[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 138 (Monday, September 30, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H12181-H12182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THE NATIONAL PARKS BILL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Richardson] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to talk about a national 
parks bill, probably the most important national parks bill, that 
expands the parks, protects the parks, that passed this body before we 
adjourned on Friday and is now being considered in the Senate.
  This is a very important, bipartisan piece of legislation that the 
Committee on Natural Resources, majority and

[[Page H12182]]

minority, put together, and this is the only bill that could do some 
substantial good for our national parks. It is critically important 
that the Senate move on this piece of legislation because if we do not 
move on this piece of legislation, we believe that not just the funding 
for the parks will be jeopardized but a lot of very important 
management decisions affecting parks, old and new, will not be made.
  Let me just mention how each state is affected by this national parks 
legislation. In Alabama, we have the Selma to Montgomery National 
Historic Trail creation. In Alaska, we have the Gates of the Arctic 
National Park and Preserve, and you have the Anaktuvuk Pass land 
exchange.
  In Arizona, we have the Walnut Canyon National Monument boundary 
modification, the Wupatki National Monument boundary adjustment. In 
California, we have the Old Spanish Trail addition to the National 
Trails System and also a unique management structure for San 
Francisco's Presidio.
  In Colorado, we have the Yucca House National Monument boundary 
adjustment. We have the construction of Rocky Mountain National Park 
visitor's center. We have the maintenance of Grand Lake Cemetery in 
Rocky Mountain National Park, the Old Spanish Trail addition to the 
National Trail System.
  In Idaho, we have the Craters of the Moon National Monument boundary 
adjustment and the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument boundary.
  In Hawaii, we have the Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park 
Advisory Commission; in Kansas, a very important piece of legislation, 
the creation of the 11,000 acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.
  In Kentucky, we have got the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park. 
In Massachusetts, we have the Boston National Historic Park, which 
basically deals with materials and park adjustments to the Freedom 
Trail. We also have the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage 
Corridor boundary changes.
  In Michigan, we have the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore boundary 
adjustment; in Mississippi, the Corinth Battlefield interpretation 
center construction as part of the Shiloh National Military Park; in 
New Jersey, the establishment of the Great Falls Historic District in 
Paterson and protection for Sterling Forest.
  In New Mexico, we have the Rio Puerco watershed study, and the Taos 
Pueblo bill that deals with including the boundaries for a new 
wilderness area called Blue Lake, called the bottleneck legislation.
  In New York, the Women's Right National Historic Park inclusion of 
additional property. In New York also, the critically important 
Sterling Forest, the protection for the Sterling Forest. In 
Pennsylvania, Independence National Historic Park boundary adjustment; 
in Rhode Island, the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage 
Corridor; and in Texas, another very important piece of parks 
legislation, the Big Thicket National Preserve.
  In Tennessee, the Cumberland Gap Historic Park; in Utah, the Zion 
National Park, the Old Spanish Trail edition to the National Trails 
System; in Virginia, the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park and 
Colonial National Historic Park, also in Virginia.
  In Washington State, the establishment of the Vancouver National 
Historic Reserve; in West Virginia; the New River Gorge National River 
and Gauley River National Recreation Area, the Bluestone National 
Scenic River.
  Mr. Speaker, this is very important legislation, and this is the last 
day, the last day, of the session that we have to complete it. We know 
there are some concerns in the other body about the absence of 
legislation that dealt with, for some Members of that delegation, very 
important Alaska legislation. But I think it is critically important 
that we see that we have over 100 bills for all regions, for all 
Members of Congress, Republican and Democrat, a bipartisan compromise 
that was crafted by the gentleman from Alaska [Don Young] and the 
gentleman from Utah [Jim Hansen], and the gentleman from California 
[George Miller], and many others in a very good faith basis before we 
adjourned.
  Mr. Speaker, it is critically important that the other body take 
action on this legislation before we adjourn. We know that they have 
some concerns, particularly the Alaska delegation. We respect those, 
but hopefully we can address those concerns in the next session and we 
should not have to hold up this legislation that is up here today.
  Mr. Speaker, I have been the ranking member of the Subcommittee on 
National Parks, Forests and Lands. We have thoroughly examined all of 
these bills. They are good bills. We urge the other body to push for 
their passage.

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