Legislative Hearing on 9 National Park and Public Lands Bills

The subcommittee on federal lands will come to order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare recess of the subcommittee at any time. The subcommittee is meeting today to consider nine bills. H R one zero three one, sponsored by Representative Tenney. H R twenty three twenty three, sponsored by Representative Flueger H R forty se- seventy four, ninety five, sponsored by Representative Fitzgerald. H R eighty two seventy six, sponsored by Representative Schmidt H R nine one zero four, sponsored by Delegate Norton H R nine one four eight, sponsored by Representative Hill H R nine nine nine nine, sponsored by Representative Peterson S one zero five one, sponsored by Senator Lankford and S one three seven seven, sponsored by Senator Hoven. I ask unanimous consent that the following members be allowed to participate in today's hearing from the dais. The gentlelady from Washington DC, Delegate Norton The gentlelady from Maine, Miss Pingree The gentlelady from Nevada, Miss Titus. The gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Beier. The gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Hill. The gentlelady from New York, Miss Tenney. The gentleman from Wisconsin, Mr. Fitzgerald. The gentleman from Texas, Mr. Flueger, the gentlelady from Colorado, Miss Pedersen, and the gentleman from Kansas, Mr. Schmidt. Without objection, so ordered. Under committee rule four F, any oral opening statements at hearing are limited to the chairman and the ranking minority member. I therefore ask unanimous consent.

Cheers.

I'd like to begin by acknowledging that I'm sitting in today for Chairman Tom Tiffany, who is recovering from a plane plane crash this last weekend in Northern Wisconsin. We are so thankful that both Chairman Tiffany and the were not seriously injured in this horrific crash and we continue to hold both of them and their families in our prayers. Moving to the substance of today's agenda, the subcommittee will consider legislation concerning the management of our federal lands, and the recognition of people and places that have shaped American history. First, S one zero five one would establish the historic Greenwood District, Blackwell Street National Monument in Tulsa as a new unit of the national park system. The Greenwood District has an important, important place in American history both as the home of a thriving black business community, and as the site of the nineteen twenty-one Tulsa race massacre. Congress has a number of tools available to recognize important historic sites and events. Throughout this process, we can thoughtfully analyze whether it's appropriate and necessary to acquire more land or establish another unit of the national park system. When done right, this can lead to lasting, positive solutions that are formed with the consensus of all relevant stakeholders. Contrast this with how national monuments have been established in my home state of Utah. Unilaterally and without consensus building, or input from local officials, and without an act of Congress that can cement a lasting solution. I appreciate that the supporters of the historic Greenwood, Black Wall Street, National Monument are pursuing a lasting legislative solution rather than a unilateral designation under the Antiquities Act. We will also consider Representative Tenney's HR one zero three one, which would establish a new National Historic Park at Fort Ontario in New York. During World War Two, Fort Ontario provided refuge to nine hundred and eighty-two people fleeing the Holocaust and became the only refugee shelter of its kind in the United States. The site is currently managed by New York State, and the National Park Service has determined that approximately two acres associated with the refugee shelter meet the criteria for inclusion in the national park system. Today I want to better understand how turning the site into a new federal park would change its existing management structure and interpretation. Next, Representative Flueger's proposal would authorize approximately sixty-one hundred acres to be incorporated into Big Bend National Park, through donation or exchange. I appreciate that affected landowners support the proposal, and the legislation expressly prohibits imminent domain and condemnation. However, I want to acknowledge that many members of this committee have serious reservations about adding thousands of additional acres to an already overburdened federal state federal estate. Other legislation before us shows there are are alternatives to federal ownership. Representative Schmidt's bill would designate the Quindaro town site in Kansas as a national historic landmark while leaving its management to locals. Similarly, Representative Hill's Scipio Jones House Assessment Act would direct the National Park Service to study several options for recognizing the home of a prominent Arkansas civil rights attorney while specifically prohibiting consideration of federal acquisition. Additionally, Representative Fitzgerald's legislation would authorize privately funded memorials so Wisconsin soldiers who fight fought at Antietam in the second battle of Bull Run could be honored. S one three seven seven raises a different question Congress directs the management of existing federal lands. The National Park Service has managed feral horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park as a historic demonstration herd since the nineteen seventies. This legislation would require the park to maintain no fewer than one hundred and fifty genetically diverse feral horses, while also requiring the agency to insure that the herd does not negatively impact the park's natural resources. I look forward to hearing how those requirements work together, and what a population requirement means for the future management of the park. The bill before us today, bills before us today demonstrate that Congress can recognize our history in many different ways. Sometimes that may involve a federal role. In other cases, states, local communities, private organizations, or existing federal sites may already provide the tools necessary to tell these stories. But in all cases it should be Congress, not a unilateral president, making these decisions. I'd like to thank each of our witnesses for joining us today. With that, I Oh, damn it. With that, I will yield back and recognize Rep. Tenney for an opening statement.

