[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 108 (Monday, August 8, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                CHACOAN OUTLIERS PROTECTION ACT OF 1994

  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 1562) to amend title V of Public Law 96-550, designating the 
Chaco Culture Archeological Protection Sites, and for other purposes, 
as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 1562

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Chacoan Outliers Protection 
     Act of 1994''.

     SEC. 2. CONFORMING AMENDMENT.

       Section 501(b) of Public Law 96-550 (16 U.S.C. 410ii(b)) is 
     amended by striking ``San Juan Basin;'' and inserting in lieu 
     thereof, ``San Juan Basin and surrounding areas;''.

     SEC. 3. ADDITIONS TO CHACO CULTURE ARCHEOLOGICAL PROTECTION 
                   SITES.

       Subsection 502(b) of Public Law 96-550 (16 U.S.C. 410ii-
     1(b)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(b)(1) Thirty-nine outlying sites as generally depicted 
     on a map entitled `Chaco Culture Archeological Protection 
     Sites', numbered 310/80,033-B and dated September 1991, are 
     hereby designated as `Chaco Culture Archeological Protection 
     Sites'. The thirty-nine archeological protection sites 
     totaling approximately 14,273 acres identified as follows:

Name:                                                             Acres
  Allentown.........................................................380
  Andrews Ranch.....................................................950
  Bee Burrow........................................................480
  Bisa'ani..........................................................131
  Casa del Rio.......................................................40
  Casamero..........................................................160
  Chimney Rock....................................................3,160
  Coolidge..........................................................450
  Dalton Pass.......................................................135
  Dittert...........................................................480
  Great Bend.........................................................26
  Greenlee Ruin......................................................60
  Grey Hill Spring...................................................23
  Guadalupe.........................................................115
  Halfway House......................................................40
  Haystack..........................................................565
  Hogback...........................................................453
  Indian Creek......................................................100
  Jacques............................................................66
  Kin Nizhoni.......................................................726
  Lake Valley........................................................30
  Manuelito-Atsee Nitsaa.............................................60
  Manuelito-Kin Hochoi..............................................116
  Morris 41..........................................................85
  Muddy Water.....................................................1,090
  Navajo Springs....................................................260
  Newcomb............................................................50
  Peach Springs...................................................1,046
  Pierre's Site.....................................................440
  Raton Well.........................................................23
  Salmon Ruin.........................................................5
  San Mateo..........................................................61
  Sanostee........................................................1,565
  Section 8..........................................................10
  Skunk Springs/Crumbled House......................................533
  Standing Rock.....................................................348
  Toh-la-kai.........................................................10
  Twin Angeles.......................................................40
  Upper Kin Klizhin.................................................60.
       ``(2) The map referred to in paragraph (1) shall be kept on 
     file and available for public inspection in the appropriate 
     offices of the National Park Service, the office of the State 
     Director of the Bureau of Land Management located in Santa 
     Fe, New Mexico, the office of the Area Director of the 
     Bureau of Indian Affairs located in Window Rock, Arizona, 
     and the offices of the Arizona and New Mexico State 
     Historic Preservation Officers.''.

     SEC. 4. ACQUISITIONS.

       Section 504(c)(2) of Public Law 96-550 (16 U.S.C. 410ii-
     3(c)(2)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(2) The Secretary shall seek to use a combination of land 
     acquisition authority under this section and cooperative 
     agreements (pursuant to section 505) to accomplish the 
     purposes of archeological resource protection at those sites 
     described in section 502(b) that remain in private 
     ownership.''.

     SEC. 5. ASSISTANCE TO THE NAVAJO NATION.

       Section 506 of Public Law 96-550 (16 U.S.C. 410ii-5) is 
     amended by adding the following new subsection at the end 
     thereof:
       ``(f) The Secretary, acting through the Director of the 
     National Park Service, shall assist the Navajo Nation in the 
     protection and management of those Chaco Culture 
     Archeological Protection Sites located on lands under the 
     jurisdiction of the Navajo Nation through a grant, contract, 
     or cooperative agreement entered into pursuant to the Indian 
     Self-Determination and Education Act (Public Law 93-638), as 
     amended, to assist the Navajo Nation in site planning, 
     resource protection, interpretation, resource management 
     actions, and such other purposes as may be identified in such 
     grant, contract, or cooperative agreement. This cooperative 
     assistance shall include assistance with the development of a 
     Navajo facility to serve those who seek to appreciate the 
     Chacoan Outlier Sites.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Minnesota [Mr. Vento] will be recognized for 20 minutes, and the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Doolittle] will be recognized for 20 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Vento].


