Position on H.R. 3480 and H.R. 4202

NPCA urges members of the committee to support H.R. 3480 and H.R. 4202.

H.R. 3480 – Fort Frederica National Monument Boundary Expansion Act of 2015: Fort Frederica National Monument preserves the remains of one of the earliest Colonial-era English settlements in Georgia, established by Governor James Oglethorpe in 1736 to defend the British colonies against Spanish invasion from Florida. This legislation will expand the park boundary from 250 to 525 acres to preserve undeveloped forests and wetlands to the immediate north and south of the Fort from encroaching development. The St. Simons Land Trust has already purchased part of the property north of the Fort and is holding it for transfer to the park once a boundary expansion is authorized. Given the significance of the historical resources for telling the story of the events leading to our nation’s founding, NPCA is pleased to support this legislation.

H.R. 4202 – Fort Ontario Study Act: This legislation directs the Department of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of Fort Ontario, evaluate the site’s national significance, and determine the suitability and feasibility of designating it as a unit of the National Park System. Fort Ontario, in Oswego, New York, was used as a military installation during the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812. Given the pivotal role of this fort in our country’s military and cultural history, NPCA supports this legislation to study whether Fort Ontario’s 260 years of military and cultural history meets the National Park Services’ criteria for national recognition.