John Mica: “Every year, nearly 1.5 million visitors come to the Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas National Monuments in…”

“Every year, nearly 1.5 million visitors come to the Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas National Monuments in America's oldest city, St. Augustine, Florida. Way back some 11 years ago, in December of 2004, I passed legislation authorizing a visitors center for Castillo de San Marcos, which was signed into law. The Castillo fortress is the largest intact Spanish fortress in the continental United States, with construction that was completed in 1695. After the authorization was signed into law, significant, thorough, costly, and time-consuming studies and reports were completed after many reviews, hearings, and public forums. Then in 2007, 3 years later, the National Park Service came up with a final general management plan. This plan developed four alternatives. One was to do nothing; that was A. Two others, C and D, were to possibly build on land that will no longer be available that was going to be made available by the State and the city. That leaves one alternative. Now, this is a very simple, clarifying amendment. Alternative B is the one that we would like funds spent on. Here, we are saying no funds shall be spent to do nothing; no funds will be spent or wasted to go towards a project that isn't going to happen. This is a simple, clarifying, limiting amendment. It would specifically limit funds from being expended on any alternative, except for B, which is in the plan, been in the plan.…”