Ste. Genevieve, MO (KTRS) The Ste. Genevieve National Historic Park is now part of the National Park Service, thanks to legislation spearheaded by Missouri Senator Roy Blunt. Blunt was in Ste. Genevieve with U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, to participate in a round table discussion with community leaders on Monday.

 

 

Senator Blunt told the group, “There are two ways you get things done: One is the Authorizing Committee, that officially decides how structure is going to happen and what’s going to be done. And then the Appropriating Committee, which comes up with the money to do what’s going to be done. Senator Murkowski chairs both the Authorizing Committee and the Appropriating Committee. For Interior, it would be impossible to be more powerful than she is in the space we’re interested in today.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Senator Murkowski commended the all those involved, “So this is a fabulous example of coming together, recognizing that nothing is easy. Twelve years is a long time to be putting your shoulder to things. But you’ve done that. You’ve stuck with it. Instead of becoming more disparate in your views of how it needs to happen, you came together.” 

 

 

In March, Blunt’s legislation to establish the Ste. Genevieve National Historic Park and designate it as a unit of the National Park Service was signed into law. Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, Midwest Regional Director for the National Park Service Cameron Sholly, and Ste. Genevieve Mayor Paul Hassler were also in attendance.