HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 18

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2014

INTRODUCED BY

Stephanie Garcia Richard

A JOINT MEMORIAL

URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO PASS LEGISLATION FOR THE MANHATTAN PROJECT NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK.

     WHEREAS, the Manhattan project was one the most historically significant events of the twentieth century; and

     WHEREAS, a significant portion of the Manhattan project, including the scientific and engineering developments and the test of the world's first atomic bomb, took place in New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, in 2004, federal Public Law 108-340, the Manhattan Project National Historic Park Study Act, directed the United States secretary of the interior, in consultation with the United States department of energy and the public, to conduct a special resource study; and

     WHEREAS, in 2009, the United States department of energy published the special resource study on the preservation and interpretation of historic sites of the Manhattan project for potential inclusion in the national park service, including sites in New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, the council of the incorporated county of Los Alamos adopted Resolution number 10-06 in February 2010 in support of the Manhattan project national historic park to include a Los Alamos county unit for which the department of energy would provide maintenance, safety and security of department of energy facilities and the national park service superintendent and personnel would provide educational materials and overall interpretation, in collaboration with local communities and the department of energy; and

     WHEREAS, the national park service released the final special resource study report in 2011 recommending that the United States congress establish a national historical park at the three non-contiguous sites where a majority of the key scientific activities associated with the project occurred and where significant department of energy investment in preservation of assets has occurred: Los Alamos, New Mexico; Oak Ridge, Tennessee; and Hanford, Washington; and

     WHEREAS, to protect these historic assets, the energy communities alliance, the national trust for historic preservation, the atomic heritage foundation, the national parks conservation association, the Los Alamos historical society and numerous other local and national partners recommend that the park be established as soon as possible to:

          A. honor Manhattan project veterans;

          B. protect ongoing missions of the department of energy;

          C. authorize user or entrance fees to assist in long-term sustainability;

          D. make donations;

          E. grant broad authority to allow the park units to accept both personal property and financial donations to support the park and provide tours of the sites; and

          F. allow the national park service to work with communities to add nationally significant sites to the park in the future; and

     WHEREAS, United States Senate Bill 507 and United States House of Representatives Bill 1208 were introduced in January 2013 to their respective subcommittees on national parks and energy and natural resources, including bipartisan support for both bills from senators and members of the congress from the three states designated for park locations, including Senator Tom Udall and Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico; Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee; Senator Maria Cantwell and Senator Patty Murray of Washington state; Representative Michelle Lujan Grisham, Representative Ben Ray Lujan and Representative Steve Pearce of New Mexico; Representative Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee; and Representative Doc Hastings of Washington state;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the United States congress be urged to pass legislation creating the Manhattan project national historical park; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to members of the New Mexico congressional delegation.

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