[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 51 (Monday, May 1, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3183-S3184]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO WAYNE ASPINALL

 Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, today I honor a man who spent 48 
years of his life serving the public as an elected official for the 
State of Colorado. A man who served 2 years as the president of 
Colorado's 35th school district, 6 years as a board member of the town 
of Palisade, 6 years as a member of the Colorado House of 
Representatives, 2 of those as House Speaker, 10 years as a Colorado 
State Senator where he was both the Majority and Minority Leader, and 
24 years as a member of the U.S. House of Representative where he was 
the Chairman of the House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee. I am 
referring to the late Congressman Wayne N. Aspinall from the small 
peach and winery town of Palisade, CO.
  Let me talk about Wayne Aspinall's time in the U.S. Congress. In 
1956, as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Irrigation and Reclamation, he 
created the Colorado River Storage Project Act of 1956 which authorized 
Glen Canyon, Flaming Gorge, Navajo and Curecanti Reservoirs, plus 
several smaller projects authorized for construction and others 
designated for study. The act was signed into law by President 
Eisenhower on April 11, 1956.
  In 1959, he became Chairman of the U.S. House Interior and Insular 
Affairs Committee. The ensuing 14 years of his leadership was viewed by 
many as the most productive in history in terms of new water projects, 
national parks authorized, wilderness designated, redwoods protected, 
the States of Alaska and Hawaii were admitted to the Union, and so much 
more.
  This remarkable Congressman's accomplishments continued. In 1964, he 
lead the way to the Wilderness Act, which became law September 3rd and 
designated 9.1 million acres of wilderness and set aside more for 
study. At the same time, the Land and Water Conservation Fund was 
established primarily for parks acquisition.
  Then, in 1968, he created the Colorado River Basin Development Act, 
signed into law by President Johnson on September 30, which balanced 
development in the basin. On October 2nd of the same year, his bill was 
signed protecting 58,000 acres of California redwoods and the Land and 
Water Conservation Fund was further enhanced.
  Finally, he returned to his hometown of Palisade, CO in 1973 to live 
in a new home over the Colorado River which his life's work had done so 
much to preserve as a valuable resource for the entire western United 
States. He died October 9, 1983.
  Now the citizens in his hometown plan to honor his memory with a one-
and-half times life-size bronze sculpture by noted North Carolina 
artist Thomas Jay Warren. The statue will be the central feature of a 
Memorial which will include the representation of a dam and river. 
Several adjacent Memory Walls will be inscribed with the major 
achievements of the man known affectionately today in Colorado as ``Mr. 
Chairman.'' Members of the Wayne N. Aspinall Memorial created it as an 
educational one, designed as much to teach students and others of the 
importance of sound water conservation, good government, and the 
history of water in the West as a record of the Chairman's stellar 
accomplishments.
  The $165,000 Memorial will sit in the southeast quadrant of what is 
now known as Palisade Park, on a bluff above the Colorado River about 
50 yards from the home to which he had retired.
  I commend the people of Palisade and other Coloradans for their 
effort to honor a man who served the great State of Colorado and our 
Nation with such distinction. I am proud to say that I knew him as a 
young man. My father, Amos Allard, was chairman of his congressional 
district. My family is proud of the affiliation with the Wayne Aspinall 
family and count ourselves among his many supporters. I urge all of who 
can do so to support this project financially.
  Mr. President I ask that a list of Commission members and a copy of 
Colorado House Joint Resolution 00-1030 concerning support for the

[[Page S3184]]

Aspinall Memorial Commission be printed in the Record.

                  Aspinall Memorial Commission Members

       Tilman N. Bishop, Retired State Senator and Educator.
       Greg Walcher, Executive Director Department of Natural 
     Resources.
       Charles J. Traylor, Attorney and former Aspinall Campaign 
     Manager.
       William Cleary, former Aspinall Washington Aide.
       Dean Smith, Mayor of Palisade.
       Rich Helm, Executive Director, Museum of Western Colorado.
       Robert Helmer, Fruit Grower and President of Palisade 
     Chamber of Commerce.
       Henry Talbott, President of Talbott Farms.
       Elvis Guin, Retired Engineer, representing Palisade Lions 
     Club.
       Don Taylor, former Aspinall student and Retired Military.
       Mike McEvoy, President of the Palisade National Bank.
       Mary White, sister of Mr. Aspinall.

