Rob Bishop: “I take some umbrage at the claim that this is an arbitrary number that is taken out. In our hearing testimony, it was…”

“I take some umbrage at the claim that this is an arbitrary number that is taken out. In our hearing testimony, it was very clear from both the park as well as the county that 5 acres was what was needed for the parking and the visitors center. That is not a number pulled out of the air. It was specifically for 5 acres. That is why I have continuously used that particular number. Things have changed, I admit, since the hearing. When we had the hearing, it was said this would totally cost somewhere between $2 million and $3 million. CBO has said today this will cost $7 million and a continuing ongoing fee of $500,000 every year. I would not be necessarily as opposed to this if indeed donation was the goal. It is unfair to the gentlelady from Wyoming, as well as the bill that deals with a donation of land to the Grand Teton National Park, to compare this with that. That was simply a donation. The total cost is zero. The total expansion of that park is expanding the Grand Teton Park by six ten-thousandths of a percent. This particular bill expands this park 44 percent, and if you divide $7 million by the number of acres, that is something around $64,000 an acre. That would be a cost that would be there. There is an ongoing cost and an ongoing decision that the United States needs to go into if we are going to make these kinds of decisions. Like I said, the amendment is straightforward. There is a need for parking.”