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WASHINGTON— After making significant progress towards establishing a new National Park in New Jersey during the prior session of Congress, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-08) and Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today re-introduced the Great Falls National Historical Park Act in the House and Senate.
“I expect the support that Congress put behind the Paterson Great Falls National Park to grow even stronger in this session,” stated Pascrell. “With a new administration and new Congress comes new hope and opportunity for so many of the urban areas that were left neglected for the past eight years. Designating the Great Falls as a National Park would be a worthy addition to the park system and a significant economic boost for Paterson and New Jersey.”
“The Great Falls in Paterson is a landmark that deserves recognition as a national historic park. Giving the Great Falls this designation would go a long way toward recognizing the beauty and history of the site and helping preserve it for future generations,” said Sen. Lautenberg.
“No other site in the nation more richly represents Alexander Hamilton’s vision of our country’s transformation from a rural agrarian society based in slavery into a modern global economy based in freedom,” said U.S. Senator Robert Menendez. “And the striking 80 foot waterfall is a natural treasure in its own right worthy of a national attention. This designation will not only assist in the preservation of a spectacular landmark; it will further elevate the importance of the Great Falls in the eyes of future generations as a reminder of Paterson’s place in national history.”
On October 22, 2007, the House of Representatives approved Pascrell’s Great Falls National Historical Park Act. The legislation would designate about 109 acres of the Paterson Great Falls Historic District as a new unit of the National Park Service (NPS). In addition to operating the park, the NPS would restore and preserve historic structures and create interpretive programs and materials such as signs and wayside exhibits.
The legislation would provide for public participation in the park’s management. A commission would be created to assist and advise the Interior Secretary in the development and implementation of the general management plan for the park. Membership on the commission would consist of nine members recommended by the Governor, Paterson City Council, and Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Each member would be appointed by the Interior Secretary to serve three years terms free of pay.
In addition, the legislation directs the Secretary of the Interior to complete a study regarding the preservation and interpretation of Hinchliffe Stadium that would assess the potential for listing as a National Historic Landmark and include options for maintaining the stadium’s historic legacy.
Rep. Pascrell brought the Great Falls National Park initiative to Congress in 2001 when the House approved legislation that directed the Secretary of the Interior Department to study the suitability of designating the Great Falls Historic District as part of the national park system. The NPS study which was completed in 2006 noted the exceptional natural, cultural and historic significance of the Great Falls National Historic District prompting Congress to begin advancing the Great Falls National Historical Park Act.
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