[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 141 (Thursday, October 3, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S12257]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       OMNIBUS PARKS LEGISLATION

  Mr. COVERDELL. Madam President, the Senate has in its possession the 
House-passed omnibus parks bill, and everybody within the sound of my 
voice in this Chamber has heard about the parks bill. I am very hopeful 
we can bring this legislation to a successful conclusion.
  There are two very important features that affect our State. One is 
making a heritage trail out of a 150-year-old canal built in Augusta to 
provide power to the textile industry of that era. It is still 
providing power, and it is a beautiful stretch of unspoiled land that 
is a national heritage and a national treasure, and legislating its 
protection and development in such a way to enhance it is exceedingly 
important to that region of our State and that city of our State.
  Further, it deals with Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military 
Park Highway, which has been in contention for a long time and is 
something which must be resolved in order to deal with issues in the 
northeastern or northwestern part of our State.
  So I guess I am just saying, here is another Senator who has not left 
Washington and will stay here until we put the omnibus parks bill to 
bed, hopefully successfully, because, as we have all said, it affects 
so many of our States in the Union. It is something we really need to 
get done.

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