Thank you. Uh, just wanna say thank you to Chair uh, Chair Maloy and Ranking Member Nguz for holding this hearing, and for allowing me to join this subcommittee today to advocate for my bill, HR ten thirty one, the Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historic Historical Park Establishment Act. This legislation would preserve the stories of people who escaped Nazi persecution and found refuge in my home county. Oswego County. I also wanna welcome Oswego County Clerk, Terry Wilbur, and thank him for testifying before the subcommittee today. Mister or Madam Chairman, I I ask unanimous consent to submit letters of support from New York State Assembly Minority Leader Will Barkley, Oswego County Legislative Chair, Jim Weatherup, City of Oswego Mayor Robert Corradino, the Oswego County Tourism Department, the Safe Haven Holocaust Survivor, uh, Refugee Sur- uh, Shelter Museum, the American Jewish Committee, A A A J C, the Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish Federation of North America, the Zionist Organization of America, and the Combat Antisemitism Movement. Fort Ontario has played an historic role

Without objection.

uh, thank you, so uh Fort Ontario has played an historic role in the military history of the United States since the seventeen hundreds. During World War Two, Fort Ontario housed the only Holocaust refugee shelter established in the United States. In August nineteen forty-four, after President Franklin Deliverer Roosevelt announced that the United States would accept nine hundred and eighty-two refugees from eighteen countries at Fort Ontario. The refugees who reached Fort Ontario survived the Nazi campaign, a persecution and murder of the Jewish people. Their arrival in Oswego marked the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. Our community provided safety to people whose lives had been uprooted by persecution and war. The community opened its arms and welcomed them as neighbors. Residents brought food and gifts to the shelter. local teachers and students welcome refugees uh children into their classrooms. The history, this history remains relevant at a time when Jewish Americans continue to encounter anti-semitism Holocaust denial and efforts to minimize or distort the Holocaust. Physical places such as Fort Ontario provide evidence that connects our history to individual experiences. Future generations will have fewer opportunities to hear directly from Holocaust survivors whose population is rapidly declining. Holocaust education helps young people understand that anti-semitism has consequences for real, real people and families. And this will help them understand the crucial role the United States has played in con- combating anti-semitism. And I want to just quote real briefly from a wonderful letter, uh, in support from Paul Lear from the Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Sel- Shelter Museum. He was, uh, quoting actually Lieutenant General Dwight D. Eisenhower after witnessing the horrors of the Nazi concentration camp. Lieutenant General Dwight Eisenhower ordered American troops in theater to tour a camp. He said that the American soldier may not know what he is fighting for, but after visiting a camp, he will know what he is fighting against. Eisenhower warned that someday a movement to deny the Holocaust may arise. How how important those words have been. The Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Center, a shelter museum, and its volunteers have preserved these stories for decades. They have worked alongside New York State Parks, the City of Oswego, Oswego County, historians, descendants, and community organizations. Their work has allowed students, families, and visitors to learn about the refugees on the grounds where this history actually occurred. The National Park Service completed a special resource study of Fort Ontario in twenty twenty four which concluded that the refugee shelter resources satisfy all four criteria for potential inclusion in the national park system. national significance, suitability, feasibility, and a need for a direct National Park Service management agreement. The study focused on a small area compromising about two acres containing the Safe Haven Museum in building twenty-two and three nearby buildings associated with the wartime shelter the broader Fort Ontario State historic site would remain under New York State management H R ten twenty-one builds uh on their work through National Park Service stewardship and partnerships helping keep the history accessible to students, families and visitors, while focusing on a proposed limited boundary of just a little over two acres. The legislation authorizes the National Park Service to enter cooperative agreements with the state and other public and private partners and land owned by New York State or a political subdivision that could be acquired only by donation. Preserving these historic buildings and working with local governments are important parts of our effort to combat antisemitism. This effort demonstrates what federal, state, and local partners can achieve together. The Senate has already passed this legislation via unanimous consent as part of uh S th- thirty-four ninety. Major Jewish organizations and groups dedicated to combating anti-semitism include the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish Federations of North America, Combat Combat Anti-semitism Movement, and the Zionist Or- Organization of America. They've all endorsed this bill. and we have broad community support. Oswego has cared for this history for generations. Congress can now have an opportunity to help ensure that the Jewish refugees who found safety there are remembered and that their experiences continue to teach Americans why we must stand against anti-semitism and preserve our American history. I want to thank my colleagues uh for their support and my effort to preserve this history in combating anti-semitism. And I yield.

Thank you, Rep Tenney. I will now yield to Mister Schmidt for five minutes.

