[Pages H9966-H9969]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

AUTHORIZING FUNDS TO REHABILITATE GOING-TO-THE-SUN ROAD IN GLACIER PARK

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4521) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to authorize
and provide funding for rehabilitation of the Going-to-the-Sun Road in
Glacier National Park, to authorize funds for maintenance of utilities
related to the Park, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:

H.R. 4521

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The historic significance of the 52-mile Going-to-the-
Sun Road is recognized by its listing on the National
Register of Historic Places in 1983, designation as a
National Historic Engineering Landmark by the American
Society of Civil Engineers in 1985, and designation as a
National Historic Landmark in 1997.
(2) A contracted engineering study and Federal Highway
Administration recommendations in 1997 of the Going-to-the-
Sun Road verified significant structural damage to the road
that has occurred since it opened in 1932.
(3) Infrastructure at most of the developed areas is
inadequate for cold-season (fall, winter, and spring)
operation, and maintenance backlog needs exist for normal
summer operation.
(4) The Many Glacier Hotel and Lake McDonald Lodge are on
the National Register of Historic Places and are National
Historic Landmarks. Other accommodations operated by the

[[Page H9967]]

concessioner with possessory interest and listed on the
National Register of Historic Places are the Rising Sun Motor
Inn and Swiftcurrent Motel.
(5) The historic hotels in Glacier National Park, operated
under concession agreements with the National Park Service,
are essential for public use and enjoyment of the Park.
(6) Public consumers deserve safe hotels in Glacier
National Park that can meet their basic needs and
expectations.
(7) The historic hotels in Glacier National Park are
significantly deteriorated and need substantial repair.
(8) Repairs of the hotels in Glacier National Park have
been deferred for so long that, absent any changes to Federal
law and the availability of historic tax credits, the
remodeling costs for the hotels may exceed the capacity of an
investor to finance them solely out of hotel revenues.
(9) The current season of operation for hotels is
approximately 4 months because the developed areas lack
water, sewer, and fire protection systems that can operate in
freezing conditions, lack building insulation, and lack
heating systems.
(10) The National Park Service Concessions Management
Improvement Act of 1998 is based upon sound principles and is
achieving its basic purposes, but there appear to be selected
instances where the National Park Service may need additional
authority to conduct demonstration projects.
(11) A demonstration project is needed for the repair of
the historic hotels in Glacier National Park.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Advisory committee.--The term ``Advisory Committee''
means the Going-to-the-Sun Road Citizens Advisory Committee.
(2) Park.--The term ``Park'' means Glacier National Park.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.

SEC. 3. GOING-TO-THE-SUN ROAD STUDY.

(a) Feasibility Study.--Not later than December 31, 2001,
the Secretary, in consultation with Advisory Committee, shall
complete a feasibility study for rehabilitation of Going-to-
the-Sun Road located in the Park. The study shall include--
(1) alternatives for rehabilitation of Going-to-the-Sun
Road and a ranking of the feasibility of each alternative;
(2) an estimate of the length of time necessary to complete
each alternative;
(3) a description of what mitigation efforts would be used
to preserve resources and minimize adverse economic effects
of each alternative;
(4) an analysis of the costs and benefits of each
alternative;
(5) an estimate of the cost of each alternative;
(6) an analysis of the economic impact of each alternative;
(7) an analysis of long-term maintenance needs, standards,
and schedules for the road, alternatives to accomplish the
rehabilitation, maintenance staff needs, and associated cost
estimates;
(8) a draft of the environmental impact statement required
under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)); and
(9) an analysis of improvements to any transportation
system relating to the Park that are needed inside or outside
the Park.
(b) Continuation Maintenance.--Nothing in this section
shall affect the duty of the Secretary to continue the
program in effect on the day before the date of the enactment
of this Act to preserve, maintain, and address safety
concerns related to Going-to-the-Sun Road.
(c) Implementation of Plan.--As soon as practicable after
completing the study required by subsection (a), the
Secretary shall--
(1) consider the recommendations of the Advisory Committee;
(2) choose an alternative for rehabilitation of the Going-
to-the-Sun Road from the alternatives included in the study
based upon the final environmental impact statement required
under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)); and
(3) begin implementation of a plan based on that choice.
Implementation actions that are authorized include
rehabilitation of Going-to-the-Sun Road and expenditure of
funds inside or outside the Park for transportation system
improvements related to the Park and impact mitigation if
recommended by the study and the Advisory Committee. The
Secretary shall also seek funding for the long-term
maintenance needs that the study identifies.
(d) Report.--Not later than 30 days after completion of the
study required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall
submit a copy of the study to--
(1) the Committee on Resources and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated $200,000,000 to the Secretary to carry out
this section, including--
(1) implementation of the plan under subsection (c); and
(2) the cost of any necessary environmental or cultural
documentation and monitoring, including the draft
environmental impact statement required under subsection
(a)(8).

