[Senate Report 107-256] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] Calendar No. 573 107th Congress Report SENATE 2d Session 107-256 ====================================================================== COLTSVILLE STUDY ACT OF 2002 _______ September 9, 2002.--Ordered to be printed _______ Mr. Bingaman, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, submitted the following R E P O R T [To accompany S. 2519] The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was referred the bill (S. 2519) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of Coltsville in the State of Connecticut for potential inclusion in the National Park System, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment and recommends that the bill as amended do pass. The amendment is as follows: On page 4, line 8, strike ``1 year'' and insert ``three years''. PURPOSE The purpose of S. 2519 is to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a suitability and feasibility study of Coltsville, a community in the State of Connecticut, for potential inclusion in the National Park System. BACKGROUND AND NEED Located in central Connecticut near Hartford, the community of Coltsville has a rich industrial history and played a major role in the Industrial Revolution. The community was inspired by Samuel Colt, founder of the Colt Manufacturing Company, and his wife, Elizabeth Colt. In addition to manufacturing the famous Colt six-shooter, the Colt Manufacturing Company was a center of industrial innovation and development of technology that changed the way of life in the United States and flourished during the Industrial Revolution. Some of the company's major innovations included the development of telegraph technology and advancements in jet engine technology. In 1998, the National Park Service conducted a special resource reconnaissance study of the Connecticut River Valley to evaluate the significance of historic manufacturing sites. The conclusions of the study were that the Coltsville region contains an unequaled concentration of historic resources relating to precision manufacturing, and further study of the area is warranted for potential designation as a unit of the National Park System. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY S. 2519 was introduced by Senators Dodd and Lieberman on May 15, 2002, The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on S. 2519 on June 20, 2002. At the business meeting on July 31, 2002, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 2519, as amended, favorably reported. COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open business session on July 31, 2002, by a voice vote of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 2519, if amended as described herein. COMMITTEE AMENDMENT During the consideration of S. 2519, the Committee adopted an amendment which would increase the time period for the completion of the study from one to three years after the date funds are made available, which is more consistent with the time generally allowed for similar studies. SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS Section 1 describes the short title as the ``Coltsville Study Act of 2002.'' Section 2 contains congressional findings. Section 3 (a) directs the Secretary of the Interior to complete a study of the Coltsville site in the State of Connecticut to evaluate its national significance and the suitability and feasibility of designating the site as a unit of the National Park System. Subsection (b) requires that the study be conducted in accordance with Public Law 91-383. Section 8 of that Act includes requirements for studies of potential additions to the National Park System. Section 4 requires the Secretary to submit a report to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources and House Resources Committees within 30 days after the study is completed. The report is to describe the study findings and any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary. Section 5 authorizes the appropriation of such sums as are necessary to carry out this Act. COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS The following estimate of the cost of this measure has been provided by the Congressional Budget Office: U.S. Congress, Congressional Budget Office, Washington, DC, August 12, 2002. Hon. Jeff Bingaman, Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 2519, the Coltsville Study Act of 2002. If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis. Sincerely, Robert A. Sunshine (For Dan L. Crippen, Director). Enclosure. S. 2519--Coltsville Study Act of 2002 S. 2519 would direct the Department of the Interior to conduct a study of the area of Connecticut known as Coltsville to evaluate the area's national significance. The study would also assess the feasibility and suitability of designating Coltsville a unit of the National Park System. The bill would authorize the appropriation of whatever amounts are necessary for the study and would require the department to report on its findings and recommendations within three years of receiving funds. Assuming the availability of appropriated funds, CBO estimates that it would cost about $250,000 over the next three years to complete the required study and report. Enacting the bill would not affect direct spending or receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply. S. 2519 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. The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. The 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 S. 2519. 