H.R. 6210

To designate the General George C. Marshall House, in the Commonwealth of Virginia, as an affiliated area of the National Park System

STATEMENT OF FRANK W. LANDS, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BEFORE THE HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES SUBCOMMITTEE ON FEDERAL LANDS, CONCERNING H.R. 6210, A BILL TO DESIGNATE THE GENERAL GEORGE C. MARSHALL HOUSE, IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, AS AN AFFILIATED AREA OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

JULY 24, 2024

Chairman Tiffany, Ranking Member Neguse, and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to present the Department of the Interior’s views on H.R. 6210, a bill to designate the General George C. Marshall House, in the Commonwealth of Virginia, as an affiliated area of the National Park System, and for other purposes.

The Department supports H.R. 6210.

H.R. 6210 would designate the General George C. Marshall House in Leesburg, Virginia, as an affiliated area of the National Park System for the purpose of promoting public appreciation of the significant historic contributions made by United States military leader and statesman George Catlett Marshall, Jr. It would name the George C. Marshall International Center as the management entity for the affiliated area and authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide technical assistance and to enter into cooperative agreements with the Center for the purpose of providing financial assistance for marketing, marking, interpretation, and preservation. Finally, it would direct the Secretary to develop a management plan in coordination with the management entity within three years of availability of funds.

The General George C. Marshall House is the house where General Marshall resided during the prime of his career (1941-1959). The nonprofit George C. Marshall International Center purchased the property in 1995 and opened it to the public in 2005.

In response to a request by Senator Tim Kaine, Senator Mark Warner, and Representative Jennifer Wexton, the NPS conducted a reconnaissance survey of the General George C. Marshall House to explore whether this site would be suitable for designation as an affiliated area of the National Park System.

In order to be eligible for affiliated area status, an area must (1) meet the criteria for national significance, (2) require recognition or assistance beyond that available through other NPS programs, (3) be managed in accordance with policies and standards applicable to units of the National Park System, and (4) be assured of sustained resource protection as documented in an agreement between the NPS and the entity managing the area. The report on the survey, which was transmitted to the requesting Members in April 2023, indicated that the site appeared to meet all of the criteria to be considered eligible for affiliated status and that it was likely that the George C. Marshall International Center would benefit from a formalized affiliation with the NPS.

The General George C. Marshall House offers potential interpretive or educational opportunities on the history of American diplomacy from the unique perspective of chronicling Marshall’s rise and expansion of his roles on the national and world stages, and showing how his career mirrored America's rise as a world power. Designation as an affiliated area would recognize the significance of George C. Marshall’s prominence as the role of the United States in the world community evolved during the 20th century, a theme that is underrepresented in the National Park System itself.  The Department would welcome this designation.

Chairman Tiffany, this concludes my statement. I would be happy to answer any questions that you or the other members of the Subcommittee have.