[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 151 (Monday, November 1, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H11151-H11152]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL LAND CONVEYANCE ACT
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2737) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey
to the State of Illinois certain Federal land associated with the Lewis
and Clark National Historic Trail to be used as an historic and
interpretive site along the trail, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 2737
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. LAND CONVEYANCE, LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL HISTORIC
TRAIL, ILLINOIS.
(a) Conveyance Authorized.--The Secretary of the Interior
may convey, without consideration, to the State of Illinois
all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to
a parcel of federally owned land under the jurisdiction of
the Secretary consisting of approximately 39 acres located in
the north half of section 16, township 4 north, range 9 west,
Third Principal Meridian, Madison County, Illinois, within
the corridor of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.
(b) Survey; Conveyance Costs.--The exact acreage and legal
description of the land to be conveyed under subsection (a)
shall be determined by a survey satisfactory to the
Secretary. The cost of the survey and all other costs
incurred by the Secretary to convey the land shall be borne
by the State of Illinois.
(c) Conditions of Conveyance.--
(1) Use of conveyed land.--The conveyance authorized under
subsection (a) shall be subject to the condition that the
State of Illinois, acting through the Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency, use the conveyed land as an historic
site and interpretive center for the Lewis and Clark National
Historic Trail.
(2) Plan for development and operation of site.--The
conveyance authorized under subsection (a) shall be subject
to the further condition that the Governor of the State of
Illinois develop, within two years after the date of the
conveyance, a plan for the development and operation of the
historic site and interpretive center proposed for the
conveyed land. In developing the plan, the Governor shall
provide an opportunity for review and comment by the
Secretary and the public.
(d) Discontinuance of Use.--If the State of Illinois
determines to discontinue use of the land conveyed under
subsection (a) as an historic site and interpretive center
for the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, the State of
Illinois shall convey the lands back to the Secretary without
consideration.
(e) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Secretary may
require such additional terms and conditions in connection
with the conveyance under subsection (a) as the Secretary
considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United
States.
[[Page H11152]]
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out
this section.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Utah (Mr. Hansen) and the gentleman from Guam (Mr. Underwood) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen).
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2737, as amended.
Numerous events will take place across the country in the next few
years celebrating the exploration of the western United States by the
Lewis and Clark expedition. This expedition effectively opened up new
territories to be settled and used by the fledgling United States and
led to the discoveries of many new peoples, plants and animals and
resources.
H.R. 2737, introduced by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello)
will authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey a parcel of land
to the State of Illinois, who will showcase the beginning of the Lewis
and Clark expedition from this spot which began in 1803. The land is
currently owned by the National Park Service and the conveyance
authorized by this legislation shall be made without consideration to
the Federal Government. The parcel of land consists of approximately 39
acres on the banks of the Mississippi River in Madison County,
Illinois. If the land conveyance to Illinois is not used for a
historical and interpretive center, then the land shall be conveyed
back to the Secretary without consideration.
Mr. Speaker, this bill has wide support, and I urge my colleagues to
support H.R. 2737, as amended.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Mr. UNDERWOOD asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2737 directs the Secretary of the
Interior to give a specific parcel of land to the State of Illinois to
be used as a historic and interpretive center for the Lewis and Clark
trail, the 39-acre parcel of land located at the confluence of the
Missouri and Mississippi Rivers about 20 miles northeast of St. Louis.
This area played a significant role in the story of Lewis and Clark, as
it is the area where the explorers camped before beginning their
journey.
In addition, many of the members of this historic corps were
recruited from the surrounding area. As the 200th anniversary of the
expedition approaches, a variety of activities commemorating this
amazing achievement will take place across the country, and it is
certainly fitting that Lewis and Clark's launching point will host a
new historic and interpretive center.
Importantly, the legislation makes the conveyance conditional on the
completion of a survey and requires that, should the State ever
discontinue use of the site for historic and interpretive purposes, the
land must be returned to the Federal Government. During committee
consideration of this measure, our amendment requiring the governor of
the State of Illinois to devise a specific plan for the development and
operation of this interpretive center was adopted.
The legislation now specifies that both the Secretary of the Interior
as well as the general public shall have an opportunity to review and
comment upon this plan. With this added level of oversight and public
input, we urge our colleagues to support this bill, as amended; and we
congratulate our friend and colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr.
Costello), on this important legislation for the history of the Nation.
Mr. HILL of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer my support for H.R.
2737, a bill that authorizes the National Park Service to convey 39
acres of land to the State of Illinois for an interpretive center to be
constructed along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.
I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House of
Representatives on other projects commemorating the bicentennial of the
Lewis and Clark expedition. However, I feel that I must, as I have done
in the past, set the record straight on where the Lewis and Clark
expedition began.
Mr. Speaker, contrary to some of the statements made by my colleagues
on the floor this afternoon, the expedition of these historic partners
began at the Falls of the Ohio, near Clarksville in southern Indiana.
On September 1, 1803, Meriwether Lewis began his journey down the
Ohio River toward Clarksville, Indiana, where he eventually met his
partner on the expedition, William Clark. By October 14, Lewis had
reached the Falls of the Ohio, a series of dangerous rapids created by
a drop in the river over a two-mile series of limestone ledges. The
following day, Lewis and his crew safely crossed the falls on the north
side of the river. They then set out to meet Clark, who was living in
Clarksville with his brother, Revolutionary War hero George Rogers
Clark.
The noted historian, Stephen Ambrose, writes of Lewis and Clark's
meeting in Clarksville in his best-selling book, Undaunted Courage,
``When they shook hands, the Lewis and Clark Expedition began.'' During
the two weeks following the meeting, Lewis and Clark recruited the
first official members of the expedition, a group often referred to as
the ``Corps of Discovery.'' Men from across the region traveled to
Clarksville hoping to be selected to join the expedition. Lewis and
Clark chose nine men in Clarksville to join them on the journey, and as
Ambrose notes in Undaunted Courage, there ``the Corps of Discovery was
born.''
The crew departed on October 26, 1803, thus marking Clarksville,
Indiana as the actual point of origin for the Lewis and Clark
Expedition. From there, the Explorers' remarkable adventures spanned
over 8,000 miles of unknown land.
No bicentennial celebration would be complete without noting southern
Indiana's part in the Lewis and Clark story I encourage all Americans
wishing to retrace the steps of the explorers or to learn more about
the importance of the expedition to our nation, to visit the Falls of
the Ohio and surrounding area.
I am pleased that Congress is taking the initiative to promote and
support the commemoration of such a remarkable piece of our American
history. That is why I support H.R. 2737.
Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers on this
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 2737, as amended.
The question was taken.
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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