Pending Legislation, Senate hearing transcript (September 21, 2022), GovInfo CHRG-117shrg48573, PDF

Summary

This is the printed record of S. Hrg. 117–475, a hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on National Parks on September 21, 2022, chaired by Angus S. King, Jr. of Maine. The subcommittee took up 14 bills, including S. 305 to establish the Springfield Race Riot National Monument, legislation to remove “Robert E. Lee Memorial” from the name of the Arlington House, and S. 4168, the National Park Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2022. S. 4784 would add 43,000 acres to the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Maine. Witnesses were Senator Alex Padilla; Michael A. Caldwell of the National Park Service; Will Shafroth, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation; and Steven Richardson of Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters. Letters and statements for the record from organizations including Airbnb, Inc. follow the testimony.

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Full text

S. HRG. 117–475

PENDING LEGISLATION

HEARING
BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON
NATIONAL PARKS
OF THE

COMMITTEE ON
ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
ON

S. J. Res. 57 S. 4168
S. 305 S. 4222
S. 1211 S. 4371
S. 3447 S. 4377/H.R. 4380
S. 3579 S. 4464/H.R. 1908
S. 3873 S. 4693
S. 4122 S. 4784

SEPTEMBER 21, 2022

(
Printed for the use of the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov

U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
48–573 WASHINGTON : 2024
COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES
JOE MANCHIN III, West Virginia, Chairman
RON WYDEN, Oregon JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming
MARIA CANTWELL, Washington JAMES E. RISCH, Idaho
BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont MIKE LEE, Utah
MARTIN HEINRICH, New Mexico STEVE DAINES, Montana
MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska
ANGUS S. KING, JR., Maine JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota
CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma
MARK KELLY, Arizona BILL CASSIDY, Louisiana
JOHN W. HICKENLOOPER, Colorado CINDY HYDE-SMITH, Mississippi
ROGER MARSHALL, Kansas

SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS
ANGUS S. KING, JR., Chairman
BERNARD SANDERS STEVE DAINES
MARTIN HEINRICH MIKE LEE
MAZIE K. HIRONO LISA MURKOWSKI
MARK KELLY JOHN HOEVEN
JAMES LANKFORD

RENAE BLACK, Staff Director
SAM E. FOWLER, Chief Counsel
DAVID BROOKS, General Counsel
CHARLOTTE BELLOTTE, Research Assistant
RICHARD M. RUSSELL, Republican Staff Director
MATTHEW H. LEGGETT, Republican Chief Counsel
JOHN TANNER, Republican Deputy Staff Director for Lands

(II)
CONTENTS

OPENING STATEMENTS
Page
King, Jr., Hon. Angus S., Subcommittee Chairman and a U.S. Senator from
Maine .................................................................................................................... 1
Daines, Hon. Steve, Subcommittee Ranking Member and a U.S. Senator
from Montana ....................................................................................................... 2
Hirono, Hon. Mazie K., a U.S. Senator from Hawaii ............................................ 4

WITNESSES
Padilla, Hon. Alex, a U.S. Senator from California .............................................. 5
Caldwell, Michael A., Associate Director, Park Planning, Facilities, and
Lands, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior ..................... 7
Shafroth, Will, President and CEO, National Park Foundation ......................... 34
Richardson, Steven, Vice President, Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters ... 40

ALPHABETICAL LISTING AND APPENDIX MATERIAL SUBMITTED
A Cure for Kyler:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 91
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, North Eastern Episcopal District:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 60
Airbnb, Inc.:
Statement for the Record ................................................................................. 113
Alabama State Missionary Baptist Convention:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 59
American Baptist General Convention of Texas:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 58
American Discovery Trail Society:
Statement for the Record ................................................................................. 124
Statement for the Record in response to National Park Service testimony
on S. 4693 ...................................................................................................... 130
Amigos de Guadalupe Center for Justice and Empowerment:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 116
Appalachian Trail Conservancy:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 133
Bahary, Susan:
Statement for the Record ................................................................................. 92
Baptist General State Convention of Illinois:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 74
Blackburn, Hon. Marsha:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 93
Blumenthal, Hon. Richard:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 94
Brandon, Theresa M.:
Statement for the Record ................................................................................. 97
Caldwell, Michael A.:
Opening Statement ........................................................................................... 7
Written Testimony ............................................................................................ 9
Responses to Questions for the Record ........................................................... 55
California Catholic Conference:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 119
California League of United Latin American Citizens:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 121

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IV
Page
California State Baptist Convention, Inc.:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 63
Canine Companions for Independence:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 95
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church College of Bishops:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 65
Church of God in Christ, Inc.:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 61
Connecticut State Missionary Baptist Convention:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 67
Conservation Resources:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 159
Coons, Hon. Christopher A. and Hon. John Boozman:
Statement for the Record ................................................................................. 106
Coons, Hon. Christopher A. et al.:
Statement for the Record ................................................................................. 137
Daines, Hon. Steve:
Opening Statement ........................................................................................... 2
Devine, Rev. Carol:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 71
Duckworth, Hon. Tammy and Hon. Richard J. Durbin:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 68
East Branch Sno-Rivers and ATV, Inc.:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 146
East Millnocket, ME (Town of):
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 148
Emmanuel Temple Church of God in Christ:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 66
Etienne, Philippe, Ambassador of France to the United States:
Statement for the Record ................................................................................. 108
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 70
Florida Council of Churches:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 88
GreenFaith:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 72
Hirono, Hon. Mazie K.:
Opening Statement ........................................................................................... 4
King, Jr., Hon. Angus S.:
Opening Statement ........................................................................................... 1
La Union del Pueblo Entero:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 122
Maine Professional Guides Association:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 150
Masjid Muhammad, Inc.:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 77
Mid-West Episcopal District:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 76
Military Women’s Memorial:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 96
Mills, Hon. Janet, Governor of Maine:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 151
Mitchell, Anne:
Statement for the Record ................................................................................. 152
National Black Presbyterian Caucus:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 62
National Parks Conservation Association:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 160
National Parks Second Century Action Coalition:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 111
National Religious Partnership for the Environment:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 79
North Carolina Council of Churches:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 78
Northern Timber Cruisers:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 154
V
Page
Padilla, Hon. Alex:
Opening Statement ........................................................................................... 5
Pennsylvania Baptist State Convention, Inc.:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 81
Plaskett, Hon. Stacey E.:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 114
Polanin, Joseph:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 102
Professional Logging Contractors of Maine:
Statement for the Record ................................................................................. 140
Progressive Missionary and Educational Baptist State Convention of Florida,
Inc.:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 82
Richardson, Steven:
Opening Statement ........................................................................................... 40
Written Testimony ............................................................................................ 43
Salvador E. Alvarez Institute for Non-Violence:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 123
Search Dog Foundation:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 101
Shafroth, Will:
Opening Statement ........................................................................................... 34
Written Testimony ............................................................................................ 36
Questions for the Record .................................................................................. 57
Sierra Club:
Statement for the Record ................................................................................. 83
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 85
Springfield Branch NAACP:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 86
Texas State Missionary Baptist Convention, Inc.:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 89
United Baptist Missionary Convention:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 75
United Farm Workers:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 120
United States Police Canine Association:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 103
United States War Dogs Association:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 104
Wagner Forest Management, LTD.:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 156
Western States Mounted Officers Association:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 105
(The) Wilderness Society:
Statement for the Record ................................................................................. 162
Wisconsin General Baptist State Convention:
Letter for the Record ........................................................................................ 90

