Congressional Record, Volume 142 Issue 137 (Saturday, September 28, 1996)

[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 137 (Saturday, September 28, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H12023-H12032]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page H12023]]

OMNIBUS PARKS AND PUBLIC LANDS MANAGEMENT ACT OF 1996

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 4236) to provide for the administration of certain
Presidio properties at minimal cost to the Federal taxpayer, and for
other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
[The bill was not available for printing. It will appear in a future
issue of the Record.]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Alaska [Mr. Young] and the gentleman from California [Mr. Miller] each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Alaska [Mr. Young].
(Mr. YOUNG of Alaska asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, thank you for the chance to bring
to the floor the biggest and most important parks and public lands
package since 1978. In addition to provisions for protection of some of
the most important natural landmarks, historic places and landscapes in
the country, it includes a landmark bipartisan effort led by
Representative Bill Baker to protect the California Bay-Delta, a
priority for both sides of the aisle. This package is chock full of
solutions to local problems which have been brought to the attention of
the committee by individual Members of the House or the other body.
Before a brief outline of the bills' many fine points, I am compelled
to give a short history of how we arrived at such a massive package at
this point in the session. Frankly, it was a few Members of the other
body's fault. Though the Resource Committee has sent scores of
individual bills to the Senate, holds by certain Members on these
measures stopped the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources from
moving individual or even small groups of bills for months. This
hostage taking became so bad that when a large package of bills was
finally freed in that body and attached to a Presidio bill we sent
them, we made a conscious decision to try to place many of the bills
stuck over there in this package. They followed suit.
As a result, many items were considered through this process, and
some remain while others were dropped. I believe we have achieved a
package which will benefit many Members, States and people throughout
the Nation.
Mr. Speaker, I will also say I have Members that have been
disappointed, such as myself, because I think this administration deals
with a forked tongue. Every time we reach an agreement, they would move
the goalposts. I am not sure, maybe my good friend, the gentleman from
California [Mr. Miller], knows we reached an agreement, and already the
White House has tried to undo it. Already there are phone calls being
made from the White
_______________________________________________________________________
N O T I C E

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By order of the Joint Committee on Printing.

WILLIAM M. THOMAS, Chairman.
_______________________________________________________________________

[[Page H12024]]

House to individual Members saying ``Oh, this has to be changed,''
after they signed off. That is not the way we should be doing business
in this body.
A few highlights are in order: As I mentioned before, this bill has
the monumental authorization for the environmental enhancement of the
San Francisco Bay-Delta introduced by Congressman Bill Baker.
In addition, it creates new units at Tallgrass Prairie National
Preserve in Kansas; Nicodemus National Historic site in Kansas; New
Bedford National Historic Park in Massachusetts and Boston Harbor
Islands in Massachusetts.
It also protects important Historic Sites like Manzanar National
Historic Site in California and Independence Hall in Philadelphia
through boundary adjustments. It celebrates the Selma to Montgomery
civil rights march trail and reauthorizes the National Council on
Historic Preservation.
It provides for the protection of Sterling Forest to protect the
watershed for New Jersey and New York.
It finalizes a creative approach to the management and funding for
the new Presido Park in San Francisco; it protects rivers, from the
Columbia in Washington to the Lamprey in New Hampshire; it helps out
Olympic effort in the 2002 Olympics in Utah with its solution to the
Snowbasin facility problems; it also resolves long standing necessary
administrative reforms in the National Park Service; and it also solves
many, many longstanding local problems, from helping the children of
the Alpine School District in J.D. Hayworth's district with a land
grant in Arizona, to solving a problem in Congresswoman Seastrand's
district by rounding out the Channel Islands National Park.
While I am pleased we have the bill before us, let me say that just
as important as the things in the bill, are the things which are not in
the bill. Many of our Members, including myself, would have liked to
have more in the bill, but we have deleted many provisions, based upon
Administration and Member objections. This includes a grazing provision
very important to family ranchers and the Representatives in the public
land west and a provision to save over 1,000 jobs in my district in
Alaska in the timber industry.
Mr. Speaker, this is late in the session. I hope though Members will
understand, each and every one of the them, we will be back. As long as
I am chairman, and I believe that will happen, we will again address
those issues we were unable to obtain in this legislation, and it will
happen very early in the session. We hope we will be able to urge our
Senators to act with a little more responsibility.
Again, may I suggest there are over 43 Republican projects in the
bill and there are over 54 Democrat projects in this bill, and if that
is not a bipartisan effort, I do not know what is.
Mr. Speaker, many good provisions have been dropped from this bill to
ensure its passage at this late hour, largely in response to concerns
expressed by the Clinton White House, the minority and other Members.
That is a shame, because many of these provisions were real but we
intend to bring them back as soon as possible next year and fix them. I
urge Members to support the bill.
Now, Mr. Speaker, I would suggest to all of you to understand one
thing. We are going to vote on this legislation. I hope I do not see
the fingerprints of the administration. Then it goes over to the other
body to act on this legislation, and it is probably the only chance we
have. There is a slight chance that we may have the conference up yet
before this session is over, if we do not get out of here tonight, and
God help us, I hope we get out of here tonight.
The Congress has been told that this will be vetoed by this
administration. I do not think they will veto this. If they do, they
are being very, very foolish.
Mr. Speaker, I want to compliment the staffs that were working on
this very hard. I want to say this to the minority and majority side: I
think we have worked out something that every Member will have some
responsibilities for and can take home and say we have done our job.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Studds].
(Mr. STUDDS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. STUDDS. Mr. Speaker, I mostly would like to thank a number of my
colleagues: the gentleman from California [Mr. Miller], the gentleman
from Alaska [Mr. Young], the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Regula], the
gentleman from Utah [Mr. Hansen], and many, many others.
For those who think that the only true reflection of this House is
some of the partisan fire that preceded this debate a few moments ago,
I would ask them to reflect on what is transpiring now. This is the
House at its best. This is substantive, nonpartisan legislating about
things that matter, where people who have been colleagues and friends
for many, many years come together to do things that we are all here to
do.
The gentleman from Alaska [Mr. Young], I know what he meant when he
said there are so many Republican projects and so many Democrat
projects in this bill. What he meant, I know, is that this has been
approached in an utterly bipartisan fashion. I do not know a project in
this bill that can be characterized frankly as a Republican or Democrat
project. I know the many projects in Alaska. I know the Boston Harbor
islands in my own State to which the gentleman referred. There are 31
islands there, and so far as I know none of them has a partisan
registration affiliated with it.
What we do here speaks to history, speaks to culture, speaks to
aesthetics and speaks the environment; speaks to everything that is
best in this House. And in this, undoubtedly my final moments of
speaking on the floor after more years than I would care to reflect, I
extend a warm personal thank you to Don Young of Alaska, George Miller
of California, Jim Hansen of Utah, Ralph Regula of Ohio, and Sherwood
Boehlert of New York. Many, many others have worked on this bill, so
many others for so many years. This is this institution at its
nonpartisan best, and Members ought to be very, very proud of what we
do now.
Mr. Speaker, it is with that real pride that I do something which
many of us find very hard to do which is sit down.
Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the
gentleman from Colorado [Mr. Skaggs].
Mr. SKAGGS. Mr. Speaker, I am very glad that we are again acting to
protect an extraordinary stretch of wild lands in Colorado, the North
St. Vrain Creek watershed, extending from its headwaters in the Rocky
Mountain National Park into the national forests area west of Longmont
in the mountains.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the work of the gentleman from Alaska and
of the many others who have gone through one of the more extraordinary
dances of parliamentary maneuvering in getting this package put
together in the last minutes of this Congress. I am delighted that we
are now going to be able to protect this area, not just for Coloradans
on the Front Range, but all Americans.
Mr. Speaker, I submit the following for the Record.
Mr. Speaker, I'm very glad that we are again acting to approve
legislation that includes provisions to protect North St. Vrain Creek,
the largest remaining roadless canyon along Colorado's Front Range.
The effect will be to prevent construction of new dams on North St.
Vrain creek as it flows through Rocky Mountain National Park and the
Roosevelt National Forest, and will clarify public land ownership along
the creek. Both of these provisions are based on freestanding
legislation that I introduced last year, and I appreciate the inclusion
of the North St. Vrain Protection Act in this bill.
North St. Vrain Creek, fed by countless rivulets and wild
tributaries, is the primary stream flowing from the southeastern
portion of Rocky Mountain National Park. From its beginnings at the
continental divide, in snowfields near Long's peak, it courses through
waterfalls and cascades in the Wild Basin area of the park. After
leaving the park, the creek cuts a narrow, deep canyon until it reaches
the Ralph Price Reservoir.
The watershed includes habitat for bighorn sheep, deer, elk, and
mountain lions; for peregrine falcons, owls, hawks and songbirds; for
native fish, insects, and other small creatures; and for a dazzling
diversity of aquatic, riparian, and mountain plants. It provides
popular hiking, fishing, and hunting terrain relatively near to some of
Colorado's larger cities.

