[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1348 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1348

  Recognizing the vision of John W. Weeks and his contribution to the 
   conservation effort with the passage of the Weeks Act in 1911, a 
   significant conservation achievement in the history of the United 
                                States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 11, 2010

  Mr. Moran of Virginia submitted the following resolution; which was 
 referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to 
the Committees on Agriculture and Natural Resources, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Recognizing the vision of John W. Weeks and his contribution to the 
   conservation effort with the passage of the Weeks Act in 1911, a 
   significant conservation achievement in the history of the United 
                                States.

Whereas John W. Weeks, a Republican from Massachusetts, served in the House of 
        Representatives from March 4, 1905, to March 4, 1913, and in the Senate 
        from March 4, 1913, to March 3, 1919;
Whereas, while a Representative, John W. Weeks was instrumental in securing the 
        passage of the Act of March 1, 1911, which authorized the creation of 
        national forests in the eastern United States;
Whereas the Act of March 1, 1911, is known as the Weeks Act in recognition of 
        the role John W. Weeks played in the passage of the law;
Whereas the Act addressed the consequences of increased flooding and soil 
        erosion resulting from large scale logging and destructive forest fires 
        in the northeast and southern United States;
Whereas the Act permitted the Federal Government to relieve State and local 
        governments from the burden of managing former privately owned lands 
        that were reverting to county or State ownership because of delinquent 
        taxes;
Whereas the Act authorized the Federal purchase of cut-over and denuded 
        forestlands in the headwaters of navigable streams for the purpose of 
        conserving the flow of navigable streams and rivers or for timber 
        production;
Whereas the Federal purchase of such land could not occur unless a State gave 
        its explicit consent;
Whereas healthy forested watersheds regulate run-off and permit for a more 
        regular water flow, decreasing fluctuation in high and low water level, 
        and forests are crucial in mountainous regions in which runoff 
        traversing down sloping grades increases erosion of the land and silts 
        the streams;
Whereas a month after President Taft signed the Weeks Act into law, 11 land 
        units were purchased in the White Mountains of New England and in the 
        southern Appalachians;
Whereas the Act gave priority to, but did not restrict outside of, the White 
        Mountains and Southern Appalachian region, which at that time required 
        the greatest necessity for preventative and protective measures;
Whereas 26 eastern States are now home to 52 National Forests encompassing 
        24,878,687 acres;
Whereas, as a result of the Weeks Act, streams that were filled with silt now 
        flow clean and clear, degraded habitats were restored and managed, and 
        fish and game returned to many of the managed lands;
Whereas many municipal water supplies along the eastern coast depend on National 
        Forest watersheds that provide clean drinking water to their communities 
        and $450 billion in food and fiber, manufactured goods, and tourism 
        depends on clean water and healthy watersheds;
Whereas the timber resource, which was nearly nonexistent when the Federal 
        Government purchased the land, has increased by more than two and a half 
        times since 1952 and now totals an estimated 42 billion cubic feet of 
        growing stock and about 210 billion board feet of saw timber;
Whereas both Republicans and Democrats recognized the importance of the Federal 
        Government in conserving the forests and the water supply of the States 
        for long-term environmental goals; and
Whereas 52 National Forests in 26 eastern States may never have existed if the 
        Weeks Act had not been passed: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes former Representative and Senator John W. 
        Weeks for his leading vision and active conservation;
            (2) encourages the Forest Service to celebrate the 
        centennial of the enactment of the Act of March 1, 1911, known 
        as the Weeks Act, a law that helped propel the conservation 
        movement and the preservation of United States forests and 
        watersheds; and
            (3) encourages bipartisan efforts to preserve precious 
        natural resources of the United States and promote conservation 
        efforts across the country.
                                 <all>