[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 117 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1501]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO THE GRASSY HOLLOW VISITOR CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JERRY LEWIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 2, 1996

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to your 
attention the fine work and outstanding public service of the U.S. 
Forest Service as it prepares to open the long anticipated Grassy 
Hollow Visitor Center on California's Angeles National Forest, Valyermo 
Ranger District. Under the leadership of U.S. Forest Service district 
ranger Bill Helin, the visitor center will open at a public ceremony on 
August 17.
  The grand opening of Grassy Hollow Visitor Center represents an 
innovative approach to the management of our natural resources. 
Recently passed legislation enables national forests to operate 
facilities largely as a business, reinvesting revenues directly to the 
specific site generating those revenues. This type of management is 
attributed largely to unique community-based partnerships involving the 
Forest Service and local citizen groups in the area. This is an 
indication that the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well at the 
Forest Service.
  Like other similar facilities, the Grassy Hollow Visitor Center will 
be a gateway to our local national forest. More than providing 
information to the general public and our youth, this center will share 
tenets of responsible land stewardship which is vital to the long-term 
viability of our local natural resources.
  Mr. Speaker, as competition for Federal dollars becomes more intense 
over time, the management of the Grassy Hollow Visitor Center provides 
a model to be emulated across the country. I commend Bill Helin for his 
leadership in promoting local partnerships and the conservation of our 
natural resources. It is only appropriate that the House recognize 
Grassy Hollow Visitor Center as it opens its doors for the first time 
on August 17.

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