Why it matters:

The House Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a congressional hearing Sept. 16 to consider nine bills covering public-land management and historically significant sites. The agenda included a proposal to create a national historical park at Fort Ontario in New York, where 982 Holocaust refugees found shelter during World War II.

The big picture:

The bills addressed federal-land management and recognition of historically significant people and places. They included measures involving Big Bend National Park, the Quindaro town site, the Scipio Jones House, Wisconsin Civil War memorials, and wild horses at Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

H.R. 1031 would establish the Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park in New York. The National Park Service’s 2024 special resource study found that the site’s resources met four criteria for potential inclusion in the National Park System: national significance, suitability, feasibility, and a need for direct National Park Service management.

The proposed federal role would cover a little more than two acres, including the Safe Haven Museum in Building 22 and three nearby buildings. The broader Fort Ontario State Historic Site would remain under New York State management, and state-owned land could be acquired only through donation.

What they’re saying:

Rep. Claudia Tenney’s (R-NY-24) testimony said Fort Ontario sheltered 982 refugees from 18 countries in August 1944. She also said the Senate had passed related legislation by unanimous consent as part of S. 3490.

Terry Wilbur, listed as a witness and identified in the supplied record as an Oswego County clerk, testified in support of preserving Fort Ontario’s historic legacy. The record also lists Lauren Reimer, Darrell Wynne, Sarah Ott Coleman, Michael Bigeese, Ed Sterling, Matthew McCombs and Beverly Valencourt as witnesses.

Political stakes:

The hearing brought forward measures with different federal roles. H.R. 2323 would authorize approximately 6,100 acres to be incorporated into Big Bend National Park through donation or exchange, while H.R. 8276 would designate the Quindaro town site as a national historic landmark while leaving management to local authorities.

S. 1377 would require Theodore Roosevelt National Park to maintain at least 150 genetically diverse feral horses. It would also require the agency to ensure that the herd does not negatively affect the park’s natural resources.

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