonce follows:]

Statement of Nancy C. Gonce, Executive Director, Music Preservation

Society, Florence, Alabama, on H. R. 2628

Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area Study Act

Mr. Chairman, I am grateful for the opportunity to appear before the Committee

on Resources, Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands in

support of House Bill 2628 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the

suitability and feasibility of establishing the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area

in Alabama.

My name is Nancy Gonce and I am executive director of Music Preservation Society, Inc. established in Florence, Alabama in 1982. I also serve as chair of Shoals

CultureNet, a region-wide coalition of arts, business, historic preservation, and outdoor recreation organizations and agencies as well as the chair of the Cultural Affairs Committee of the Shoals Chamber of Commerce.

It has become increasingly clear that the quality of the Shoals’ cultural and natural resources substantially (if not conclusively) determine plant location decisions,

in-migration, small business incubation and development, retirement living, and

tourism economies. These resources include the rich variety of recreation, arts, quality education, home and family life opportunities that make the Shoals one of the

best places on Earth to call home.

It is important to think about cultural heritage resources in a broader context

than historic places or cultural events. Cultural heritage resources are the essence

of who we are. We also tend to think of cultural heritage as special events and

places, religious rituals, folk arts, cuisine, holiday-making and celebrations.

In 1992 a citizens committee was organized by University of North Alabama

president Robert Potts to host a conference, ‘‘Muscle Shoals Reconsidered,’’ which

was held April 22–23, 1993. The group included John Shields a TVA vice president;

Steve Ainsley, publisher of the Times Daily newspaper; former Congressman Ronnie

Flippo and writer/regional planner Alvin Rosenbaum, serving as conference director.

The purpose was to bring together a leadership group of 250 officials and citizens

to recast and reposition the Shoals for resource enhancement and protection, the

promotion of tourism, plant and business formation and relocation, and retirement

living. But it also sought to reintroduce, invigorate and inculcate a sense of pride

among its citizens in the rich heritage of the region.

The 1993 conference served as a tremendous boost for the region, enjoying wide

participation and substantial media coverage. As Robert Potts has observed, ‘‘Muscle

Shoals Reconsidered’’ was the catalyst that spawned our riverside and downtown

beautification and redevelopment projects and reminded us of the national significance of our history.’’ As one who attended the conference, I have observed the

changes in our community with different sensibilities.

Stimulated by Muscle Shoals Reconsidered, numerous projects were launched, including downtown redevelopment efforts throughout the region, new and substantial

tourism promotion activities with an expanding hotel and restaurant industry, ambitious historic preservation and landscaping initiatives, and a growing sense of

pride and progress in virtually every sector of the economy.

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The Shoals CultureNet

The Shoals CultureNet was organized in 1999 as an outgrowth of the ‘‘Muscle

Shoals Reconsidered’’ to provide a strategic plan and mechanisms to link cultural

heritage and quality of life assets to economic development and conservation efforts

for the Muscle Shoals region.

Shoals CultureNet was organized by the Music Preservation Society. Members of

the Shoals CultureNet working group initially were from the University of North

Alabama, Florence–Lauderdale Tourism Board, Colbert County Visitors and Convention Bureau, Tennessee Valley Arts Association, Chamber of Commerce of the

Shoals, and the business community. The committee has now expanded through

partnership with the Cultural Affairs Committee of the Shoals Chamber of Commerce as well as additional arts, cultural, and community leaders. Collectively over

the past decade the groups have produced the 1993 Muscle Shoals Reconsidered

Conference, 1990 Economic Impact of Arts and Culture in The Shoals, 1995 Economic Impact of Arts and Culture in The Shoals, Shoals CultureNet Study 2000,

and the 2002 Muscle Shoals Reconsidered II Conference.

The Shoals CultureNet has been a volunteer coalition of cultural, natural resource, business and civic groups whose purpose is to foster a planning process that

is ongoing and continuous and that seeks to address issues related to the protection

of its cultural heritage for the enjoyment of its citizens and visitors to the Muscle

Shoals region.

The Shoals CultureNet is committed to:

• protection of important and significant natural and cultural resources in the

Muscle Shoals region;

• development of strategies for integrative, coherent, unifying decision-making;

• providing support for the appropriate allocation of community resources;

• seeking determination for long term governance, roles and responsibilities of a

management entity;

• assure a commitment to stakeholder involvement

Awareness of the Shoals cultural heritage has made great strides over the past

decade. That awareness also has identified new challenges in the global economy

which must be addressed to remain competitive and to sustain growth in a manner

that protects and celebrates its own unique history and sense of place.

Shoals CultureNet is a community-driven regional initiative to support quality of

life strategies for enlightened and effective economic development policies which incorporate, acknowledge, and foster our cultural heritage. Its objectives include work

to:• Understand and protect basic core values of site & community

• Carry out quality development strategies

• Ensure authenticity of presentation

• Ensure protection of a sense of place

• Ensure the protection of the resources

• Provide for a high quality visitor experience

• Provide for diversification

• Balance costs & benefits

• Provide for shared benefits

• Provide for local control

In order to document, quantify and identify our cultural resources the group undertook a year-long study, partially funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, published in October 2000.

Specifically, the near term recommendations of CultureNet include:

1. Reconvene the region-wide conference, ‘‘Muscle Shoals Reconsidered,’’ to review

the successes of the past decade and develop a vision for the future. ‘‘Muscle

Shoals Reconsidered’’ developed a regional consensus among the various stakeholders—local governments and utilities, business and industry, non-government organizations and education. It provided a common progressive agenda

for cultural and natural resource protection, urban streetscape and landscape

design, and better coordination among recreation, tourism, and cultural activities in the area. ‘‘Muscle Shoals Reconsidered 2002’’ is designed to revitalize

these efforts. (This conference has been funded and organized and will take

place April 7–8, 2002, partially funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts).

2. Initiate an economic development regional support program for hospitality and

orientation related to industrial and business recruitment and retirement living.

3. Provide continuous liaison and consultations with Rep. Bud Cramer’s legislative

initiative for a Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area Study, which was introduced in the 107th Congress for authorization and funding in the fiscal year

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2003 budget cycle. Consultations with the National Park Service, Alabama Historical Commission, Alabama Department of Transportation, Alabama Council

on the Arts, TVA and other interest stakeholders have taken place.