The text for each of the bills addressed in this hearing can be found on the Committee’s
website at: https://www.energy.senate.gov/hearings/2022/9/u-s-senate-committee-on-energy-and-
natural-resources-subcommittee-on-national-parks-hearing-on-pending-legislation
PENDING LEGISLATION

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2022

U.S. SENATE,
SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS,
COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES,
Washington, DC.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:36 a.m. in
Room SD-366, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Angus S. King,
Jr., Chairman of the Subcommittee, presiding.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ANGUS S. KING, JR.,
U.S. SENATOR FROM MAINE
Senator KING. Good morning and welcome to today’s legislative
hearing to consider 14 bills related to a variety of national park
issues. On today’s agenda we will hear about bills to establish new
units in the National Park System, including the Springfield Race
Riot National Monument. We will also consider legislation to re-
move ‘‘Robert E. Lee Memorial’’ from the name of the Arlington
House at Arlington National Cemetery. This legislation was intro-
duced by Senator Tim Kaine and was partially inspired by a re-
quest from the descendants of General Lee and those who were
enslaved at the Arlington House. We will also discuss the reauthor-
ization and expansion of the National Park Foundation, an impor-
tant partner of our national parks that leverages private funds to
support the maintenance, restoration, and completion of signature
projects at national parks across the country. I was proud to join
Senators Portman and Daines to introduce this bill, and I look for-
ward to hearing testimony on it today.
I was also proud to introduce the Senate companion to a House
bill introduced by our colleague, Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett,
of the U.S. Virgin Islands. This bill would establish the St. Croix
National Heritage Area on the Island of St. Croix. I think it is im-
portant for us to work together to ensure the voices of our citizens
in the territories are also heard. Finally, I am looking forward to
hearing testimony on S. 4784, the Katahdin Woods and Waters Na-
tional Monument Access Act, which I introduced last month with
my colleague, Senator Collins. This bill will allow specific parcels
to be added to the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monu-
ment from willing donors or sellers, improving access to the monu-
ment from the south and the Millinocket region. This new access
will make it easier for visitors to enter the monument and will help
towns like Millinocket and East Millinocket capture some of the
economic opportunities from those visitors. Visitors will benefit be-
cause many services they are looking for—restaurants, hotels, re-
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2

tail shops and more—already exist in the south and are not as
readily available in the north, where you currently enter the monu-
ment.
A couple of things I would like to emphasize about this legisla-
tion—this bill expressly prohibits the use of eminent domain. I
want to repeat that. The bill expressly prohibits the use of eminent
domain. Nothing is taken away, only given. That means land will
only be added to the monument if willing landowners sell or donate
their land. Additionally, we have included language to explicitly
protect the continued access for many important uses, including
snowmobiling, hunting, fishing, and foraging for fiddleheads. I be-
lieve this is probably the first piece of federal legislation to mention
fiddleheads. You probably don’t even know what fiddleheads are,
Mr. Daines.
Senator DAINES. I have never foraged for a fiddlehead.
[Laughter.]
Senator KING. Well, come to Maine and we will teach you.
Since I put out this bill, I have heard from groups that have ad-
ditional concerns we want to address, specifically, the use of ATVs
and logging. Local ATV clubs have been working for years to build
a connector trail that crosses one of the parcels that is covered by
the legislation. My intention is for this bill to maintain existing
uses and access, and when we consider the bill in markup, I will
make sure language is included to protect ATV access to this trail.
I have also heard concerns about making sure that logging trucks
can still travel safely and efficiently through these parcels. This is
important because as we grow the recreation economy, we must
also make sure—make sure—that the traditional forest product
sector continues to function unimpeded and continue to promote a
more diversified forest product sector in the region. Currently, log-
ging trucks travel through the monument, and the Park Service
has worked with stakeholders in the region to make sure there is
appropriate signage, and on the website it says, ‘‘logging trucks al-
ways have the right of way.’’ I am confident we can make clarifica-
tions and amendments that will fully retain current access while
improving safety and supporting the forest economy.
For today’s hearing, I will first recognize Vice Chair Daines for
his opening statement. Following his remarks, I will recognize
members of the Committee who wish to make a statement about
their bills on the agenda, followed by any members not on the
Committee seeking to make a statement. After that, I will intro-
duce our witnesses before we move to questions. Additionally, with-
out objections, all members may submit letters of support or oppo-
sition or any additional materials regarding matters on today’s
agenda.
And now, Vice Chair Daines, you are recognized for your opening
statement.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. STEVE DAINES,
U.S. SENATOR FROM MONTANA
Senator DAINES. Chairman King, thank you.
Today’s legislative hearing focuses on 14 bills, many of which are
parochial and bipartisan, such as Senate bill 3447, to create the
National Service Animals Memorial, and Senate bill 4377, to des-
3