Thank you, uh, Madam Chairman, I'm grateful to you and to the ranking member for, uh, conducting this hearing on our bill today. Um, thank you for holding this hearing on HR eighty-two seventy-six, the Quindaro Townsite National Historic Landmark Act. This day has been a long time coming for this bill, and the years-long effort by a wide and diverse range of leaders in Kansas City, to obtain National Historic Landmark designation for the Quindaro town site. This bill was first introduced by my predecessor, Rep- Representative Jake Letourneur, during the last Congress, and the local efforts to obtain this designation date back at least to twenty eighteen. The Quindaro site is located on the south bank of the Missouri River in what is now Kansas City, Kansas. The site was settled by a uniquely diverse group of African Americans, Native Americans, and Abolitionists, during the mid-nineteenth century, during the bleeding Kansas period leading up to the American Civil War. The site became a key station on the Underground Railroad, as escaped slaves were ferried across the river from the slave state of Missouri into the free state of Kansas. The town reached a peak population of six hundred, and at one point boasted two hotels, a sawmill, a brickyard, and an abolitionist newspaper, the Quindaro Chindowan. The associate editor of that newspaper, Clarina Nichols, later recounted hiding an escaped slave in her home. This was her testimony. She said, " My cistern, every brick of it rebuilt in the chimney of my late wine-dot home, played its part in the drama of freedom." "One beautiful evening late in October of sixty-one, as twilight was fading from the bluff, a hurried message came to me from our neighbor, Fielding Johnson. 'You must hide Caroline. Fourteen slave hunters are camped on the park, her master among them." "Into this cistern Caroline was lowered with comforters, Pillow and chair. A wash tub over the trap with the usual appliances of a washroom standing around, completing the hiding. End of her narrative. Madam Chair, I have uh, we have worked closely with the Department of Interior and have reviewed their statement on this today and understand their preference for the administrative process. I just want to point out for the record uh, we have worked extensively uh, through the administrative process. This proposal for designation in May of twenty twenty five was unanimously recommended for approval uh by the by uh the National Historic Landmarks Committee. Uh, the referral then went to the National Park System Advisory Board and unfortunately that board doesn't exist. Uh, it was not constituted, there are no bodies on the board, and its charter expired in May twenty fourth of twenty five, rendering impossible our ability to proceed with this, uh, despite the support uh of the initial reviewer. It's why this bill uh is more necessary today than it was when it was first introduced. And I would ask consent to enter into the record the page from the National Parks web site showing the advisory board has been terminated.

Without objection.

So the administrative process isn't operational. I'm very pleased that my fellow Kansas City area colleagues, Representatives Cleaver and Davids have joined me in introducing this bipartisan bill. Uh, and I also ask consent to enter into the record a letter of support from the two of them. I'd be remiss today if I didn't also acknowledge the efforts of the late Kansas With that, sure. State Representative Marvin Robinson whose efforts to preserve the town site and prevent it from being turned into a landfill earned him the nickname the Mayor of Quindaro. Last year the Kansas legislature honored Marvin's legacy by renaming a portion of the K five highway near the Quindaro town site as the Representative Marvin S. Robinson Memorial Highway. I'd like to welcome our witness on this bill, Mister Darrell Wynn, Chief Policy Analyst and Executive Advisor from the Office of

Thank you, Representative Schmidt. Um, we will now move on to our second panel. Let me remind the witnesses that under committee rules, you must limit your oral statement to five minutes, but your entire statement will appear in the hearing record. To begin your testimony, please press the on button on the microphone. We use timing lights. When you begin, the light will turn green. At the end of five minutes, the light will turn red, and I will ask you to please complete your statement. First, I'd like to introduce the Honorable Terry Wilbur, County Clerk for Oswego, am I saying that the right way? Oswego County, New York. Mister Wilbur, you are recognized for five minutes.

Well, thank you, Chairwoman, Ranking Member, and members of the subcommittee. My name is Terry Wilbur and I serve as the County Clerk in Oswego County, New York. Thank you for the opportunity to testify before the committee in support of HR one zero three one, the Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park Establishment Act, introduced by Representative Claudia Tenney, who represents New York's twenty-fourth congressional district, including my county of Oswego. I am proud to represent Oswego County and to help advocate for this bipartisan legislation to establish the Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Park Historical Park. It preserves and protects the history of the nine hundred and eighty-two Holocaust refugees sheltered at Fort Ontario from August nineteen forty four through February nineteen forty six. The history of Fort Ontario is one that leads back to seventeen fifty five, when the first wooden stockade fort was built. The fort had has been destroyed multiple times and rebuilt throughout history because of various battles that took place in Oswego. The current design and construction of Fort Ontario was completed in eighteen seventy two. In nineteen forty four, President Roosevelt announced that the United States would provide refuge to a group of people fleeing Nazi persecution in the devastation of the Holocaust. That year, a group of nine hundred and eighty-two men, women and children fleeing fleeing unspeakable horrors arrived from eighteen different countries, almost all of them Jewish. Many arrived with nothing more than the clothing they were wearing. With their arrival, Fort Ontario became the only shelter established in the United States for Holocaust Holocaust refugees. After their arrival, the community came together to welcome their new neighbors. Residents passed food and gifts through the fence during the first month of mandatory quarantine. Kids enrolled in local schools and friendships formed that lasted the rest of those families' lives. As many of you know, US knowledge about the Holocaust is quickly fading. As the number of Holocaust survivors continues to dwindle, many young adults and students lack basic knowledge about the horrors of the Holocaust. In in a two thousand and twenty study by the Claims Conference, forty eight percent of millennial and gen z couldn't name a single concentration camp. Sixty three percent did not know six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, and eleven percent believe Jews caused the Holocaust. These startling statistics come at a time of drastically rising antisemitism and antisemitic hate crimes. According to the ADL, just in twenty twenty four and twenty twenty five, over fifteen thousand five hundred antisemitic incidences took place. According to the American Jewish Committee, last year almost one third of American Jews were personal targets of anti-semitism. These two things are not unrelated. As knowledge about the history of anti-semitism and the Holocaust continues to decline, anti-semitism is rising once again. That is why many major anti-semitism organizations such as the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish Federations of North America, uh the Combat, uh Anti-Semitism Movement, and the Zionist Organization of America, all have endorsed this bill. The four is an essential essential part of America's long-standing role in combating anti-semitism and can help students better understand the horrors of the Holocaust and the American role in ending it. It records the resilience of people who survived the Holocaust and experienced the safety of the United States. As survivors pass from living memory, the story is preserved by the Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Sheltered Museum, become even more important. This is not a local claim, it is the factual findings of the National National Park Service. Congress directed the National Park Service to study Fort Ontario in twenty eighteen, which was signed by President Trump. NPS concluded that the refugee shelter locations within the area satisfy all four tests for a new park. National significance, suitability, feasibility, and a need for direct NPS management. The study found that this history has no comparable representation elsewhere in the National Park Service. and that it would be provided genuinely unique addition. On feasibility, the study found that current ownership, local planning and zoning, access and site conditions do not preclude designation, and that the local and national support is extensive. On the need for direct management, the study concluded that permanent protection of these resources requires the National Park Service. This bill would preserve about two point five acres comprising four buildings and no private property would be taking the proof the footprint is small, but the return is real. Swiggle County is ready for this opportunity, and the volunteers at the safe haven have carried this site to preserve the history of Jewish Americans for nearly forty years and have continued to share the stories of those who fled the Holocaust we are willing and able to support a permanent partnership with the National Park Service we have given support and information during the study and continue to support this effort to today. This legislation also has broad support in the Senate with a package of legislation that passed in December of twenty twenty five. I respectfully urge that this bill be marked up, and swiftly passed to the House floor. Thank you all for your time, your support of Holocaust education and combating anti-semitism, and your support of my local community. Let's go.

