Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for requesting this hearing. I appreciate the hard work you have done on Park Service issues. We have worked well together in the past on a number of important parks issues, and I look forward to our collaboration this year as we address the challenges and needs facing our national parks.

I would like to extend my aloha to Mr. Denis ("Deny") Galvin, Acting Director of the National Park Service, who has been a frequent witness in this hearing room. His service to parks and to our Committee is greatly appreciated.

There are several things that please me about the FY 2002 Park Service budget request from President Bush. The first is an increase of $246 million in the budget over FY 2001 enacted appropriations. Because of the increasing visitorship, preservation and management demands on national parks, the increase is a bright spot in an overall budget that many of us believe falls short in making the necessary investments in education, health care, and other critical national priorities that have bipartisan support.

Additionally, I am pleased to see the Administration's priority for addressing the deferred maintenance backlog for repair and rehabilitation of park facilities. I agree that we must maintain roads, trails, and visitor centers in national parks. The parks are our natural resource ambassadors to foreign visitors from around the globe and to Americans alike.

I am pleased to see that the Department of the Interior proposes to continue – and increase – the Natural Resources Challenge, an initiative that focuses on natural resource preservation in our parks. As you know, we are fighting an uphill battle in Hawaii to maintain our native species -- many of which are endangered by invasive plants and animals.

Lastly, I am particularly pleased that the National Park Service has recognized Hawaii's needs and provided some important increases for Hawaii's national parks. First, the NPS request for land acquisition for national parks makes 18,600 acres of prime native forests adjacent to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park its number one priority for acquisition. The Kahuku Ranch on the island of Hawaii encompasses spectacular and wide ranging native ecosystems. It spans 115,000 acres from 2,000 to 13,000 feet elevation, encompassing the entire range of native ecosystems on Mauna Loa. This property, if acquired, will link over 500,000 acres of land in cooperative federal, state and private conservation management--from the windward and leeward coasts to the summit of Mauna Loa. I appreciate the Park Service's vision and commitment to conservation in Hawaii, and I look forward to working with the Service on the proposed purchase.

Second, Hawaii receives an operational increase in the proposed budget for one of our most spectacular parks, Kalaupapa National Historical Park. The statue of Father Damien stands proudly in the Hall of Columns in the U.S. Capitol, as a proud reminder of his stewardship and love for Kalaupapa. The increase will allow the park to undertake recovery plans to control alien species and restore native habitat.

Mr. Chairman, I have questions that I would like to ask at the appropriate time.