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 S. 2519, as ordered reported. EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS The pertinent legislative report received by the Committee from the Department of the Interior setting forth Executive agency recommendations relating to S. 2519 is set forth below: Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary, Washington, DC, July 1, 2002. Hon. Jeff Bingaman, Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for the opportunity to present the views of the Department of the Interior on S. 2519, the Coltsville Study Act of 2002. The Department supports this study. However, we did not request additional funding for this study in fiscal year 2003. We believe that any funding requested should be directed towards completing previously authorized studies. There are 37 studies pending currently, of which we hope to transmit at least seven to Congress by the end of 2002. To meet the President's Initiative to eliminate the deferred maintenance backlog, we must continue to focus our resources on caring for existing areas in the National Park System. We caution that our support of this legislation authorizing a study does not necessarily mean that the Department will support designations of this area as a unit of the National Park System. The study would be undertaken with the full involvement of representatives of the State of Connecticut, the City of Hartford, property owners in the study area, and other interested organizations and individuals in the region. The bill directs the National Park Service to study the site commonly known as ``Coltsville,'' and its surrounding area within the City of Hartford, to evaluate its national significance, suitability, and feasibility for designation as a unit of the National Park System. The bill also directs NPS to evaluate the importance of the site to the history of precision manufacturing. At the core of the Coltsville area, which is estimated as some 260 acres is the 17-acre Coltsville Heritage Park. Owned by a non-profit subsidiary of the Goodrich Corporation, this site contains ten historic buildings, some of which are occupied by commercial, residential, and office tenants; a number of artists also live and work in the complex. Also within the study area, but in separate ownership, are examples of former Colt worker housing and other buildings associated with Colt history. The potential study area borders Interstate 91, which parallels the Connecticut River, and is close to the central business district where the State Capitol and Museum of Connecticut State History are located. The State Museum is a major repository of Colt-related artifacts and archives, as is the Wadsworth Atheneum, a renowned museum also in the city center. Samuel Colt was born in Hartford in 1814 and died there in 1862. He obtained his first patent in 1836 and went on to found a company that is still in operation today, although it moved from the historic armory to West Hartford, Connecticut and is no longer owned by the Colt family. The Colt name is known throughout the world. Colt firearms and other products have been used in every major conflict from the U.S.-Mexican War to the present. The Colt revolver was a revolutionary weapon that changed military tactics and eventually made the sword obsolete in combat. First produced in 1847, it maintained its reputation through the Civil War despite competition from other manufacturers. Colt's salesmanship was legendary, and the company grew due to his marketing, advertising, and public relations skills. He began construction of his first factory in Hartford in 1847. At the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition in London, Colt revolvers were displayed and their interchangeability demonstrated as a highlight of the ``American System of Manufacturing.'' Colt was so impressed with his reception in England that he would build a factory there, becoming the first American to set up a manufacturing plant overseas. The Hartford facility expanded in the mid-19th century. The armory's distinctive blue onion dome, a Hartford landmark visible from I-91, was built in 1855. In order to attract laborers, Colt built a self-contained community surrounding the factory at Coltsville that included housing, gardens, beer halls, and a band. A library and school were established for the children of the workers, as well as a church and social hall. Many of these structures are still extant and are part of the Colt Industrial National Register District that was listed in 1976. The Colt family home, Armsmear, a National Historic Landmark, and its surrounding grounds are situated in Colt Park, abutting the armory site. The original factory burned in 1864, but was rebuilt soon after. Colt would continue to supply sidearms to the United States military until 1985. Colt weapons were carried not only by the American soldier on the frontier, but were the personal weapon of choice of cowboys, both famous and infamous. Colt history complements that of Springfield Armory National Historic Site, which is managed by the National Park Service in Springfield, Massachusetts, 25 miles north of Hartford along the Connecticut River. Originally Springfield Armory produced shoulder arms while Colt made handguns. Later they worked together to bring the rapid-fire gun and later the machine-gun into the inventories of the U.S. military. But in 1961 Colt challenged Springfield Armory's M14 rifle while promoting its competing AR-15, now known as the M16 rifle. This ultimately resulted in the demise of Springfield Armory in 1968. The Colt story is also the story of Elizabeth Colt, who took over the factory after her husband's death in 1862, and ran it successfully for another 39 years. The history of this remarkable woman is not well-known and should be included as part of the study. In our 1998 Connecticut River Valley Special Resource Reconnaissance Study, we said, ``innovations stimulated by firearms manufacture, notably mass production and the concept of interchangeable parts, had far-reaching consequences throughout American industry.'' As the skills developed in firearms manufacture were given broader application, the corridor between New Haven, Connecticut and Windsor, Vermont became known as the ``Precision Valley.'' Developments in arms making translated to other metal-working industries, such as sewing machines, typewriters, bicycles, railway equipment, and clocks. It is appropriate for the National Park Service to explore further this theme of American history. Only through further investigation will it be possible to determine if it is feasible and suitable for inclusion in the National Park System. The Office of Management and Budget advises that there is no objection to the presentation of this report from the standpoint of the Administration's program. Sincerely, Craig Manson, Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks. 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 bill S. 1519, as ordered reported.