Acadia National Park Improvement Act of 2008

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2251) to extend the Acadia National Park Advisory Commission, to provide improved visitor services at the park, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2251 was introduced by my good friend from Maine, Representative Mike Michaud. The legislation addresses several housekeeping matters at the Acadia National Park. Acadia, located on Mount Desert Island on the coast of Maine, is one of our most popular and most visited national parks.

This bill would authorize the park to participate in the construction of a new transit center. Currently, visitors can only catch the park bus at their hotels, meaning that day visitors have no access to the system. The bill would allow the park to participate in the establishment and operation of a planned intermodal center to be located just off the island. This center would provide visitor services, parking, and bus access to day visitors. A variety of Federal, State, and local agencies are involved in establishing the center.

H.R. 2251 would also extend the authorization of the Acadia National Park Advisory Commission for another 20 years, continuing this important forum for the park and local communities to jointly consider issues of importance.

Finally, H.R. 2251 would authorize an additional $10 million for the park's land acquisition budget to enable the park to keep pace with rising property values and providing for prompt payment to willing sellers who regularly offer their lands to the park.

At the hearing in the last Congress, the National Park Service testified in support of similar legislation, and that measure also passed in the Senate. The measure before us today has been updated to address several concerns by the National Park Service, and to cap NPS contributions to the intermodal transportation center.

Mr. Speaker, this bill will significantly improve the experience of visitors to one of our great national parks. Representative Michaud and Representative Allen are to be commended for their hard work on this legislation.

I urge the House to support H.R. 2251.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I reserve the balance of my time.

Let me thank the gentleman from Utah for allowing me to try to clarify this point.

The Island Explorer transit system at Acadia is entirely voluntary and, I might add, very, very popular. I can categorically assure the gentleman that there are no plans to ban autos from Acadia. Visitors who want to drive the park's loop roads are welcome to do so, but many have found that riding the bus is much more convenient. So there is a categorical assurance that the intention of this legislation is not now or will be to ban automobiles from Acadia.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield as much time as he may consume to Representative Michaud, the sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Acadia National Park Improvement Act.

I would like to thank Chairman Rahall and Ranking Member Young, as well as subcommittee Chairman Grijalva and Ranking Member Bishop, for their work on this measure.

This is a very important bill for the State of Maine as well as the future of Acadia National Park. Acadia National Park is a spectacular and unique landscape of mountains, hills, ponds, marshes and shorelines.

Earlier visitors to Mount Desert Island and its surroundings helped to establish Acadia as the first national park east of the Mississippi. The park is a major engine of the regional economy, bringing in almost $130 million in visitor spending to the region, and supporting over 2,600 jobs.

The Acadia National Park Improvement Act will help the park continue to attract visitors to the area and maintain and preserve their important natural resources. It allows the park to continue to complete the vision laid out in the 1986 law setting the park's boundaries and to enhance the emission-reducing Island Explorer bus system.

Most importantly, this legislation will reauthorize the Acadia National Park Advisory Commission. The commission brings representatives of surrounding towns, the State of Maine, and the Department of the Interior together to make sure all community members are involved in park planning.

I want to thank everyone involved for their hard work on this, and I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this important bill for the State of Maine.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

The gentleman from Arizona has adequately explained H.R. 2251, and we're prepared to accept this legislation with a brief clarification from the chairman of the subcommittee on the intent of this bill.

The question we have is, is the proposed intermodal transportation center intended to limit the access to the park by automobile, or is this part of a larger plan to abolish the public's ability to travel through the park by private automobile?

Mr. Speaker, I would yield to the gentleman from Arizona if he is prepared to address that issue right now.

Thank you. Reclaiming my time, I appreciate that statement. And with that assurance, we can accept this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.