4. Advance the Shoals CultureNet Community Calendar Project in partnerships

with the Shoals Chamber of Commerce, arts and cultural organizations, tourism, historical, business and economic development agencies and individuals.

Our study identified almost two dozen regionally and nationally significant festivals and events which take place annually in The Shoals from the production

of ‘‘The Miracle Worker’’ on the grounds of Helen Keller’s home, to the W.C.

Handy Music Festival, to annual commemorations of Native American culture

and events.

Recent strides made in the Shoals’ cultural development are having a great impact even as they often go unnoticed. Consider, for instance, a recent study by

Cognetics, a highly respected economic development research firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Cognetics reported that of the 25 rural areas in the U.S.

with the strongest increases in new young white-collar worker and retiree migration, northern rural Alabama ranked first (with the regions surrounding the

Shoals—northern Mississippi and east and west rural Tennessee—also appearing on

the top 25 list). We learned from other studies that the principle attractions that

create these increases are upgraded environmental quality, nearby recreation, safety

and security, high-quality cultural, medical, and education institutions, and reduced

living costs and taxes.

While the rate of increase in some indicators in the region, such as retail sales

and population in-migration, has been dramatic, planning, conservation, and facilities to sustain our region’s assets and to maintain this momentum requires sustained efforts to develop. We will seek ways to protect, integrate, and celebrate

those cultural, heritage and recreational attractions that produce new energy, and

expand payrolls and spending. These attributes that will make the Shoals increasingly competitive in the world economy and to regain its identity as a place of notional significance. Franklin Roosevelt called the Muscle Shoals region ‘‘the Genesis

of a New America.’’ Among its many goals Shoals CultureNet seeks to:

• Preserve important and historic cultural resources of the Muscle Shoals region,

comprising Lauderdale and Colbert counties and relevant communities in

Franklin and Lawrence counties. These efforts include the identification, acquisition, classification, and preservation/documentation of these resources, including historic documents and papers, manuscripts, objects, business records, advertising, ephemera, film and photography. Our study identified more than 100

people who have roots in the Muscle Shoals area who have influenced the direction of American life for the past centuries and who continue to influence American culture in the new century. In Florence alone there are eight historic districts which include approximately 450 structures that are on the National Register of Historic Places and additional areas/structures which are included in the

Alabama Register. Additional information will be presented by other witnesses

focusing on historically significant elements of the National Heritage Area

Study.

• Develop programs and cooperative relationships among local governments, public-private partnerships, and non-government organizations to enhance and promote these cultural resources, including cooperation with tourism promotion and

business development initiatives. Integrate these objectives with curriculum,

programs and policies. Our study identified almost 200 potential participants in

both short-term and long-range project development.

• Provide strategies to sustain ongoing operations that meet these objectives.

A study of Muscle Shoals heritage assets and strategies should outline a longrange plan and strategy on acquisition, staffing, access, sustainability, and links to

other organizations and that will include governance options, capital and operational funding requirements, programming objectives, outreach, roles and responsibilities, timeline, and milestones for the project.

A successful Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area Study should include support

for and demonstrations of substantial public participation in visioning and planning

in preparation for a national designation. This includes recognition and acceptance

of the salient themes of the study, which, prospectively, may include regional and

related Alabama and Southern studies and narrative histories in archaeology,

music, folklore and folkways, public works and agriculture, with each presented

within the contextual framework of the Tennessee River at Muscle Shoals.

In addition to these historical studies, this planning process, which is ongoing and

continuous, seeks to address:

• Strategies for integrative, coherent, and unifying decision-making

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• Clarification of allocation of community resources

• Determination of governance, roles and responsibilities

• Commitment to partnerships

• Organizational stability and sustained operations

The principle assets of the Shoals area have been inventoried and are increasingly

well-known to those with interests in cultural heritage and recreational opportunities in the Southeast. But the potential for optimization of these assets is through

coalition- building, community awareness, planning, and political support to advance place-enhancing quality of life strategies with tourism and other compatible

economic development enterprises. Our strategic planning and evaluation has led us

to this opportunity to seek National Heritage Area Status.

I urge you to support House Bill 2628 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior

to study the suitability and feasibility of establishing the Muscle Shoals National

Heritage Area in Alabama. In the Shoals area we have a working group of enthusiastic volunteers, professionals, and experts ready to welcome and facilitate National

Park Service personnel and their colleagues in the conduct of this study.

[Attachments to Ms. Gonce’s statement follow:]

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Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Rosenbaum.

STATEMENT OF ALVIN ROSENBAUM, CULTURENET CONSULTANT AND SENIOR VISITING SCHOLAR, THE GEORGE

WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, WASHINGTON, D.C. (H.R. 2628)

Mr. ROSENBAUM. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am grateful for

the opportunity to appear here this morning in support of House

bill 2628.

My name is Alvin Rosenbaum. I am a native of Florence, Alabama, Muscle Shoals. I have been involved in historic preservation

issues there for many years. I am the author of a book relating to

the area called Usonia, published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and serve as a visiting scholar at the National

Institute for Tourism Studies at the George Washington University.

I just would like to give you a brief summary of my testimony

on national significance of the Muscle Shoals relating to western

expansion, transportation, and national defense. I believe that this

study will reveal that there are some unique qualities about the

Muscle Shoals area that provide a story that is important to all

Americans.

When George Washington became President, the major focus of

his work had to do with western expansion and internal improvements, but there was a good deal of controversy about whether that

was a State role or a Federal role. After the War of 1812 ended,

President Monroe’s Secretary of War, John C. Calhoun, proposed

an American system for internal transportation, reorganization of

the Army and the extension of the western frontier; and in 1820

he urged the Army Corps of Engineers to take control of and improve rivers for both commercial prosperity and national defense.

But it was really the Supreme Court in a case in 1824, Gibbons

versus Ogden, where the controversy relating to this Federal role

was resolved and really gave to the Federal Government authority

over the waterways under the commerce clause of the Constitution.

In 1924, that year, as a matter of fact just a few weeks after that

decision, Secretary Calhoun came before Congress in his annual report and declared that building a canal at Muscle Shoals is one of

the three great works most important for the improvement of

transportation in the United States. Congress responded by a bill,

the General Survey Act of 1824, that authorized the President to

direct the execution of surveys and plans and estimates for internal

improvements of national importance.