[[Page H12025]]

The stream, surrounded by a thousand shades of greenery cooled by the
mist of tumbling water, provides a profound sense of refreshment, of
inspiration, and of wonder. This joining of land and water is
exceptional, even for Colorado--which is no small distinction.
The North St. Vrain should be kept free of additional dams and
impoundments. To that end, my bill's provisions, now included in this
bill, incorporate the recommendations of a citizens' advisory
committee, which I appointed in conjunction with the Boulder County
Commissioners. That committee spent over 5 years developing a consensus
proposal on how to protect the creek and canyon while protecting local
property and water rights.
Thus, these provisions represent a great deal of work by Coloradans--
especially the 50 people who took part in 103 advisory committee
meetings and performed over 300 hours of independent research. Another
600 people attended 12 public hearings on the proposal. I've never
known such a dedicated and conscientious group of public servants as
the unpaid members of this North St. Vrain Advisory Committee. They
know the creek and its environs as thoroughly as any group of citizens
anywhere knows a particular area in the United States.
The advisory committee reached four principal conclusions:
First, that the North St. Vrain Creek is deserving of National Wild
and Scenic River status, but that it would be premature to seek
legislation to so designate it, pending development of consensus on
that point. This bill would not preclude such a designation later.
Second, that, for now a permanent prohibition should be placed on
Federal approval or assistance for the construction of dams on the
creek and on any part of its national park tributaries.
Third, that the National Park Service and the Forest Service should
move promptly to reach agreement with the city of Longmont, CO,
regarding Federal acquisition of lands the city owns along the creek.
And, fourth, that a series of the committee's recommendations should
be followed in managing the Federal lands along the creek.
Three of these proposals are specified in the bill's language. I have
submitted, as part of the hearing record, two documents related to the
fourth proposal, regarding management of the relevant lands. One is a
copy of the advisory committee's final report, and the other is a copy
of the advisory committee's management plan outline. I will also
present these documents to the Forest Service and National Park Service
when they develop future management plans for the creek and adjoining
lands.
The primary theme of these documents is that Federal management
decisions should retain the current types and levels of recreational
uses of the public lands in the corridor along North St. Vrain Creek.
This can be done by restricting the expansion of trails and
campgrounds, and through strategic land acquisitions to protect natural
features from damage that would come from expanded or excessive uses.
The documents also support continued good stewardship on private lands
in the corridor under the guidance and control of Boulder County's
land-use regulations, as well as continued protection against trespass.
Mr. Speaker, I introduced this legislation not only because of my
belief in the importance of protecting the North St. Vrain, but also
because of my firm conviction that the hundreds of Coloradans who have
worked toward that goal have crafted a sound, effective consensus
measure. Its provisions are good, clear, and straightforward, and they
have the strong support of the people in the area. I urge the House to
approve this bill, so that, with its enactment into law, the wonder of
North St. Vrain Creek will be protected for all time.
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman
from Utah [Mr. Hansen].
(Mr. HANSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to the chairman of the full
committee for yielding to me. I appreciate the kind words of the
gentleman from Massachusetts, who has been a gentleman to deal with on
the committee.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out that I do not know if Members
of this House realize how many hundreds and hundreds of hours have gone
into this. In the committee that I chair, the Subcommittee on National
Parks, Forests and Lands, we have looked at over 100 pieces of
legislation. We have held countless, countless hearings and markups,
and it is sad that a lot of those things cannot come to pass. We wish
they could, but they do not in this bill, but this is a good bill. This
has a lot of good things in it.
I hope the folks realize that 37 out of the 50 States will be
affected by this piece of legislation. Over 100 Members will be
affected by this piece of legislation: things that many of us have been
waiting to see come to pass in California, the Presidio bill, something
we wondered, how do we handle this park that has been turned over by
one sentence put in there by Phil Burton many years ago? In the event
that the Army ever gives this up, what are going to do with it? It goes
to the park system. However, it is not a park but it costs us $25
million a year. In here, we have a piece of legislation that takes care
of this problem, which I compliment my friends California and others
working in a bipartisan manner in handling this particular area.
We have some things about the 2002 winter games. It was not too long
ago that over in Budapest all of those folks from America, all over the
48 lower States, were standing there and the gentleman got up and he
made the statement, and he said the winter games for 2002 shall go to
the City of Salt Lake. The place erupted, and who got on the television
to talk about it? President Clinton go on, bless his heart, and he said
``I will do everything in my power to expedite the 2002 winter games.''
We will surely appreciate him signing this piece of legislation so a
very, very minor land exchange can come about which will facilitate
that, and 3 billion people around the globe will stand there and look
at the downhill. For 100 years people will say so-and-so won the day
going down this great, glorious and probably the best in the world
downhill that we have got in the 2002 winter games, another piece of
good legislation that is in this particular package.

{time} 1800

There are just countless pieces of things that many Members are
interested in. I am a little concerned about some of the phone calls
many of us are getting regarding what we colloquially refer to as
heritage areas. In most of thee heritage areas this language is in
there.
I hope the folks from the West who are concerned are listening to
this. No provision of this title shall be construed to impose any
environmental, occupational safety or other rule, regulation standards
or permit process that is differential from those that would be
applicable had a national heritage area not been established.
So these great concerns of somebody swooping in and immediately
taking over their ground is not really going to happen. I hope my good
friends from that area totally understand that.
We have boundary adjustments in here. We have things of historical
significance and we have things about civil areas. So we are very proud
of this legislation. No one is ever 100 percent happy. Politics is the
art of compromise. I look around this room and look at all the people
who have compromised on this bill, and I know how that occurs.
I just want to say that on this thing I am very pleased to be a part
of it. I appreciate all the people from the minority and majority side,
Chairman Young, Ranking Member Miller, and others who have worked
diligently with us on this piece of legislation.
I urge its support.
Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the
gentleman from Montana [Mr. Williams].
Mr. WILLIAMS. Mr. Speaker, I want to note for my colleagues as well
as my fellow Montanans that a long sought after land exchange called
the Lost Creek land exchange involving directly approximately 14,000
acres of bighorn sheep habitat in a critical area in Montana is
included in this bill. The trade is not without significant support and
some opposition in Montana. I recognize that opposition.
I note for my colleagues, however, that the trade has received the
bipartisan agreement of the two Democrats and the one Republican who
make up the Montana congressional delegation. I and my two colleagues
in the Senate will be working with the Forest Service to try to
mitigate any concern that some in the timber industry have about this
land exchange, but it clearly is in the best interest of the land, the
people and the bighorn sheep of Montana. I thank my colleagues for
agreeing to do this in the House. It turned out to be impossible to get
it done in the Senate.

[[Page H12026]]

Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes and 30
seconds to the gentlewoman from California [Ms. Pelosi].
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time.
I, too, want to join my colleagues in commending the leadership of
the committee for the bipartisan cooperation and effort that has been
made to bring this legislation to the floor. To say that our
differences have been hammered out is probably a good word to use, but
they have and we are here.
I want to particularly acknowledge the leadership of the gentleman of
Alaska, Chairman Young, and the gentleman from Utah, Chairman Hansen,
as well as the gentleman from California, George Miller, our champion
for the Presidio. Of course we would not be here today without the full
cooperation of the gentleman from Ohio, Chairman Ralph Regula, and the
gentleman from Illinois, Sid Yates, the ranking member. I am grateful
to them for all of their assistance in keeping the Presido going so
that we this day can cross over a point where we reduce the cost to the
taxpayer.
I also want to state that the support for the Presidio as it is
bipartisan, it is bicameral and we have a great deal of support in the
other body under the leadership of two great Senators, Senator Barbara
Boxer and Senator Dianne Feinstein. In our community the support is
bipartisan as well.
One of our strongest and most staunch supporters, unfortunately, will
not be able to enjoy this day with us. His name is Jim Harvey, a former
chairman of the board of the TransAmerica Corporation, who died in
early June. Jim was largely responsible for creating the Presidio
council in 1991 which organized national support and philanthropic as
well as pro bono donations to the Presidio as a national park.
I will for the record, Mr. Speaker, present some of the
accomplishments of Jim Harvey. I just want to say that it is as though
Jim Harvey truly appreciated what Thoreau asserted many years ago:
Goodness is the only investment that never fails. Jim Harvey was a good
man. He will be pleased with our progress today.
This legislation is important in terms of the Presidio as it
recognizes the Presidio's worth as a national park as well as the need
to streamline the management into a cost-effective structure for the
American taxpayer. The Presidio trust brings a new approach to the
Presidio that incorporates the best of the National Park Service and
the best at real estate management into an alliance that will realize
the best of the Presidio.
Under this trust we will be able to give maximum access to the
American people to enjoy the Presidio as a national park with minimum
cost to the American taxpayer.
The most eloquent spokesperson for the Presidio is the Presidio
itself. So I hope that all of our colleagues will visit to see its
magnificent scenic beauty, enjoy the military history and, for the
history buffs here, also the great environmental worth that the
Presidio has.
Passing the Presidio trust bill as part of this omnibus bill is not
the final act, but does open the curtain to a wonderful production that
we can all be proud of. Phillip Burton's legacy lives on.
The gentleman, Mr. Hansen, recognized the goal of Phillip Burton in
authorizing the Presidio as a national park. I feel as the person who
serves in Congress in Phillip Burton's seat that we have a
responsibility to Phillip's legacy to make this a great national park.
In doing so, and in closing, I want to acknowledge the work of Judy
Lemons of my staff. Many staff people worked very, very hard on this.
But Judy was present at the birth of Golden Gate national recreation
area of which the Presidio will become a part. She has worked every day
to preserve the integrity of the Presidio as a national park. This
victory today is a triumph for Judy Lemons. I want to thank Judy and to
all who have been faithful to the effort and part of our success today.
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman
from Arizona [Mr. Hayworth], a member of the committee.
(Mr. HAYWORTH asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the committee for
this time.
I rise in support of this legislation to echo what the gentlewoman
from California [Ms. Pelosi] said. Here we have a wonderful opportunity
for a bipartisan piece of legislation for projects that benefit the
American people.
In the Sixth District of Arizona, Mr. Speaker, there are two sites in
particular. We will take them alphabetically, the Alpine school
district needs land, a tiny school district asking for the conveyance
of fewer than 40 acres to build school sites and athletic fields. The
tax base has dwindled. Resource based industries for one reason or
another have not been allowed to operate. This is a wonderful chance to
truly put children first and help education in the Alpine school
district.
Second, Mr. Speaker, the Walnut Canyon National Monument outside
Flagstaff, regardless of partisan dispensation or political stripe, the
people of Flagstaff, indeed the people of the Sixth District of Arizona
hope to see the boundaries expand on this great natural landmark and
national monument. We have a chance to do that. So I urge passage of
this bill.
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may
consume to the gentlewoman from New York [Mrs. Kelly].
(Mrs. KELLY asked and was given permission to revise and extend her
remarks.)
Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4236.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4236, and draw
particular attention to the provision in the bill to authorize the
Federal acquisition of the Sterling Forest watershed in New York and
New Jersey.
Acquisition of the important 17,500 acres Sterling Forest reserve,
located in southern New York and northern New Jersey represents perhaps
the most important environmental issue for our region, and represents
an outstanding environmental accomplishment for the 104th Congress.
Sterling Forest is at the headwaters of a system of reservoirs which
provide water for 1.8 million metropolitan area residents. It is
heavily forested, accommodating a wide variety of wildlife and plant
species, and also includes a portion of the Appalachian Trail. Twenty-
six million Americans live within a 2-hour drive of this important
environmental resource.
The acquisition of the Sterling Forest represents a unique
partnership between the Federal Government, the States of New York and
New Jersey, and environmental and other private sector interests.
Protecting the Sterling Forest makes sense from an environmental
standpoint, it makes sense from a recreational standpoint, and it
represents a good deal for the taxpayer.
The modest Federal investment authorized by this legislation will
protect the Sterling Forest watershed for generations to come, and do
so in a very cost-effective and environmentally sound manner.
I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this important
legislation.
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from Ohio [Mr. Regula], chairman of the Subcommittee on Interior of the
Committee on Appropriations.
(Mr. REGULA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the
time.
We all know the words to the song, I am proud to be an American, that
Lee Greenwood's sings so eloquently. Today, I am proud to be a Member
of this body and proud to be an American. We have put aside our
differences, our partisan parties. We worked with the White House, we
developed a team effort to do something good for America. I speak to in
our case the heritage corridor. Young men and women, Boy Scouts, Girl
Scouts, 4-H Club kids, college kids will be able to walk a canal
corridor 87 miles, long that is rich in history. Ohio was built by the
canals. They will learn the story of yesterday's turnpikes. They will
learn the story of the ecological development of our State because they
will follow a river, they will follow the towpath of the canal.
What a wonderful opportunity this will be for young people to
appreciate their heritage as young citizens of Ohio. It will happen
because of what is being done today in this body and being done on a
bipartisan basis with everybody being on the team.
I am grateful to all who had a part in shaping this legislation, and
I hope

[[Page H12027]]

that it gets very strong support by all the Members. A great gift today
for Americans in so many different ways.
Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the
gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Pallone].
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to thank the committee and
the ranking member for including in this legislation the text of H.R.
3911, which establishes the Great Falls Historic District in Paterson,
NJ. I had introduced this bill earlier this session at the request of
Assemblyman Bill Pascrell who is also the mayor of Paterson, NJ. It was
a major piece of legislation that former Congressman Herb Klein had
tried to get through this House. It is very important for the people of
New Jersey, Passaic County and particularly, of course, for the
residents of Paterson, NJ.
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I would suggest that the previous
speaker remember one thing, that there is a chairman, and he may not be
recognized the next time in the committee.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida [Mr.
Goss].
Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I want to join the accolades to Mr. Young and
Mr. Studds. I have had many happy years in this Congress, but among the
happiest is when I served with them both on something that used to be
known as the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee. I never thought I
would see the day when we were standing here in such comity. I am
delighted that it is here.
I address much that is good in the bill and support it, of course,
but I want to focus on the Coastal Barrier Islands provisions.
Preserving the proper balance between protection of our natural
resources and our private property rights is a critical point. I know
how much this means to my home State of Florida with its miles and
miles of fabulous beaches and outdoor recreational areas and
opportunities on our barrier islands. I know that what we are doing
here is going to continue that tradition and make possible enjoyment
for more people in those wonderful areas.
I also would note that this is something that the legislative
delegation, the people of Florida, the Governor, Senators from Florida,
all are in accord on. It is wonderful when everybody is in agreement on
something and it actually happens. I congratulate the Members who have
made this happen.
Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Richardson], ranking member of the
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands.
(Mr. RICHARDSON asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks).
Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman for
yielding me the time.
This is a good bill. We have a lot of good national parks legislation
besides the Presidio Trust. We have got the Tallgrass Prairie National
Preserve, the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, the Colonial
National Historic Park, Wupatki National Monument Boundary Adjustment,
Cumberland Gap National Historic Park, the Zion National Park Boundary
Adjustment, the Rocky Mountain National Park Visitor Center, the Walnut
Canyon National Monument Boundary Adjustment, the Delaware Water Gap
National Recreation Area, the Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic
Site, the Women's Rights National Historic Park, the Big Thicket
National Preserve.
And, Mr. Speaker, it would be incomplete if I did not mention two
initiatives in my own State of New Mexico, one the Rio Puerto Watershed
Act, which cleans up the water and the boundaries in that area and, of
course, the Taos Bottleneck legislation.
This is an historic bill that turns over 765 acres of the Wheeler
Peak Wilderness to management by the Taos Pueblo as part of the Blue
Lake Wilderness Act legislation signed by President Richard Nixon in
1970 returning to the Taos Pueblo all lands that had been seized by the
Federal Government. There was a sect of land that was not turned over
to the pueblo. This bill does it. It is a good piece of legislation.
It is critically important that this passage now move through the
other body. I want to commend Chairman Young for his leadership and
Chairman Hansen and, of course, the Honorable George Miller for their
work. This is an important piece of legislation with a lot of bills for
a lot of Members, bipartisan. We should get it passed.

{time} 1815

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman
from New Jersey [Mr. Martini], who has done an excellent job.
Mr. MARTINI. Mr. Speaker, and I thank the gentleman from Alaska [Mr.
Young] and the gentleman from Utah [Mr. Hansen] and the minority
ranking members for this excellent bill.
Today is indeed an historic day, not just for New Jersey and New York
but for all Americans concerned about clean drinking water and
preserving the environment. Persistence and hard work has brought
Sterling Forest here today again for another vote.
Unlike other issues we consider in this body, there is literally no
tomorrow for preserving Sterling Forest. The contract for the purchase
of the land would expire, and if we did not act tonight as we are
doing, the safe drinking water for over millions of New Jersey citizens
would be in jeopardy.
I am pleased to say that by the action tonight this body is showing
its responsibility and assuring that we have safe drinking water for
over 2 million New Jersey citizens.
In addition to drinking water, Sterling Forest serves as a sanctuary
for millions of people in that area. This is the last pristine area
that will serve millions of people for future generations to come.
Let me, if I may, thank the other Members who have worked so hard to
bring this to fruition tonight: of course the gentlewoman from New
Jersey, Mrs. Roukema, to whom I will yield, if I may, but also
Representatives Boehlert, Zimmer, Gilman, Freling-
huysen, Franks, and Kelly, and finally, first and foremost, to our
Speaker, who made a commitment back in December to preserve Sterling
Forest. He has fulfilled that promise today.
Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. MARTINI. I yield to the gentlewoman from New Jersey.
(Mrs. ROUKEMA asked and was given permission to revise and extend her
remarks.)
Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Speaker, I associate myself with the remarks of my
colleague from New Jersey, Mr. Martini. This is truly a monument to
patience, perseverance, common sense, consensus and compromise, and I
want to thank the chairman of the committee and the ranking member for
this wonderful work.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to associate myself with the comments of my
colleague from New Jersey, Mr. Martini, the chairman and ranking
member.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this omnibus parks package
and urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this
important legislation. It is my understanding that the controversial
measures included in previous versions of this bill have been removed
and that this measure has been agreed to by both sides of the aisle and
the Administration. This legislation is surely a monument to the
patience, common sense, consensus and compromise wisdom of our
colleagues who worked for so many months on this parks package.
This agreement is good news for the people of New Jersey and New
York. Included in this legislation are provisions that will open the
door toward the purchase of Sterling Forest. Enactment of this
legislation is essential, if the Federal Government is to play a role
in this public private partnership. This legislation along with the $9
million included in the omnibus budget package represents a big step
toward our commitment to the preservation and protection of Sterling
Forest once and for all.
First, I want to thank Chairman Hansen for recognizing the overriding
interest of the Nation--and for his willingness to understand that
Sterling Forest is more than just a pristine piece of open space for
camping, skiing, hiking, and fishing. It is the source of clean, safe
drinking water for some 3 million northern New Jersey residents. If we
allow that drinking water to be contaminated by development, we will
pay the purchase price many times over in cleanup cost and the cost of
building new water treatment plants. With this legislation, we are not
being penny wise and pound foolish. Instead of reacting to a crisis
after the fact, we are anticipating the problem now and taking steps to
avoid it. This legislation is good public policy.
As you know, Sterling Forest is one of the largest tracts of
privately-owned, undeveloped

