[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 294 Engrossed in House (EH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 294

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                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway links the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to 
        the Shenandoah National Park, providing 469 scenic miles for motor 
        recreation along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina 
        and Virginia;
Whereas North Carolina state geologist Joseph Hyde Pratt first proposed a scenic 
        road along the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1906;
Whereas, on November 24, 1933, at the recommendation of Virginia Senator Harry 
        Byrd, Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes approved construction of 
        the new highway to connect the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with 
        the Shenandoah National Park;
Whereas, on September 11, 1935, construction began on the first 12.5-mile 
        section of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Cumberland Knob in North 
        Carolina;
Whereas Stanley L. Abbott is widely remembered as the ``father of the Blue Ridge 
        Parkway'' for his work to oversee planning of the project;
Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway was established by Congress as a unit of the 
        National Park Service on June 30, 1936;
Whereas the National Park Service development program, ``Mission 66'', oversaw 
        the completion of most remaining gaps along the Blue Ridge Parkway 
        during the 1950s and 1960s;
Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway's final stretch of road was completed in 1987 
        with the construction of the Linn Cove Viaduct;
Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway provides recreational opportunities for American 
        families at picnic areas, campgrounds, and on scenic drives through 
        Appalachian mountain passes;
Whereas the diverse topography and numerous vista points along the Blue Ridge 
        Parkway make it the most accessible way to visit and experience Southern 
        Appalachian rural landscapes and mountains;
Whereas the Parkway is world-renowned for its biodiversity, which includes 74 
        species of mammals, 50 salamander species, 35 reptile species, 159 
        species of birds and 25 species of fish;
Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited unit of the National Park 
        Service with nearly 20 million visitors each year;
Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway promotes regional travel and tourism by unifying 
        the 29 counties through which it passes, engendering a shared regional 
        identity, providing a common link of interest, and contributing to the 
        economic vitality of the area;
Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the strongest economic engines in the 
        Southern Appalachian region, generating an estimated $2.3 billion in 
        North Carolina and Virginia annually;
Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway has received volunteer support from thousands of 
        Virginians and North Carolinians, including 1,400 volunteers in 2008 who 
        provided more than 50,000 hours of service;
Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway is a great public works achievement that 
        maintains natural, historic, and cultural significance for the people of 
        Virginia and North Carolina; and
Whereas this crown jewel of the National Park Service deserves the support of 
        Congress to preserve its ecological and cultural integrity, maintain its 
        infrastructure, and protect its famously scenic views: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) commemorates the 75th Anniversary of the Blue Ridge 
        Parkway; and
            (2) acknowledges the historic and enduring scenic, 
        recreational, and economic value of this unique national 
        treasure.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 22, 2010.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
111th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                            H. CON. RES. 294

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

     Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway.