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SUMMARY OF DEVELOPMENTS RELATING TO THE MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN

The Regents were informed that on June 27, 1991, New York State Supreme Court Justice Stecher issued an opinion requiring the Huntington Free Library to transfer the Museum of the American Indian Library to the Smithsonian. The Heye Foundation and the Huntington Free Library have submitted proposed orders to Justice Stecher, which are likely to be the subject of a future hearing. Once a final order is entered, the Huntington Free Library has 30 days during which to file an appeal. Justice Stecher also concluded that it would be premature to decide whether the Heye Foundation could transfer ownership of Audubon Terrace to Boricua College, since the Smithsonian's occupancy would delay any such transfer for many years. 

Since last November, representatives from the State and City of New York and the Smithsonian have been drafting an agreement that would provide them with substantial roles in overseeing the construction and operation of the Museum of the American Indian Exhibition Facility at the Custom House. When their final review is complete, the State and the City will submit the documentation necessary to release their respective $8 million contributions, which the Smithsonian expects to receive by the end of September.

LEGISLATION FOR THE EXTENSION OF THE NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM

On May 6 the Regents concurred in the plan to reduce the scope of the National Air and Space Museum Extension to be located at Dulles International Airport and requested its Congressional members to introduce and support legislation authorizing $9 million for its detailed planning and design. Legislation for that purpose had earlier been introduced in the Senate (S.289) and was then introduced in the House (H.R.2756). Hearings were held in the House on June 26 before the Public Buildings and Grounds Subcommittee of the Public Works Committee and on July 30 before the Libraries and Memorials Subcommittee of the House Administration Committee.

In budget-related actions, the Interior and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee refused to allow the Institution to spend fiscal year 1990 and fiscal year 1991 planning funds on any work directly related to the Dulles site and directed that no funds be expended until the project has been authorized. The Committee also stated that if the Extension involved more than storage, restoration and preservation activities (i.e. public-related functions), the project should be opened to competition for site selection. In its companion action on the fiscal year 1992 appropriation, the Senate Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies strongly endorsed the Regent's decision on Dulles. Assuming the availability of authorization, an amount of $8 million will be sought in the fiscal year 1993 budget. Virginia officials continue to promise financial support.

DRAFT OF THE FIVE-YEAR PROSPECTUS, FISCAL YEARS 1993-1997

The Prospectus highlights the Institution's extensive backlog of programmatic infrastructure requirements in the chapter "Stewardship of the Public Trust." These requirements continue to receive attention as the principal area needing operating support in future years. Other chapters emphasize the Institution's global environmental research, cultural pluralism,