Thank you, Mr. Wilbur. I will now recognize Ms. Lauren Reimer, CEO and Executive Director at the Big Bend Conservancy. Ms. Reimer, you're recognized for five minutes.

Chairwoman Molloy, Ranking Member Nguz, Chair Westerman, Ranking Member Huffman, and members of the subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of Congressman Flueger's HR twenty three twenty three the Big Bend National Park Boundary Adjustment Act. I'm here on behalf of the Big Bend Conservancy, a non-profit organization that has partnered with the National Park Service for thirty years to support Big Bend National Park. During that time, the conservancy has provided more than five million dollars to the park, through direct aid, projects and endowments. project represents one of our longest running efforts to conserve important lands along the park's western boundary this effort is rooted in the wishes of private landowners who want to see their properties permanently conserved as part of big bend national park the falter family who's approximately three thousand one hundred seventy five acre property represents the largest portion of the proposed addition has worked with big bend conservancy toward that goal for the last eight years in order for the land to ultimately be transferred to the National Park Service. Other private landowners in the area have likewise expressed interest in having their properties included in the park, and the conservancy has been working with those willing landowners to make their wishes possible. These are voluntary transactions composed entirely of donations or bargain sale purchases with the assistance of private philanthropy. The land itself has a compelling connection to the park. Terlingua Creek contains rare riparian habitat in an otherwise arid landscape. And the lands under consideration can help conserve stream segments upstream from the park. These properties also contain important cultural and paleontological resources. The project area includes evidence of Hispanic pioneer settlement, historic agricultural use, and other cultural resources. While the area adjacent to Rattlesnake Mountain contains significant fossil resources, including dinosaur remains and egg shells. It serves as a nesting area for grey hawks and yellow-billed cuckoos. These resources are directly related to the natural, geological, and cul- cultural values for which Big Bend National Park was established. I recognize that members of this committee have legitimate concerns about expanding the federal estate and about the long-term cost of managing additional federal land. HR twenty tw- twenty three twenty three is an unusually narrow case that addresses The bill does not authorize the federal government to condemn private property. It permits the secretary of the interior to acquire the approximately sixty one hundred acres covered by the legislation only through donation or exchange, and it expressly prohibits eminent domain and condemnation. In other words, this is a voluntary boundary adjustment involving willing parties at no cost to the taxpayer. The Congressional Budget Office examined the Senate predecessor to this legislation, S one zero five nine. CBO estimated zero direct spending and importantly concluded that any cost incurred by the National Park Service to manage the additional land would be insignificant. I ask that the committee consider this proposal in the context of Texas. Texas is a private land state. Approximately ninety-five percent of the state is privately owned. Texas A and M's Natural Resources Institute describes that ownership pattern as fundamentally different from the public land landscape found across much of the American West. The Big Bend Boundary Adjustment Act should therefore not be viewed as part of a broad effort to increase federal ownership in Texas. It is a limited boundary boundary adjustment around an existing national park, supported by willing landowners and facilitated by a non-profit that has already invested substantial private resources in making this transaction possible. The new workforce housing benefit of project also deserves the committee's attention. The conservancy has recently acquired one of the few parcels within the proposed boundary that contains two housing units. We are rehabilitating those structures with the intention of offering these buildings to the National Park Service for employee housing, without adding to the existing deferred maintenance backlog. In a remote community where recruiting and retaining a park workforce is a persistent challenge putting an existing residential structure to productive use is a practical way this boundary adjustment can support park operations without creating a significant new construction burden. For these reasons, I respectfully urge the committee to advance the Big Bend Boundary Adjustment Act. This legislation respects private property rights, does not authorize condemnation, minimizes the federal financial burden, provides a practical opportunity for workforce housing, and protects important natural, cultural, and paleontological resources immediately adjacent to an existing national park. More importantly, it offers Congress an opportunity to support a locally driven solution in which willing parties are voluntarily working to place important lands into public ownership for the benefit of the park and the American people. Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Reimer, I will now recognize Mister Darryl Wynn, Chief Policy Analyst and Executive Advisor at the office of Mayor Crystal E. Watson. Mister Wynn, you're recognized for five minutes.