ignate the El Paso Community Garden National Memorial. I look
forward to hearing from my colleagues and the witnesses about
each of these projects.
Some of the bills have a larger impact, such as Senate bill 4693,
to designate the American Discovery Trail, which spans 16 states
from Delaware to California and creates a new Discovery Trail des-
ignation administered by the Department of the Interior. We do
look forward to hearing more about the local support behind this
proposal and the challenges around the National Park Service’s ad-
ministering this new designation.
On today’s agenda, we also have Senate bill 4168, the National
Park Foundation Reauthorization Act. This is a very important bill.
It has strong bipartisan support, including from the Chairman, as
well as myself. Senate bill 4168 reauthorizes the National Park
Foundation through Fiscal Year 2030 and increases the authoriza-
tion from $5 million to $15 million per year. The National Park
Foundation was created in 1967 to be the official non-profit partner
of the National Park Service. The foundation exists to raise funds
for the National Park Service and provide funding for programs
and projects that otherwise may not be available. In fact, over the
past few years, the foundation has exceeded its goals of raising
over $100 million per year for parks around the country. The foun-
dation has used those funds to support projects across the United
States. In fact, in Montana, the National Park Foundation invested
one and a half million dollars at the Little Bighorn Battlefield to
replace an aging visitor center. The foundation also invested $2
million to modernize the north entrance of Yellowstone National
Park, including a new entrance station and reconstruction of the
road between the historic Roosevelt Arch. The investments made
by the National Park Foundation have lasting impacts on the
parks, the visitor experience, and the day-to-day lives of the em-
ployees. It is critical that we reauthorize the foundation so they can
continue to carry out a very important mission to protect and en-
hance our national parks and gateway communities.
I would also like to briefly discuss what is happening in Yellow-
stone National Park and the local gateway communities because I
believe it has a direct impact on both the mission of the National
Park Foundation as well as the National Park Service. The tragic
flooding that occurred on the Yellowstone River back in June has
devastated the northern portion of the Park and cut off the Gar-
diner and Cooke City communities from the tourism and economic
impact of the Park. I sincerely want to thank all of the outstanding
work the Park Service and the National Park Foundation, what
they have done over the last couple of months, but there is a lot
of work to do in this recovery process from the flood. Super-
intendent Cam Sholly of Yellowstone National Park has been work-
ing around the clock to critically provide needed access and has
been doing a phenomenal job—really, hats off to that team at Yel-
lowstone National Park. We all need to work together to ensure the
park can rebuild the necessary infrastructure and the gateway
communities have the resources they need to continue serving visi-
tors and local community members. I will tell you, after the devas-
tation occurred, I had a chance to see that from the air a couple
different times. I was taking videos and pictures from this camera.
4

I was actually texting them to Senator King so he could stay in the
loop and could see the devastation that I was seeing firsthand from
the air.
With that, Mr. Chairman, I turn it back over to you and I look
forward to a robust discussion and testimony from our witnesses.
Senator KING. Thank you, Senator Daines.
I want to welcome Senator Padilla to the table. Senator, our plan
is to have a statement from Senator Hirono, and then yourself,
about the bill that you are supporting.
Senator Hirono.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. MAZIE K. HIRONO,
U.S. SENATOR FROM HAWAII
Senator HIRONO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Mem-
ber Daines.
Mr. Chairman, I believe you and I are the only two members on
the Subcommittee who have lifetime passes to our national parks.
So you and I very much know the importance of our national parks
and the work of the National Park Service.
Senator KING. It is nice that you did not mention the word sen-
ior.
[Laughter.]
Senator HIRONO. I specifically left that out. We know how ma-
ture you and I are so we don’t need to remind people. So thank
you.
I would like to briefly discuss the importance of S. 4464, the
Kaena Point National Heritage Area Act. The National Park Serv-
ice defines national heritage areas as places where historic, cul-
tural, and natural resources combine to form cohesive, nationally
important landscapes. Since 1984, there have been 55 national her-
itage areas established across the country, none of which are in
Hawaii. This bill seeks to change that by requiring the Secretary
of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating
Kaena Point as a national heritage area. Kaena Point is located on
the western most tip of Oahu and is considered by Native Hawai-
ians to be one of the most sacred landscapes on the island. It is
home to numerous cultural, historical, and archeological sites as
well as natural resources, making it one of the last remaining in-
tact coastal ecosystem sites in Hawaii. Kaena Point is currently
managed by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Re-
sources and includes the second most visited park on Oahu—Kaena
Point State Park. The park offers numerous recreational opportuni-
ties for visitors: fishing, hiking, beachgoing, wildlife viewing, and
picnicking. The state park also serves as a gateway to the Kaena
Point Natural Area Reserve, which is also managed by the state.
The 34-acre reserve was established over 30 years ago to help pre-
serve one of the last intact dune ecosystems in Hawaii.
The coastal ecosystems and near-shore waters at Kaena Point
offer critical habitat to numerous endemic and endangered species.
Green sea turtles and Hawaiian monk seals are often spotted in
the near-shore waters. Numerous endangered plant species, like
Ohia or Kaena akoko spot the landscape, and endangered yellow-
faced bees nest in the local driftwood. The unique vegetation at
Kaena Point also offers prime nesting habitat for 17 different bird
5

species, such as the albatross—they are an endangered species—
and wedge-tailed shearwater. There is no question that Kaena
Point’s many historic, cultural, and natural resources combine to
make a nationally significant landscape, a landscape that offers one
of the last glimpses of undisturbed coastline in Hawaii.
S. 4464 simply directs the Secretary of the Interior, in consulta-
tion with state and local stakeholders, to study the possibility of
designating Kaena Point as a national heritage area. The bill re-
quires the studies to be completed within three years, and that
upon completion, the Secretary submits a report to Congress on the
findings. It is supported by the Hawaii Department of Land and
Natural Resources, which currently manages the area. The House
companion bill, H.R. 1908, introduced by my colleague, Representa-
tive Case, passed the House earlier this year in March. A national
heritage area designation would bring much-needed federal support
to the management and educational opportunities at Kaena Point,
including enhanced interpretation and resource protection.
I urge my colleagues to join me in advancing S. 4464 out of the
Committee so that the Senate can pass the bill and allow the Sec-
retary to get the study underway. The National Park Service
knows that ‘‘through their resources, national heritage areas tell
nationally important stories that celebrate our nation’s diverse her-
itage.’’ The historic, cultural, and the natural resources found at
Kaena Point indeed tell a nationally significant story, a story told
nowhere else in our country. This legislation will help ensure that
story can continue to be told and appreciated for generations to
come.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator KING. Thank you, Senator Hirono.
And we are honored to have with us Senator Alex Padilla of Cali-
fornia to come before our Subcommittee.
Senator Padilla, the floor is yours.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ALEX PADILLA,
U.S. SENATOR FROM CALIFORNIA
Senator PADILLA. Thank you, Chairman King and Ranking Mem-
ber Daines for inviting me to join you today to testify on a bill that
I believe is necessary to help preserve and tell America’s full his-
tory and embrace further the rich mosaic that is the United States
of America. And it is fitting that I am here today, that we are here
today, during Hispanic Heritage Month to consider a measure on
behalf of the César E. Chávez and the Farmworker Movement Na-
tional Historic Park Act.
Now, this month, we remember the accomplishments and con-
tributions made by Latino leaders in America throughout our na-
tion’s history and we celebrate the people and the movements that
have helped shape our nation and who have moved our country
closer to living up to the ideals of democracy and equality that
were established in our nation’s founding. What better way to do
that during Hispanic Heritage Month than to honor the civil rights
icon and labor leader, César E. Chávez, for future generations of
Americans? As its name implies, my bill would establish a national
historic park to preserve the nationally significant sites associated
with César E. Chávez and the farmworker movement.
6