                             general leave

  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on 
H.R. 1562, as amended, the bill now under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Minnesota?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1562, which was introduced by my colleague on the 
Natural Resources Committee, Mr. Richardson, makes several changes in 
the act designating the Chaco cultural archeological protection sites. 
The Subcommittee on Natural Parks, Forests and Public Lands held a 
hearing on this legislation on May 24, 1994, and the Committee on 
Natural Resources reported H.R. 1562 favorably to the House on July 27, 
1994.
  Chaco Canyon, located in the San Juan basin in northwestern New 
Mexico, was the center of the Anasazi civilization, which emerged and 
then mysteriously disappeared within a brief 400-year period from A.D. 
900 to A.D. 1300. The canyon, which contains the archeological remains 
the Chacoan Anasazi Indian culture, was designated a national monument 
in 1907.
  After the establishment of the monument, a number of outlying sites 
were discovered, and the monument was expanded to include some of these 
in the late 1920's. Further discoveries provided the impetus for Public 
Law 96-550 enacted in 1980, which renamed the monument as the Chaco 
Culture National Historical Park, and designated 33 outlying sites as 
Chaco culture archeological protection sites. These archeological 
protection sites are managed primarily by the Bureau of Land 
Management, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Navajo Nation.
  The legislation, as amended by the Committee on Natural Resources, 
deletes two sites from the current list of protection sites and adds 
eight. One of the deleted sites has been incorporated into El Malpais 
National Monument, and the other is owned and protected by the Ute 
Mountain Tribe which prefers to manage this site. The additions are all 
publicly owned. The bill further modifies the boundaries of sites 
remaining on the list and authorizes the Secretary to assist the Navajo 
Nation in the protection and management of protection sites located on 
Navajo land. Finally, the legislation includes land acquisition 
language which should provide clear direction to the affected agencies 
to undertake acquisition of threatened sites before the sites are 
looted or destroyed beyond salvage.
  Mr. Speaker, these are valuable cultural and natural resources which 
have suffered significant damage. The 1980 Chaco legislation began the 
process of recognizing, preserving, and protecting these sites without 
requiring Federal ownership of the properties. The legislation before 
us continues those efforts and I urge my colleagues' support.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1562 provides for the expansion of the Chaco 
Culture National Historical Park. I commend Mr. Richardson for bringing 
before this committee a park expansion bill that will cost the taxpayer 
very little. There are no visitor centers and there is no acquisition 
of expensive private lands. This legislation will insure the 
preservation of these unique archeological sites and will complete the 
mission of the park.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Richardson]. He has long worked on this 
project for the last 10 years, and it has been difficult to finally 
come up with a policy that has won the type of acclaim and support that 
this has. I commend the gentleman for his work.
  (Mr. RICHARDSON asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)

                              {time}  1540

  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in strong 
support of H.R. 1562, legislation I introduce last year to protect 
outlying sites at the Chaco Culture Archaeological Protection Site in 
my congressional district in northwestern New Mexico.
  I would like to thank both Chairman Miller and Chairman Vento for 
their leadership and decisive action in scheduling this bill for 
consideration today. The New Mexico congressional delegation has spent 
the better part of 10 years working to correct several inequities 
resulting from passage of the last Chaco-related legislation in 1980. 
The cooperative attitude of their staffs and the speed with which both 
Chairman Miller and Chairman Vento have moved this legislation from 
hearing to full committee markup is to be commended.
  The Chaco Culture site in New Mexico contains spectacular 
archaeological remains of the Native American past, which have long 
been recognized as representing an archaeological peak in Anasazi 
Indian prehistory. The name Chaco Canyon comes from the Chaco culture, 
the single most prehistoric culture in the Western United States, which 
is known to have lived in the area.
  During consideration of H.R. 1562 by the Natural Resources Committee 
this year, several changes were made to the bill as originally 
introduced in March of 1993. The changes include the addition of the 
Morris 41 site to the list of what will now be 39 outlying sites, the 
addition of clarifying language regarding the role of the National Park 
Service in working fully with the Navajo Nation to ensure that the 
sites are managed responsibly, and the addition of new language 
authorizing the acquisition of lands for the purpose of completing the 
inclusion of the new outlying sites.
  In conclusion, I would like to recognize the hard work and dedication 
to the issue of additional protection for Chaco exhibited by Senator 
Pete Domenici and his staff. New Mexico's senior Senator has worked 
with me every step of the way to secure passage of this important 
legislation and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for 
his assistance.
  I am confident that the changes we have made to the legislation are 
reflective of the unique needs of this culturally significant site and 
I look forward to this legislation's swift passage today and its 
enactment into law in the very near future.
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his kind comments 
and for his support so that I can work on these measures, and that of 
the staff and subcommittee members who have obviously been working very 
hard these past years.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kopetski). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Vento] that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1562, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill H.R. 1562, as amended 
was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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