And Chairperson, Ranking Member, thank you for this opportunity to uh support hr eighty two seventy six my name is darryl wynn i serve in the office of the mayor i'm also a former veteran i was the chief military officer at fort eustis in fort story virginia i'll explain why that matters in just little bit rather than talk about quindaro as a ruin and quindaro as a land matter i'm gonna ask you to consider quindaro not as an abandoned town but as a part of kansas history quindarrel is evidence quindarrel is uh evidence of courage evidence of conflict and evidence of cooperation and most importantly evidence that the struggle for freedom was never the work of one people alone in eighteen fifty seven quindarrel emerged on the missouri river in what is now kansas city kansas as a free state port of entry into kansas territory its name came from nancy quindarrel brown guthrie a member of the wyandotte nation The land itself carried the history of the Wyandotte people, whose presence in the region predates uh predates the town by generations. Around the foundation came people from different parts of the country and different ethnic backgrounds. Northerners and immigrants came to build businesses and communities. Abolitionists came because they believed that Kansas should be free. Black Americans came seeking freedom and opportunity. and people of different backgrounds found themselves bound together by a struggle that was larger than any one of them. The struggle was for freedom. That's the first lesson of Quintero. Kansas was not built by one group standing alone. Kansas was built through people coming together around the idea that freedom was worth fighting for. Quintero became part of entry for the free state movement. And the station in the Underground Railroad, people fleeing slavery could find a pathway toward freedom in Kansas. There's the story that oldies tell that when the Missouri River froze, the slaves would slide across the river into a free Kansas. The town rose quickly and the history demanded something more. By in eighteen sixty-three, the Civil War had transformed the meaning of freedom across America. kansas had already entered the union as a free state that freedom was not merely an idea written into a a constitution it had to be defended and people from wyandotte county quindaro area answered the call black kansas joined the union cause men from wyandotte and quindaro communities helped fill the ranks of the united states colored troops at fort leavenworth the independent battery of us colored light light artillery was organized in eighteen sixty four with more than one hundred sixty of its two hundred and eight enlisted men having been recruited from leavenworth fort scott and the wyandotte and quindaro communities think about what that means these are the stories of runaway slaves sledding across a frozen river to get into kansas and then later on finding themselves in an with an opportunity to defend the nation that they sought to be free the people who had once needed others to open a door to freedom were now putting on a uniform and helping defend the nation that freedom was supposed to create they were not waiting for america to become free they were fighting to make america free and when the war ended the work did not end it simply changed by eighteen sixty five hundreds of were living around the townside. The community recognized that freedom without education would remain incomplete. A school was established for formerly enslaved people, eventually becoming Friedman University and later Western University. That institution became one of the greatest educational stories in Kansas. Education was about building people, was about building institutions, it was about self-determination the townside saw that there are many variations of people who gather together around quindaro to fight for freedom so we stand today asking you to support this effort to have it established as a national a national landmark because the freedom that america espoused to can only be found in quindaro thank you

Thank you, Mr. Wynn. I will now recognize Miss Sarah Ott Coleman, Director of Tourism and Marketing at the North Dakota Department of Commerce. Miss Coleman, you're recognized for five minutes.