[[Page H12028]]

forest land in the mid-Atlantic United States. This is heavily forested
land--10 percent of which is located in my district in northern New
Jersey and the remaining 90 percent of which is located in Orange
County, New York, our colleague, Ben Gilman's district. It currently
provides countless recreational opportunities to millions of nearby
residents and visitors. However, it is not recreation that brings me
here today, but something far more fundamental: water.

As the primary source of drinking water to over 3 million residents
of my State, preservation of Sterling Forest is essential. Numerous
tributaries and feeder streams flow south from Sterling Forest right
into the Wanaque Reservoir, which supplies drinking water for 25
percent of all residents of New Jersey.
Consequently, the protection of this unique natural resource in a
region struggling to grapple with urban sprawl is a matter of utmost
importance. This is a critical issue for the most densely-populated
area of the nation's most densely-populated state, northern New Jersey.
Simply put, preserving Sterling Forest protects the drinking water
supply of northern New Jersey and New York, and it is imperative for
the 104th Congress to take action.
At the State level, the support for preserving Sterling Forest is
equally strong. Governor Whitman has already signed into law
legislation that commits our State to spending $10 million to help with
the purchase of the Forest. In addition, Governor Pataki has committed
his administration in Albany to match New Jersey's contribution dollar-
for-dollar.
Here in Congress, legislation to protect Sterling Forest has enjoyed
bipartisan support in both the New Jersey and New York delegations, as
witnessed by the presence of those Members who are speaking today.
In these times of tight budget constraints, it is simply unrealistic
to expect the government to carry the burden by itself. From the
beginning, the coalition behind Sterling Forest firmly believe that the
best method to use in preserving and protecting Sterling Forest was a
public-private partnership, with its purchase price being funded using
private, State, and Federal funds. That is why I introduced H.R. 194 in
1995 and have consistently supported H.R. 400 as passed by the Senate
last July is the most expeditious solution to seeing that Sterling
Forest was protected.
To date, at least $5 million in private contributions have been
committed towards helping protect Sterling Forest. These efforts will
continue, and private funds are expected to play an important role in
the purchase of this land. And, as I've already mentioned, New Jersey
and New York have committed to spending $10 million each.
I want to emphasize something about these Federal funds: this is a
one-time funding request, because this legislation provides for the
Palisades Interstate Park Commission [PIPC] and the State of New York
to accept financial responsibility for the long-term management of the
Sterling Forest.
I also want to thank Chairman Regula. For years, I have worked with
him in an effort to secure appropriate funding levels for this
important project. I am happy to report that this year Chairman Regula
was instrumental in seeing that language was included in the Interior
Appropriations bill which ranked Sterling Forest as one of the Nation's
top two priorities for land acquisition and recommended that Sterling
Forest receive $9 million as a down payment on the Federal Government's
$17.5 million share of the purchase price.
Finally, I want to thank the Speaker for his strong endorsement of
this important project to New Jersey. In March, Speaker Gingrich
visited Sterling Forest and promised that Congress would pass
legislation to protect Sterling Forest this year. Clearly, his advocacy
has been an important factor in reaching this point today, and I want
to express my appreciation for his assistance.
On behalf the 3 million New Jersey residents who depend on this area
for clean safe drinking water and the millions of recreational users
who treasure this pristine open space, I urge your support.
Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the
gentleman from New York [Mr. Hinchey].
Mr. HINCHEY. Mr. Speaker, as we have just hard, this bill will
authorize the Federal Government to participate in the purchase of
Sterling Forest, the last piece of open space in the Metropolitan New
York Area. It is a critically important thing to do, protects the
watershed of 2 million people in New Jersey, an additional number in
southeastern New York. That alone makes this bill extremely important.
Also, this bill sets aside a number of American Heritage Areas around
the country, and I would particularly like to note the fact that the
Hudson River Valley, probably the most historic area in the Nation, is
recognized as an American Heritage Area in this legislation. The Hudson
Valley of course contains West Point, it contains Washington's
headquarters, the first national historic site in the Nation, and a
wealth of other historic places recognized by this American Heritage
Area.
I want to thank my leader, the gentleman from California [Mr.
Miller], the ranking member of the committee. I want to thank also the
chairman the gentleman from Alaska [Mr. Young], and the chairman of the
subcommittee, the gentleman from Utah [Mr. Hansen], for their work on
this bill. This is a very worthy product, and I appreciate the hard
work that has gone into this by all the Members, and I would urge the
Members in the other House to pay attention to this piece of
legislation. It is critically important for millions of Americans and
deserves to be passed by this Congress.
Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the
gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Vento].
Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the chairman and
ranking member, Mr. Young and Mr. Miller, and Mr. Hansen, the
subcommittee chairman, as well as Mr. Richardson and all the sponsors.
I actually do not have a measure in this particular bill with 116
sections, but I feel a little bit of ownership because many of these
issues, as my colleagues will understand, are issues that did not
develop just in this Congress but have spanned many Congresses. In
fact, some of them, unfortunately, have become old friends because we
sent them to the other body before and they did not come back or we
were not able to get our act together.
But I think that generally while many may find some provision in here
that they do not agree with, that by and large this is a good bill, and
I hope that the outcome by sending this to the Senate is going to be
positive, and I think that the President, I hope that the President,
can be convinced to in fact sign this into law.
Unfortunately, we normally have not done business like this with so
many measures in one issue at the end. I hope in the future that we can
do this in a more orderly manner. These are important issues. I
especially feel keenly about the Heritage Areas and the generic
language that is in each particular Heritage Area, and I know how
important it is that we do this work so that we as a Congress have been
very zealous about guarding the responsibilities with regards to land
use questions, and in acting in this way we can, of course, continue to
earn that particular responsibility.
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume
to the gentleman from California [Mr. McKeon].
(Mr. McKEON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the bill, and I
commend the gentleman from Alaska [Mr. Young] and the gentleman from
Utah [Mr. Hansen] for their leadership in bringing it to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for the conference
report on the Omnibus Parks and Public Land Management Act.
This legislation is important for numerous reasons; many of which
impact California. For example, this conference report creates a
public-private Presidio Trust to manage hundreds of historical
buildings which cover more than 1,400 scenic acres at the foot of the
Golden Gate Bridge. Both residents of my district and throughout the
State of California have visited this site and enjoyed its beauty. With
passage of this bill, that will continue to happen for years to come.
Additionally, this conference report also contains a provision which
I have worked hard for in behalf of my constituents in the Santa
Clarita Valley. I have included language which protects a pristine
canyon contained in the Angeles National Forest. For many years, some
have wanted to destroy this beautiful treasure by constructing a 190-
million ton landfill.
Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to announce today that the
Omnibus Parks bill will preserve and protect Elsmere Canyon and prevent
its destruction; not only for the residents of the Santa Clarita
Valley, but for all residents of southern California.
I urge an ``aye'' vote on this historic, environmental legislation.
It truly reflects a commitment to preserve our natural resources both
today and in the future.
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman
from Illinois [Mr. Weller].
(Mr. WELLER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)