As a priority, Calhoun forthwith sent the Army Corps of Engineers to study navigation at Muscle Shoals for national defense. He

sent Simon Bernard, who was Napoleon’s chief engineer and had

come to the United States with a recommendation from Lafayette

to become an army engineer officer. General Bernard proposed the

building of a canal at Muscle Shoals, and Congress deeded 400,000

acres of public land to sell to pay for that construction.

Along with the canal, the first railroad west of the Alleghenies,

the Tuscumbia Railroad, was constructed. Then, after the Civil

War, Captain George Washington Goethals came to work on the

project and designed the largest liftlock in the United States. The

canal opened in 1911.

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Goethals actually went on to design the Panama Canal and become its first commissioner.

Then a few years after that the Wilson Dam was built, which

was the world’s largest masonry structure at the time, became a

national historic landmark and has had extensive study by the Historic American Engineering Record.

My own family came to the Shoals during the construction of

Wilson Dam, opened the first theatre there for Vaudeville and movies, and my grandfather was part of the formation of a rich and

distinctive cultural heritage in Muscle Shoals. Dred Scott is from

the area; Joe Wheeler; as we talked about, Helen Keller and W.C.

Handy.

I am grateful for this opportunity to appear before you, and I request that my complete testimony be entered into the record of this

Committee. Thank you very much.

Mr. RADANOVICH. It certainly will, and I appreciate the testimony.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Rosenbaum follows:]

Statement of Alvin Rosenbaum, Senior Visiting Scholar, International

Institute for Tourism Studies, The George Washington University School

of Business and Public Management

Mr. Chairman, I am grateful for the opportunity to appear before the Committee

on Resources, Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands in

support of House Bill 2628 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the

suitability and feasibility of establishing the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area

in Alabama.

My name is Alvin Rosenbaum and I am a native of Florence, in the Muscle Shoals

area of Alabama, and have been involved with historic preservation issues there for

many years. I am the author of a book relating to the area, Usonia, published by

the National Trust for Historic Preservation (1993) and serve as a visiting scholar

at the International Institute for Tourism Studies, The George Washington University.

I wish to thank historians at the Army Corps of Engineers, and, most particularly, Dr. Leland Johnson, author of Engineers on the Twin Rivers (Nashville:1978),

for his assistance in preparing this testimony relating to the Muscle Shoals on the

Tennessee River.

Citizens from the Muscle Shoals region’s communities have a long tradition of cooperation and partnership in protecting and presenting their cultural heritage. Permit this brief summary of the setting and circumstances of Muscle Shoals that have

contributed to significant events in America’s history.

While the major points of my testimony today focus on Tennessee River waterway

improvements at Colbert and Lauderdale counties, the Muscle Shoals story also extends into Lawrence County to east and into Franklin County to the south., and the

surrounding countryside into Northeastern Mississippi and Southwestern Tennessee. 1. Throughout the Muscle Shoals region’s first 200 years of settlement, the theme

of improvements has been one of benefit to the entire Tennessee River Valley.

An objective was always the ability for goods and people to travel freely the

full length of the river and have access to the world’s markets through New

Orleans and domestic markets in Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Memphis. Muscle

Shoals became important in the American System of internal improvements as

it was first imagined by George Washington and advanced by Alexander Hamilton and Albert Gallatin.

2. The landfall at Muscle Shoals on the Tennessee River drops the distance of Niagara Falls, but the drop is not vertical. Instead it cascades down a thirty-milelong inclined plane, miles of whitewater rapids requiring so much exertion to

pass with paddles and oars that the pioneers called them MUSCLE Shoals.

Muscle Shoals is the collective place name for a series of three shoals: Big Muscle, Little Muscle, and Elk River Shoals.

3. The Muscle Shoals so obstructed the Tennessee River that it split pioneer settlement and commerce; boats could not pass across the shoals between the

upper and lower river sections. This drew federal attention as early as Thomas

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Jefferson’s administration, when the Secretary of Treasury Albert Gallatin recommended that the United States build a canal to carry boats past the Muscle

Shoals.

4. The great 18th century wilderness trail, the Natchez Trace, crosses the Muscle

Shoals at Waterloo. In the early 19th century, the Jackson Military Road was

built and passed through what is now Florence and Russellville, shortening the

distance from Nashville to the Port of New Orleans by 200 miles. A hundred

years later it was a national highway paved from Chicago to Florence.

5. But before improved highways and railroads, the U. S. Army relied on rivers

for troop transport and logistics. Secretary of War John Calhoun in 1820 urged

that the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers take control of and improve rivers for

both commercial prosperity and national defense. ‘‘It is in a state of war,’’ Calhoun argued, ‘‘when a nation is compelled to put all of its resources in men,

money, skill, and devotion to country into requisition, that its Government realizes in its security the beneficial effects from a people made prosperous and

happy by a wise direction of its resources in peace.’’ Calhoun sent the Army

Engineers to study the improvement of navigation at Muscle Shoals for national defense.

6. General Simon Bernard made the first survey of Muscle Shoals in 1827. Formerly Napoleon’s chief engineer, Bernard fled to the United States after the

Battle of Waterloo with a recommendation from Lafayette that he be made an

Army Engineer officer.

7. When Gen. Bernard proposed building a canal bypassing Muscle Shoals, Congress gave the State of Alabama 400,000 acres of public land to sell, with the

receipts funding construction of the Muscle Shoals canal.

8. Alabama built a canal around Big Muscle Shoals from 1830–1837 that was 12

miles long, 60 feet wide, 6 feet deep, with 17 locks (120 by 32 feet). Funding

was exhausted, however, before Alabama built canals around the Little Muscle

and Elk River shoals to permit the passage of boats entirely around the shoals.

It became necessary therefore to build the first railroad west of the Allegheny

Mountains—Tuscumbia Railroad—around Muscle Shoals in 1835 to portage

boat cargoes past the obstructions.

9. With the canal left incomplete, the Muscle Shoals posed a major impediment

to defense during the Civil War. Navy gunboats could not ascend the shoals

to patrol the Upper Tennessee River, leaving the Union Army to Confederate

mercy at the Battle of Chickamauga and Siege of Chattanooga. Confederate

cavalry forded the Tennessee River at Muscle Shoals to attack north into Tennessee. This forced the Union Army to construct its own fleet of gunboats upstream of Muscle Shoals to patrol the river and supply the troops under siege

at Chattanooga. At Florence, William Tecumseh Sherman uttered his famous

words, ‘‘War is hell!’’