SEC. 4. MAINTENANCE AND UPGRADE OF UTILITY SYSTEMS.

(a) In General.--As soon as practicable after funds are
made available under this section, the Secretary shall begin
the upgrade and continue the maintenance of utility systems
which service the Park and facilities related to the Park.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this
section, $20,000,000.

SEC. 5. VISITOR FACILITIES PLAN.

(a) Plan for Visitor Facilities.--Not later than December
31, 2001, the Secretary shall complete a comprehensive plan
for visitor facilities in the Park. The comprehensive plan
shall include the following:
(1) A completed commercial services plan, as called for in
the Park General Management Plan.
(2) A plan for private financing of rehabilitation of
lodging facilities and associated property that are listed on
the National Register of Historic Places or are part of a
district listed on the National Register of Historic Places,
which may include historic tax credits, hotel revenue, and
other financing alternatives as deemed appropriate by the
Secretary, and which may include options such as extending
the Park's visitor season, additional visitor facilities, and
other options as deemed appropriate by the Secretary in order
to recover the rehabilitation costs.
(3) A financial analysis of the plan under paragraph (2).
(4) A plan by the Secretary to provide necessary assistance
to appropriate interested entities for the restoration or
comparable replacement of tour buses for use in the Park.
(5) A plan for a new visitors center at the west side of
the Park, including an appropriate location and design for
the center and suitable housing and display facilities for
museum objects of the Park as set forth in the Park General
Management Plan, including any studies required to be carried
out under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and other applicable laws.
(6) A parkwide natural and cultural resources assessment,
in accordance with sections 203 and 204 of the National Parks
Omnibus Management Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-391; 112 Stat.
3497), including a comprehensive inventory of resources of
the Park.
(7) A description of any additional authority requested by
the Secretary to implement the comprehensive plan.
(b) Submission of Plan.--The Secretary shall submit copies
of the comprehensive plan to the Committee on Resources of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources of the Senate.
(c) Implementation of Plan.--As soon as practicable after
completion of the comprehensive plan, the Secretary shall
implement the comprehensive plan, including construct the
visitors center pursuant to the plan required by subsection
(a)(5).
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary $1,000,000 to complete
the comprehensive plan.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Calvert) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert).
Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
H.R. 4521, as introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from Montana
(Mr. Hill), will ensure the future protection of Glacier National Park
by laying out a plan to restore the Going-to-the-Sun Road, upgrading
utility systems in the park, and the future of the grand lodges in the
park. The gentleman from Montana has worked diligently on this
legislation and should be commended for his service to Montana and the
Congress.
Madam Speaker, this is good legislation that will ensure that future
steps taken by Glacier National Park will enhance the ability of the
public to access and to enjoy one of America's great parks. I urge my
colleagues to support H.R. 4521, as amended.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. HOLT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, H.R. 4521, introduced by our colleague, the
gentleman from Montana (Mr. Hill), would direct the Secretary of the
Interior to develop and implement a plan, at a cost of up to $200
million, for the rehabilitation of the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier
National Park. The bill also authorizes $20 million for maintenance of
utility systems.
The third significant provision of this bill deals with the
rehabilitation of the Many Glacier Hotel and other structures in the
park. When the Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands held a
hearing on the bill, the administration and others raised a number of
concerns with the bill's language. Following the hearing, meetings were
held with the staff of our colleague from Montana and the congressional
delegation from Montana, the

