[DOCID: f:sr311.109]
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Calendar No. 554
109th Congress Report
SENATE
2d Session 109-311
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MINUTE MAN NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK BOUNDARY STUDY
_______
July 31, 2006.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Domenici, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 394]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the Act (H.R. 394) to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a boundary study to evaluate the
significance of the Colonel James Barrett Farm in the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the suitability and
feasibility of its inclusion in the National Park System as
part of the Minute Man National Historical Park, and for other
purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon
without amendment and recommends that the Act do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE MEASURE
The purpose of H.R. 394 is to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of including
the Colonel James Barrett Farm as part of Minute Man National
Historical Park, Massachusetts.
BACKGROUND AND NEED
On April 18 and 19, 1775, British troops marched from
Cambridge, Massachusetts to the farm of colonial militia leader
Colonel James Barrett in Concord in an effort to confiscate
stolen brass cannons and arrest the American rebellion's
leaders. In the weeks before the British patrol, Barrett's farm
had been home to the cannons, munitions, and other arms, but
the militia had received advanced warning of the British army's
plan, and had hidden the arms in the fields and surrounding
countryside.
At Concord, the militia forces, led in part by Colonel
Barrett, engaged the British at the town's Old North Bridge and
routed them. The British retreated and colonial militias
harried them all the way back to Boston. The day's activities,
which became known as the Battle of Lexington and Concord,
marked the beginning of the war between Britain and the
American colonies and the start of the colonial siege of
Boston.
Minute Man National Historic Park, established by Congress
on September 21, 1959, protects many of the locations
associated with the Battle of Lexington and Concord, but not
Colonel Barrett's farm. H.R. 394 would study the suitability
and feasibility of protecting this 300-year-old homestead by
incorporating it into Minute Man National Historic Park.
Save Our Heritage, Inc., a non-profit organization located
in Concord, Massachusetts, purchased 3.5 acres of land
surrounding the historic Barrett farmhouse in 2003 and the
farmhouse itself in 2005. The organization supports H.R. 394
and is willing to transfer ownership of the property and farm
to the National Park Service.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
H.R. 394 was introduced by Representative Meehan on January
26, 2005 and passed by the House of Representatives, on a voice
vote, on November 16, 2005.
An identical bill, S. 2034, was introduced by Senators
Kennedy and Kerry on November 17, 2005. The Subcommittee on
National Parks held a hearing on both S. 2034 and H.R. 394 on
April 6, 2006. At the business meeting on May 24, 2006, the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered H.R. 394
favorably reported.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open
business session on May 24, 2006, by a unanimous voice vote of
a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass H.R. 394.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1(a) defines the terms ``Barrett's Farm'' and
``Secretary'', as used in this Act.
Subsection (b) requires the Secretary of the Interior, not
later than two years after funds are made available, to study
the suitability and feasibility of adding Colonel James Barrett
Farm to Minute Man National Historic Park.
Subsection (c) describes the required contents of the
study.
Subsection (d) requires the Secretary to report study
findings to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources and the House Committee on Resources.
COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS
The following estimate of the cost of this measure has been
provided by the Congressional Budget Office:
H.R. 394--An act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a
boundary study to evaluate the significance of the Colonel
James Barrett Farm in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the
suitability and feasibility of its inclusion in the National
Park System as part of the Minute Man National Historical Park,
and for other purposes
H.R. 394 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to
study, within two years, the suitability and feasibility of
adding the Colonel James Barrett Farm to the Minute Man
National Historical Park in Massachusetts. The proposed study
would consider the significance of the farm during the
Revolutionary War, opportunities for public enjoyment, and
other operational and management issues.
Based on information from the National Park Service, CBO
estimates that completing the proposed study would cost less
than $100,000 over the 2006-2007 period, assuming the
availability of appropriated funds. Enacting H.R. 394 would not
affect direct spending or revenues.
H.R. 394 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
On May 24, 2005, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R.
394, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Resources on
May 18, 2005. The House and Senate versions of this legislation
are identical, as are the two cost estimates.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew
Pickford. This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine,
Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION
In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in
carrying out H.R. 394. The bill is not a regulatory measure in
the sense of imposing Government-established standards or
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals
and businesses.
