Since 1776, San Francisco's Presidio -- the stretch of land at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge -- has been an active military base, first under the flags of Spain and Mexico, then the United States. Recognizing its historical significance and natural and cultural values, Congress in 1972 authorized the Presidio's inclusion in the adjacent Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) if the government ever determined the base was no longer necessary for national defense.

In 1988, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) decided that the Presidio was no longer essential as a military base. The National Park Service then held extensive public hearings in order to prepare a management plan for the site. The Park Service's preferred plan is to leave buildings on the site and then use the income to help pay for the costs of operating the Presidio.

Environmentalists supported the plan as a creative and cost-effective way to manage public lands. Rep. James Duncan (R-TN), however, attempted to reduce the benefits of the plan by offering an amendment to the Fiscal Year 1995 Interior Appropriations bill (H.R. 4602) to cut the Presidio's budget by $14 million.

On June 22, 1994, the House rejected the Duncan amendment by a vote of 171 - 257. NO is the pro-environment vote.