[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 53 (Tuesday, April 23, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S4000]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                               EARTH DAY

 Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I rise today with my colleagues to 
recognize April 22, 1996, as Earth Day.
  On their 1804 expedition through my present day State of Montana, 
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark wrote of the abundant game, vast 
horizons, shining mountains and crystal clear streams littered with 
rainbow and cutthroat trout.
  Today the Treasure State remains largely unchanged. As stewards of 
the land, Montana's farmers realize the importance of sound 
conservation methods in cultivating the soil. Montana ranchers have 
employed grazing practices that renew healthy foragable grasslands.
  In an effort to increase the sustainability of Montana's ranges, 
Montana stockgrowers with grazing lands around Fleecer Mountain just 
south of Butte and in the Wall Creek area near Ennis participate in a 
rotational grazing practice that utilizes and stimulates healthier 
forage on state lands.
  This new grazing practice ensures that livestock and wildlife alike 
will have access to healthy forage without overgrazing lands managed by 
the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Department.
  This effort of cooperation is just one example of what can be 
accomplished when local decisions are made in place of those coming out 
of Washington, DC. It is another piece of evidence that Montanans make 
sound environmental decisions compared to what has been mandated at a 
Federal level.
  I believe we need to protect our environment. Generations of 
Montanans have made their living off the land and in return have 
learned to reap the benefits of preserving the land.
  I greatly appreciate the environmental beauty of Big Sky Country, and 
I want my children and grandchildren to be able to appreciate it in the 
same way I have been able to. 

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