“The Congress finds the following:“(1) Fort Clatsop National Memorial is the only unit of the National Park System solely dedicated to the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
“(2) In 1805, the members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition built Fort Clatsop at the mouth of the Columbia River near Astoria, Oregon, and they spent 106 days at the fort waiting for the end of winter and preparing for their journey home.
“(3) In 1958, Congress enacted Public Law 85–435 [former sections 450mm to 450mm–3 of this title] authorizing the establishment of Fort Clatsop National Memorial for the purpose of commemorating the culmination, and the winter encampment, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition following its successful crossing of the North American continent.
“(4) The 1995 General Management Plan for Fort Clatsop National Memorial, prepared with input from the local community, recommends the expansion of the memorial to include the trail used by expedition members to access the Pacific Ocean from the fort and the shore and forest lands surrounding the fort and trail to protect their natural settings.
“(5) Expansion of Fort Clatsop National Memorial requires Federal legislation because the size of the memorial is currently limited by statute to 130 acres.
“(6) Congressional action to allow for the expansion of Fort Clatsop National Memorial to include the trail to the Pacific Ocean would be timely and appropriate before the start of the bicentennial celebration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition planned to take place during the years 2004 through 2006.”
