Background: The Manhattan Project National Historical Park Act passed the House of Representatives today, in an en bloc amendment to H.R. 1960, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The bill is also stand-alone legislation by Congressman Doc Hastings, Congressman Ben Lujan, and Congressman Chuck Fleischmann.

Statement by Ron Tipton, Senior Vice President of Policy, National Parks Conservation Association
“The National Parks Conservation Association applauds the leadership of House Natural Resources Chairman Doc Hastings and the bipartisan support for national parks demonstrated by our House of Representatives today in passing the Manhattan Project National Historical Park Act. The complex story of the Manhattan Project and the resulting impacts of atomic power and nuclear technology are an ideal topic for the National Park Service to interpret and to facilitate thoughtful discussion."

“With only a very small percentage of our national parks currently dedicated to interpreting science and technology, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park would help enhance our National Park System – particularly as we look to its 2016 centennial celebration.”

Statement by Cindy Kelly, President and Founder, Atomic Heritage Foundation
“This is a tremendous milestone. Many thanks to Congressman Doc Hastings for his tenacious leadership, Congressmen Chuck Fleischmann and Ben Lujan for their sponsorship, and to the many others whose support was invaluable.”

“Recognition of the Manhattan Project as an important part of America’s story is long overdue. Fortunately, at least some members of the Greatest Generation who worked on the top-secret project are still here to share this moment. This is a most fitting tribute.”

“Looking ahead, the Manhattan Project national park should be a source of inspiration for many generations of scientists, engineers and mathematicians to come. The project not only harnessed the energy of the atom but produced thousands of innovations that led to high-speed computers, the human genome project, outer space exploration, nuclear medicine and energy.” The new park will also help citizens understand and reflect upon the complex role that nuclear weapons have played in history, politics, economics, culture and society.”

Statement by Denise Kiernan, Author, "The Girls of Atomic City"

I am very pleased to hear that the House is moving forward with this bill. A moment in history that had, and continues to have, as much of a worldwide impact as the Manhattan Project should be preserved and studied from as many different perspectives as possible.

The proposed park is not simply about preserving scientific and technological history but also recognizing and better understanding the experiences of thousands of women and men, from all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, who lived and worked on the three main Manhattan Project sites.

The results of their work—nuclear weapons, nuclear energy and nuclear medicine—continue to influence our lives today in myriad and complex ways. The origins of that science and the roles that ordinary individuals played in its development deserve to be understood and shared with future generations of inquisitive minds.

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Click here to view a Google Hangout On Air discussion by Ron Tipton, Cindy Kelly, and Denise Kiernan, author of "The Girls of Atomic City," on the history of the Manhattan Project and efforts to designate Manhattan Project National Historical Park sites.