Thank you, Chairman Loy, Ranking Member Nguz, and members of the subcommittee. On behalf of the North Dakota Department of Commerce Tourism and Marketing Division, thank you for the opportunity to be here today to testify in support of S thirteen seventy seven, the Theodore Roosevelt National Park Wild Horse Protection Act. We also extend our thanks to Senator Hoven for sponsoring this legislation and Senator Kaine for his support as a cosponsor. S thirteen seventy seven would require the Department of Interior to maintain a genetically diverse herd of no fewer than a hundred and fifty horses in the south unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. This legislation is common sense is a common sense compromise solution that represents months of work between Senator Hoeven's office, the National Park Service and local stakeholders. Thanks to this hard work, the bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent on June eleventh of twenty twenty six. If enacted, the bill would reduce the need for future actions that could reduce or eliminate the park's horse herd. By requiring Interior to maintain a genetically diverse herd, develop a management plan that protects both the horses and the park's natural resources, limit removals of the narrow and clearly defined circumstances, and publish annual findings on the herd's population, structure and health, this bill provides certainty and accountability. new visitor experiences and to retaining the existing attractions that draw people to our great state. We believe this legislation will maintain the park's appeal and visitors' desire to visit North Dakota. The park's unique beauty, historic significance, and connection to conservation are paramount, and allowing horses to roam these lands also enriches our visitors' experiences. Theodore Roosevelt National Park is known for its stunning landscapes, diverse wildlife, and rich cultural history. The presence of wild horses has been part of this unique ecosystem since the early days of ranching in the Badlands. Ranching legends, including Theodore Roosevelt and the Marquis de Mores, depended on horses every day on their ranches. Difficult times in the, for Badlands ranchers and Native Americans at the n- turn of the nineteenth, uh the late nineteenth century, reintroduced thousands of horses back into the wild. Though they are considered feral, the park's horses and a half a dozen generations of their ancestors have not been broken or domesticated. They are a living testament to the rugged spirit of the American West. Many guests from across the country and around the world come to Theatre Roosevelt National Park to admire its natural beauty and to connect with the spirit of a married adventure and an exploration that defined Theatre Roosevelt himself. The sight of these wild horses grazing in the park's vast landscapes add to this experience. Visitors who enjoy viewing the park horses are passionate about the park and its Western culture. The wild horses are also a part of what sets Theatre Roosevelt National Park from other wild other Western National Parks. While bison and other wildlife can be found throughout the national park system, free-roaming horses are a distinctive feature that visitors associate specifically with Theodore Roosevelt National Park. That distinction helps draw travelers to a park that compared to many of its larger, more crowded Western counterparts, still offers a less congested, more intimate visitor experience. This recognition extends beyond North Dakota. A far magazine named Theodore Roosevelt National among its list of the ten best places in the United States to see wildlife. While we do not have an exact metric quantifying how many visitors come to the park specifically because of the horses, the data we do have consistently shows that the traveling public is interest in the park and the horses is strong. A Brawley study of the Theatre Roosevelt National Park, a visitor study, um showed that eighty-six percent of the visitors reported their primary activity within the park was wildlife viewing including the wild horses. Our visitor metrics continue to show that Theatre Roosevelt National Park is the most visited attraction in the state. Geolocation data shows us top origin states in the last year were Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Texas, Michigan, California, Washington, South Dakota, and Ohio. National Park Service reported visitor spending connected with Theatre Roosevelt National Park was fifty-four million with a total economic output of sixty million. in their most recent study of twenty twenty three, and ninety eight point seven of that spending came from non-local visitors. As I noted earlier in my testimony, the legislation before you today is a compromise product following months of discussion among interested parties led by Senator Hoeven. Like any compromise, no one gets exactly what they wanted. However, this bill represents a reasonable path forward and provides certainty for the park state and local stakeholders. For these reasons, the North Dakota Department of Commerce, our and our Tourism and Marketing Division respectfully urge the subcommittee to act favorably on S thirteen seventy seven. I thank you for the opportunity to be here today, and welcome your questions.

Thank you, Miss Coleman. I'm gonna switch gears a little bit. Mister Pegues, you gotta you can rest easy for a few minutes. Um Representative Flueger made it in, and I I know you've probably noticed there are not a lot of members of Congress sitting here right now. This has been a week where their schedule's changed a few times. We have a lot of hearings going on and people are coming in and out when they can. So thank you for joining us. Congressman Flueger, you are recognized for five minutes on HR twenty three twenty three.

