Statement of Administration Policy: S. 720 - Acadia National Park Amendments

(House)
(Senators Mitchell (D) and Cohen (R) Maine)

The Administration recommends that S. 720 be removed from the suspense calendar and be considered under a rule that will allow for amendments. The Administration opposes enactment of S. 720 unless it is amended to:

— reduce the Federal contribution to the Bar Harbor solid waste transfer facility required by the bill, to ten percent of the cost of the project, including the value of the land to be donated by the Federal Government, because the Park contributes only 5 to 10 percent of the total solid waste generated on the island;

— provide authority to acquire land within Park boundaries by condemnation before incompatible development actually occurs, to avoid the extra costs of purchasing such developments;

— allow the Secretary of the Interior to sell lands deleted from the Park, if after ten years such lands have not been exchanged for private land within the Park, instead of requiring him to give such land to the local communities, because that would provide (1J a disincentive for private landowners to exchange lands with the Park Service, thus raising acquisition costs and (2) an unwarranted windfall to the local communities;

— delete Burnt Porcupine Island from the Park, because it (1) has not been identified by the Park Service as being critical to preservation of Park values; (2) is in private ownership; and (3) was added without hearings; and

— delete title II, which extends the life of the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission by 20 years, because the purposes for which the Commission was established have been accomplished, and it is no longer needed for effective management of the Seashore.