[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 85 (Wednesday, June 18, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5928-S5929]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. GRAHAM (for himself and Mr. Mack):
  S. 931. A bill to designate the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness 
and the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, to the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources.


 marjory stoneman douglas wilderness and ernest f. coe visitor center 
                            designation act

  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I'm happy to have this opportunity today 
to introduce legislation to amend the National Parks and Recreation Act 
of 1978 to designate the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness and to 
amend the Everglades National Park Protection and Expansion Act of 1989 
to designate the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center.
  Ms. Douglas and Mr. Coe led the charge to establish Everglades 
National Park and raise public awareness to restore its vitality.
  I think most Americans know that Everglades National Park preserves 
the subtropical region at the southern tip of Florida. But what most 
people don't realize is that the park has been nominated by the United 
States and accepted by the world community as a world heritage site, a 
wetland of international significance, and a biosphere reserve in 
recognition of its international significance. It is the only site in 
the Nation that has received all three designations, which serves to 
underscore the superlative qualities of the park on a global scale.
  Everglades National Park is well known for its diverse and unique 
wildlife, including alligators and crocodiles, eagles, manatees, and 
various fish species. The park has 13 species of endangered birds. It 
has open prairies and extensive saltwater areas with sawgrass marshes, 
mangroves, and shallow bays. Its 1.3 million acres of wilderness make 
it the largest subtropical wilderness in the continental United States.
  In 1926 and again in 1928, Senator Park Trammel of Florida introduced 
legislation calling for an examination of the Everglades to determine 
if a portion could qualify as a national park. The National Park 
Service had made some preliminary inquiries into the matter when Ernest 
Francis Coe came forward to champion the idea of creating a national 
park in southern Florida. Coe came to Coconut Grove from New England in 
1925 and was overwhelmed with the natural beauty and wildlife of the 
Cape Sable and Ten Thousand Islands area. He wanted to find some way to 
protect the bird rookeries and hammocks, and the establishment of a 
national park seemed like an ideal solution.
  Mr. Coe became the central leader in the campaign to create 
Everglades National Park. In 1928, he organized the Tropic Everglades 
National Park Association and is widely regarded as the Father of 
Everglades National Park. As a landscape architect, Mr. Coe's vision 
for the park recognized the need to protect south Florida's diverse 
wildlife and their habitats for future generations. His leadership, 
selfless devotion, and commitment to achieving this vision culminated 
in the authorization of the park by Congress in 1934 and its subsequent 
dedication by President Truman in 1947.
  While it is not required by law that Congress name park visitor 
centers, this legislation will demonstrate Congress' support for 
honoring Mr. Coe's legacy. Because of his central role in the 
establishment of Everglades National Park, it is also a fitting tribute 
that park visitors be greeted by the congressionally designated Coe 
Center.
  In 1947, Marjory Stoneman Douglas published her landmark book, ``The 
Everglades: River of Grass,'' which greatly increased interest in and 
concern for the Everglades. Ms. Douglas, who celebrated her 107th 
birthday on April 6, symbolizes the struggle to save the Everglades. 
Her pioneering work was the first to highlight the plight of the 
Everglades and ultimately served to awaken public interest in restoring 
its health. Ms. Douglas has dedicated her life to the defense of the 
Everglades through her extraordinary personal effort and by inspiring 
countless others

[[Page S5929]]

to take action. Recognizing these accomplishments, in 1992 President 
Clinton awarded her to the Medal of Freedom, the Nation's highest 
civilian award.
  Ms. Douglas has consistently stated her wish to have Ernest Coe's 
efforts suitably commemorated at the park. She has expressed through 
her associates Dr. Sharon T. Richardson her delight with the idea of 
designating the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness area. Dr. 
Richardson has added her opinion that, ``Nothing could mark her life 
more suitably than to give her name to this resplendent wilderness.''

  I can only echo that sentiment and add that nothing could be more 
appropriate during this 50th anniversary year of Everglades National 
Park, than the commemoration of these two legends as proposed in this 
bill.
  To quote from Marjory Stoneman Douglas' book ``River of Grass:''

       There are no other Everglades in the World.
       They are, they have always been, one of the unique regions 
     of the earth, remote, never wholly known. Nothing anywhere 
     else is like them: their vast glittering openness, wider than 
     the enormous visible round of the horizon, the racing free 
     saltness and sweetness of their massive winds, under the 
     dazzling blue heights of space. They are unique also in the 
     simplicity, the diversity, the related harmony of the forms 
     of life they enclose. The miracle of the light pours over the 
     green and brown expanse of saw grass and of water, shining 
     and slow-moving below, the grass and water that is the 
     meaning and the central fact of the Everglades of Florida. It 
     is a river of grass.

