Appreciate the support of congress to resolve this extraordinary challenge. Thank you. Director jarvis, thanks very much. Because of the number of senators here, ill ask one question to get us started and recognize our colleagues. Director jarvis, for decades, the park service has recommended expanding the Oregon Caves National monument. And one of the primary reasons has been because the existing site is not large enough to protect the site, given the volume of visitors. So in the case of oregon caves, not expanding the site could actually increase the cost of maintaining a very unique resource. My point is that the park acquisition and maintenance costs are not always in conflict, and certainly the oregon caves raises that issue. Adding to the monument might actually hold down the cost of maintaining the site. So my question to you, dr. Jarvis, is isnt this part of the thinking that ought to go into this debate . In other words, were going to explore plenty of ideas. And you saw that
Maintenance and other projects to directly improve the enjoyment of our visitors however the authority to collect and spend revenues expires december 2014 nfl lies and renewed the park service would lose 108 million annually. I think its critical that the legislation passes congress of the park service and other Land Management agencies do not lose that particularly important Revenue Source. We are also looking forward to the views of National Park Service Director jonathan jarvis. He has been talking with us about a number of different approaches and let me now recognize senator murkowski on this matter and i particularly thank her again for all of the bipartisan efforts that she has been willing to take on and is one of the reasons we were able to get 14 bills cleared in the senate, more than anyone anticipated at this early date and wouldnt have passed it without senator murkowski and i thank her for her bipartisan approach. Thank you chairman and as you know we have been another op
There are 67 projects nationwide eligible for Federal Railroad Administration funding. Minnesota is the only state that has the necessary 20% match for its nearly $1 billion project.