[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 40 (Thursday, April 14, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 14, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 TRIBUTE TO SENATOR ALAN CRANSTON ON PASSAGE OF THE CALIFORNIA DESERT 
                             PROTECTION ACT

 Mr. DeCONCINI. Mr. President, I rise today to hail the passage 
of the California Desert Protection Act. The bill that passed the 
Senate yesterday is a good bill that represents a lot of hard work and 
compromise. The debate was open and fair, and I think that is a credit 
to the chairman and ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources 
Committee. The forthright manner in which Senator Feinstein approached 
this issue is a tribute to her legislative skills and her dedication 
and perseverance as well as that of Senator Boxer. Both of the Senators 
from California are in large measure responsible for the ultimate 
passage of this legislation. I worked many long hours to pass an 
Arizona wilderness bill not too long ago, so I know firsthand the 
difficulties involved in dealing with the diverse groups affected by 
such designations. Senator Feinstein did a remarkable job of satisfying 
many competing concerns while preserving the heart of the bill.
  Today, however, I want to pay special tribute to the original driving 
force behind this bill, Senator Alan Cranston. Senator Feinstein 
enthustically picked up where Senator Cranston left off. She has put 
her own stamp on S. 21 and has successfully steered it through Senate 
passage, but it was Senator Cranston's vision of protecting the 
California desert for present and future generations that began the 
process. He introduced the first version of the California Desert 
Protection Act on February 6, 1986, and in every subsequent Congress 
until his retirement.
  I know that passing a bill to protect the fragile ecosystems and 
unique wildlife and geography of the California desert was one of 
Senator Cranston's most important environmental issues and ranked near 
the top of his legislative agenda. I regret that Senator Cranston is 
not here to witness the successful culmination of his vision. I know 
that he will be pleased with the Senate's action yesterday. It shows a 
strong commitment to preserving this magnificent natural and cultural 
resource and is an affirmation of Senator Cranston's dedication.
  Mr. President, the idea of protecting these desert lands as 
wilderness areas and national parks was not a result of an impulsive 
desire by Senator Cranston to overburden the National Park System or to 
randomly remove land from private hands. I know that Senator Cranston 
thought this idea was so important that he spent many hours traveling 
through the desert to see firsthand its diverse environment. He saw the 
value--and the fragility--of the desert and the increasing threat cased 
by incompatible use and encroaching development. The passage of this 
legislation is a tribute to the innumerable hours Senator Cranston 
spent traveling the desert studying the ecosystems, meeting with 
interest groups, developing legislation and laying the groundwork that 
brought us to the passage of S. 21 yesterday.
  I commend Senator Cranston's work. His efforts and those of Senators 
Feinstein and Boxer will now provide us with the opportunity to enjoy 
the desert of southern California for a long time to come.

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