By Evan Lehmann, elehmann@lowellsun.com
WASHINGTON -- It took years of political massaging, but Lowell National Historical Park is finally in line to obtain five slices of land to increase access along the walkway following Pawtucket Canal.
The Senate overcame political tension and hours of gridlock Thursday to pass a sweeping bill that includes 62 land plans in national parks across the country, including the proposal in Lowell to expand the park by just under an acre.
But past delays have made park Superintendent Michael Creasey wary.
"It's not done yet," he warned from his office, where he was receiving updates on the legislative process from a staffer for Sen. Edward Kennedy.
"It's been years, and for all the wrong reasons we've been held up in the process," he said.
The main reason Thursday was a passionate objection to increasing the amount of federal land, already accounting for about 30 percent of the United States.
The plan would authorize the Lowell National Historical Park to obtain lands valued at about $200,000.
Three of the parcels are owned by private landowners, and the federal government would negotiate purchase prices with them. One parcel would be donated by the state, and the owner of the last piece has not been identified. The park plans to take it through eminent domain.
The House and Senate need to finalize the bill before sending it to President Bush for his signature.
This story appeared in the Lowell Sun on Thursday, April 10, 2008