Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 1091 - National Parks in the Commonwealth of Virginia

(House)
(Bliley (R) VA and six cosponsors)

The Administration opposes enactment of H.R. 1091 as currently drafted and recommends that the House defer action until the National Park Service (NPS) has completed its ongoing studies on two of the National Parks affected by this bill.

H.R. 1091 would arbitrarily redefine boundaries for the Richmond National Battlefield Park and the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. The NPS is now conducting boundary studies for these two Parks, as required by law. By preempting these studies, the bill would cut off public comment and establish boundaries based on expedience rather than sound research. The proposed boundaries would also foreclose many private efforts to donate land to the NPS.

In addition, H.R. 1091 would establish the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historical Park in Virginia. Many resources in the Shenandoah Valley are historically significant and deserve protection. However, the proposal to establish a new National Park with land acquired by the NPS is not an appropriate alternative. The potential sites would be too small, too scattered, and too dependent upon State and local decisions for effective NPS management. The Administration considers the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields to be more appropriately designated as a National Heritage Area. Such designation would allow the NPS to cooperate with landowners, State and local governments, and the private sector in developing strategies to protect and interpret resources on non-Federal lands.