A little bit of legislative history: in 2008, in a bipartisan effort
led by Senators John McCain and Barbara Boxer, as well as Rep-
resentative Hilda Solis at the time, Congress directed the National
Park Service to conduct a study of sites significant to the life of
Chávez and the farm labor movement. The National Park Service
determined several sites to be ‘‘nationally significant’’ and rec-
ommended that Congress establish a national historic park. While
President Obama designated a UFW headquarters in Chávez’s
home in La Paz, California as a national monument in 2012, this
legislation would build on that foundation and allow the National
Park Service to tell the complete story of the movement through
the inclusion of additional significant sites. If the National Park
Service is to continue to be America’s storyteller, this bill will help
us honor and be more inclusive of the people who have moved our
country forward.
And on a personal note, I know some of you may recall the day
and the ceremony where President Obama first established the
César E. Chávez National Monument in Keene, California. I re-
member it because I was there. My wife Angela and I pulled our
oldest son, Roman, from school that day so that we could be part
of history—history in the making. It was on that day in 2012 with
Roman perched on my shoulders, that we watched as a Latino
leader was honored in the National Park System. And if you think
I am exaggerating, Mr. Chairman, here is a photo from that day.
A new generation of Americans saw that our nation also celebrates
those who challenge us to build a more inclusive America. And
kids, like mine—we now have three boys—can grow up knowing
that some of the most courageous and admirable Americans are ac-
tivists and organizers. They, too, are heroes. They are farmworkers
and laborers and yes, they are Latino. And that is what we have
a chance to do today, to help expand the story of our nation to bet-
ter reflect the communities who helped write it and to remind us
of the continued fight for dignity, for respect, and for equal justice
that still lies before us.
So I look forward to working with this Committee to advance this
bill, and I thank you again for allowing me the opportunity to
share a few words today. Thank you.
Senator KING. Senator Padilla, thank you so much for joining us.
I remember César E. Chávez quite well during the period that he
was leading the farmworkers and I appreciate you bringing this bill
forward.
Now we will introduce our witnesses for today’s hearing.
First, Mr. Michael Caldwell, who is the Associate Director of
Park Planning, Facilities, and Lands at the National Park Service.
Mr. Caldwell is no stranger to this Committee, and we welcome
him back. Thank you very much for being here today.
We also have Mr. Will Shafroth, President and CEO of the Na-
tional Park Foundation. Again, no stranger to this Committee, an-
other familiar face and thank you for joining us.
We also have Mr. Steve Richardson, Vice President of the
Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters. Mr. Richardson is the
former CEO and now Chair of the Board of Katahdin Trust Com-
pany, who resides in Shin Pond, Maine. We are very glad to have
7

you here, Mr. Richardson. Thank you for taking the trip down to
join us.
Mr. Caldwell, your testimony.
STATEMENT OF MICHAEL A. CALDWELL, ASSOCIATE DIREC-
TOR FOR PARK PLANNING, FACILITIES, AND LANDS, NA-
TIONAL PARK SERVICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTE-
RIOR
Mr. CALDWELL. Chairman King, Ranking Member Daines, thank
you for the opportunity to present the Department of the Interior’s
views on the 16 bills on today’s agenda. I would like to submit our
full statements on each of the bills for the record and summarize
the Department’s views.
Senator KING. Without objection.
Mr. CALDWELL. The Department supports the following eight
bills.
S.J. Resolution 57, which would redesignate the memorial to
Robert E. Lee in Arlington National Cemetery as the Arlington
House National Historic Site.
S. 3447, which would authorize the National Service Animals
Monument Corporation to establish a commemorative work in
Washington, DC, to commemorate service animals and their han-
dlers.
S. 3579, which would authorize the Embassy of France to estab-
lish a commemorative work in Washington, DC, to honor the con-
tributions of Jean Monnet.
S. 4122, which would designate specified segments of the
Housatonic River in Connecticut as components of the National
Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
S. 4222, which would establish the St. Croix National Heritage
Area in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
S. 4464 and H.R. 1908, which would direct the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a study to assess the designation of Honolulu
County, Hawaii, as a national heritage area to be known as the
Kaena Point National Heritage Area.
S. 4784, which would add 43,000 acres to the Katahdin Woods
and Waters National Monument and enable the National Park
Service to provide a dedicated public route into the monument from
the south, improving access from the communities of Millinocket,
East Millinocket and Medway.
The reasons for our support of these bills are explained in our
full statements. For several of the bills we are requesting amend-
ments and we would be happy to work with the Committee on
drafting them.
The Department appreciates the opportunity provided by S. 305,
the Springfield Race Riot National Monument Act, to increase pub-
lic awareness and engagement with this painful, but important
chapter in our nation’s history. The bill would establish the Spring-
field Race Riot National Monument in Illinois as a unit of the Na-
tional Park System to preserve and interpret the resources associ-
ated with the Springfield Race Riot of 1908 and its role in the for-
mation of the NAACP. The National Park Service is currently in
the process of completing a special resource study of the site, and
if the Committee decides to move forward on this bill before the
8

study is completed, the Department would appreciate the oppor-
tunity to recommend technical amendments to the bill.
S. 1211 would authorize the establishment of the Cahokia
Mounds Mississippian Culture National Historical Park. The De-
partment recognizes the importance of the story that is represented
by the resources related to the Cahokia Mounds and other Mis-
sissippian mound sites in the greater St. Louis area, but rec-
ommends that the bill be amended to provide for a special resource
study in place of a park designation at this time.
The Department does not object to S. 3873, which would recog-
nize and honor former U.S. Congressman Rick Boucher by desig-
nating the outdoor amphitheater at the Blue Ridge Music Center
in Galax, Virginia, as the ‘‘Rick Boucher Amphitheater.’’
Regarding S. 4168, which would increase the annual authoriza-
tion of the appropriations to the National Park Foundation from $5
million to $15 million, and extend the authority for this funding
through Fiscal Year 2030, the Department supports the extension
of the authorization of appropriations and looks forward to working
with Congress to ensure continued support for the National Park
Service in alignment with the priorities set forth in the President’s
budget.
The Department appreciates the concept and vision of H.R. 4878,
which would amend the National Trail System Act to include a
new category of national discovery trails and designate the Amer-
ican Discovery Trail as the first trail in this new category, but does
not support amending the National Trail System Act to include this
new designation.
Finally, on S. 4377 and H.R. 4380, which would designate the
Healing Garden in El Paso, Texas as the El Paso Community Heal-
ing Garden National Monument Memorial, the Department will be
submitting a statement for the record following the hearing. The
Department has previously testified that it does not have a position
on H.R. 4380, as the memorial would be located at a site that is not
under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior, and the
bill does not provide for any management or funding by the Na-
tional Park Service.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my statement. I would be pleased
to answer any questions you may have.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Caldwell follows:]
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Senator KING. Thank you very much, Mr. Caldwell, and thank
you again for all your service. You are in friendly territory here.
That brings me to Mr. Will Shafroth, testifying on behalf of the Na-
tional Park Foundation.
Mr. Shafroth, welcome.

