Petersburg National Battlefield Boundary Modification Act

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the hearing scheduled before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Tuesday, May 18, 2010, will now be held in room SR-325 of the Russell Senate Office Building at 11 a.m.

The purpose is to receive testimony from the Administration on issues related to offshore oil and gas exploration including the accident involving the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico.

Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by email to Abigail_Campbell@energy.senate .gov.

For further information, please contact Linda Lance or Abigail Campbell.

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Subcommittee on National Parks. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, May 19, 2010, at 2:30 p.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills:

S. 349, to establish the Susquehanna Gateway National Heritage Area in the State of Pennsylvania, and for other purposes;

S. 1596, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the Gold Hill Ranch in Coloma, California;

S. 1651, to modify a land grant patent issued by the Secretary of the Interior;

S. 1750, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the General of the Army George Catlett Marshall National Historic Site at Dodona Manor in Leesburg, Virginia, and for other purposes;

S. 1801, to establish the First State National Historical Park in the State of Delaware, and for other purposes;

S. 1802 and H.R. 685, to require a study of the feasibility of establishing the United States Civil Rights Trail System, and for other purposes;

S. 2953 and H.R. 3388, to modify the boundary of Petersburg National Battlefield in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and for other purposes;

S. 2976, to designate as wilderness certain land and inland water within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in the State of Michigan, and for other purposes;

S. 3159 and H.R. 4395, to amend Public Law 101-377 to revise the boundaries of the Gettysburg National Military Park to include the Gettysburg Train Station, and for other purposes;

S. 3168, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire certain non-Federal land in the State of Pennsylvania for inclusion in the Fort Necessity National Battlefield; and

S. 3303, to establish the Chimney Rock National Monument in the State of Colorado.

Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by email to testimony@energy.senate.gov.

For further information, please contact David Brooks or Allison Seyferth.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3388) to modify the boundary of Petersburg National Battlefield in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3388 is sponsored by our colleague, Representative Forbes of Virginia. The 9-month campaign by the Union Army to capture the town of Petersburg, Virginia, was the longest of the Civil War. Today, only a fraction of the sites associated with the siege are protected within Petersburg National Battlefield. The Civil War Preservation Trust has consistently listed this area among the Nation's most endangered Civil War battlefields. Mr. Speaker, this legislation authorizes the expansion of the park to preserve approximately 7,000 acres that retain their historic significance. It was the subject of an extensive public planning process and has strong support within the local community.

I commend Mr. Forbes for sponsoring this legislation to improve the preservation of such an important historic resource, and I ask my colleagues to support passage of this measure.

December 3, 2009.

Hon. Nick J. Rahall II,

Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, Longworth House

Office Building Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: On November 18, 2009, the Committee on

Natural Resources ordered H.R. 3388, the Petersburg National

Battlefield Boundary Modification Act, to be reported. As you

know, this measure contains certain provisions that are

within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Armed Services.

Our Committee recognizes the importance of H.R. 3388 and

the need for the legislation to move expeditiously.

Therefore, while we have a valid claim to jurisdiction over

this legislation, the Committee on Armed Services will waive

further consideration of H.R. 3388. I do so with the

understanding that by waiving further consideration of the

bill, the Committee does not waive any future jurisdictional

claims over similar measures. In the event of a conference

with the Senate on H.R. 3388, the Committee on Armed Services

reserves the right to seek the appointment of conferees.

I would appreciate the inclusion of this letter and a copy

of your response in your Committee's report on H.R. 3388 and

the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure

on the House floor.

Very truly yours,

Ike Skelton,

Chairman,

House Committee on Armed Services.

Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members to support the bill, and I want to thank my colleague from South Carolina for managing the bills on the floor today.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 3388, the Petersburg National Battlefield Boundary Modification Act. This legislation would provide for the expansion of Petersburg National Battlefield in Petersburg, Virginia, which will serve to increase heritage tourism in the Commonwealth of Virginia and enable Americans to learn more about the final years of the Civil War.

Nearly one quarter of the entire Civil War was fought in and around Petersburg, Virginia.

Only 25 miles south of Richmond, the city of Petersburg served as an important supply center to the Confederate capital. With its five railroad lines and key roads, Petersburg was recognized as a lynchpin of all Confederate efforts by both General Ulysses S. Grant and General Robert E. Lee, which is why on June 1864 General Grant moved to surround and isolate the City. Remarkably, for 9 1/2 months, General Lee held off the Northern troops, in what became one of the longest sieges in the history of American warfare. Eventually, both armies were forced to abandon Petersburg, leaving behind 70,000 casualties as they began their trek toward Appomattox Courthouse, where General Lee would ultimately surrender.

The historic sites at Petersburg National Battlefield tell this incredible story, and serve as an important reminder of an extraordinary chapter in American history. The numerous battlefields, monuments, and museums allow not only Virginians, but all Americans, to appreciate those who came before us during one of the most trying conflicts in the history of our great Nation.

The bill before us today, H.R. 3388, expands the area of the Petersburg National Battlefield in Virginia by over 7,000 acres. The bill allows the National Park Service to acquire the land by purchase, easement, exchange, and donation from private and nonprofit landowners. This bill would also allow for the administrative jurisdiction transfer of approximately 1.17 acres of land between the Fort Lee Military Reservation, through the Department of the Army, and the National Park Service, through the Department of the Interior. H.R. 3388 is supported by all parties involved, including each surrounding locality.

The Petersburg National Battlefield is an integral part of the local community, an important tourist destination for the Commonwealth of Virginia, and a touchstone of America's past. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3388 to ensure that this important historic site is enhanced for generations of Americans to come.

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

H.R. 3388 expands the boundary of the Petersburg National Battlefield in Virginia and authorizes the exchange of approximately equal 1-acre parcels between the Secretary of the Interior and the Army. The boundary expansion adds an additional 7,000 acres that have been identified as core battlefield areas during the Union Army's long siege of Petersburg during the Civil War.

I want to compliment the sponsor of this bill, Congressman Forbes, for including ``willing seller'' language in the bill. Private land will fall within the expanded boundary of the park, and those property rights need to be protected.

I yield back the balance of my time.