10. Heeding the war’s lessons, Congress in 1872 funded surveys and construction

of a canal bypassing Muscle Shoals. There, Captain George Washington Goethals completed the 16-mile-long canal with 11 locks, the longest steamboat

canal in the world, and in 1890, also designing canal locks with the highest

lift in the world at Riverton, Alabama. Commanding the Engineer District at

Florence, Alabama, was Goethals’ principal training for managing the Panama

Canal’s construction.

11. The canal served as an interstate defense highway for commerce until the

First World War, when German submarines threatened to sink ships bringing

imported nitrates for munitions to the United States. Congress, in the National Defense Act of 1916, ordered the Corps of Engineers to build Wilson

Locks and Dam, named for Woodrow Wilson, to generate hydroelectric power

to make nitrates for weapons.

12. Support for Wilson Dam was gained from Wilson’s isolationist Secretary of

State, William Jennings Bryan, and the American Farm Bureau through an

understanding that after the war the nitrates production would be used for

fertilizer for agriculture.

13. In 1918 the Corps of Engineers began construction of Wilson Locks and Dam

to submerge the Muscle Shoals, opening the Upper Tennessee River to navigation while also generating electric power for two munitions plants built at

Muscle Shoals. The construction of Wilson Locks and Dam continued after the

First World War until it was completed in 1927. Built for national defense,

Wilson Locks and Dam was the first federal project for hydroelectric production, and it was perhaps the largest dam in the world at its completion.

14. When president-elect Franklin Roosevelt visited Wilson Dam and the Muscle

Shoals in 1933, he said it inspired his concept of creating a ‘‘Tennessee Valley

Authority to develop the entire river basin for hydroelectric power production

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and allied purposes,’’ calling Muscle Shoals ‘‘the Genesis of a new America.’’ TVA took control of the Tennessee River and its Muscle Shoals in 1933 and

moved swiftly ahead with river and resource development.

15. At the onset of the Second World War, President Roosevelt and Congress authorized the rushed construction of more power dams by TVA to generate electric power for national defense. The emergency need was to produce aluminum

for military aircraft and to power the huge nuclear separation plants at Oak

Ridge. Thus the water power at Muscle Shoals and on the Tennessee River

made significant contributions to defense of the nation.

16. Additional demands for hydroelectric power, especially at the Oak Ridge and

Paducah nuclear separation plants, resulted in the urgent completion of all

dams on the Tennessee River along with steam electric plants for national defense during the Cold War. The locks and dams on the Tennessee and at Muscle Shoals not only produced vital power, they also afforded economical transport of coal and strategic materials for national defense, contributing to successful conclusion of the international Cold War.

17. Promoting economic prosperity and national defense, the Muscle Shoals developments had key roles in both commercial-industrial and strategic-military developments throughout American history. The Muscle Shoals rationale that

prosperous people constitute the first line of national defense was tested and

proven many times.

The Muscle Shoals region today co-joins a number of National Park Service units

and projects, including the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail (Southern route);

the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail; the Revolutionary War and War of 1812

Historic Preservation Study; and the subject of numerous Historic American Building Survey projects in 1935–36 and Historic American Engineering Record projects

at Wilson Dam in 1994–6. Also included in the region is the Corinth Unit of the

Shiloh National Military Park. The region has more than a dozen National Register

districts and hundreds of buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.

Muscle Shoals regional identity has evolved from the related traditions of its river

culture. The legacy of Muscle Shoals extends to significant episodes in the lives of

many other great American figures from Andrew Jackson and John Coffee, Henry

Ford, Thomas Edison, and Frank Lloyd Wright. It has been home to American Farm

Bureau president Edward O’Neal III, and five Alabama Governors.

Henry Ford’s 1921 utopian plan for Muscle Shoals, his ‘‘75 Mile City,’’ was the

inspiration for Frank Lloyd Wright’s regional plan for America, Broadacre City. The

landfall at Muscle Shoals has served as a fulcrum for two centuries of public works

planning and development, providing a framework for regional watershed planning

in America.

The Muscle Shoals’ location as a gateway and an East–West link has produced

a rich history that has spawned regional expression in music, home-crafts, domestic

architecture, and common traditions that have flowed to both banks of the Tennessee River, not only creating a regional identity but also highlighting the distinctiveness of each of the region’s communities.

Significant contributions to the history and legacy of the 20th century in America

have been made by Muscle Shoals sons and daughters, including Helen Keller and

W. C. Handy, Pulitzer Prize winning author T.S. Stribling, Olympic athlete Jesse

Owens, and educator Maud Lindsay. Others also have roots in the Shoals’ communities, including well-known actors, writers, and playwrights, artists and photographers, congressmen, legislators, and jurists.

Florence, Alabama at the Muscle Shoals is the birthplace of W. C. Handy (1873–

1958), composer, performer, teacher, and historian of the American Jazz tradition.

While Handy is best known for his St. Louis Blues, his major contribution was in

laying the foundation for a musical style that gave rise to America’s commercial entertainment industry, spanning recordings, broadcasting, film, and live performance.

The contemporary expression of W. C. Handy’s legacy, according to music historian Peter Guralnick, emerged in the 1950s ‘‘[to accompany] the Civil Rights Movement almost step by step, its success directly reflecting the strides that integration

was making, its popularity almost a mirror of the social changes taking place.’’

(Sweet Soul Music, 1986, New York, p. 2). Florence native Sam Philips founded Sun

Records in Memphis, launching Elvis Presley’s career in the 1950s; by the 1970s,

the action moved back to the Shoals, where nearly every top recording star came

to record, from Muscle Shoals locals Arthur Alexander and Percy Sledge, Wilson

Pickett to the Allman Brothers, the Rolling Stones to Cher, Simon and Garfunkel

to Willie Nelson. Also of particular interest is the contributions of the region’s native

sons to American music history that influenced contemporary music with the contributions of Sam Phillips, Buddy Killen, and James D. Vaughn, world famous studios and other local personalities.

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The Muscle Shoals region continues to recognize its past as it prepares for its future. For example, the City of Florence has undertaken a long-term waterfront improvement program, including an outdoor amphitheatre, biking and hiking trails, a

marina, public riverside walks and spaces, and the restoration of a Frank Lloyd

Wright house. A new bridge crossing the river is nearing completion with intermodal connectors to road and trail systems in Colbert County and through the TVA

Reservation, also providing linkages to the Natchez Trace, Trail of Tears interpretation nodes, Civil War sites, and other major cultural assets along the Tennessee

River.

A Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area Study is an initiative to seek ways and

strategies to tie these assets together, to better protect natural and cultural resources of national significance while making them available to both residents and

visitors, to develop and burnish a coherent regional identity, and to develop opportunities for region-wide interpretation of its diverse populations and rich cultural history.

Prospectively, the components of a Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area Study

may contain:

• Executive summary and national significance justification

• A physical description of the Muscle Shoals region and origins of settlement

• Themed narratives

• A synthesis of the themed narratives

• Historic resources inventory and analysis

• Summary of HABS (1935–36) and HAER (1994–96) studies

• A map of proposed boundaries

In considering a project focus, team, and strategy for a study, prospectively,

themes may revolve around the Tennessee River at Muscle Shoals and include narrative histories relating to archaeology, music, public works, and agriculture. The

faculties at the University of North Alabama at Florence, Dr. Leland Johnson, an

historian for the Nashville District, US Army Corps of Engineers, and the Public

History Department at Middle Tennessee State University have been consulted and

stand ready to provide substantive contributions to the necessary historical documentation for this study. Other sources that may be consulted include the TVA archives and historic preservation office at Norris, TN; Goethals Papers, Library of

Congress; National Coordinating Council for the Promotion of History; Franklin

Delano Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, NY; Society for the History of the Federal

Government; Public Works Historical Society, National New Deal Preservation Association.

In addition, a number of other expert resources for important sub-themes have

been identified:

Archaeology—Alabama Historical Commission, University of Alabama, and the

State of Alabama Archaeologist have recommendations relating to pre-historic and

Native American cultures in Northwest Alabama.

Music—The 20th century American music theme will require a thoughtful narrative history built around the W. C. Handy story and into his influences on contemporary music. Dr. Tom Wolfe, Chair, Jazz Studies, University of Alabama and Sheffield native Willie Ruff, Yale University Department of Music, may be consulted.

The Alabama State Council on the Arts is another valuable resource. In the Shoals,

journalists Terry Pace, Robert Palmer, William Jarnigan and others have expert

knowledge of the area’s music heritage. Valuable resources in the areas include the

Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Muscle Shoals Music Association, and the Music Preservation Society.

Agriculture—for example, the Alabama Historical Commission is contemplating a

state heritage area in North Alabama, anchored by their two properties, Belle Mont

in Tuscumbia and the Wheeler Plantation, Pond Spring, in Courtland.

Legislation to authorize a study should contain justification of the national significance of the Muscle Shoals region, including themes receiving wide support from the

community. This study assumes a certain urgency in the face of substantial development pressures and an increasing recognition by the public, political leadership, and

business that an integrated regional strategy for resource protection and interpretation is essential to their communities’ well-being.

I urge you to support House Bill 2628 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior

to study the suitability and feasibility of establishing the Muscle Shoals National

Heritage Area in Alabama. This designation will provide the communities of the

Muscle Shoals region a mechanism for planning, and stewardship to conserve and

preserve this nationally significant landscape, to encourage new partnerships, and

to help return the Tennessee River and its rich cultural and natural resources to

its rightful place in Alabama’s and our nation’s history.

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Mr. RADANOVICH. To speak on H.R. 2643, Mr. Borlaug. I hope I

got your name right.

Mr. BORLAUG. That is right.

Mr. RADANOVICH. I have Radanovich. So I can screw up other

people’s names, too, because mine gets messed up all the time, too.

STATEMENT OF DAVID BORLAUG, PRESIDENT OF THE

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF THE LEWIS & CLARK BICENTENNIAL, WASHBURN, NORTH DAKOTA (H.R. 2643)

Mr. BORLAUG. I am President of the National Council of the

Lewis & Clark Bicentennial as well as President of the North Dakota Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Foundation, which operates the

Fort Mandan replica.

In both of my positions I have the opportunity to travel all across

America, promoting the upcoming Bicentennial commemoration of

the Lewis & Clark Expedition of 1803 to 1806. Throughout my

travels and in all of my other activities relative to Lewis & Clark,

from the front porch of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, to the Arch

at St. Louis, to Fort Mandan, to the Great Falls of Montana and

on to the Pacific, the great value of the Fort Clatsop National Memorial is very apparent all across America.

The story of the Lewis & Clark expedition is a uniquely American story that binds that front porch of Monticello with the gates

of Fort Clatsop. Here was the culmination of Jefferson’s dream, although it may have seemed more a nightmare to the captains as

they faced incredible obstacles in their quest for a water passageway that didn’t exist and then made do with the paths and rivers

that they did confront. The members of the original Corps of Discovery were among the Nation’s first patriots, ‘‘with courage undaunted,’’ in the words of Jefferson.

Noted historian and author Donald Jackson once said that every

generation rediscovers Lewis & Clark. He is right, and this generation’s interest is magnified by the power of a bicentennial commemoration which kicks off less than a year from now at Monticello.

Millions of Americans and visitors from all across the country

and around the world are already doing what Lewis & Clark did,

having their own voyages of discovery. Where I work, at Fort

Mandan, in a small town in North Dakota, we saw visitation rise

27 percent this past year, with visitors from all 50 states, every Canadian province, and over 50 foreign countries. To my constant surprise, many of those visitors are on a Lewis & Clark adventure, all

the way to Fort Clatsop; and all of this is happening in what has

been a flat to down year in tourism across most of the country.

Lewis & Clark is making a difference in communities from

Washburn, North Dakota, to Astoria, Oregon, and McGowan,

Washington.

Those of us on the Lewis & Clark Trail have this incredible spotlight shining on us right now, and the benefits of this illumination

will go on far beyond the Bicentennial. That is the beauty of heritage tourism. After visitors come and go, they tell their friends,

their neighbors, their relatives back home what a wonderful experience they had, and more visitors do come in their wake.

43

With this spotlight, however, comes great opportunity, to be sure.

Opportunity in the form of economic development, especially in

areas where traditional sources of employment and commerce are

dwindling. An opportunity to tell our uniquely American story with

its multicultural components. Within those components, the educational opportunities are tremendous and must be exploited to

great advantage for students and visitors of all ages.