STATEMENT OF WILL SHAFROTH, PRESIDENT AND CEO,
NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Daines, thank you for the invi-
tation to be here today. I am Will Shafroth, President and CEO of
the National Park Foundation. On behalf of the Foundation’s Board
of Directors, and all who love our most treasured places in this
country, I want to thank you, again, for holding this hearing and
to consider S. 4168, the National Park Foundation Reauthorization
Act of 2022. An identical companion bill, H.R. 7693, has already
passed the House on July 19th with strong bipartisan support.
Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation
was founded on a legacy that began more than a century ago when
private citizens from all walks of life acted to establish and protect
our national parks. Today, the National Park Foundation carries
on the tradition as the only national charitable non-profit whose
sole mission is to directly support the National Park Service. Work-
ing together with the National Park Service and a dedicated com-
munity of park partners, the National Park Foundation strives to
preserve what is best about our national parks and ensure that all
people can connect with and enjoy them. The success of the Na-
tional Park Foundation is tied to the financial support by the indi-
viduals, families, foundations, and corporate partners provide to it.
In FY21, that support totaled more than $128 million. As we close
the books on FY22, we anticipate total revenue to exceed $166 mil-
lion with more than 73 percent of that directly impacting the
parks.
One reason for the foundation’s rapid growth in recent years is
its ability to leverage federal dollars. Many donors who I work with
want to know that their funds are being matched by federal invest-
ments. As authorized by the National Park Service Centennial Act
of 2016, the foundation receives up to $5 million in annual appro-
priations through FY23. The Act also requires the foundation to
provide a minimum of a dollar-for-dollar private match for any pro-
grams or projects funded with federal appropriations. Since receiv-
ing its first appropriation in FY18, the foundation received a total
of $23 million in federal funds. The foundation selects projects and
matches funds at a greater than one-to-one ratio in all cases. For
example, the foundation received $5 million in FY19 and matched
that with $6.5 million in private funds, creating a total impact of
over $11.5 million. In FY20, the $5 million the foundation received
was matched with $11.4 million in private funds, creating an over-
all impact of more than $15 million. So, of the $18 million that the
foundation received from the Treasury for FY18-FY21, the founda-
tion has raised and allocated an additional $23.8 million. So it is
a good bang for the buck, we think, for Congress to provide these
funds. The foundation continues the process of matching and allo-
cating additional funds for the remainder of appropriation dollars
35

on an ongoing basis. It is a continual thing that we try to respond
to parks and the Park Service, in general.
To date, the foundation has invested a combination of appro-
priated and private dollars on more than 100 projects in 32 states
and two territories. Our goal over the next couple of years is to
have funded projects in all 50 states and many more territories.
The foundation staff works closely with both the Park Service as
well as our local park partners to identify priority projects and pro-
grams where investing appropriated dollars can help leverage pri-
vate dollars. Examples of these projects include rehabilitating
trails, visitor centers, and other facilities; deploying service corps to
build and maintain trails, eradicate invasive species and restore
historic structures; engaging in educating youth; expanding sus-
tainability efforts, including reducing waste and funding electric
vehicle shuttle programs in parks; conserving wildlife in their habi-
tat; and restoring and improving historic and cultural resources.
These funds have proven critical in addressing the parks’ deferred
maintenance backlog, making our parks more resilient and sustain-
able and increasing access for current and future generations of
park visitors.
With increased visitation to parks and a continued gap between
need and available funding across the park system, the National
Park Foundation Reauthorization Act could not come at a better
time. S. 4168 would reauthorize the foundation’s annual appropria-
tion through 2030, as you have heard, and increase the authorized
amount from $5 to $15 million. We will continue to be very con-
fident that we can raise substantial private funds to more than
double the federal investment in park programs and projects, and
should this reauthorization happen, as proposed, the total impact
on the parks on an annual basis will be greater than $30 million.
The foundation anticipates continued growth in its fundraising in
the coming years, and we believe that the passage of the Reauthor-
ization Act will only accelerate the growth and deliver critical im-
pact to our parks and improve visitor experience. Literally, the leg-
islation puts wind in our sails as we go out and are seeking addi-
tional funds for the parks.
Thank you again to Senator Portman, Chairman King, and
Ranking Member Daines, for introducing legislation and for all
those who have joined as co-sponsors since. I am happy to answer
any questions you have.
Thank you very much.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Shafroth follows:]
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Senator KING. Thank you, Mr. Shafroth. I only wish every wit-
ness before our Committee could promise us $2 back for every dol-
lar we put in. I think our job would be a lot easier.
Mr. SHAFROTH. Good, well, we hope to make it more than $2.
Senator KING. Our next witness is Mr. Steven Richardson. He
will introduce himself, but I have to say that my dad used to use
the term ‘‘pillar of the community’’—someone who is really essen-
tial to the support of any community—literally, a pillar, meaning
someone who holds the place up. Steve Richardson is one of those
people, from Patten, Maine. We are delighted you made the trip to
join us today.
Steven Richardson.
STATEMENT OF STEVEN RICHARDSON, VICE PRESIDENT,
FRIENDS OF KATAHDIN WOODS AND WATERS
Mr. RICHARDSON. Thank you very much, Senator King. Before I
start, I would just encourage Ranking Member Daines to ask you
to bring a one-pound bag of fiddleheads back to him. It is not the
foraging of it that is so much fun, it is the eating.
[Laughter.]
Mr. RICHARDSON. Thank you both and the members of this dis-
tinguished Committee, Subcommittee on National Parks. I am hon-
ored and humbled to be with you today to discuss the critical legis-
lation that you are considering for Katahdin Woods and Waters
National Monument. But before I start, I need to offer my sincere
appreciation to Senator Angus King and Senator Susan Collins for
their support and advocacy for Maine and Katahdin Woods and
Waters National Monument, specifically. Since its creation in Au-
gust of 2016, our Senators have worked diligently through the ap-
propriations process to improve the monument, increase staffing,
protect its resources, and make it more accessible to visitors. So
thank you very much.
Senator King has introduced me, for the most part. I was born
in Patten. I now live in Shin Pond, which is just ten miles away.
I live in the northern part of the monument area. In addition to
what you have heard about me, I also am a very silent partner
with my son, Nathan, who successfully runs the family hardware,
the lumber yard, greenhouse, et cetera in Patten. And I look for-
ward today to providing testimony on S. 4784, the Katahdin Woods
and Waters National Monument Act, which is sponsored by Chair-
man King and co-sponsored by Senator Collins. To me, this legisla-
tion is about the future. It is about making it possible for our kids
to stay in the region and thus, in Maine.
Millinocket, a town south of the monument, was once home to
the largest paper mill in the world. Families made their living in
the woods and in the mills, and there were good jobs with benefits
for anyone willing to work hard. But that changed, through no
fault of the good men and women of the Katahdin region. Our com-
munities have had to adapt to a new reality and take new ap-
proaches to our natural resources and our economy. The monument
is an important part of that transition. It is a beacon of hope, draw-
ing new people, more visitors, and increased investment to our
communities, all the while protecting a very special place for the
enjoyment of generations to come.
41

