OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Stephanie Hanna or John Wright(O) 202/208-6416

April 18, 1997

I am very pleased that President Clinton has named the first Presidio Trust Board, kicking off an innovative new management concept for the Presidio, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Trust will be responsible for all built-up areas of the former Army post and is initially assigned eighty percent of the land area, but can negotiate, as appropriate, cooperative management with the National Park Service. The National Park Service will manage all visitor services and the coastal areas of the Presidio. The Trust Board is essentially a separate federal government corporation charged with managing a city within a city. At the same time, it must meet the same high standards of law that govern the National Park Service. This is a first of its kind management approach for a unit of the National Park System, and I congratulate each member named today and wish them every success in the carrying out their considerable responsibilities.

I have chosen John Garamendi, Deputy Secretary of the Interior, as my designee on the Presidio Trust Board. His experience in the California Senate and Assembly and then as Insurance Commissioner gives this native Californian a perspective that will be beneficial to the Trust. Since becoming my Deputy Secretary in 1995, he has taken a keen interest in recreation and tourism issues and has helped to build important bridges between the Department of the Interior and outside organizations and businesses that share our conservation goals. I have confidence that John Garamendi will serve on this first Board of Directors of the Presidio Trust with distinction.

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