[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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