With this opportunity comes a great responsibility, however. Fort

Clatsop and other major attractions on the Lewis & Clark Trail

must be ready for this increase in visitation. We must be ready to

meet, indeed to exceed, the expectations of visitors have when they

arrive. This bicentennial is a great national commemoration. Already, the National Council is working with major media outlets,

and there will be significant national media attention on the Lewis

& Clark Trail beginning this spring, months before the launch of

the Bicentennial.

Your Committee today has the opportunity to ensure that millions of future visitors to the Fort Clatsop area in both Oregon and

Washington will have their expectations met and will fully enjoy

the spirit of rediscovery that they are seeking.

As National President of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial and as

President of a Foundation devoted to telling this story in North Dakota, I encourage you to support this legislation, to increase the

boundaries of this great American treasure, to preserve it, to allow

it to be nurtured by the local interests who, working hand in hand

with the National Park Service, have done such a remarkable job

for so many years. Their greatest achievements still lie ahead of

them.

I thank you for your consideration and look forward to answering

any questions you may have.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you, sir. I appreciate the testimony.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Borlaug follows:]

Statement of David Borlaug, President, National Council of the Lewis &

Clark Bicentennial

Mr. Chairman and honorable Members, my name is David Borlaug, and I am

President of the National Council of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial; as well as

President of the North Dakota Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Foundation, which operates the Fort Mandan replica.

In both of my positions, I have the opportunity to travel all across America, promoting the upcoming Bicentennial commemoration of the Lewis & Clark Expedition

of 1803–1806.

Throughout my travels, and in all of my other activities relative to the story of

Lewis & Clark, from the porch of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, to the Arch at St.

Louis, to Fort Mandan, the Great Falls of Montana and on to the Pacific, the value

of the Fort Clatsop National Memorial is obvious, all across America.

The story of the Lewis & Clark Expedition is a uniquely American story, that

binds that front porch of Monticello with the gates of Fort Clatsop.

Here was the culmination of Jefferson’s dream, although it may have seemed

more a nightmare to the Captains, as they faced incredible obstacles in their quest

for a water passageway that didn’t exist, and then made do with the paths and rivers that they confronted. The members of the original Corps of Discovery were

among this nation’s first patriots, ‘‘with courage undaunted,’’ in the words of Jefferson.

Noted historian and author Donald Jackson once said, ‘‘every generation re-discovers Lewis & Clark.’’ He’s right, and this generation’s interest is magnified by the

power of a Bicentennial commemoration, which kicks off less than a year from now,

at Monticello.

44

Millions of Americans and visitors from around the world are already doing what

Lewis & Clark did, on their own ‘‘voyages of discovery’’ across the Lewis & Clark

Trail. Where I work, at Fort Mandan, in a small town in North Dakota, we saw

visitation rise 27 percent this past year, with visitors from all 50 states, every Canadian province, and over 50 foreign countries. And, to my constant surprise, many

of those visitors are on a Lewis & Clark adventure, all the way to Fort Clatsop.

And, all this is happening in what has been a flat to down year for tourism across

most of the country. Lewis & Clark is making a difference in communities, from

Washburn, ND to Astoria, OR and McGowan, WA.

Those of us on the Lewis & Clark Trail have this incredible spotlight shining on

us right now, and the benefits of this illumination will go on, far beyond the Bicentennial. That is the beauty of heritage tourism. After visitors come and go, they tell

their friends, neighbors and relatives back home what a wonderful experience they

had, and more visitors come in their wake.

With this spotlight, comes great opportunity, to be sure. Opportunity in the form

of economic development, especially in areas where traditional sources of employment and commerce are dwindling. And opportunity to tell our uniquely American

story, with its multi-cultural components. Within those components, the educational

opportunities are tremendous, and must be exploited to great advantage for students and visitors of all ages.

With this opportunity, comes a great responsibility, however. Fort Clatsop, and

other major attractions on the Lewis & Clark Trail must be ready for this increase

in visitation. We must be ready to meet, indeed to exceed, the expectations that visitors have when they arrive. This Bicentennial is a great national commemoration.

Already, the National Council is working with major media outlets, and there will

be significant national media attention on the Lewis & Clark Trail, beginning this

spring, months before the launch of the Bicentennial.

Your committee today, has the opportunity to ensure that millions of future visitors to the Fort Clatsop area, in both Oregon and Washington, will have their expectations met, and will fully enjoy the spirit of re-discovery that they are seeking.

As National President of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial, and as the President

of a Foundation devoted to telling this story in North Dakota, I encourage you to

support this legislation, to increase the boundaries of this great American treasure,

to preserve it, to allow it to be nurtured by the local interests, who working hand

in hand with the National Park Service, have done such a remarkable job for so

many years. Their greatest achievements still lie before them.

Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to answering any questions

you may have.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Now we will move on to Rex Scouten, who is

the former White House Curator, here to speak on the resolution

offered by Ms. Davis. Welcome, sir.

STATEMENT OF REX SCOUTEN, FORMER WHITE HOUSE

CURATOR, FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA (H.RES. 261)

Mr. SCOUTEN. Thank you very much.

Over the years and yet today people question why sandstone as

a building material. Sandstone has served the White House for

over 200 years, and I believe with proper care and maintenance it

will serve for many, many more years.

Construction of the White House walls were completed in 1798.

Sixteen years later, in 1814, fires set by British Armed Forces destroyed the entire building except for the exterior walls.

In the late 1940’s a structural survey team recommended that

the White House undergo a complete structural renovation, even

suggesting that the original exterior walls be destroyed and that a

more durable material be used and rebuilt. There were many who

agreed with this, but President Truman, frankly, did not. President

Truman said that he would not consider destroying those original

walls nor any other original material that could possibly be reused.

45

During the 1970’s it was noted that the paint on the exterior

walls was not adhering properly, and again many people felt it was

the fault of the stone. But with President Jimmy Carter’s approval,

the project of removal of the paint from the exterior walls for the

first time in the history of the House was started. The walls had

been given a coat of whitewash when it was first erected in 1789

and had been repainted and had been repainted off and on during

the next hundred years. For many years in this past century it was

painted each Presidential election year.

The paint removal project identified 43 coats of paint. The coats

represented many different formulas, some of which obviously were

not compatible with the others. Also, during that project we called

on the expertise of the National Bureau of Standards and a local

paint manufacturing company to develop a formula specifically for

sandstone. The sandstone paint which was developed requires repainting about every 8 years, compared with every 4 years in the

past. The result obviously is a substantial saving to the taxpayers

as well as a great amount of less inconvenience to the First Family.

