WASHINGTON, D.C. – A draft House Resources Committee bill circulated today proposes selling 15 national parks, and permitting offshore oil and gas drilling in now-restricted waters in order to offset payments for the Bush Administration’s tab for the war in Iraq and reconstruction in the South. The plan drafted by Resources Chairman Pombo would also open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), a senior member of the House Resources Committee blasted the plan for jeopardizing wilderness areas and national park lands across the country.

“Chairman Pombo is suggesting that we preserve tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans by privatizing and selling off our national parks,” said Rep. Markey. “This proposal to hang a ‘FOR SALE’ sign on our national parks is unacceptable. In keeping with his design to gut our country of national treasures the Chairman has put the home of America’s foremost parkmaker Frederick Law Olmsted’s home on the list of national parks to be cut – he is trying to sell the parkmaker’s park!!” Markey continued.

The Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site, located in Brookline, Massachusetts is on the list of national parks to be sold off. Fredrick Olmsted and his family played a critical role in the creation of the National Park Service. In 1916 F. L. Olmsted, Jr. drafted the mission of the National Park Service:

"To conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."

The 285 page bill also includes a wide menu of schemes to privatize America’s precious natural resources including drilling in the outer continental shelf. The draft legislation would remove the 91-acre Theodore Roosevelt Island from the national park system selling it off to real estate developers.

For more information on how Representative Markey’s work to protect endangered species and wildlife
check out: http://www.house.gov/markey/.

For more information on the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site, located in Brookline, Massachusetts check out: http://www.nps.gov/frla/