Subcommittee Hearing: National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Legislative Hearing

Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Date: Wednesday, May 22, 2019 Time: 10:00 AM Location: Longworth House Office Building 1334 Presiding: The Hon. Debra Haaland, Chair

On Wednesday, May 22, 2019, at 10:00 a.m., in Room 1334 Longworth House Office Building, the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands (NPFPL) will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

  • H.R. 182 (Rep. Keating), To extend the authorization for the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission.
  • H.R. 307 (Rep. Hice), To provide for partnerships among State and local governments, regional entities, and the private sector to preserve, conserve, and enhance the visitor experience at nationally significant battlefields of the American Revolution, War of 1812, and Civil War, and for other purposes. “Preserving America’s Battlefields Act”
  • H.R. 473 (Rep. Neguse), To authorize the Every Word We Utter Monument to establish a commemorative work in the District of Columbia and its environs, and for other purposes.
  • H.R. 1088 (Rep. Marshall), To authorize the Society of the First Infantry Division to make modifications to the First Division Monument located on Federal land in Presidential Park in District of Columbia, and for other purposes. “First Infantry Recognition of Sacrifice in Theater Act (FIRST Act)”
  • H.R. 1130 (Rep. Rush), To conduct a special resource study of Fort Pillow Historic State Park in Henning, Tennessee, and for other purposes. “Fort Pillow National Battlefield Park Study Act”
  • H.R. 1179 (Rep. Adams), To amend title 54, United States Code, to establish within the National Park Service the African American Burial Grounds Network, and for other purposes. “African-American Burial Grounds Network Act”
  • H.R. 1248 (Rep. Pingree), To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain river segments within the York watershed in the State of Maine as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes. “York River Wild and Scenic River Act of 2019”
  • H.R. 1472 (Rep. Adrian Smith), To rename the Homestead National Monument of America near Beatrice, Nebraska, as the Homestead National Historical Park.
  • H.R. 1487 (Rep. Lieu), To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of portions of the Los Angeles coastal area in the State of California to evaluate alternatives for protecting the resources of the coastal area, and for other purposes. “Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Boundary Adjustment Study Act”
  • H.R. 1727 (Rep. Connolly), To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit against income tax for qualified conservation contributions which include National Scenic Trails.“Complete America’s Great Trails Act”
  • H.R. 2369 (Rep. Rice), To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of alternatives for commemorating Long Island’s aviation history, including a determination of the suitability and feasibility of designating parts of the study area as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes. “Long Island Aviation History Act”
  • H.R. 2427 (Rep. Sarbanes), To amend the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998 to reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network. “Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network Reauthorization Act of 2019”
  • H.R. 2490 (Rep. Fortenberry), To amend the National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the Chief Standing Bear National Historic Trail, and for other purposes.
  • H.R. 2525 (Rep. Ryan), To establish the Steel Valley National Heritage Area in the States of Pennsylvania and Ohio, and for other purposes.

Witness List 

Panel I 

Rep. Tim Ryan (H.R. 2525) 

Ohio, 13th District 

Rep. Chellie Pingree (H.R. 1248) 

Maine, 1st District 

Rep. Adrian Smith (H.R. 1472) 

Nebraska, 3rd District 

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (H.R. 2490) 

Nebraska, 1st District 

Rep. Gerald Connolly (H.R. 1727) 

Virginia, 11th District 

Rep. Alma Adams (H.R. 1179) 

North Carolina, 12th District 

Rep. John Sarbanes (H.R. 2427) 

Maryland, 3rd District 

Rep. Kathleen Rice (H.R. 2369) 

New York, 4th District 

Rep. Bobby Rush (H.R. 1130) 

Illinois, 1st District 

Rep. Roger Marshall (H.R. 1088) 

Kansas, 1st District 

Rep. William Keating (H.R. 182) 

Massachusetts, 9th District 

Rep. Joe Neguse (H.R. 473) 

Colorado, 2nd District 

Panel II 

Mr. P. Daniel Smith (All Bills)  (testimony)

Deputy Director 

National Park Service 

U.S. Department of the Interior 

Panel III 

Ms. Sherry Lee Linkon (H.R. 2525)  (testimony)

Director, American Studies Program 

Georgetown University 

Dr. Charles A. Ott (H.R. 1248)  (testimony)

Chair 

York River Study Commission 

Ms. Judi M. Gaiashkibos (H.R. 2490) (testimony)

Executive Director 

Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs 

Ms. Angela M. Thorpe (H.R. 1179) (testimony)

Director 

North Carolina African American Heritage Commission 

Panel IV 

Ms. Yulanda Burgess (H.R. 1130)  (testimony part one part two)

Descendant 

Descendants of the Fort Pillow Massacre 

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Thomas Rhame (H.R. 1088)  (testimony)

Former Commanding General, 1st Infantry Division 

Mr. Richard F. Delaney (H.R. 182)  (testimony)

President & CEO 

Center for Coastal Studies 

Ms. Anna M. Laymon (H.R. 473)  (testimony)

National Events Director 

Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission 

Mr. O. James Lighthizer (H.R. 307)  (testimony)

President 

American Battlefield Trust