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National Park Service, and the committee staff.
While major progress was made in addressing the issues with the bill,
significant issues remained. Instead of seeking closure on these
remaining issues, the Committee on Resources adopted a new amendment
offered by the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Hill) that discarded the
progress that had been made in addressing the park hotel rehabilitation
and instead proposed new language that had not been discussed yet, let
alone agreed to by the parties.
As a result, the bill reported by the committee has substantive and
procedural problems. It fails to address the concerns raised by the
administration and the historic preservation and environmental
community, and it does not reflect the unified position within the
Montana congressional delegation. The bill reported from the committee
fails to authorize the one authority, historic leasing, that the
National Park Service says they need for park hotel rehabilitation. It
creates a new responsibility for the National Park Service to provide
park road reconstruction impact mitigation assistance.
In addition, the amended bill directs preparation of a new visitor
facilities plant. Further, the time frame, December 31 of 2001, for
completion of the visitor's facility plan, and also the required
concession services plan and natural resource assessment, is too short
to do the necessary work and environmental analyses.
Finally, the bill's findings represent a particular point of view and
are inconsistent with the authorities contained in the bill.
Madam Speaker, the minority is willing to work with the interested
parties to address the concerns with this legislation. Unfortunately,
what is being presented to the House today fails to correct the bill's
shortcomings.
Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume
only to comment that the condition of the lodge, which I think we all
agree at the park is in horrendous condition, and while we have minor
differences on how to go about this, the problem is that we may lose
that facility forever if we do not work to pass this legislation
immediately.
Madam Speaker, I move to pass this good piece of legislation by our
colleague, the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Hill), who is retiring from
the United States House of Representatives.
Mr. HILL of Montana. Madam Speaker, H.R. 4521 attempts to deal with
the serious infrastructure issues that exist in Glacier National Park
in northwest Montana, one of the truly heavenly places on earth.
The Going-to-the-Sun Road, which runs through the park and is
consistently rated among the top scenic routes in the nation, has
degraded severely since it opened in 1932. The utility infrastructure,
particularly the sewer system, is badly in need of repair. Recently
about 180,000 gallons of raw sewage leaked onto the south shore of Lake
McDonald, and the state of Montana is threatening to take action
against the park. And the historic hotels of Glacier Park, many of
which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, are
quickly becoming safety issues that threaten the visitor experience.
Recently the Park imposed corrective measures at Many Glacier Hotel to
address fire code violations that are a result of deferred maintenance.
The rehabilitation costs at Many Glacier alone are estimated at more
than $30 million, with overall costs at around $100 million.
This bill addresses these issues by authorizing funds to repair the
park's infrastructure, with the exception of the hotels, and setting a
timetable for a specific plan to privately finance the rehabilitation
of the park's historic hotels, in which there is currently significant
possessory interest. It authorizes funds for the repair of the Going-
to-the-Sun Road. The bill also requires that the Secretary work with a
Citizen Advisory Committee that has been gathering local input and
determining the best possible option for the repairs. The bill also
authorizes funds to repair the park's failing utility systems.
These repairs are already authorized under the Park Service's General
Authorities Act. However, the situation in Glacier is critical and is
near the top of the Park Service's priority list. This bill will put
Congress on record regarding the importance of Glacier National Park,
as well as move the Park Service in the direction it has said it
intends to go.
Some have discussed the issue of cost relating to the Going-to-the-
Sun Road. For those who have been privileged to drive this scenic
route, it is like no other, at times clinging to a mountainside and
ascending the Continental Divide. It is the only route through the park
and provides millions of Americans with views of diverse wildlife and
great natural beauty. But it is at risk of catastrophic failure, and it
will be costly to replace. Repair costs are compounded by a short
construction season in this extreme climate, the topography and access
issues, as well as the historic stone retaining walls that are built
from local materials. Costs will also be partly determined by the
construction alternative selected, and the need for appropriations
could be significantly mitigated.
A source of greater controversy, however, was how best to finance the
rehabilitation of the historic hotels. Originally, the hotel-financing
provision was written with significant input from the Park Service and
was intended to provide the Secretary with the greatest degree of
latitude in achieving private financing for the project. Key to this
goal was providing a way to capture historic restoration tax credits of
20 percent which require investment over a 50-year period, realizing
that our current concessions law limits contracts to no more than 20
years.
This Park Service's provision came under fire from environmental
organizations. Unfortunately, rather than defend the provision, the
Park Service quickly back-pedaled and opposed it. This left us in a
precarious position. The Park Service then proposed an alternate
version that would use historic leasing authority to rehabilitate the
hotels. But members of the minority as well as the administration were
never able to get on the same page. And we in the majority and others
have had concerns with the various proposals that began emerging.
It was disappointing when the support that had been building behind
the bill evaporated after interest groups who oppose the idea of
private investment in national parks weighed in. The result was
proposals that were, at best, financially questionable and, at worst,
extinguished the notion of possessory interest in these historic
structures altogether. This is a dangerous path to go down, and which
represents a serious step backward in the body of law that has been
crafted by Congress regarding national parks.
I am disappointed that Democrats and the administration were never
able to agree among themselves. I was willing to accommodate these
various proposals even though I and others in the business and
financial communities had serious questions about them, provided that
they be willing to consider other alternatives such as the original
financing mechanism. But there was never an inch of latitude given.
The new version of this bill was intended to pull us back from the
notion of moving toward a single financing mechanism that ultimately
may not work. While the Park Service should be lauded for its
creativity in crafting a plan based on historic leasing, there were too
many unanswered questions about that proposal that I fear may go
unanswered. Specifically, I cannot understand what objections the Park
Service would have, if we are going to settle on a single option, to
ensuring its option will work financially before we move forward with
it. After we have that data, the bill would direct the Secretary to
request any additional authority he may require from Congress to
complete the plan.
My staff and I numerous times attempted to discuss the committee-
approved version of the bill with the minority. Then one legislative
day before the full House was originally to consider this bill, a list
of new concerns emerged from the minority. One that is particularly
intriguing is the contention that the deadline for the visitor
facilities plan and other provisions of the bill--December 31, 2000--is
too ambitious. It is intriguing because the minority initially argued
that the deadline in the bill was a delaying tactic. Which is it, a
delaying tactic, or too ambitious? This all leads one to suspect that
the goal of some has not been to improve upon this legislation, but
rather, to defeat it for the sake of defeat.

