29–010 

Calendar No. 171 

113TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 1st Session 113–93 

DESIGNATION OF DENALI IN THE STATE OF ALASKA 

SEPTEMBER 10, 2013.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. WYDEN, from the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 155] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the bill (S. 155) to designate a mountain in the State of 

Alaska as Denali, having considered the same, reports favorably 

thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE

The purpose of S. 155 is to rename Mount McKinley in the State 

of Alaska as ‘‘Denali.’’ 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

Denali is the Alaskan Native name for Mount McKinley, meaning ‘‘the high one.’’ The mountain, which is the highest in North 

America, with a summit of 20,320 feet, is a destination for climbers 

from around the world. The name Mount McKinley was originally 

published in an article in the New York Sun on January 24, 1897, 

by William A. Dickey, a prospector, who wrote, ‘‘We named our 

great peak Mount McKinley, after William McKinley of Ohio, who 

had been nominated for the presidency, and that fact was the first 

news we received on our way out of that wonderful wilderness.’’ 

Senator McKinley was later elected the 25th President of the 

United States. 

Mount McKinley National Park was established as a game refuge on February 26, 1917. In 1980 the Alaska National Interest 

Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA; Public Law 96–487) expanded 

Mount McKinley National Park and renamed it as Denali National 

Park and Preserve; however the name of Mount McKinley was not 

changed. The State of Alaska changed the name of the mountain 

to Denali in 1975, although the U.S. Board on Geographic Names 


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has continued to use the name Mount McKinley. Today most Alaskans refer to Mount McKinley as Denali. The bill is necessary to 

ensure consistent reference to the mountain as ‘‘Denali.’’ 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

Senator Murkowski introduced S. 155 on January 28, 2013. Senator Begich is a cosponsor. The Subcommittee on National Parks 

held a hearing on S. 155 on April 23, 2013. At its business meeting 

on June 18, 2013, the Committee ordered S. 155 favorably reported. 

During the 112th Congress, Senator Murkowski introduced similar legislation, S. 2272. The Subcommittee on National Parks held 

a hearing on S. 2272 on June 27, 2012 (S. Hrg. 112–578). 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in 

open business session on May 16, 2013, by a voice vote of a quorum 

present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 155. Senator Portman 

asked to be recorded as voting no. 

SUMMARY OF THE MEASURE

S. 155 provides that the mountain located at 63°04′12′′, by 

151°00′18′′ in the State of Alaska shall be known and designated 

as ‘‘Denali’’ and that any reference in law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the mountain 

be deemed a reference to ‘‘Denali.’’ 

COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

The following estimate of costs of this measure has been provided 

by the Congressional Budget Office: 

JUNE 21, 2013. 

Hon. RON WYDEN, 

Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has reviewed S. 155, a bill to designate a mountain in the state of Alaska 

as Denali, as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy 

and Natural Resources on June 18, 2013. 

CBO estimates that enacting this legislation to name a peak in 

Alaska would have no significant impact on the federal budget and 

would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-yougo procedures do not apply. S. 155 contains no intergovernmental 

or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates 

Reform Act and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jeff LaFave. 

Sincerely, 

DOUGLAS W. ELMENDORF. 

REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION

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

Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following evaluation 


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of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in carrying out 

S. 155. 

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

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

No personal information would be collected in administering the 

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

Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the enactment of S. 155, as ordered reported. 

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

S. 155, as reported, does not contain any congressionally directed 

spending items, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the Senate. 

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

The testimony provided by the National Park Service at the April 

23, 2013, Subcommittee on National Parks hearing on S. 155 follows: 

STATEMENT OF PEGGY O’DELL, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF

THE INTERIOR

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to present 

the Department of the Interior’s views on S. 155, a bill to 

designate a mountain in the State of Alaska as Denali. 

The National Park Service appreciates the long history 

and public interest for both the name Mount McKinley and 

the traditional Athabascan name, Denali. The Department 

respects the choice made by this legislation, and does not 

object to S. 155. 

Located in what is now Denali National Park and Preserve, the highest peak in North America has been known 

by many names. The National Park Service’s administrative history of the park notes that, ‘‘The Koyukon called it 

Deenaalee, the Lower Tanana named it Deenaadheet or 

Deennadhee, the Dena’ina called it Dghelay Ka’a, and at 

least six other Native groups had their own names for it. 

‘‘In the late 18th century various Europeans came calling, and virtually everyone who passed by was moved to 

comment on it. The Russians called it Bulshaia or Tenada, 

and though explorers from other nations were less specific, 

even the most hard-bitten adventurers were in awe of its 

height and majesty. 

‘‘No American gave it a name until Densmore’s Mountain appeared in the late 1880s, and the name that eventually stuck—Mount McKinley—was not applied until the 

waning days of the nineteenth century,’’ a gesture of support to then-President William McKinley. 

In 1975, the State of Alaska officially recognized Denali 

as the name of the peak, and requested action by the U.S. 

Board on Geographic Names to do the same. 

In 1980, Congress changed the name of Mount McKinley 

National Park to Denali National Park and Preserve (P.L. 


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96–487, Section 202), but did not act on the name change 

for the mountain. 

Mr. Chairman, this concludes my testimony, and I would 

be happy to answer any questions you or other members 

may have. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no changes in existing law are made by S. 155, as ordered reported. 

Æ 


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