STATEMENT OF DURAND JONES, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, NATIONAL
PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE
INTERIOR, BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, SENATE ENERGY AND NATURAL
RESOURCES COMMITTEE CONCERNING H.R.
1456 AND S. 1051, THE BOOKER T. WASHINGTON NATIONAL MONUMENT BOUNDARY
ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 2001.
February 14, 2002
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to present
the Department of the Interior’s views on H.R. 1456 and S. 1051, identical
bills, both of which would expand the boundary of Booker T. Washington National
Monument, Franklin County, Virginia.
The Department gave testimony on H.R. 1456 before the
House Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands on July 24,
2001. The Department supports both H.R.
1456 and S. 1051. The addition would not contribute to the National Park
Service (NPS) maintenance backlog because the land would be added to the park
agricultural permit program, and no additional facilities, operating funds or
staffing will be needed. The current
owners have indicated that they would be willing to sell the property to the
United States. If authorized, this
acquisition would be subject to NPS servicewide priorities and the availability
of appropriations.
This legislation will adjust the boundary of Booker T.
Washington National Monument to authorize acquiring from willing sellers a
parcel of approximately 15 acres abutting the northeast boundary of the
park. The addition and preservation of
this 15-acre tract will ensure that park visitors may experience an
agricultural landscape while inside the park, in a region that is subject to
extreme development pressure. Seven of
the 15 acres were part of the original Burrough’s farm where Booker T. Washington
grew up.
Booker T. Washington National Monument was authorized
on April 2, 1956, to create a “public national memorial to Booker T.
Washington, noted Negro educator and apostle of good will…” Booker T.
Washington National Monument preserves and protects the birth site and
childhood home of Booker T. Washington while interpreting his life experiences
and significance in American history as the most powerful African American
between 1895 and 1915. The park provides
a resource for public education and a focal point for continuing discussions
about the legacy of Booker T. Washington and the evolving context of race in
American society.
The park is 224 acres of rolling hills, woodlands, and
agricultural fields. The primary
archeological resources include the Burrough’s house site, or “Big House,” two
slave cabin sites with a 1960’s reconstructed cabin on one of the sites. The agricultural landscape plays a critical
role in the park’s interpretation of Washington’s life as an enslaved child
during the Civil War. Many of his
stories and experiences are centered on this small tobacco farm. In his autobiography, Up From Slavery,
Washington frequently refers to the “rural” life and the influences it had
upon him.
A 1998 Viewshed Study conducted as a component of the
park’s March 2000 General Management Plan (GMP) identified this land as the
most critical for addition to the boundary based on its elevation and proximity
to the birthplace site. The parcel has
been on and off the market for several years and is currently for sale. The land is currently used for open
agricultural fields.
The park is located near the regional recreation area
of Smith Mountain Lake, which has grown in population and development in the
last ten years. The park lies a half-mile
from a commercial crossroads called Westlake Corner. This area has become the primary hub of services for the Smith
Mountain Lake community and continues to grow.
Acquisition of this parcel would provide the necessary buffer between
this development and the park so that the visitors will be able to experience
the area as it was during Booker T. Washington’s life.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment. This concludes my prepared remarks. I would be glad to answer any question that
you or members of the subcommittee might have.