  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 931

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Marjory Stoneman Douglas 
     Wilderness and Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center Designation 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1)(A) Marjory Stoneman Douglas, through her book, ``The 
     Everglades: River of Grass'' (published in 1947), defined the 
     Everglades for the people of the United States and the 
     world;
       (B) Mrs. Douglas' book was the first to stimulate 
     widespread understanding of the Everglades ecosystem and 
     ultimately served to awaken the desire of the people of the 
     United States to restore the ecosystem's health;
       (C) in her 107th year, Mrs. Douglas is the sole surviving 
     member of the original group of people who devoted decades of 
     selfless effort to establish the Everglades National Park;
       (D) when the water supply and ecology of the Everglades, 
     both within and outside the park, became threatened by 
     drainage and development, Mrs. Douglas dedicated the balance 
     of her life to the defense of the Everglades through 
     extraordinary personal effort and by inspiring countless 
     other people to take action;
       (E) for these and many other accomplishments, the President 
     awarded Mrs. Douglas the Medal of Freedom on Earth Day, 1994; 
     and
       (2)(A) Ernest F. Coe (1886-1951) was a leader in the 
     creation of Everglades National Park;
       (B) Mr. Coe organized the Tropic Everglades National Park 
     Association in 1928 and was widely regarded as the father of 
     Everglades National Park;
       (C) as a landscape architect, Mr. Coe's vision for the park 
     recognized the need to protect south Florida's diverse 
     wildlife and habitats for future generations;
       (D) Mr. Coe's original park proposal included lands and 
     waters subsequently protected within the Everglades National 
     Park, the Big Cypress National Preserve, and the Florida Keys 
     National Marine Sanctuary; and
       (E)(i) Mr. Coe's leadership, selfless devotion, and 
     commitment to achieving his vision culminated in the 
     authorization of the Everglades National Park by Congress in 
     1934;
       (ii) after authorization of the park, Mr. Coe fought 
     tirelessly and lobbied strenuously for establishment of the 
     park, finally realizing his dream in 1947; and
       (iii) Mr. Coe accomplished much of the work described in 
     this paragraph at his own expense, which dramatically 
     demonstrated his commitment to establishment of Everglades 
     National Park.
       (b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to commemorate 
     the vision, leadership, and enduring contributions of Marjory 
     Stoneman Douglas and Ernest F. Coe to the protection of the 
     Everglades and the establishment of Everglades National Park.

     SEC. 3. MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS WILDERNESS.

       (a) Redesignation.--Section 401(3) of the National Parks 
     and Recreation Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-625; 92 Stat. 3490; 
     16 U.S.C. 1132 note) is amended by striking ``to be known as 
     the Everglades Wilderness'' and inserting ``to be known as 
     the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness to commemorate the 
     vision and leadership shown by Mrs. Douglas in the protection 
     of the Everglades and the establishment of the Everglades 
     National Park''.
       (b) Notice of Redesignation.--The Secretary of the Interior 
     shall provide such notification of the redesignation made by 
     the amendment made by subsection (a) by signs, materials, 
     maps, markers, interpretive programs, and other means 
     (including changes in signs, materials, maps, and markers in 
     existence before the date of enactment of this Act) as will 
     adequately inform the public of the redesignation of the 
     wilderness area and the reasons for the redesignation.
       (c) References.--Any reference in any law, regulation, 
     document, record, map, or other paper of the United States to 
     the ``Everglades Wilderness'' shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the ``Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness''.

     SEC. 4. ERNEST F. COE VISITOR CENTER.

       (a) Designation.--Section 103 of the Everglades National 
     Park Protection and Expansion Act of 1989 (16 U.S.C. 410r-7) 
     is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(f) Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center.--On completion of 
     construction of the main visitor center facility at the 
     headquarters of Everglades National Park, the Secretary shall 
     designate the visitor center facility as the `Ernest F. Coe 
     Visitor Center', to commemorate the vision and leadership 
     shown by Mr. Coe in the establishment and protection of 
     Everglades National Park.''.

     SEC. 5. CONFORMING AND TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

       Section 103 of the Everglades National Park Protection and 
     Expansion Act of 1989 (16 U.S.C. 410r-7) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (c)(2), by striking ``personally-owned'' 
     and inserting ``personally-owned''; and
       (2) in subsection (e), by striking ``Visitor Center'' and 
     inserting ``Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center''.
                                 ______