Thank You for a Remarkable Year

As I step back to assess our first year as a national W3R preservation effort, I feel great pride in all we have accomplished together. You are making history! I am also deeply grateful to all of you who have shared your friendship and your time. You are the men and women who "make it happen" and it is you who will ensure that we reach our goal to honor both Washington and Rochambeau with a national historic trail before the 225th anniversary of the American Revolution in 2006.

Thanks to you, we have achieved many milestones in the past year. Most notably, Congressman John Larson and Senator Joseph Lieberman have accomplished the seeming impossible with the rapid passage of HR4794. Congressman Larson spearheaded the effort starting in May. We still need to supplement that bill with federal resources to fund the NPS study, and that is the next objective. Several states have begun their own matching efforts that compliment the federal effort. Connecticut has invested $85,000 so far in SHPO research and $1.2 million to preserve French Camp 5 as open space. New York has begun to invest funds from private foundations. The NPS has begun to formulate their plan and make their cost estimates for the feasibility study. It is likely that we the supporters will need to contact the Congressional Appropriations Committee when the appropriation is considered next year.

Some of the benefits of heritage preservation accrue from the fact that it goes hand in hand with environmental preservation, and leads to heritage preservation based tourism, which in turn preserves our quality of life. It does not take rocket science to prove that cause and effect relationship. We need only point to the many examples in the United States and Europe. Europe in particular is about 200 years ahead of us in building an infrastructure of heritage routes.

Thank you for your part in the passage of the W3R bill this year. H.R.4794 was signed by President Bill Clinton on November 9, 2000 and became Public Law No: 106-473. Here is the history of your bill on Capitol Hill.

Sponsor: Rep Larson, John B. introduced the bill on June 29, 2000. Title: To require the Secretary of the Interior to complete a resource study of the 600 mile route through Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia, used by George Washington and General Rochambeau during the American Revolutionary War.

6/29/2000: Referred to the House Committee on Resources.

8/14/2000: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands. Executive Comment Requested from Interior.

10/23/2000
3:15pm: Mr. Gibbons moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
3:16pm: Considered under suspension of the rules. CR H10521-10522)
3:17pm: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H10521)
3:18pm: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

10/24/2000: Received in the Senate, read twice.

10/27/2000<: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S11276)

10/27/2000: Cleared for White House.

10/28/2000: Message on Senate action sent to the House.

11/2/2000: Presented to President.

11/9/2000: Signed by President Bill Clinton.

11/9/2000: Became Public Law No: 106-473.

House Sponsor: Rep John B. Larson
And 42 other House co-sponsors

Rep Abercrombie, Neil Rep Borski, Robert A. Rep Brady, Robert Rep Castle, Michael N. Rep Davis, Thomas M. Rep Ehrlich, Robert L., Jr. Rep Frelinghuysen, Rodney P. Rep Gejdenson, Sam Rep Gilman, Benjamin A. Rep Hoeffel, Joseph M. Rep Hoyer, Steny H. Rep Johnson, Nancy L. Rep Kennedy, Patrick J. Rep Lowey, Nita M. Rep McGovern, James P. Rep Moakley, John Joseph Rep Morella, Constance A. Rep Shays, Christopher Rep Smith, Christopher H. Rep Weiner, Anthony D. Rep Weygand, Robert A.

Rep Bonior, David E. Rep Boucher, Rick Rep Cardin, Benjamin L. Rep Cummings, Elijah E. Rep DeLauro, Rosa L. Rep Fattah, Chaka Rep Frost, Martin Rep Gilchrest, Wayne T. Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. Rep Holt, Rush D. Rep Isakson, Johnny Rep Kelly, Sue W. Rep LaTourette, Steve C. Rep Maloney, James H. Rep Meehan, Martin T. Rep Moran, James P. Rep Oberstar, James L. Rep Skelton, Ike Rep Sweeney, John E. Rep Weldon, Curt Rep Wynn, Albert Russell

 

Senate Co-sponsors Were:

Mr. Daschle (for Mr. Lieberman) (for himself, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Biden, Mr. Moynihan, Mr. Roth, and Mr. L. Chafee) introduced the bill; which was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

We applied and the W3R was subsequently designated a Millennium Trail in November. Therefore, property along the route is already eligible for TEA21 funds through each state's department of transportation. A copy of our certificate signed by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senator elect of New York, was distributed.

Special Thanks To: