[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 84 (Tuesday, June 17, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H3819-H3820]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    EAGLES NEST WILDERNESS EXPANSION

  Mrs. CHENOWETH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 985) to provide for the expansion of the Eagles Nest 
Wilderness within Arapaho and White River National Forests, Colorado, 
to include the lands known as the Slate Creek Addition upon the 
acquisition of the lands by the United States, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 985

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SLATE CREEK ADDITION TO EAGLES NEST WILDERNESS, 
                   ARAPAHO AND WHITE RIVER NATIONAL FORESTS, 
                   COLORADO.

       (a) Slate Creek Addition.--If the parcel of land described 
     in subsection (b) is conveyed to the United States on or 
     before December 31, 2000, the parcel shall be included in, 
     and managed as part of, the Eagles Nest Wilderness designated 
     by Public Law 94-352 (90 Stat. 870; 16 U.S.C. 1132 note). 
     Upon conveyance of the parcel, the boundary of the Eagles 
     Nest Wilderness is adjusted to include the parcel.
       (b) Description of Addition.--The parcel referred to in 
     subsection (a) is generally depicted on a map entitled 
     ``Slate Creek Addition-Eagles Nest Wilderness'', dated 
     February 1997, which shall be available for public inspection 
     in the office of the Forest Supervisor of the White River 
     National Forest in the State of Colorado. The parcel 
     comprises approximately 160 acres in Summit County, Colorado, 
     adjacent to the Eagles Nest Wilderness.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Idaho [Mrs. Chenoweth] and the gentleman from American Samoa [Mr. 
Faleomavaega] each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Idaho [Mrs. Chenoweth].
  (Mrs. CHENOWETH asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
her remarks.)
  Mrs. CHENOWETH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  H.R. 985, the bill introduced by the gentleman from Colorado [Mr. 
McInnis], provides expansion of the Eagles Nest Wilderness Area within 
the Arapaho and White River National Forests in Colorado to include 
lands known as the Slate Creek Addition upon the acquisition of the 
lands by the United States.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Colorado [Mr. McInnis], as well as 
the gentleman from New York [Mr. Hinchey], subcommittee ranking member, 
and the gentleman from American Samoa [Mr. Faleomavaega] for their 
cooperation with the passage of this measure.
  This legislation provides for a 160-acre Slate Creek parcel in Summit 
County, CO to be added to the Eagles Nest Wilderness and administered 
as part of the wilderness area if the land is acquired by the United 
States within the next 4 years.
  The Slate Creek parcel is proposed for acquisition by the United 
States in a land exchange. However, the current owners are unwilling to 
convey the land unless it is added to the Eagles Nest Wilderness Area 
and permanently managed as wilderness. Since the Slate Creek parcel is 
surrounded on three sides by the Eagles Nest Wilderness area, it only 
makes sense that it be made part of the area if the land is acquired by 
the United States.
  This legislation is noncontroversial, and I urge support for this 
measure which enjoys the support of the Summit County Board of 
Commissioners, the Summit County Open Space Advisory Council, the 
Wilderness Land Trust and a number of other interested parties.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation 
and certainly compliment my good friend, the gentleman from Colorado 
[Mr. McInnis], for bringing this matter to the attention of the House. 
I also want to commend the chairman of the subcommittee, the 
gentlewoman from Idaho [Mrs. Chenoweth], for her leadership and 
management of this piece of legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, as explained by the chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. 
Speaker, this bill authorizes the addition of 160 acres to the Eagle's 
Nest Wilderness within the Arapaho and White River National Forests in 
Colorado. These lands, which are known as the Slate Creek Parcel, are 
currently privately owned, and the owners are unwilling to convey the 
lands to the Forest Service unless they are permanently protected as 
wilderness.
  Accordingly, the bill provides that when these lands are acquired by 
the Forest Service they will be included in the wilderness. The Forest 
Service agrees that these are suitable lands for wilderness and have 
testified in support of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, what we have here is a situation where there are willing 
sellers who believe that the highest and best use of their property is 
for public conservation purposes. This situation is duplicated in many 
places across our Nation and is one of the primary reasons that 
Democrats on the Committee on Resources have championed expanded use of 
the Land and Water Conservation Fund for land acquisitions.
  I want to thank the owners of the Slate Creek parcel for their 
conservation interests, and I compliment the

[[Page H3820]]

gentleman from Colorado [Mr. McInnis] for bringing the matter to the 
attention of the House, and I urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHENOWETH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Colorado [Mr. McInnis].
  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, this is a great bill.
  I would like to thank the subcommittee chairman on forest and forest 
health, the gentlewoman from Idaho [Mrs. Chenoweth], and I would also 
like to thank the gentleman from American Samoa for both of their 
assistance and rapidly bringing this legislation to the floor.
  H.R. 985 has already been described, but let me tell my colleagues 
that it has strong support from Summit County Open Space Advisory 
Counsel, the Summit County Board of County Commissioners, the 
Wilderness Land Trust, the Sierra Club and a number of other 
organizations.
  This bill makes a lot of sense. I do not know of any opposition that 
exists out there, nor do I know of any reason for any opposition to 
come forth, and I think the bill will pass unanimously.
  This noncontroversial legislation, as I have stressed, provides that 
a 160-acre Slate Creek Parcel of Summit County will be added to the 
Eagle's Nest Wilderness and administered as a part of the wilderness 
area.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill. It is a good, good bill.
  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Eagles Nest 
Wilderness Slate Creek addition--H.R. 985--and in support of Congress' 
action to enlarge our wilderness areas and preserve open space. The 
amount of undisturbed land across the United States is quickly 
declining. Everywhere farmlands, woodlands, forests are being 
developed. Something must be done to stop the development of these 
areas and preserve open space.
  That is why I wanted to make a statement today in support of H.R. 
985. While I have never seen the Eagles Nest Wilderness Area, I am 
confident that it is a wonderful place enjoyed by thousands of 
Americans every year. Adding 160 acres to this wilderness area is a 
great accomplishment that should be commended. Last year, Congress 
passed and the President signed into law legislation that would add 
Shadmoor to the Amagansett Wildlife Refuge on Long Island, NY. This 
transfer of property is not yet complete but it, like the Slate Creek 
tract, is one of a handful of properties eligible for inclusion in our 
public land programs. We should all be working in Congress to identify 
tracts of land that should be preserved from development.
  I commend Congressman McInnis' leadership in regard to saving the 
Slate Creek tract from development and for working to include it in the 
Eagles Nest Wilderness Area and urge my colleagues to vote in support 
of this important piece of legislation.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I do not have any additional speakers 
and at this time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHENOWETH. Mr. Speaker, I, too, have no requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time

                              {time}  1545

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gibbons). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from Idaho [Mrs. Chenoweth] that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 985, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  Mrs. CHENOWETH. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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