Thank you, Chairman Loy. And I and I I would also like to thank Chairman Westerman and Chairman uh Tiffany uh for holding today's hearing and giving me the opportunity to speak about HR twenty three twenty three the Big Bend National Park Boundary Adjustment Act. And I'd I would also like to thank Lauren Reimer, uh, the Executive Director of the Big Bend Conservancy for being here to testify on the legislation today. Thank you. And um, the Big Bend National Park is one of the great treasures of Texas. The park is very important to the people that I represent. Even though I don't represent this district, there is not a a congressional representative at this time. But I'm very close to it. And families from my district in San Angelo, Midland and Odessa, um, and communities across my district both travel there and also ranch. um and operate in that in that area. Um and uh I have grown up, we've all grown up appreciating uh what a special place it is. And this is one of the reasons that uh I'm helping with this legislation. Big Bend is important to Texas and especially important to the people and communities that I do represent. And this bill reflects the wishes of a multi-generational Texas ranching family. For generations, the Fulcher family has owned land immediately adjacent to Big Bend National Park. Their wish was for this land to ultimately become part of the park and to be protected alongside the surrounding landscape. The Big Bend Conservancy and its partners have spent years working with the Fulcher family and other willing landowners to make that possible. And they've already assembled roughly thirty five hundred acres of property, property contemplated by this legislation and are holding that land so it can ultimately be transferred to the National Park Service. When you look at the land itself, it's easy to understand why this is important. Terlingua Creek runs through the area. The proposed addition includes important portions of watershed, wildlife habitat, historic and cultural resources and significant fossil resources directly connected to Big Bend. The geography also makes sense. Portions of Terlingua Creek above and below the property are already within the National Park. And this boundary adjustment would allow these lands to be managed as part of the larger landscape that they're already connected to. And uh uh and this has been done in a way that respects the Texas tradition of private property rights. Every landowner involved is participating voluntarily. The legislation does not authorize eminent domain or any form of condemnation. And much of the land is being made available through private philanthropy rather than a major Fed major federal land purchase and that's a very important distinction um of this legislation. There's also a practical benefit for the park service as well. One of the properties acquired by the conservancy contains existing housing. The conservancy is renovating those structures before transferring them, so they can provide much needed housing for National Park Service employees. Rather than asking the National Park Service to construct new housing, the conservancy is preparing an existing asset for that purpose. How many times does that happen in our country? Uh, and this is a great example uh of that. CBO has also reviewed the budgetary impact of this legacy proposal and concluded that additional management costs to the National Park Service would be insignificant. Ultimately, this legislation represents years of work by Texas landowners, the Big Bend Conservancy, private partners, local stakeholders, and the State of Texas. It honors the wishes of a Texas ranching family. It protects private property rights. It brings land that is naturally connected to Big Bend into the park. And it also provides an additional practical benefit to the people responsible for taking care of this incredible place. This is a locally driven effort that has been in the making for a long time, and I am very proud to carry uh this legislation. I appreciate sincerely the committee that has bent over backwards, uh both the members and the staff to make this happen. Uh and there's been a lot of hoops to jump through. I recognize that, I understand that. Um and on behalf of West Texas and the community that I represent, and those that are uh just to the south of me, and in Texas's twenty-third congressional district. Thank you, because this makes a huge impact and it's a common sense thing to do, which in government we don't always do. Um, but today, I'm proud to report uh that that that is happening, uh and I yield back.

Thank you, Rep. Flueger. I will now recognize Mr. Michael Pegues, President of the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation and Board Member for the Greenwood Greenwood Historic District Black Wall Street National. Monument Coalition. Sorry, that's a mouthful. Uh, Mr. Giese, you are recognized for five minutes.

Thank you, Chairman Maloy and members of the subcommittee, and thank you all for this opportunity to testify today. Uh, I am the uh Chairman of the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation and a member of the historic Greenwood District Black Wall Street National Monument Coalition. We urge you to advance Senate Bill ten fifty one, the bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senators James Langford and Cory Booker, to establish a national monument in Tulsa's historic Greenwood district. This effort began almost two decades ago with my father Julius Begich and his close friend Ruben Gantt. It continues through our coalition, co-chaired by Mister Gantt, Executive Director of the John Hope Franklin Center, and Doctor Tiffany Crutcher of the Crutcher Foundation. Greenwood holds an essential place in America's story. Founded in nineteen O five, it became a thriving black community during the Jim Crow era, when discrimination sharply restricted opportunity. Only a few generations removed from enslavement, black families built businesses and acquired property and strengthened community life. Black Wall Street demonstrated what Americans could accomplish through enterprise and determination. even when the law denied them equal treatment. That achievement deserves a place in our national memory. On May thirty-first and June first of nineteen twenty-one, a white mob aided by local authorities bombed and burned Greenwood to the ground. Thirty-five blocks were destroyed. More than a thousand homes were reduced to rubble. Thousands were displaced. And the death toll remains uncertain with estimates reaching approximately three hundred. Behind those numbers were families whose life savings disappeared overnight. Consider T. J. Elliott, known as America's Merchant Prince, who owned the largest black-owned department store in the United States at the time. His Greenwoods store was destroyed and never rebuilt. His insurance company refused to pay his claim. Along with that business went the wealth that could have supported generations. of his family. Yet, Greenwood rebuilt. Despite immense loss and continuing discrimination, residents restored businesses, rebuilt homes, and re-established community life. Their determination is central to history, this central to the history this monument would preserve. That determination embodies the guiding theme of John Hope Franklin's center from tragedy to triumph. words echoed by Senator Lankford in describing Greenwood. "For decades much of Greenwood's history was obscured. Many Oklahomans grew up without learning about the massacre. I attended a school in the district and was not taught this history. Many of my teachers were unaware of what occurred just outside of their classrooms. That silence deprived generations of the opportunity to learn about Black Wall Street's achievement. Our understanding of America is incomplete without this history. Our coalition shares this conviction. We bring together more than ten Greenwood-based organizations, many involving descendants of massacre survivors. With the city of Tulsa, the Cherokee Nation, and many others, we believe Greenwood's history belongs to the entire nation. Federal recognition would strengthen and preserve our work that is already underway. For example, at Standpipe Hill, a historical marker helps visitors understand where Greenwood residents defended their neighbors and helped others escape. National monument designation would help make such places and their stories accessible to future generations. This year marks a hundred and five years since the massacre. Descendants have worked to ensure that the community their relatives built is remembered with dignity. Greenwood remains a place of resilience, culture, opportunity, and hope. An honest understanding of our past creates a foundation for reconciliation. Greenwood offers a place to confront racial violence, but also to learn from people who rebuilt despite it. Mr. and Women, excuse me, I respectfully urge this subcommittee to bipartisan Bill ten fifty one, the people of Greenwood rebuilt their community after others tried to destroy it. Congress can now ensure that their history of achievement, tragedy tragedy, resilience and triumph endures. Thank you, and I appreciate your advancement of Senate Bill ten fifty one.

