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Following unanimous passage in the U.S. Senate this evening of The Fort Ontario Study Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation introduced in the House by U.S. Rep. John Katko, the Congressman released the following statement:
“Fort Ontario and Safe Haven National Refugee Shelter are treasures in our community, and testament to the important role of Central New York in our nation’s history. The Fort Ontario Study Act has been among my top priorities since coming to Congress in 2015,” said Rep. John Katko. “I’m thrilled that the Senate has moved forward this important, bipartisan and bicameral measure that I passed through the House in January of last year. I now urge the President to act swiftly in signing this measure into law so that this historic site is given the recognition it deserves.”
The Fort Ontario Study Act would put Fort Ontario and Safe Haven National Refugee Shelter in Oswego on the path towards becoming a National Park. It commissions a special resource study of Fort Ontario and Safe Haven in Oswego County to evaluate the site’s national significance and determine the suitability of its designation as a part of the National Park system. This study is a prerequisite for receiving National Park designation. The legislation passed the House was the first bill that Rep. Katko reintroduced during the 115th Congress, and it passed the House in January 2017.
