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14 

 provided to the Subcommittee. 



The National Park Service's Air Quality office continues to provide 

 excellent service. Largely because its information and expertise 

 are in high demand, the workload of this office has increased. 

 Examples of this increased workload include representation on 

 various regional and national initiatives, such as the Grand Canyon 

 Visibility Transport Commission, the Southern Appalachian Mountain 

 Initiative, and New Source Review Reform, discussed above; as well 

 as representation in several international efforts, such as 

 discussions concerning certain large new power plants in Mexico, 

 general air guality matters along both the Mexican and Canadian 

 borders, and implementation of the 1991 United States-Canada Air 

 Quality Agreement. The National Park Service is currently engaged 

 in a "streamlining" process, whose primary purpose is to strengthen 

 Park Service program management, resource protection and visitor 

 services, and Service-wide science and technical support functions. 

 I am confident that this management review will recognize the value 

 of the Air Quality office and the functions it serves. 



In October 1993, the Director of the National Park Service and the 

 Regional Directors of the five Park Service regions east of the 

 Mississippi River announced the "CLEAR" (Clearer Look at Eastern 

 Air Resources) Strategy "to initiate actions that preserve and 

 protect the air resources in all eastern National Park System 

 units." The CLEAR strategy identifies examples of immediate, 



