[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 95 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 95


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 16, 2009

 Received and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
                                Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Recognizing the importance of the Department of Agriculture Forest 
                Service Experimental Forests and Ranges.

Whereas the general provisions of the Act of June 4, 1897 (commonly known as the 
        Organic Administration Act of 1897; 16 U.S.C. 551) and section 4 of the 
        Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 
        1643) authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to designate experimental 
        forests and ranges;
Whereas, in 2008, the Department of Agriculture celebrated the 100th anniversary 
        of the establishment of the first experimental forest at Fort Valley, 
        Arizona, which eventually led to the creation of 77 additional 
        experimental forests and ranges within the National Forest System;
Whereas the network of experimental forests and ranges provides places for long-
        term science and management studies in major vegetation types of the 195 
        million acres of public land administered by the Forest Service;
Whereas research at these experimental forests and ranges has provided critical 
        information to the public, such as recognition of acid rain based on 
        long-term precipitation chemistry data at Hubbard Brook, New Hampshire, 
        characterization of old-growth Douglas-fir forests and ecology of the 
        northern spotted owl, which set the stage for conservation planning in 
        the Pacific Northwest, improved understanding of the science of forest 
        hydrology, which was derived from long-term studies in experimental 
        forests, especially Coweeta, and the forest and rangeland management 
        systems built from foundation studies at many experimental properties; 
        and
Whereas experimental forests and ranges provide opportunities to study the 
        resources of the United States, including knowledge of forest and stream 
        ecosystems, long-term records of climate, forest dynamics, hydrology, 
        and other ecosystem components, information about long-term field 
        experiments and opportunities to participate in them, access to a cadre 
        of knowledgeable scientists, and access to thousands of publications 
        about natural resource management and ecosystem science: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress recognizes the important contributions that the 77 
experimental forests and ranges within the National Forest System have 
made in understanding and conserving the environment and ensuring that 
natural resources in the United States remain a source of pride and 
enjoyment.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 15, 2009.

            Attest:

                                            LORRAINE C. MILLER,

                                                                 Clerk.