[[Page H12029]]

Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, of course I want to rise in support of this
important parks legislation and commend the bipartisan leadership of
the chairman, and the ranking members and the committee members for
moving this legislation.
I want to take a moment and note that this legislation contains a
provision important to the south side of Chicago and the south suburbs
of Chicago, a provision that directs the National Park Service to look
at the feasibility of establishing an ecological park, a series of
green ways linking the Indiana Dunes with the heritage corridor, a
significant proposal because of its potential for establishing an urban
park, open space and wildlife habitat and a rapidly growing older
industrial area.
This proposal has locally strong bipartisan support from local
conservation groups, elected officials and economic development
organizations. Like the newly established tall grass prairie, the
former Joliette Arsenal, the ecological park will become a major
investment in the future of Illinois and the children of Illinois by
setting aside open space and important wildlife habitat in an old urban
area as well as a rapidly developing suburban area.
I thank the chairman and committee for their support, and I urge
bipartisan support for this legislation.
Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 5 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to rise in support of this legislation,
the Omnibus Park bill. This is, as many have already said, a product of
bipartisan negotiations throughout many months, although it came down
to the eleventh hour today, but throughout many months, over the
provisions of this bill, and it makes some important additions and
changes to our historic areas from San Francisco to Boston, from Alaska
to Alabama.
I want to commend my colleagues and the chairman of the House
Committee on Resources, the gentleman from Alaska [Mr. Young] for his
work and his patience, his patience in this effort. I know how he feels
when we send bills to the Senate 1 year ago and 8 months ago and 6
months ago and they are never heard from until the eleventh hour. But
because of his patience we are here tonight with this bill.
I want to thank the gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Richardson , the
ranking member of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and
Lands, the gentleman from Utah [Mr. Hansen] for his effort as the
chairman of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands, to
the gentleman from New York [Mr. Boehlert], who was involved in
brokering and helping to negotiate this, and to the gentleman from Ohio
[Mr. Regula] for his involvement and his perseverance on the matter of
the Heritage Areas.
I also want to say that this bill also deals with the matter that is
important to me, and that is that it authorizes $400 million to assure
the implementation of crucial ecosystems restoration efforts to improve
water quality, fishery and resources of San Francisco and Sacramento-
San Juaquin Delta. This is an important step in implementing the Bay
Area Accords that highlights the continuing success of the Central
Valley Project Improvement Act of 1992 and moves us toward a consensus
instead of conflict in California water policy, and I am particularly
grateful for the bipartisan support that has been garnered for this
effort.
Finally, let me say, Mr. Speaker, that this legislation started out
as a single bill at one point, and that was to authorize the Presidio
National Park in San Francisco, and I think every Member of this House
knows how hard the gentlewoman from San Francisco [Ms. Pelosi] has
worked on this effort. She has been absolutely tireless and relentless
in her pursuit to see this, and I mean relentless as a compliment, in
her pursuit to see this matter become law and to give a gift to this
Nation of what is going to be one of the great, great national parks
for visitors from across this Nation and from around the world as they
visit this.
This is an effort to try to make sure that we can lessen the burden
on the taxpayer and the operation of that park. And I also want to
thank our Senators, Senator Boxer and Senator Feinstein, for all of
their effort, and I too want to recognize the effort of Judy Lemons in
her support for this and her working on this and to John Lawrence and
to Rick Healy for their negotiations today and to the minority staff.
Finally, let me say to the Members who are in strong support of this
legislation, the gentleman from Alaska [Mr. Young] knows that we were
here in the last night of the last Congress and we lost many of these
same projects, and we lost that effort. Those of my colleagues who are
rising in strong support of this legislation, I would ask them to put
in a kind word with their Senator on behalf of this legislation so
these parks in some cases can be expanded or created and heritage areas
can succeed, and I think this will turn out to be a major gift in terms
of public lands management and to the people of this Nation.

Again, I want to thank all those who worked so terribly hard to get
us here tonight and to Jeff Petrich, who worked very hard certainly on
the Alaska provisions and was involved in these last hours of
negotiations.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman
from New York [Mr. Boehlert].
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, how proud we should be of what we are
about because this bill is exactly what the American people want, a
parks bill that will benefit all areas of the country, a parks bill
that will increase recreational and educational opportunities, a parks
bill that will enhance environmental protection and most importantly
for the long run, a parks bill that will ensure that future generations
will have pristine areas to enjoy.
It is not easy putting this kind of package together. There are
almost an infinite number of interests to balance. It is of necessity a
lengthy and very difficult process.
I want to thank the gentleman from Alaska [Mr. Young] and his staff
for sticking to it, for continuing to work against all odds, for coming
up with a final package that only the hypersensitive could quibble with
on environmental grounds.
This is good legislation, this is a proud moment for this historic
104th Congress, and I urge my colleagues to give this measure the
support it deserves.
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman
from New York [Mr. Gilman].
(Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in full support of this measure, and
I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the measure
along with my colleagues, the gentlewoman from New Jersey [Mrs.
Roukema], the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Martini], the gentlewoman
from New Jersey [Mrs. Kelly], and the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr.
Zimmer]. We have all worked long and hard for passage of this
legislation that preserves Sterling Forest.
This 18,000-acre tract of land which stretches along the New York-New
Jersey border is the last largely undeveloped forest in the New York
Metropolitan Area, and it is our last chance to protect the watershed
for the New Jersey-New York area. This legislation provides payments in
lieu of taxes for those municipalities involved, which will be done by
authorizing the Palisades Park Commission that managed Sterling Forest.
I want to thank the gentleman from Alaska [Mr. Young], the chairman
of the committee, the ranking minority leader, the gentleman from
California [Mr. Miller], as well as the gentleman from Utah [Mr.
Hansen], the gentleman from Ohio, [Mr. Regula], who have all worked
hard in bringing this together, and I know it has been a difficult
task, and I commend them for their work, as well as the gentlewoman
from California [Ms. Pelosi], who brought us all together on her
measure that made this measure move forward at this time.

