[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 153 (Wednesday, November 3, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S13832]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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              CALIFORNIA DESERT PROTECTION ACT ANNIVERSARY

 Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, this week marks the fifth 
anniversary of the California Desert Protection Act, a bill I authored 
that was signed into law on October 31, 1994. This Act marked a 
watershed event for California and for the 2.8 million people who visit 
this pristine national treasure each year. This was the most extensive 
land-protection bill in U.S. history and protected the largest parcel 
of land in the continental U.S.
  The bill was unique in many ways. It designated national park and 
Bureau of Land Management wilderness areas comprising more than 7.7 
million acres, the highest category of federal protection. It also 
designated the Death Valley National Park and Joshua Tree National Park 
in areas that formerly fell under less protected ``national monument'' 
status and created the 1.6 million acre Mojave National Preserve.
  At the time of its passage, the Desert Protection Act was the 
centerpiece of a long and contentious battle among a variety of 
different stakeholders. It faced enormous opposition from groups and 
individuals concerned about private property rights, grazing permits, 
mining claims, and access for off-road vehicle use. The bill took 
nearly eight years to pass over objections from miners, property 
owners, hunters, ranchers and off-road enthusiasts, who thought the 
legislation would restrict too much land and hurt business. I worked 
hard to craft a bill that protected private property rights and 
safeguarded the region's job base while preserving a treasured 
resource--the California Desert.
  I am proud to say that after 5 years there has not been a single 
instance of a land transaction that did not involve a willing seller 
and willing buyer. Grazing has not been impeded and valid mining rights 
have been upheld. The 25 million acres of California desert remain a 
place of extraordinary beauty and diverse resources. There are soaring 
sand dunes, ninety mountain ranges, extinct volcanoes, streams, lakes, 
wildflowers, the world's largest Joshua Tree forest, waterfalls and 
cactus gardens.
  The land also includes over 100,000 archeological sites, including 
the only-known dinosaur tracks in California, believed to be more than 
100 million years old. More than 760 different wildlife species call 
the rugged California desert home. The protected land has aided in the 
recovery of the desert tortoise and has provided thousands of acres of 
needed habitat for big horn sheep.
  The Death Valley National Park consists of more than 3.3 million 
acres of spectacular desert scenery, interesting and rare desert 
wildlife, complex geology, undisturbed wilderness and dozens of 
historical and cultural interest sites. It contains the lowest point in 
the Western hemisphere, the Death Valley badwater, which rests 282 feet 
below sea level. The Joshua Tree National Park comprises two deserts 
and vividly illustrates the contrast between high and low desert. Below 
3000 feet, the eastern half of the park is the land of the creosote 
bush, smoke trees and occotillo. The higher, cooler and slightly wetter 
Western part is dominated by Joshua Trees.
  But the crown jewel of the California Desert is the Mojave National 
Preserve whose geographical and wildlife diversity are practically 
unrivaled. The area contains eleven mountain ranges, four dry lakes, 
cinder cones, badlands, innumerable washes, mesas, buttes, lava tube 
caves, alluvial fans and one of California's most complex sand dune 
systems.

  I would like to especially thank Mary Martin, the Mojave National 
Preserve Superintendent for her diligence and the commendable job she 
has done balancing the diverse needs of the Preserve with those of all 
the stakeholders who work and/or use the land.
  The desert parks have attracted record numbers of tourists in recent 
years from across the globe. Tourism has increased the visibility of 
California's natural resources, created jobs for desert residents and 
brought additional income. In 1997, the three parks created more than 
6,000 jobs and over $22 million in tax revenue from tourist 
expenditures.
  The passage of the California Desert Protection Act has been one of 
my proudest accomplishments in the Senate. But there is still more work 
to be done.
  To encourage out nation's westward expansion, in 1864 Congress gave 
the railroad industry every other section of land in a 50 mile swath in 
what is now the Mojave National Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park. 
Most of this remaining checkerboard arrangement of land is owned by the 
Catellus Development Corporation.
  Earlier this year David Myers, the Executive Director of the 
Wildlands Conservancy, brokered a deal with Catellus to sell these 
lands at well below market value. Through David's hard work, The 
Wildlands Conservancy raised $25.5 million in private funding and 
donated land. The Catellus Corporation agreed to donate an additional 
$16.4 million in land.
  Through the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund the U.S. would 
acquire 487,000 acres of protected land. This includes 150,000 acres of 
Congressionally designated Wilderness areas, 87,000 acres in the Mojave 
National Preserve, 18,700 acres in Joshua Tree, land in Big Morongo, 
San Gorgonio wilderness, and the Kelso Dunes.
  This acquisition would formalize rights-of-way over 165 jeep trails 
and dirt access roads leading to 3.7 million acres of land used for 
hunting, hiking, sightseeing, camping and recreational vehicle use.
  The land includes the biggest cactus gardens in the world at the 
Bigelow Cholla Gardens.
  The acquisition also includes one hundred miles of scenic lands and 
historic water stops along historic route 66 and would help to conserve 
one of the single most intact portions of America's ``Mother Road'' 
which provided many Americans their first look at the Golden State and 
became the source of much of America's western migration folklore.
  The purchase is supported by an overwhelming majority of constituents 
in the 40th Congressional District including Republicans and Democrats 
alike and a broad coalition of interest groups from the Sierra Club to 
the National Rifle Association. This transaction would be one of the 
biggest land acquisitions in California history and one of the most 
substantial gifts ever to the American people.
  It is my hope that we can take advantage of this rare opportunity to 
purchase these valuable lands and remove any remaining impediments for 
the millions of hikers, campers, and other recreationists who will 
continue to visit and enjoy this pristine area in the heart of 
California.

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