The legislation before you does three things: first, it allows the
National Park Service to acquire land from willing sellers to im-
prove access to the monument. Second, it allows the National Park
Service to work collaboratively with local communities to secure
space for headquarters, staff housing, visitor contact stations, and
other important facilities in gateway communities. And third, it
protects and preserves access for traditional activities, including
hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, and the gathering of those all-im-
portant fiddleheads.
When the monument was created, we all knew that the access
from the south would benefit towns such as Millinocket, East
Millinocket, and Medway, so that visitors there could enter the
monument more easily and the economic benefits of visitation
would be spread more evenly. Southern access is imperative to
those gateway communities and for the monument’s continued
growth and development. Senators King and Collins have recog-
nized a need and found a solution that is broadly supported in the
region and statewide. When it was created, Katahdin Woods and
Waters also came with a promise. Private philanthropy would en-
sure the monument would get off to a good start by investing pri-
vate dollars into infrastructure. That promise, I am proud to say,
has been kept. There is a $3 million endowment, along with annual
private funding to offset operational costs to the National Park
Service. Over $20 million has been raised from donors to construct
a new visitor’s contact center inside the monument and more than
$8 million philanthropic dollars have been invested to improve
roads, bridges, trails, scenic views, and campsites. Katahdin Woods
and Waters has built incredible momentum because of the unique
and successful partnership between local communities, philan-
thropic partners, and the National Park Service. Friends of Katah-
din Woods and Waters has developed the Katahdin Learning
Project, where staff leadership, local schools and educators, and the
National Park Service have combined to provide 9,000 students the
opportunity for outdoor learning, place-based and service-learning
projects, and trail crew opportunities. To date, 1,600 young people,
have visited the monument, connecting them with nature and the
history of the area. This legislation you are considering is all about
connecting all people with the monument.
The monument is paying off for the communities in the region.
As a personal story, my son recognized that with the creation of
the monument, our store had an opportunity to serve new types of
customers. It was a risk, but he believed that once people learned
about the beauty and the history of our region and about the
monument, they would come. He began to stock kayaks, canoes,
paddleboards, camping gear and the like. I am happy today to say
that he was correct. The store has experienced minimum 20 per-
cent year-over-year increases over the past six years. This is true
for many businesses in the Katahdin region, as more people have
come to take advantage of what is offered. And some visitors have
luckily become full-time residents.
To summarize, there is a need in our region to improve access
to Katahdin Woods and Waters. The legislation from Senators King
and Collins protects traditional recreational uses, allows the Na-
tional Park Service to work with willing sellers, promotes greater
42

investment in our region, and will help businesses and working
people. I appreciate their support on this matter and ongoing sup-
port for the monument, and I hope the Senate will support this bill
as well. I am happy to answer any questions you might have and
thank you for the opportunity to tell the story of Katahdin Woods
and Waters National Monument and what it means to my commu-
nity and beyond. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Richardson follows:]
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Senator KING. Thank you very much, Mr. Richardson.
Let me begin with some questions generally. Mr. Caldwell, I un-
derstand the importance that working forests have access and the
ability to get their woods out. Can you talk about how the Park
Service deals with this issue in other parts of the country to have
the safe cohabitation, if you will, of visitors and the forest products
industry?
Mr. CALDWELL. Sure. Well, certainly at Katahdin Woods—it is
great to see you here, sir—we honor all the agreements that we
have, and I think you alluded to that earlier when you identified
even the signs and the website. But where authorized elsewhere in
the country for commercial use, say in places, parts of the Foothills
Parkway in the Smokies or Delaware Water Gap, for example, the
Park Service has balanced those needs with those commercial uses
versus the needs of the visitors on those roads. So it is something
that we do elsewhere when we have those authorizations in places
similar to Katahdin Woods.
Senator KING. Thank you. I look forward to working with you on
that issue.
Mr. CALDWELL. Thank you.
Senator KING. Mr. Shafroth, you outlined this in your remarks,
and I mentioned it in my response, but I think the important fact
for us here is the matching that you do. Can you expand on that
a little bit? What can we look forward to in terms of a return on
this investment that is proposed in this bill?
Mr. SHAFROTH. Thank you for the question, Mr. Chairman.
Well, you know, I would say 60 or 70 percent of my job, Mr.
Chairman, is fundraising. I am at the point of the spear with a lot
of corporations and foundations, individuals, families, and I can tell
you that the dynamic that exists when people are considering mak-
ing a meaningful gift to the National Park Foundation has a lot to
do with, ‘‘Well, who else is going to be in with me on this? Is the
Federal Government a part of this transaction or this project? Do
you have other donors that are lined up?’’ Very few people want to
fund 100 percent of something. And so, when I can acknowledge in
the course of those conversations that, yes, we are able to put a
quarter of a million dollars of our federal appropriation dollars into
this program or project, it just shifts the likelihood that we are
going to get a grant.
And so, you know, this is the first time in our 55-year history—
this last four years—that we have actually had financial resources
from the Federal Government to spend. And so, part of this process
for us has been figuring out the relationships with the Park Service
and making sure that we are aligned with them, both nationally
and the local community. I would say we are hitting our stride in
a meaningful way, and I think even though we are somewhere at,
like, for every dollar that we are provided we are at $1.4 or some-
thing like that, in terms of the match. I think we can see an oppor-
tunity to grow that going forward. And I think there is a huge
amount of demand out there, especially given the shortfall of other
federal dollars available for parks.
Senator KING. I have a particularly vivid story about the power
of matching. I used to work for public broadcasting in Maine, and
you know, you have the pledge breaks and people look at the cam-
48

