The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission Extension Act

Floor Speech

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Mr. Grijalva, for his assistance on this bill and his leadership on so many other important issues.

Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in rising in strong support of S. 476, a bill to restore the authority of the C&O Canal National Historical Park Commission.

I joined with Congressman Frank Wolf and Congressman John Delaney to introduce companion legislation to this bill in the House and appreciate the work of my friend Senator Cardin in the Senate and Chairman Hastings and Ranking Member DeFazio of the Natural Resources Committee in bringing this bill to the floor of the House today.

The C&O Canal National Historical Park begins just a few miles from this Capitol and follows the old C&O Canal and towpath for about 185 miles to reach Cumberland, Maryland.

Along the way, as Congressman Hastings says, it passes through three States, and it passes through the District of Columbia and many cities and towns in rural areas. It is a treasure of the National Park System, providing a place for visitors to learn about the history of the canal and enjoy the scenic views from the towpath.

The C&O Canal National Historical Park Commission was established along with the park in 1971, an idea of my former boss, Senator Mac Mathias of Maryland, and former Congressman Gilbert Gude of Maryland.

They believed that a park spanning so many diverse communities should have a formal channel through which park management could seek advice and input on park policy from its many neighbors. For years, this model worked well, and then the authority for the Commission expired in 2011.

Mr. Speaker, the legislation before us today would reestablish the Commission, allowing it to resume its critical service. While the Commission would have no authority to make binding park policy, it would serve an important advisory role and strengthen the relationship between the park and its neighbors.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation today and thank the Natural Resources Committee for bringing this to the floor in a bipartisan basis.

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