Thank you, Mr. Padice. I will now recognize Mr. Edward Sterling, Vice President of Government Affairs, the National Park Conservation Association. Mister Sturley, you're now recognized for five minutes.

Chairman Molloy, Ranking Member De Guz, members of the subcommittee, thank you so much for the opportunity to appear here today. Uh, my name is Ed Sturley, I'm the Vice President, Government Affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association. Uh, we're a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, uh, with more than one point nine million members and supporters around the country. And we're dedicated to protecting and enhancing America's national parks. for current and future generations. Um before turning to the bills before the subcommittee today, I just wanna recognize this committee's work uh to reauthorize the National Parks and Public Land Rec uh Legacy Restoration Fund. We really we really support this effort uh and uh the fund that was originally created through the Great American Outdoors Act, which is expired in in twenty twenty five uh and we urge the house to move uh the America the Beautiful Act forward uh especially as we're in the waning months of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the United States, there's no better time uh to make this investment. Uh I'm pleased to speak with you today about two bills that highlight both the opportunities and challenges uh facing the national park system right now. The first is HR twenty three twenty three, the Big Bend National Park Boundary Adjustment Act. Uh the Big Bend National Park, you know it's already been noted, this is a treasured destination not just for Texans, but for visitors from around the world. It uh it protects and preserves breathtaking landscapes, uh rich desert wildlife, and thousands of years of history. It has soaring vistas, epic hikes, some of the darkest skies in the world, and more than a half million visitors uh come there annually. Uh we support this legislation to adjust the boundary of Big Bend National Park. Expanding the park boundary will bring uh a new rare water source, as well as sensitive cultural resources, uh ranging from prehistoric fossils to historic ruins under the protection of the National Park Service. While doing this all uh w- w- while also not increasing the park's management costs. While this legislation would protect sensitive resources in one part of the park, Other parts of Big Bend are currently at risk from the border barrier construction. In addition to moving this bill, we encourage the committee to take all measures possible to halt border infrastructure construction in Big Bend and the surrounding region. We're glad to see the temporary pause that's currently in effect in construction of Big Bend National Park, a as well as CBP's uh commitment to listening to local leadership, community members and stakeholders to develop a plan uh both for border security while also working to protect Big Bend National Park for generations to come. Uh, the few days that federal contractors began work in the park, uh, just a month ago in early August, before the current construction pause, uh, resulted in miles of destruction in some of the most recognized and treasured places in the park, uh, from Santa Elena Canyon to Mariscal Canyon. Big Bend is an example of a much deeper crisis in when Czech border infrastructure development through national parks and protect- protected public lands in the Southwest right now. Uh for years border infrastructure development's been shipping away Arizona's national parks. Construction's already underway at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona, uh which is coming dangerously close to Quito-Poquito Springs, threatening this rare desert oasis. Uh in twenty eighteen a first border wall was built through organ pipe and now a redundant border wall a second one is being constructed, uh while waiving existing environmental protections and leaving behind devastating impacts. Um, to vegetation and water, as documented in a federal report that was done by the Government Accountability Office. To the east, new construction has already blasted through Coronado National Mon- Memorial, uh the seat of the Huaca Mountains and one of the last remaining wildlife corridors on the border, which is critical for rare ocelots, jaguars, and other species that move freely across the landscape and need to do so in order to survive. Um, the destruction has also impacted the start of the Arizona National Scenic Trail, just to give you a sense of how it's impacting visitors to the park. Our national parks across the country were established to protect and uh and and and these most treasured places and we urge you to make sure that they're protected for generations to come. We also support the establishment of the Ford Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park Establishment Act. Uh the Park Service completed a special resource study in twenty twenty four and also noted that there was no site in the national park system that tells the story of how the country answered the refugee crisis during World War Two. This bill would fill that gap, and it does so in partnership, which is amazing, with the New York State Parks, the Safe Haven Museum and Education Center, and the City of Oswego. We we urge you to advance that bill. Uh, but while adding nationally significant places to the national park system is important to tell our story, we urge Congress to provide the funding and staffing needed for these sites in order to thrive. Unfortunately, appropriations have not kept pace with what these parks need. For example, the National Park Service has lost thirteen percent of its permanent workforce, while visitation grew twenty percent of up from twenty eleven to twenty twenty four. And then since twenty twenty five, the National Park Service has lost over a quarter of its permanent workforce, due to the series of deferred resignations, retirements, as well as the severely reduced workforce, uh, due to the, uh, some of the, uh, actions of the current administration. In adequate budget, significant staffing losses have, uh, dramatically undercut the agency's ability to meet its mission. But we're hopeful that with this committee's work, that addressing these needs are within reach. And we look forward to working with you to do this, and I'm glad to answer your questions.