era and say ‘‘new members, if you match . . .’’, and for some rea-
son, it came into my head one night when I was looking at the
camera, and I said ‘‘I will personally match all new members of a
hundred dollars,’’ or whatever it was. It was the biggest night of
calls they ever got. And it was so—and so, the head of the station
the next day said ‘‘Angus, you don’t really have to do that.’’ I said
‘‘yes, I do. I made a promise.’’ But I would not tell you what it cost
me, but it was significant.
[Laughter.]
Senator KING. All of my friends called in and picked my pocket
that night.
[Laughter.]
Senator KING. Mr. Richardson, you have been in the region your
whole life and you remember, as I do, that there was a lot of con-
troversy at the time of the creation of the monument, and there
was opposition, and people were concerned about the impacts in
the community. Have attitudes changed? How has the existence of
the monument affected the community’s acceptance of it?
Mr. RICHARDSON. Thank you.
I would say that attitudes have changed. I won’t say that every-
body is in favor. I think we are now down to two remaining ‘‘no
parks’’ signs in our communities, whereas before we had 20, 30,
maybe more. Just an anecdote—there was one gentleman on the
edge of the Swift Brook Road that is the entrance for the monu-
ment on the northern end. During the lead-up to the 2016 procla-
mation, he had mega signs on his doorway and his driveway, et
cetera and he would go to meetings and protest, et cetera, et
cetera.
Senator KING. I remember those meetings.
Mr. RICHARDSON. Yes and the other—not too long ago—it was
this summer, there was an activity in the Sherman area and one
of EFI’s people was down there.
Senator KING. Those are the people that were involved with the
monument.
Mr. RICHARDSON. Correct—Elliotsville Foundation people.
This gentleman tapped on the lady’s shoulder and he said, ‘‘I
have to say, I approve of the park.’’ He calls it a park, not a monu-
ment, but he called it a park. There are no signs on his lawn any-
more. And I am not saying that is the same thing that happens all
over the area, but there is general acceptance, even those that were
vocally opposed, you don’t hear anything. They either don’t say
anything or they are quietly approving.
Senator KING. You touched on this with regard to the personal
experience of the store in Patten.
Mr. RICHARDSON. Yes.
Senator KING. Is there a general consensus in the business com-
munity that the monument has been a positive, in terms of the
economy?
Mr. RICHARDSON. Yes, there is. The only thing that I would qual-
ify that with is that I think a lot of the uptick in the business com-
munity has been because of COVID. We have a nation now that
has turned to the outdoors rather than sitting home and looking
at the screen, so to speak, and that has helped and that going to
help the national parks all over this country. It has helped busi-
49

nesses because we have people every week. Last week I talked to
a gentleman from West Virginia and another one from Texas that
was in Northern Maine, and I am sure they would have never been
there if it weren’t for the fact that they now are outdoors, they are
trying to find places to go and thank goodness they are picking our
area.
Senator KING. One final question.
Mr. RICHARDSON. Yes.
Senator KING. This bill provides access to the south. This will
have the effect, as I see it, of spreading the benefits in terms of the
economy to those southern communities as well as up in your re-
gion.
Mr. RICHARDSON. That is correct.
If you were coming north and you were to get off in the
Millinocket-East Millinocket-Medway area, and assume that you
could access the park from there, you still have to drive back to the
Interstate, come north 20 miles, and go into the monument or go
up the local highway, again, another 20 miles to get there. So, yes,
once those people know that they can access the monument from
the southern district they will probably stay there for the most part
and spend their money. So it just has to have a tremendous posi-
tive effect on those communities.
Senator KING. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Richardson.
Senator Daines.
Senator DAINES. Chairman King, thank you.
Mr. Caldwell, Mr. Shafroth, a heartfelt thanks to both of you for
the work you have already done in Yellowstone National Park. This
is a park that I literally grew up in the shadows of as a kid, way
back in the 1960s. I grew up in the Gallatin Valley. Some of my
earliest memories were visiting Yellowstone National Park. I won-
der if you could provide an update on what the Park Service and
the foundation is doing to address the economic and the infrastruc-
ture impacts from the recent flooding, and how can both of you
work together with the local communities to get the park and the
communities back to 100 percent?
Start with Mr. Caldwell.
Mr. CALDWELL. I always defer to Will first, but I will go first.
First, I do want to sincerely thank you, Senator Daines, for your
support during the flooding at Yellowstone. I think as you rightly
noted in your introductory statement, the hard work of the team
at the park, led by Superintendent Sholly and in collaboration with
the staff from across the NPS and the Department and also with
our Federal partners, like Federal highways, I mean, it has, we
have been all in helping and we really, sincerely appreciate your
help.
The NPS was able to reopen 50 percent of the park within only
eight days, 93 percent of the park roads within 20 days, and 94
percent of the back country within 30 days of this 500-year flood
event from this past June. This allowed for visitor access from
Montana and Wyoming through three of the park’s five entrances,
just weeks after the flood. The park offered public access for hiking,
fishing, and bicycling at the north and northeast entrances as
quickly as possible and worked closely with commercial operators
and guides to allow additional vehicles access through the north
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entrance. The park conducted extensive outreach, as you have
noted, to more than 1,400 community members and local busi-
nesses following the flood, and continues to communicate with local
businesses regularly throughout the recovery. We look forward to
continuing to provide updates to you as needed and certainly, it is
an effort that will take the collaboration of folks like Will in the
National Park Foundation, so, thanks again.
Senator DAINES. Mr. Shafroth.
Mr. SHAFROTH. Yes, Mr. Daines, thank you.
First of all, I want to affirm what Mike just said about Super-
intendent Sholly. I mean, of the 423 or four national park units
that we have now, he is definitely one of the top performers and
you know, as tragic as it was, I am really glad that Cam was there
on the ground, given his capacity to manage the crisis that was un-
folding in real time. Also, Senator, I want to acknowledge the great
work of Yellowstone Forever, the local park partner that provides
day-to-day support and assistance for Cam and his team through-
out the park. You know, one of the things that we try to do is just
listen to Cam and find out, what do you need, you know, in real
time. And so, one of the things we were able to do is provide fund-
ing for the airport because they were mostly getting around, as you
know, by airplane there, as the roads were all out. So there needed
to be additional funding to support costs they had not anticipated
in their budget to support additional flights, not only for surveying
the damage, but also ongoing research projects that did not—you
do not want to stop those things that have been happening for so
many years related to wolves or—and then the other thing I would
say is that we just try to work with Cam and his team to under-
stand, kind of, what they need and how we can collectively solve
the problem.
And so, one of the things he told us is that we really need to stay
the course on some of these scientific research projects. We are
looking at the possibility of taking a larger share of the burden on
those so it frees up money for him to spend on some of the things
that need to be done in the immediate. So, as I said, we are just
kind of part of the team, and we are trying to do what we can do
to support the work at Yellowstone where we can, just as we did
at Gardiner Arch a few years back. Our dollars there really freed
up Cam and Yellowstone Forever to do other things that needed to
happen in the park.
Senator DAINES. Thanks, Mr. Shafroth. We are very thankful
that Mr. Sholly happened to be at that position at that time, not
only in terms of his experience and frankly, such a great mind to
help us think through so many challenges that came at us all at
once, but, kind of a native son of Gardiner, too, having gone to the
Gardiner High School, which I think just adds a little more in
terms of perspective as they were staring at what to do about that
road between Gardiner and Mammoth. So, anyway, thank you. And
again, heartfelt thanks for your continued partnership.
Mr. Shafroth, I want to switch now and talk about Senate bill
4168, the reauthorization of the foundation until 2030. It increases
the annual authorization—triples it, from $5 million to $15 million.
If this bill was signed into law, how will that enhance the work the
foundation is already doing to support our parks?
51

