[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 142 (Tuesday, October 4, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 4, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                  THE CALIFORNIA DESERT PROTECTION ACT

                                 ______


                       HON. GEORGE E. BROWN, JR.

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 4, 1994

  Mr. BROWN of California. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased once again to 
offer my support for S-21, which incorporates most of the provisions 
formerly in H.R. 518, on the part of those who appreciate the special 
qualities of the California Desert we have the opportunity to grant to 
present and further generations a unique and beautiful ecosystem for 
their benefit and enjoyment. The desert is a fragile system. It 
requires and deserves our protection.
  As a native of southern California, I grew up in the desert. Over the 
years, the expansion of communities in southern California has brought 
many benefits, but as a result the fragile desert ecosystem in this 
region has come under increasing pressure. I have long believed that 
unless we acted to protect this special resource that it would be 
destroyed.
  In 1978 I had the honor of sponsoring the original bill in Congress 
that sought to establish the east Mojave as a national scenic area. 
While this bill was not enacted, in 1980 this region of the California 
desert was designated the Nation's first national scenic area by the 
Secretary of the Interior. the east Mojave is of critical importance to 
the numerous species that inhabit the area.
  I feel a special attachment to these lands as a native Californian. I 
think that all people to some degree feel that they belong to the land 
and that the land belongs to them. Especially the land of the region in 
which they live. But we must remember that the land which is the 
subject of this debate is land which is owned by all of the American 
people and not only by the citizens of California. I realize that not 
all of us will be able to enjoy a completely free range of activities 
on these lands. Some of us will bear a disproportionate part of the 
immediate costs of these restrictions. But, I believe that the 
preservation of this delicate system, complete with its specialized 
array of plant and animal life will in the long run provide an 
immeasurable benefit to the majority of us. This debate and the passage 
of this legislation can serve as a first step in the creation of 
alternative and lasting possibilities in this region. As the 
populations of southern California grows and our communities expand we 
need to explicitly reserve areas for contemplation, reflection, and 
recreation. We need these national parks and wilderness areas.
  There are those who suggest that we may be the last generation to 
have the privilege to make choices about resource use and protection. 
Let us choose to pass on the mystery and beauty of the California 
desert to our children and theirs by passing the California Desert 
Protection Act without weakening amendments.

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