H.R. 7976

Civil War Defenses of Washington National Historical Park Act

STATEMENT OF MICHAEL A. CALDWELL, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, PARK PLANNING, FACILITIES AND LANDS, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BEFORE THE HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES SUBCOMMITTEE ON FEDERAL LANDS CONCERNING H.R. 7976, THE CIVIL WAR DEFENSES OF WASHINGTON NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK ACT

JULY 9, 2024

Chairman Tiffany, Ranking Member Neguse, and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to present the Department of the Interior’s views on H.R. 7976, the Civil War Defenses of Washington National Historical Park Act.

The Department recognizes the important contribution to America’s story that is represented by the Civil War Defenses of Washington sites and supports the bill’s goal to expand the public’s understanding of the significance of the Defenses of Washington and the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864. However, rather than designating the sites as a stand-alone unit of the National Park System, the Department supports maintaining the existing comprehensive system of parks that interpret the historic forts and also provide recreation opportunities, preserve substantial tracts of forests, and protect water resources in and around the Nation’s Capital.

H.R. 7976 would redesignate the Civil War Defenses of Washington as the Civil War Defenses of Washington National Historical Park. The park would include the National Park Service (NPS) sites that are currently associated with the Civil War Defenses of Washington. H.R. 7976 would also allow the NPS to affiliate with any site in the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland that is associated with the Civil War Defenses of Washington for possible inclusion in the park; it would further provide the NPS with the option to purchase these properties from willing sellers. The bill would also direct a study and report of the history of the Civil War to consider what ways these stories could be conveyed for the benefit of the public.

The Civil War Defenses of Washington are historically significant to the Nation for being instrumental to the protection of Washington, D.C., during the Civil War. At that time, a ring of forts and buttresses encircled the capital city as a safeguard from invasion by Confederate troops. It was composed of 68 forts supported by 93 detached batteries and 20 miles of rifle pits. In record time, the Union built a fort system that made Washington, D.C., the most heavily fortified city in the world.

The remaining federally owned sites originally were to have been connected by a Fort Circle Drive in accordance with the 1902 McMillan Commission Report. The drive was not completed, and the forts and parcels of land purchased for the drive were divided among Rock Creek Park, National Capital Parks - East, and the George Washington Memorial Parkway to manage. Today, the NPS manages 19 Civil War fort sites in the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland. Other sites are managed by local governments in Maryland and Virginia while the rest have been torn down or lost to other purposes. The NPS preserves the historical integrity of the fort remnants that are an important part of the Capital’s rich Civil War history, and these sites also function as community parks and a greenbelt of open space for outdoor recreation for the benefit of residents and visitors.

Because the Civil War defenses are spread across three NPS units, the NPS has developed a management system to coordinate across park boundaries within our existing staffing and funding capacity. A Civil War Defenses of Washington program manager and two rangers provide education, interpretation, event planning, and program coordination for all 19 NPS sites. The Department believes this management system effectively protects the existing resources while affording interpretive, education, interpretive, and other opportunities across the sites. The NPS continuously seeks ways to collaborate with local governments and stakeholder groups to elevate public awareness and appreciation of these special places.

If the Committee decides to act on this legislation, we would like to work with the bill sponsor and the Committee on amendments that would align the bill’s language with that Congress typically uses for other legislation authorizing new units of the National Park System, including referencing a legislative map. We would also like to discuss whether the study that would be authorized by this bill could be tailored to meet more specific goals.

Chairman Tiffany, this concludes my statement. I would be happy to answer any questions that you or the other members of the Subcommittee have.