When the paint had been completely removed from the walls, relatively little stone deterioration was detected. A great deal of damage was the result of poor stone repair procedures that actually

caused more damage than good.

Permian sandstone has proved to be an excellent choice, I think,

a stone that was recommended by President George Washington.

I deeply appreciate this opportunity. Thank you very much.

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

[The prepared statement of Mr. Scouten follows:]

Statement of Rex Scouten, Former White House Curator, Fairfax, Virginia

Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, I would like to give some history

of Government Island stone at the White House as well as my personal experiences.

Over the years many have considered the sandstone from the Aquia area to be

an inferior building material. However, Government Island stone has served the

White House well for over 200 years and I believe with proper care and maintenance will continue to serve for many, many years in the future.

Construction of the White House walls was completed in 1798. In 1814 a fire set

by British Armed Forces destroyed the roof and house interior, only the four exterior

sandstone walls remained.

In the late 1940’s a structural survey teams recommended that the White House

undergo a complete structural renovation even suggesting that the original exterior

walls should be destroyed and that a more ‘‘durable’’ material be selected. There

were many who agreed with the recommendation, however, President Harry Truman did not.

All Americans owe a debt of gratitude to President Truman who said that he

would not consider destroying the walls or any other original material that could

possibly be reused.

During the late 1970’s it was noted that the paint on the exterior walls was not

adhering properly some felt it was the fault of the Government Island sandstone.

Therefore, with President Jimmy Carter’s approval, a project to remove all of the

paint from the exterior walls-for the first time in the history of the House. The walls

had been given a coat of white wash in 1789 and had been repainted off and on

during the next 100 years. Then for many years it had been painted each Presidential election year.

The paint removal project identified forty-three coats of paint. The coats represented many different formulas some of which were not compatible with the others. During the project the expertise of a paint manufacturer and the National Bureau of Standards were called to develop a paint formula specifically for sandstone.

The sandstone paint that was developed requires repainting every eight years rather than each four years. This resulted in a substantial savings as well as less inconvenience to the First Family.

46

When the paint had been completely removed from the walls relatively little stone

deterioration was detected. A great deal of damage was the result of poor stone repair procedures that actually caused far more damage than good.

Government Island sandstone has proven to be an excellent choice for the construction of the White House-a stone that was recommended by President George

Washington.

I deeply appreciate the opportunity to appear before this Committee and to urge

support of House Resolution 261.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Welcome, Ms. Conner.

STATEMENT OF JANE CONNER, RETIRED TEACHER AND

STAFFORD COUNTY HISTORIAN, STAFFORD, VIRGINIA

(H.RES. 261)

Ms. CONNER. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, Committee members, it is an honor to appear before you on behalf of the resolution, and I thank you and Congresswoman Davis for recognizing Government Island for its unique contribution to our country. To think that this small little island contributed the stone to make the two most important buildings showing freedom and liberty around the world is just sort of amazing.

The stone that is on the island, as Mr. Scouten said, is a sandstone, but the Founding Fathers always called it either freestone,

because it could be carved freely in any direction without breaking,

or else they referred to it as Aquia stone, because it comes from

Stafford County and there is a little creek in Stafford County called

Aquia Creek and the island is there.

The island’s quarries were operational a hundred years before

Pierre L’Enfant purchased the island. If you look at colonial homes

and Federal period homes, you can see an Aquia stone there, usually as architectural trim. If you go to Yorktown, where Congresswoman Davis is from, you can see it in Thomas Nelson’s house—

he was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence—and

Cape Henry lighthouse in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

In Northern Virginia it was used as architectural trim in many

historic churches and Aquia Church, which is quite close to the

quarry in Stafford County, and it is in Pohick Church, the church

of George Mason. Also in George Mason’s home, Gunston Hall, and

Christ Church in Alexandria, the church of George Washington and

Robert E. Lee.

Now George Washington was a Stafford boy. He lived at Ferry

Farm in Stafford County from the age of 6 to the age of 20. So he

was very familiar with the quarries of Government Island, and he

requested his men to go down to get stone for his steps at Mount

Vernon at Government Island.

After the revolutionary war, Aquia stone was selected for the

boundary markers to mark our new Federal city, the District of Columbia. It was a 10-mile-square area, and it was marked by 40

boundary markers which were Aquia stone. Thirty of them are still

standing today, and so it is no wonder that the commissioners selected the sandstone at Government Island to create these two important buildings.

Pierre L’Enfant purchased the island in 1791. At that time, the

slaves were working from sunrise to sunset on getting enough

stone.

47

By 1800, the White House was complete, and the first Section of

the U.S. Capitol was complete, too, the north wing.

By 1824, most of the Capitol at that time was complete, the old

north wing, the south wing and the rotunda; and Benjamin Henry

Latrobe was in charge of construction of the Capitol. He said he

wanted to put a portico or a porch on the east side of the Capitol,

and there would be 24 columns. These columns would be single

shafts of stone. Unlike the mall side, where those columns are like

drums of stone, one placed upon the other, these would be single

shafts of stone.

Aquia stone is extremely heavy. One cubic foot weighs 120

pounds. So the shafts of stone for the 24 columns on the east front

were anywhere between 24 and 40 feet long and 9 and a half feet

thick. They had to go on only one boat taking them from the island

down Aquia Creek in Stafford, Virginia, and then going up the Potomac up here to the Capitol site.

They said that—at that same time, it was the 4th of July, and

the Washington Gazette said that the Masons wanted to join in a

parade that was taking place at that time. The Washington Gazette said that President Monroe’s carriage was followed by those

of Secretary Adams and Mr. Secretary Calhoun. There was a working printing press on there, and they would make copies of the Declaration of Independence and pass it out to the spectators.

But they said that the thing that delighted everyone was the

float with the stonemasons because they had one of the large Corinthian caps that was going to be on the top of the column and

that delighted everyone. Now, congressmen of that day would get

all excited when they would hear that a ship was arriving from

Government Island in Stafford County. So they would go out—and

there was a carriage that was especially built just for the shafts

of stone, and only one shaft would be on the carriage. There would

be a hundred ropes, and congressmen would get so excited that

they would go out and grab ahold of the ropes and pull it to the

site here at the Capitol.