           State of Colorado--House Joint Resolution 00-1030

       Whereas, The Honorable Wayne N. Aspinall of Palisade, 
     Colorado, was engaged in public service to the people of 
     Colorado for more than half a century; and
       Whereas, Wayne N. Aspinall served with distinction in the 
     Colorado House of Representatives from 1931 to 1934, 
     including service as Democratic Whip in 1931 and 1933; and
       Whereas, Representative Aspinall also served with 
     distinction in the Colorado House of Representatives in 1937 
     and 1938, during which time he was Speaker of the House; and
       Whereas, Senator Aspinall served with distinction in the 
     Colorado Senate from 1939 to 1948, including service as 
     Democratic Whip in 1939, majority leader in 1941, and 
     minority leader in 1943, 1945, and 1947; and
       Whereas, Wayne N. Aspinall served as the United States 
     Congressman from the Fourth Congressional District of 
     Colorado during the Eighty-second through the Ninety-second 
     Congress, serving as Chairman of the House Committee on 
     Interior and Insular Affairs and as Chairman of the Public 
     Land Law Review Commission from 1965 to 1970; and
       Whereas, Congressman Aspinall was Chairman of the 
     Subcommittee on Irrigation and Reclamation of the House 
     Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs when Congress 
     enacted the Colorado River Storage Project Act, which at that 
     time was the largest reclamation authorization act ever 
     approved by Congress; and
       Whereas, The Colorado River Storage Project Act contained 
     authorization to construct four large water conservation 
     storage units (Curecanti, Flaming Gorge, Glen Canyon, and 
     Navajo) and eleven participating irrigation projects in 
     Colorado and her three sister states in the Upper Colorado 
     River Basin; and
       Whereas, It is fitting that one who has served this state 
     long and faithfully should be recognized in a permanent and 
     substantial way; and
       Whereas, The Aspinall Memorial Commission, Inc., a 
     nonprofit corporation, has been formed by a group of citizens 
     in Palisade and Mesa County for the purpose of erecting a 
     memorial to Wayne Aspinall; and
       Whereas, A major component of the planned Wayne N. Aspinall 
     Memorial is a series of ``Walls of Accomplishment'' to 
     educate students and others about the water conservation 
     needs of the State of Colorado and the entire western United 
     States; and
       Whereas, The town of Palisade has donated land for the 
     Wayne N. Aspinall Memorial at a prime location in Palisade 
     Park and has, by resolution, agreed to maintain the memorial 
     once it is conveyed to the town by the Aspinall Memorial 
     Commission; and
       Whereas, The Honorable Wayne Aspinall is one of Colorado's 
     most devoted and illustrious statesmen and citizens; and
       Whereas, The faithful, dedicated public service of Wayne 
     Aspinall provides an inspiring example for those who follow 
     him in the difficult tasks of self government; and
       Whereas, Wayne Aspinall deserves a substantial and lasting 
     memorial for contributing so much to the improvement of the 
     great state of Colorado; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Sixty-
     second General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate 
     concurring herein:
       1. That the General Assembly encourages all private 
     citizens, corporations, clubs, and other organizations to 
     provide support and assistance to the Aspinall Memorial 
     Commission.
       2. That the General Assembly encourages private grant-
     making foundations and organizations to support the efforts 
     of the Aspinall Memorial Commission.
       3. That the General Assembly encourages all agencies of the 
     State of Colorado to support, cooperate with, and provide 
     assistance to the Aspinall Memorial Commission to the fullest 
     extent possible.
       4. That the General Assembly encourages Governor Bill Owens 
     to use his best efforts to cause Colorado's neighboring 
     states and their cities that benefit from the dams and 
     reservoirs built as a result of Wayne Aspinall's tenure in 
     the United States House of Representatives to provide 
     assistance and support to the Aspinall Memorial 
     Commission.

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