STATEMENT OF RUTH COLEMAN
DIRECTOR, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION, BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, RECREATION AND PUBLIC LANDS, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES, CONCERNING H.R. 3638, TO ADJUST THE BOUNDARY OF REDWOOD NATIONAL PARK IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

April 29, 2004

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear before your committee to present the views of the California Department of Parks and Recreation on H.R. 3638, a bill to adjust the boundary of Redwood National Park in the State of California.

The Department supports enactment of H.R. 3638. The California Department of Parks and Recreation and the National Park Service have been jointly managing park lands at Redwood National & State Parks for the last ten years through a Memo of Understanding and a cooperative agreement. This partnership has been very successful and has become a model of cooperation between state and federal agencies. Currently, three California State Parks exist within the boundary of Redwood National Park. The land and facilities of these parks are owned by the state of California but the management and operations of the state parks and the national park is done jointly through our agreement.

On June 4, 2002, the Department of Parks and Recreation took title to a 25,500 acre parcel of land adjacent to Redwood National Park and two state parks. It is known as the Mill Creek property. This legislation would enable the California Department of Parks and Recreation and the National Park Service to manage this new property under the same terms that state park lands are currently managed within the boundary of Redwood National Park.