I am honored to have introduced this legislation, which takes the
first steps toward ensuring Fort Ontario receives the national
recognition it richly deserves. The Fort Ontario Study Act would
commission a special resource study of Fort Ontario to evaluate the
site's national significance and determine the suitability of its
designation as a part of the National Park System. Fort Ontario, now a national historic site in New York and listed on
the National Register of Historic Places, draws residents of New York,
visitors across the Nation, and, indeed, across the globe to experience
the rich history of the fort and the Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee
Shelter Museum. Designating the fort as a national park will not only
preserve the unique history of the site, but also have the potential to
grow tourism and strengthen our economy. I am proud to be a champion of this effort, and I credit this success
to the countless individuals and organizations in Oswego, New York, and
throughout the 24th District who have spent years working to preserve
the history of Fort Ontario. These groups and individuals include the
Friends of Fort Ontario, Paul Lear with New York State Parks, the Board
of the Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum, and the many
volunteers that give so much of their time to this cause. Reflecting the importance of the fort to the entire region, I
introduced this bill with Congresswoman Tenney and Congresswoman
Slaughter. I would like to thank them both for their support, as well
as Chairman Bishop for working toward moving this legislation forward.