Anne Newport Royall, America’s first woman journalist, wrote

about one shaft’s arrival: ‘‘members of Congress will turn out in the

evening to assist in pulling the big wagon, as it is called, and join

in all pleasantry to which the novelty of the thing gives rise. When

the column arrives at the Capitol, it is cheered by loud huzzas from

a hundred voices.’’

So we in Stafford County are very proud of Government Island

and its important stone. For it is this small island that contributed

the birthstone of the United States Capitol and the White House.

Hopefully, its rich history can be shared with all the Nation. I urge

you to recognize the historical significance by the approval of resolution 261.

Thank you.

[The prepared statement of Ms. Conner follows:]

Statement of Jane Conner, Retired Teacher and Stafford County Historian,

Stafford County, Virginia

Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member, and Members of the Committee, it is an honor

to be able to testify before you on behalf of the resolution recognizing Government

Island for its unique contribution to our country. The mere fact that it exists today

in its natural state is more a product of good fortune than careful planning. Yet,

48

due to the wisdom and generosity of our Stafford County government, we were able

to purchase this national treasure. This unique island produced the stone which

helped create the U.S. Capitol and White House, our two greatest public buildings

and the two greatest symbols of liberty and freedom in the world.

Yet more than buildings, the island embodies the story of the American people

in our earliest years. American Indians lived on its shores; British settlers, both

Catholic and Protestant, organized its quarries; immigrants and American slaves,

and freemen quarried its heavy stone and transported it great distances over land

and water. This small island’s sandstone, called Aquia stone or freestone, can be

found in colonial and federal-period buildings still standing today. For example, in

Yorktown it can be found in the home of Thomas Nelson, signer of the Declaration

of Independence, and at historic Cape Henry Lighthouse in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

In northern Virginia it decorates many churches such as Aquia Church, located near

the quarry; Pohick Church, the church of George Mason; and Christ Church in Alexandria, the church of George Washington. Washington, who lived in Stafford at

Ferry Farm from the age of 6 to the age of 20, was familiar with the island quarry.

He sent his men down to the island twice to obtain stone for his steps at Mount

Vernon.

Government Island and its quarry operated for a century in colonial America.

After the Revolutionary War, when the District of Columbia was being laid out,

Aquia stone was selected for the forty boundary markers. By the way, there are still

over 30 standing today outlining the original district. It is no wonder that the Commissioners selected the island as the source of our new nation’s building material.

Pierre L’Enfant purchased the island for the United States Government in 1791.

Immediately, there was much activity on the island quarrying the stone for these

two important edifices. After the completion of the White House in 1800 and the

completion of main portion of the Capitol, Benjamin Henry Latrobe, who was in

charge of the Capitol’s construction, wished to put on a portico, or porch, with 24

massive columns topped with Corinthian capitals. Charles Bullfinch, who later took

over Latrobe’s position, discovered that there was adequate stone left on Government Island for the creation of the columns. They would be made from single shafts,

or blocks of stone, unlike the columns on the west side of the building. In 1824,

while slaves were starting to quarry the stone, 70 masons in the D.C. were planning

to join in a parade to celebrate the Fourth of July. The parade was a huge success

with President Monroe’s carriage followed by those of ‘‘ Mr. Secretary Adams and

Mr. Secretary Calhoun.’’ (Washington Gazette, July 6, 1824) A working printing

press graced one float. After copies of the Declaration of Independence were printed

they were distributed to the spectators. But the float that delighted all was that of

stone masons working on a large freestone Corinthian Capital.

Congressmen of that day were so excited when the massive shafts of stone appeared from Government Island that they would go down to the wharf when they

heard of one’s arrival. Only one shaft could be placed on the boat for the trip down

Aquia Creek and up the Potomac River, for each shaft was from 24 to 40 feet long

and about 9 1/2 feet thick. The massive blocks were so heavy that horses were not

used. Instead a special carriage was constructed with one hundred ropes. Congressmen, caught up in the moment, grabbed the ropes and pulled the wagon to the masons’ shed. Anne Newport Royall, America’s first woman journalist wrote about witnessing one shaft’s arrival. ‘‘....members of congress will turn out in the evening to

assist in pulling ‘‘’the big waggon,’’ as it is called, and join in all the pleasantry to

which the novelty of the thing gives rise. When the column arrives at the capitol,

it is cheered by loud huzzas from a hundred voices.’’ (Sketches of History, Life, and

Manners in the United States, 1826)

We in Stafford County are very proud of Government Island and its important

stone. For it is this small island that contributed the birthstone of the U.S. Capitol

and White House. Hopefully, its rich history can be shared with the nation. I urge

you to recognize its historical significance by the approval of House Resolution 261.

Thank you.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you very much for everybody’s testimony.

So where was the stone for the rest of the Capitol when it was

expanded in the 1860’s? Did it not come from Government Island?

Ms. CONNER. No, it didn’t.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Because you can tell the difference in the

stone.

49

Ms. CONNER. Yes, you can.

As a matter of fact, the columns that I just mentioned, during

the Eisenhower administration they wanted to extend the Capitol

on the east side, so they took down the columns and they duplicated them exactly with—I believe it was Georgian marble. I am

not too sure about that, but I think it was Georgian marble. And

for a long while these beautiful columns were resting in Rock

Creek Park.

Then, fortunately, I believe it was in 1978, there was a woman

philanthropist that decided to move them to the National Arboretum. So if you ever go there you will see them. They look majestic sitting on a little knoll there.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Oh, sure. Yes.

Ms. CONNER. So those were the ones that were originally there,

but that was just a duplication. But the extension was completed

for the Kentucky inauguration which was on that site at that time.

Mr. RADANOVICH. A fascinating story. Thank you.

Jo Ann, do you have any questions you would like to ask?

Mrs. DAVIS. I don’t have any questions.

I would just like to thank you, Ms. Conner and Mr. Scouten, for

coming; and we have the County Administrator here, Mr. Simlians,

who is here.

I think Stafford County is very proud of this island, and I hope

we can pass this resolution.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Being from Yosemite, granite is my favorite

rock, but the sandstone story is pretty— Mrs. DAVIS. Sandstone is beautiful.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Thank you very much. I want to thank you for

your testimony.

I have no questions. Apparently, the people who are sponsoring

the legislation don’t have any either. So I want to thank you for

your testimony.

We have a vote going on now, and with that I am going to adjourn this hearing and appreciate everybody’s efforts here. Thank

you very much.

[Whereupon, at 11:33 a.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]

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