Visclosky (IN01) - In the News - Visclosky Testifies on Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Enhancement Bill

In the News

Congressman Pete Visclosky
Proudly Representing Indiana’s 1st Congressional District

2256 Rayburn Building	701 E. 83rd Avenue, Suite 9
Washington, D.C.	Merrillville, IN 46410
TELE: 202-225-2461	TELE: 219-795-1844
*http://www.house.gov/visclosky*

	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
	June 5, 2008

	Visclosky Testifies on Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Enhancement Bill
	*Quality of Life in Northwest Indiana Would Improve With Better Lakeshore*

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Pete Visclosky today testified before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands in support of his bill, H.R. 573, the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Technical Corrections Act. Visclosky wrote the bill to improve the quality of life in Northwest Indiana by helping the Lakeshore protect more of the unique dunes ecosystem and allowing more people to enjoy its natural beauty.

“The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is a great natural treasure,” said Visclosky. “My bill would enhance the Lakeshore in the most affordable fashion and improve the quality of life in Northwest Indiana by helping the public gain further access to this natural wonder. Lake Michigan and the dunes are for everybody to enjoy, and I take great pleasure in helping the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore mature and helping people gain access to it.”

At the hearing, Visclosky testified on the uniqueness of the ecodiversity of the dunes, especially given their close proximity to steel mills and other heavy industry. He also stressed the natural, educational, and recreational value of the Lakeshore to Northwest Indiana and the country as a whole. Thomas Serynek of Save the Dunes testified in support of the bill, and a representative of the U.S. National Park Service shared the Park Service’s thoughts on it. Visclosky’s prepared testimony is attached.

“The Save the Dunes Council thanks Congressman Visclosky for his continued support of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore,” said Thomas Serynek. “We are appreciative of this current legislation that will enable the National Park to more easily expand to its authorized boundaries and enable individuals to contribute by donating land to this valuable resource.”

Visclosky’s bill would help the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore through two key provisions. First, it would allow, but not obligate, the Secretary of the Interior to accept donations of lands located outside of the Lakeshore’s existing boundaries if, and only if, they are contiguous with the park or separated by only a right-of-way. At present, the Secretary is prohibited from accepting such voluntary contiguous land donations. Second, it would allow the Secretary of the Interior to acquire land within the boundaries of the park from units of state or local government by satisfaction of delinquent state or local taxes. There are some such properties within the Lakeshore and this provision would pull them out of limbo and into the park.

“The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is a natural wonder that makes the quality of life in Northwest Indiana better for everybody, especially since everybody has access to it,” said Visclosky. “I am grateful to Thomas Serynek of Save the Dunes for joining me as a witness at the hearing today, and to my colleagues in Congress who will help me pass this bill so that even more people can enjoy the dunes.”

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Testimony of Congressman Pete Visclosky

Before the House Committee on Natural Resources;
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands
Legislative Hearing on H.R. 573

June 5, 2008

I would like to thank the Committee on Natural Resources and the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands for holding today’s hearing. In particular, I would like to thank Full Committee Chairman Nick Rahall and Ranking Member Don Young, and Subcommittee Chairman Raul Grijalva and Ranking Member Rob Bishop for their efforts to protect our valued public lands like the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and help the American people to benefit from them. I appreciate the Subcommittee’s consideration of H.R. 573, the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Corrections Act, and look forward to working with you to enact it into law.

The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is an incredible national treasure: 15,000 pristine acres along the south shore of Lake Michigan in the midst of an urban environment. Uniquely located in several ecological transition zones, the Indiana Dunes is one of the most biodiverse areas in the United States. The dunes, oak savannas, swamps, bogs, marshes, prairies, rivers, and forests of the Lakeshore are home to over 1,100 species of vascular plants, over 350 species of birds, and dozens of species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects. This vast array of flora and fauna in Northwest Indiana—nestled among the largest concentration of steel production in the United States—receives over 3 million visitors each year. The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, which was established by Congress in 1966, is relatively new, but it continues to mature, and I take the utmost pleasure in its development so that people from across the country can enjoy the beauty of the dunes and Lake Michigan.

The South Shore of Lake Michigan is a unique place where industry and nature do their best to coexist. The steel mills in cities like East Chicago, Gary, Portage, and Burns Harbor fuel the local economy and are part of this country’s industrial backbone. While steel mills and other heavy industry make up much of the shoreline in Northwest Indiana’s cities, the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is a natural oasis contiguous to several steel plants. The dunes are a tremendous natural, educational, and recreational asset for the area, drawing in people to take pleasure in the pristine environment, learn about the local ecology, or enjoy a day at the beach.

My bill, H.R. 573, would help us enhance the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in the most affordable fashion possible. It would permit, but not require, the Secretary of the Interior to accept donations of lands located outside the present boundaries of the Lakeshore if they are contiguous with the park or separated by only a right-of-way. At present, the Secretary of the Interior cannot accept such donations. This provision makes a minor technical correction that is of no fiscal impact and will allow a natural treasure to expand by the generosity of those wishing to enhance the Lakeshore.

The other provision in H.R. 573 would allow the Secretary of the Interior to make similar acquisitions within the boundaries of the Lakeshore from units of state or local government by satisfaction of delinquent state or local taxes. I understand that the National Park Service may have some reservations about this provision that stem from related problems at other Park Service lands. Basically, the Park Service is caught up on the fact that individuals forfeiting such lands are granted a set waiting period, varying by state and locale, to pay the necessary fees to reacquire their forfeited property. I believe the acquisition provision in my bill is worthwhile in that it would reduce the burden on taxpayers by purchasing additional land at the appraised, below-market price and that possible closing delays do not merit stripping it from the bill. Essentially, this provision would maintain my objective to help the Lakeshore acquire lands within its authorized boundaries in the most cost conscious manner.

Again, I thank the Chairman and Ranking Member for their consideration of this bill, the National Park Service for its great work at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, and Mr. Tom Serynek of Save the Dunes for coming out here from Northwest Indiana to testify. I respectfully request that you favorably report H.R. 573 so that the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore can continue to mature and more people can appreciate the natural beauty of Northwest Indiana.

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