No personal information would be collected in administering
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal
privacy.
Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the
enactment of H.R. 394, as ordered reported.
EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
The views of the Administration on H.R. 394 were included
in testimony received by the Committee at a hearing on the bill
on April 6, 2006. This testimony follows:
Statement of Sue Masica, Associate Director, National Park Service,
Department of the Interior
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear
before your committee to present the views of the Department of
the Interior on S. 2034 and H.R. 394, to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to evaluate the
significance of the Colonel James Barrett Farm in the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and to assess the suitability
and feasibility of including the farm in the National Park
System as part of the Minute Man National Historical Park, and
for other purposes. The Department supports the enactment of
this bill.
If enacted, the bill would direct the Secretary to conduct
a boundary study to evaluate the significance of Barrett's
Farm, and to assess the suitability and feasibility of
including the Farm as part of the Minute Man National
Historical Park, a unit of the National Park System. The study,
which is to be completed within two years after funds are made
available for it, is to include an analysis of Barrett's Farm's
significance with respect to the Revolutionary War. It must
also analyze opportunities for public enjoyment of the property
as part of Minute Man National Historical Park, and any
operational, management, and private property issues that must
be considered if the farm is added to the park. In addition,
the study must include a determination by the Secretary of the
feasibility of administering the farm as part of the Minute Man
National Historical Park, taking into account its size,
configuration, costs and any other appropriate factors, as well
as an evaluation of other alternatives for management and
resource protection of the property.
The Colonel James Barrett Farm is located at 448 Barrett's
Mill Road, Concord, Massachusetts, two miles from the town
center and from Minute Man National Historical Park. The
Barrett House was the home of Colonel James Barrett (1710-
1779), commander of Middlesex County militia and one of the
leading figures in the events that began the American
Revolution in April, 1775. The property comprises six acres and
includes land that has been farmed continuously since the 18th
century as well as the historic 1705 farm house. Much of the
surrounding acreage is owned by the Town of Concord and managed
as agricultural conservation land.
The proposed study area of six acres is coterminous with
the property listed on the National Register of Historic Places
and includes abutting properties that once were part of the
original farm. In addition, the National Park Service
recommends that approximately 40 acres of the town-owned lands
which directly abut the farm (and which were once part of the
original farm) also be included in the study area. Inclusion of
these lands in the study area would allow the NPS to explore
the options for increased collaboration with the town and for
ways to support long-term management should Barrett's Farm be
acquired and managed by the National Park Service in the
future. The Town of Concord has expressed its support for
inclusion of these resources in the study.
Colonel Barrett's Farm was a major hiding place for the
colonists' stores of arms and ammunition. It was the farthest
point that was targeted by the British expeditionary force sent
from Boston to seize these weapons. The British troops headed
there on April 19, 1775 but found nothing, the residents having
been alerted by Paul Revere several days earlier, in time to
hide muskets, cannons and powder in the nearby fields. On that
same day, Colonel Barrett ordered the advance to Concord's
North Bridge that resulted in ``the shot heard 'round the
world'' and the start of the Revolutionary War.
Minute Man National Historical Park encompasses 971 acres
and includes the North Bridge, Lexington Green and the Battle
Road trail, where the British both advanced and retreated.
Including Barrett's Farm within the boundaries of Minute Man
National Historical Park appears to offer many opportunities
for resource preservation and interpretation. Barrett's Farm
was the impetus for the British excursion to Concord on April
18, 1775 and the vigorous work of Colonel Barrett and his
militia was the key reason for the British retreat following
the encounter at the North Bridge.
The farm was considered for inclusion when Minute Man
National Historical Park was established in 1959, but was at
that time in private ownership and not available for
acquisition. It has since been purchased by Save Our Heritage,
a local nonprofit organization, which seeks to preserve it. The
group has been working closely with the Town of Concord and has
raised $2 million to acquire and stabilize the property.
We believe that this study would allow the Secretary to
explore further the feasibility of adding this important
historical property to the National Park System.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to comment.
This concludes my prepared remarks and I will be happy to
answer any questions you or other committee members might have.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no
changes in existing law are made by the Act H.R. 394, as
ordered reported.
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