Mr. SHAFROTH. Thank you, Mr. Daines.
Well, it just gives us an opportunity to scale the work that we
have already been doing. You know, at the end of the day, the
number of requests that we have for the funding that we have now
far exceeds our ability to meet the demand. One of the things that
is happening around the country is that the capacity of friends
groups and local park partners is increasing, and you know, thank-
fully, because of the increase in visitation and the growing gap be-
tween funding availability and need, we are working with a broad-
er diversity of organizations at the local level to help them to do
work with their superintendents in the parks. And so, you know,
10 or 15 years ago, there were maybe eight or ten organizations
that were raising, you know, more than a million or $2 million a
year. Now that number is dramatically higher. And so, frankly, we
have more organizations with whom we can work to do good in
parks all over the country.
I want to acknowledge that we have a very active role in Katah-
din. We are the managers of the $3 million endowment. And we are
able to contribute to projects using our federal dollars now that—
this organization did not exist six years ago. And so, there are lots
of groups like this all over the country with whom we now have
a partnership and are helping them build their capacity so they
can be responsible partners to the Park Service and their local
communities. And so, this is done at the right time. I mean, even
five years ago, we probably couldn’t have spent $15 million a year
that effectively, but now, we really could.
Senator DAINES. And with Chairman King’s commitment to
match that personally——
[Laughter.]
Mr. SHAFROTH. We are inviting you to our fundraiser, Mr. King.
Senator DAINES. Let the record stand, please. So, anyway, sorry.
So, you know, shifting gears and thinking about the smaller
parks because, of course, you know, our big marquee parks get a
lot of attention and rightfully so, but our smaller parks—think
about the Little Bighorn Battlefield in Montana. How can the foun-
dation continue to support our smaller and sometimes lesser-known
parks?
Mr. SHAFROTH. Thank you for the question.
It is really critical, and I am sure Mike will want to weigh in on
this as well, but you know, roughly half of the visitation of the na-
tional parks occurs on 25 or 30 national park sites. So, you know,
roughly 160 or 165 million people go to 25 of the 425 parks. And
that is just, kind of, unsustainable and it is actually increasing. I
was in Acadia this summer with our board for four days and you
know, everywhere it was crowded. It was late July, early August
and you know, you couldn’t find a parking space. It was—there
were a lot of folks there. Part of what we are trying to do is to
drive more visitation to some of the lesser-known parks. And one
of the ways in which we think we can do that, by working with the
Park Service, is around technology, is to give people, you know,
kind of one-stop shopping on their phone, you know, an app that
would give them information, not only about the park that they are
in, but other places that are close by. I mean, I would never tell
people not to go to Yellowstone, but I would say instead of staying
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for five days, maybe stay for three days, go see Little Bighorn, go
to Devils Tower, go to Teddy Roosevelt, you know, within a day’s
drive of where you are. And I think that if we had those kinds of
tools to better do that, we could make that happen.
And the other part of it is to help those parks, those lesser-
known parks, Senator Daines, to have more to show for them-
selves. The work that we have done, as you acknowledge, at Little
Bighorn is critical to wanting people to go there and come back by
improving the visitor experience of the visitor center. It is also a
great example of where we can provide funding from a foundation
and match those with the federal dollars that we receive from Con-
gress.
Senator DAINES. Yes, I know, I think it is a great, great response
and just providing visibility and awareness of some of these small-
er parks that, you know, the big parks have the draw and then
they don’t realize that within a couple hours’ drive are amazing
hidden jewels there, that we could improve the visitor experience.
Lastly, I want to think about the future here for a moment. If
the foundation is reauthorized until 2030, what are some projects
you would like to see the foundation support, and how do you see
the foundation adapting to what you just mentioned, and that is
the increase in visitation we have seen? You mentioned technology
as one. Any other thoughts come to mind?
Mr. SHAFROTH. Well, I think we need to—like you said, thinking
about the future, and we are in regular contact with Mike and the
leadership of the Park Service about some of the challenges they
are facing around housing, for instance. Housing is not something
that we were hearing a lot about five years ago, but now, it is all
we hear about. Every time I talk to a superintendent, it is on their
mind. And so, how can we help the Park Service address these
long-term issues that are not going to go away? Housing, I think
that visitor experience, I talked about the digital and technological
experience there. I think, you know, certainly, our changing climate
is going to affect a lot of different parks in different ways, and I
think getting ahead of some of those issues with them, under-
standing how to be more resilient and more sustainable, are ways
in which I think we can help the Park Service going forward.
Senator DAINES. Thank you.
And Chairman King, that is all I have, but just as a closing com-
ment, we have discussed a number of times in front of this Com-
mittee, the challenge you just described there, Mr. Shafroth, that
is these gateway communities that are landlocked, and how do we
solve that problem. It relates to housing and the need just for addi-
tional real estate as we increase the visitation numbers, the staff-
ing requirements, and housing, and good housing is an important
part of employee morale. I know Cam has worked a lot on that in
Yellowstone Park, but I know we face this in a number of gateway
communities across our country. Chairman King and I have talked
about it and I think it will be something in the next Congress we
will have to address and take some action on.
Senator KING. In fact, one of the bills we approved at a previous
Committee meeting involved a little parcel at Acadia to transfer to
an adjacent town for housing. So that is the kind of thing that we
have to be thinking about.
53

Mr. Caldwell, I want to send a message back. This is not directed
at you, but at the Department. I have been disappointed in the
maintenance budget. Senator Daines and I and many others moved
heaven and earth to pass the Great American Outdoors Act to take
a bite out of the maintenance backlog, which was successful, but
we have to quit digging the hole. There are national standards
about percentage of asset value that should be dedicated to mainte-
nance—between two and four percent. We are not doing that. So
I hope the message will go back to the Department that as they
are working out budgets for future years, that they cannot rely on
Congress bailing them out periodically. That has to be part of the
mentality of—oh, okay, maintenance. That is base. Will you carry
that message, please?
Mr. CALDWELL. Duly noted. I will carry that message. Thank
you.
Senator KING. Thank you.
Well, I appreciate all the witnesses joining us. Is there anything
any of the witnesses would like to share before we close the hear-
ing?
Mr. Shafroth.
Mr. Richardson.
[No response.]
Senator KING. Well, thank you again for your testimony. Mr.
Richardson, again, I appreciate your coming down from Maine and
look forward to working with you and Senator Daines, and I and
the Committee will be working on these bills, hopefully, in the very
near future.
Without anything further, we have two weeks from today for
submission of additional information and comments. The hearing is
adjourned.
Again, thank you to our witnesses and to my esteemed Vice
Chair.
[Whereupon, at 11:35 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.]
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