This is unacceptable, We must approve this bill and give the Senate a
chance to do likewise before we adjourn. Anything less would be
dereliction of our duty to protect our public lands, in this case,
Glacier National Park.
I'd like to briefly address some of the other criticisms I have heard
recently. First, that the bill authorizes economic mitigation for the
Going-to-the-Sun reconstruction. I have been willing to compromise on
this issue. However, there is significant precedent within the Park
Service to mitigate the impacts of its actions on communities around
it, most notably the recent redwoods acquisition in California and the
compensation of fishermen at Glacier Bay in Alaska. That being said,
H.R. 4521 is not prescriptive. It merely authorizes mitigation
assistance, it does not mandate it, and it does so within the overall
bounds of the authorization of the road itself.

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Second, that there were not sufficient efforts to reach agreement in
the Montana congressional delegation. My staff and I worked long and
hard to find a solution that was pleasing both to the Montana
delegation and to the majority and minority in the House. But it became
apparent, at least as far as the hotels were concerned, that this would
not be possible. No agreement ever existed, even though staff was
circulating legislative language for the approval of members. It is
unfortunate for those of us in Montana that some would kill this bill
over the hotels provision and jeopardize the road and public access to
the park.
Despite the difficulties and frustrations in getting to this point,
we have worked hard to make this a bipartisan effort, securing 33
cosponsors from a variety of fiscal and ideological viewpoints. The
people of Montana and all those who love Glacier National Park are
grateful for these efforts. By some estimates, this park alone
generates close to $200 million for Montana's economy, which needs
tourism dollars now more than ever as forces continue to act to close
down Montana's traditional industries. But for many of us, this park is
about a whole lot more than money, it is about a unique character and a
once-in-a-lifetime experience for those who visit. This legislation is
needed to help restore those values.
Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4521, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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