[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 120 (Wednesday, September 15, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S10955]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  FOUR CORNERS INTERPRETIVE CENTER ACT

 Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I would like to take this 
opportunity to say a few words about S. 28, the Four Corners 
Interpretive Center Act. I was very pleased that the Senate saw fit to 
pass this bill by voice vote on September 9, 1999, and I fully expect 
that this legislation will pass the House and be sent to the President 
during this Congress.
  This legislation could not have passed without the strong support of 
its cosponsors, Senators Allard, Bennett, Bingaman, Campbell, and 
Domenici. Chairman Ben Nighthorse Campbell and the staff of the Senate 
Indian Affairs Committee deserve special praise for going the extra 
mile in shepherding this proposal through the committee with speed and 
professionalism.
  The Four Corners Interpretive Center Act will benefit the Four Corner 
states, the Navajo Nation, and Ute Mountain Ute tribe, and especially 
the throngs of visitors who make the special effort to visit the remote 
Four Corners region, the only location where the corners of four states 
converge. A quarter million tourists visit the Four Corners each year, 
only to find that there are no utilities, no permanent restrooms, no 
running water, no telephones, and no vending stations for their 
convenience.
  Additionally, the Four Corners National Monument has unique 
historical, cultural, and environmental significance. The absence of 
any educational exhibits to help visitors appreciate the area is a 
wasted opportunity. The interpretive center authorized by this bill 
will enable all Americans who come to this area to learn about the 
ancient home of the Anasazi people as well as the area's geography, 
plant and animal species.
  The objective of S. 28 is simple: to aid in the construction and 
maintenance of an interpretive center at the Four Corners National 
Monument. The bill calls for a cooperative agreement among the Navajo 
Nation, Ute Mountain Ute tribe, affected local governments, and the 
four corners states to be approved by the Interior Department. Matching 
funds from each of the four states would also be required. Arizona has 
already committed funds. This is the type of intergovernmental 
partnership that has worked well on a variety of other projects 
throughout the country, and it is an appropriate model for the 
interpretive center.
  Again, I want to thank my colleagues in the Senate for passing this 
important legislation.

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