{time} 1830

Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to fully support this
measure.
Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the
gentleman from Texas [Mr. Frost] for a somewhat related matter.

[[Page H12030]]

(Mr. FROST asked and was given permission to speak out of order and
to revise and extend his remarks.)

congratulating Texas Rangers on Landmark Season

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, 25 years ago the Washington Senators baseball
team moved to Arlington, TX, in the heart of the 24th Congressional
District.
For 25 seasons, that team--the Texas Rangers--played baseball without
reaching the post-season playoffs. This Texas drought ended last night
when the Texas Rangers won the Western Division of the American League.
No current team in major league baseball had played as many
consecutive seasons without ever reaching post-season play.
There is joy today deep in the heart of Texas. I want to take this
occasion to recognize the terrific season-long play of the Texas
Rangers, the quiet steady leadership of their manager Johnny Oates and
the skill of their front office headed by Club President Tom Schieffer.
The Rangers combined clutch hitting, excellent defense and improved
pitching to take their first division crown. They enjoyed tremendous
fan support in their new stadium, the ballpark, and now anxiously await
their first post-season playoff series against the New York Yankees.
Congratulations Rangers on a landmark season.
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman
from Kansas [Mr. Roberts].
(Mr. ROBERTS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. Speaker, I have asked permission to revise and
extend my remarks for the last time.
Mr. Speaker, like others before me, I rise to voice my strong support
for the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Act, and I also want to thank my
chairman, the gentleman from Alaska [Mr. Young], who has been an
outstanding leader in this effort, the subcommittee chairman, the
gentleman from Utah [Mr. Hansen], a distinguished gentleman and friend,
and that great athlete, the gentleman from California [Mr. Miller], for
his help in regards to this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I am interested in this because it contains a particular
park designation, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Act, that
will create the first and only unit of the national park system solely
devoted to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem.
Mr. Speaker, like others have already stated on the floor, if the
good Lord and certain Senators are willing, we will get this package
through. I would urge my colleagues to contact everyone in the other
body to that goal.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time for the last time.
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman
from Massachusetts [Mr. Blute].
Mr. BLUTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this parks bill,
which I believe and I think people on both sides believe is one of the
finest parks bills to ever pass this Congress in the long history of
our great country.
I want to commend the chairmen, the gentleman from Alaska [Mr.
Young], the gentleman from Utah [Mr. Hansen], the gentleman from Ohio
[Mr. Regula], and everyone on both sides of the aisle who worked so
hard to put this package together. I urge its passage here, and I urge
its passage in the U.S. Senate.
In my district, the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage
Corridor has been reauthorized in this bill for 10 years. It is a
tremendous public-private partnership that has done tremendous things
for the environment, for economic development, for job creation. Now
the great city of Worcester will be included in the headwaters, as the
headwaters of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor.
Near the southern tip of my district, the New Bedford Historical
Whaling Park that myself and the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr.
Frank] and so many others have supported for so long will now come to
fruition if we can get this passed through the Senate.
Mr. Speaker, I think this is a tremendous bill for the entire country
and it is a great environmental bill because these parks and heritage
corridors will keep land open, and open space for our citizens for
years and years and decades to come. I rise in strong support.
I think we all owe a great debt of gratitude to everyone on both
sides of the aisle who worked on this bill, but particularly Chairman
Young, Chairman Hansen, and Chairman Regula, who really went to the mat
for this bill and worked very, very hard. I also commend the ranking
member and the administration for coming along with us.
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman
from California [Mr. Baker], one of the leaders in this effort.
Mr. BAKER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the
omnibus parks bill. This bill includes provisions which are vital to
the heritage and habitat of the San Francisco Bay area.
H.R. 1296 includes my bill, H.R. 4126, the California Bay Delta
Environmental Enhancement and Water Security Act. I thank the chairman,
the gentleman from Alaska [Mr. Young] for including these provisions of
Federal matching funds for proposition 204 on the ballot this November
in California.
This historic agreement will authorize $430 million for fiscal year
1998 through 2000 for ecosystem protection and restoration of the San
Francisco Bay Delta region. I have worked with the environmental
community and California water districts to craft H.R. 4126, which is
cosponsored by 48 California Members.
Further, I have worked closely with the gentlewoman from California
[Ms. Pelosi] in support of the Presidio provisions of this bill, which
will protect the Presidio in a sound and cost-effective manner. These
provisions will preserve the Presidio of California for generations to
come. I appreciate her leadership.
I hope that the Members will join this bipartisan contingency of bay
area legislators who see this bill as key to the environment and
historic preservation of northern California.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to close by saying this: What Congress in
the last 50 years has included more park projects for the opposing
party than this bipartisan 104th Congress?
Again, Mr. Speaker, my thanks to Chairman Young and the ranking
member, the gentleman from California, Mr. Miller, my neighbor to the
north, for this wonderful bill. I fully support it and hope that the
Senate will join us.
Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the
gentlewoman from California [Ms. Pelosi].
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I am so delighted that the Presidio bill,
which has been on the floor over and over again, is finally, hopefully,
going to become law. I am glad it is such a strong engine to bring some
other things along.
It was said about the Presidio in its life as an Army base that a
shot was never fired in anger from the Presidio, or at the Presidio. As
much as I thought we would come close, that seems to be true about the
Presidio legislation again, thanks to the calm nature of the chairman
and the ranking member of the committee.
Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, again I want to thank the gentleman from California [Mr.
Miller] and all those who have worked very hard on this legislation. It
is not everything I wanted. As I stressed before, we will be back.
MacArthur said that, and he came back, and I will come back with a
bigger and better army, and we will achieve those goals.
I think it is important to understand one thing. There is little in
this bill for this chairman. Most of this is, very frankly, in areas
that passed the House, and as the gentlewoman from San Francisco said,
this is a strong train with the Presidio, but most all of this
legislation already passed the House.
It is the unworkable situation that occurs in the other body, where
the holds can be put on and on and on, that really, I think, hurts the
process. Somewhere and somehow we have to expedite that process so when
the House speaks, at least there should be a time limit to return the
bill to the floor. It is unfair to tie everything, very frankly, to one
horse. It is not the correct way to legislate. We have done

[[Page H12031]]

that. Hopefully the Senate will see the wisdom of adopting it, and we
will go on next year and hope to do bigger and greater things.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R.
4236, the omnibus parks bill. This bipartisan legislation will improve
the lives of thousands of Americans. I am particularly interested in
this legislation because it includes a provision, the Hanford Reach
Preservation Act, which impacts my district directly. I want to thank
my fellow colleagues on the House Resources Committee, in particular
Chairman Young and Subcommittee Chairman Hansen, for their hard work on
this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, the Hanford Reach Preservation Act makes permanent the
current moratorium on dam building, channeling, and navigational
projects along the stretch of the Columbia River known as the Hanford
Reach. Located in the heart of my Central Washington Congressional
District, the Hanford Reach is regarded by many as the last free
flowing stretch of the Columbia River. Running through the Hanford
Nuclear Reservation, the Reach is also the location of some of the
healthiest salmon runs anywhere in the Pacific Northwest.
For the past 8 years, the Federal Government has played an important
role in protecting the Reach by prohibiting its agencies from
constructing dams, channels, and other projects on this part of the
River. The provision included in this bill permanently extends the
current moratorium on these activities that is set to expire November
6, 1996.
The Hanford Reach Preservation Act will make a significant
contribution to the continued protection of this pristine area. While
more needs to be resolved within the local community before this area
is completely protected, this language is a positive step in the right
direction.
H.R. 4236 also includes a number of other positive proposals which
improve the condition of our national parks, schools, and rivers. I
also support this bill for what is not included in the package, namely
a provision to establish a National Heritage Area program. While I have
serious concerns about the individual heritage area designations in
this bill, I am relieved that private property owners in my district
will not have to worry about such designations infringing upon their
Fifth Amendment rights.
Again, I thank my colleagues for their assistance and strongly urge
the House to vote in favor of this measure. I yield back the balance of
my time.
Mrs. CHENOWETH. Mr. Speaker, there are few people in this Congress
that I have more respect for than the chairman of the House Resources
Committee, Don Young, and some of the other hardworking members of the
Committee.
But I must oppose this so-called Presidio Package, H.R. 4236.
Although there are many good things in this bill--badly needed boundary
adjustments and local land exchange benefiting many worthy communities,
to name a few--I simply cannot vote for a bill that creates five (5)
new national parks, establishes as many as eleven (11) heritage areas,
and facilities any number of other Federal designations that expand
Federal ownership and control over public and private property. I would
consider anything but a ``No'' vote on H.R. 4236 a dereliction of my
duty as a Member of Congress from Idaho who came to this body promising
to rein in our ever-expanding Federal Government. Although my Chairman
and other Members speak eloquently of this compromise package, when
boiled down to its essence, this bill expands the Federal Government's
control on our land base.
Mr. Speaker, I would also like to object to the method by which this
more than 600 page bill was brought to the Floor. H.R. 4236 was
introduced yesterday. Although it was debated passed and considered in
a Conference Committee as H.R. 1296, H.R. 4236 included provisions I've
never seen. For example, the last version of H.R. 1296 made available
to me or my staff included only two (2) heritage areas. However, it is
my understanding that today's H.R. 4236 includes as many as eleven
(11). Heritage Areas are a concern for me. In fact, from my
perspective, H.R. 4236 has been crafted with a great deal of secrecy. I
must ask Mr. Speaker, what else is included?
Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I am compelled to point out that, although there
are five (5) specified Idaho projects, H.R. 4236 represents a
compilation of measures supported by Members with very little interest
or understanding of our public lands. I recognize that this so-called
Omnibus Parks Bill is the result of a long difficult process. However,
it has been pointed out that an Omnibus Bill was necessary because
concerns, Senatorial holds, environmental community opposition and
other legislative hurdles plugged the bills' legislative process. In
total, it was argued tonight, an Omnibus bill was necessary to gain the
legislative momentum to clear all hurdles. But I would ask, Mr.
Speaker, that the Members would take a few moments to reflect on the
difficulty by which this bill came to the Floor, and then to translate
that difficulty to what a public lands state faces every time it must
deal with the Federal Government. It is no different, and arguably
worse.
Again, Mr. Speaker, I must oppose this measure and would hope the
Members consider where we are going as a nation when we look up our
resources.
Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this omnibus parks
bill. It is good for the environment, preserves our natural, historic,
and cultural resources, protects and improves our National Park System,
and benefits tourism and business throughout the country. I urge its
swift passage in the other body, and urge the President to sign this
important legislation.
We are in the final hours of the 2d session of the historic 104th
Congress and still have a good deal of business to conduct. I want my
colleagues to know, on both sides of the isle, that I appreciate your
hard work and tireless efforts as the Nation's business comes to a
close. I want to recognize the efforts of Representatives Young,
Hansen, Regula, and Miller for working together on a compromise package
that should be signed by the President. I also appreciate the efforts
of Senators Warner and Robb and Congressman Goodlatte. Finally, I want
to recognize the effort of the staff who worked on this legislation and
who share our commitment to passing a meaningful parks bill this
Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I recall the waning hours of the 103d Congress when the
so-called Vento parks package was stalled. There were many talks and
negotiations in the final hours, much like the negotiations which
occurred last night and today. Members of Congress and staff were
running back and forth from House to House and office to office trying
to find a workable compromise. We were so close, but, at about midnight
on the last day of the session, the gravel dropped and Congress
adjourned without passing a parks bill.
That was a disappointing night. It was disappointing because all the
hard work residents and leaders in the valley have put into preserving
these important sites had to wait for another day. After that day, the
citizens of the valley and I became even more determined to see this
project through to the end. This is the culmination of years of work in
the valley and it is a credit to their hard work.
So here we are, in the final hours of the 104th Congress, poised to
pass legislation which would create the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields
National Historic District. This is the culmination of 5 years of work,
and it is my sincere hope that the Senate will pass this compromise in
the coming days before the Congress adjourns sine die.
Mr. Speaker, I introduce legislation in the beginning of the 103d
Congress and 104th Congress to protect these valley battlefield sites.
Senators Warner and Robb introduced companion legislation in the
Senate. After working with the administration, and other Members of
Congress, a compromise was fashioned which passed the House in
September 18, 1995, by a vote of 377 to 31 (H.R. 1091). As the body
knows, Congressmen Young and Hansen were on the floor week after week
after week passing park related measures, but the other body, for one
reason or another, did not pass these bills. Finally, a package was put
together with over 130 parks related provisions, the conference closed,
and a veto threat issued.
Many thought the bill was doomed, but as I already stated, a group of
members and staff stuck it out late at night to fashion a compromise.
This legislation, if passed, will create the Shenandoah Valley
Battlefields National Historic District--a one of a kind affiliated
unit of the National Park Service. This legislation forms a partnership
with Federal, State, and local governments to preserve, conserve,
protect, and interpret the historically significant Shenandoah Valley
Civil War sites. Specifically, it will protect the two major valley
campaigns--the Thomas J. ``Stonewall'' Jackson Valley campaign of 1862
and the decisive Philip Sheridan campaign of 1864--are the major Civil
War battlefields not yet preserved.
Mr. Speaker, I, again, would like to thank and congratulate all
parties for their hard work and urge support for this legislation and
its swift passage. In particular, I would like to thank, William
Moschella of my staff. Without his perseverance in negotiations, skill
at legislative drafting, and willingness to find solutions to new
problems, we would not be here today.
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Burton of Indiana). The question is on
the motion offered by the gentleman from Alaska [Mr. Young] that the
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4236, as amended.
The question was taken.
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and yeas.
The yeas and nays were ordered.

[[Page H12032]]

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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