[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 62 (Thursday, May 18, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H3401-H3402]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMMEMORATING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ERUPTION OF MOUNT ST. HELENS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate one of the most 
significant geological events in the history of our country and in my 
home state, the eruption of Mount St. Helens.
  Twenty years ago today, on May 18, 1980, the peaceful northwest sky 
was rocked by an explosion comparable to that of 500 atomic bombs. The 
blast transformed more than 200 square miles of Pacific Northwest 
forest into a gray, lifeless landscape, and it triggered the largest 
known landslide in history, completely burying Spirit Lake and the 
Toutle River. Fifty-seven men and women lost their lives, hundreds of 
homes and cabins were destroyed, and our region incurred more than $3 
billion in damage.
  If you ask folks today in the Pacific Northwest for a list of the 
most memorable events in their lifetime, there is no question that the 
eruption of Mount St. Helens would rank right at the top of many lists. 
For that reason, I am deeply honored to come before this body today to 
pass on this message and to participate in today's events commemorating 
the 20th anniversary of the eruption of what is now a national 
treasure.
  Mount St. Helens has always played a significant role in our region. 
Before the eruption, many families spent their summers at the 
recreation areas surrounding the mountain, where they would camp, hike 
and fish. In the year

[[Page H3402]]

before the eruption, the Forest Service estimated more than half a 
million people visited the Mount St. Helens/Spirit Lake area. Few 
people at the time realized or could have predicted the awesome, 
majestic, primal and dreadful power that the eruption would soon 
provide.
  After the eruption of 1980, in 1982 the U.S. Congress created the 
110,000 acre National Volcanic Monument to serve as a center for 
research, education and recreation. Inside the Mount St. Helens 
monument, the environment is left to respond naturally to the 
disturbance brought about by the eruption.
  Now, 20 years later, the land around the mountain is slowly healing 
itself. Nature is covering the scars of the eruption and the native 
plants and animals are beginning to thrive again. Mount St. Helens is 
now a place where tens of thousands of visitors flock every year from 
across the country and from around the world to witness both the 
destructive power and the healing power of nature. Local residents and 
businesses in Clark, Skamania, Lewis and Cowlitz Counties are all 
present and available for visitors to enjoy this wonderful facility, 
and they have really responded well and transformed this region to 
celebrate what is now, as I mentioned earlier, a treasure.
  People often ask me, what did we learn from the eruption of Mount St. 
Helens? Clearly, we have learned many scientific things, but I also 
think the eruption of Mount St. Helens has taught us two lessons that 
humankind too often forgets, the lessons of humility and of 
cooperation.
  No one that remembers the sight of 400 million tons of earth and rock 
being thrown into the sky can fail to understand man's small place in 
the universe, and everyone who visits Mount St. Helens Monument today 
soon realizes the level of dedication, hard work and cooperation it has 
taken to rebuild the area and the communities.
  Much of our State's growth and history, from its early exploration 
and settlement to the construction of the northern railroad and the 
massive hydroelectric system, to the creation of the national monument 
built on the blast site of volcanoes, are the result of a farsighted, 
courageous and cooperative thinking and working people.
  Citizens of the Pacific Northwest, who, in the words of Captain 
George Vancouver, ``Attempt to enrich nature by the industry of man,'' 
have set aside their differences and joined forces to make our region 
one of the most beautiful and welcoming places in America. I am 
confident that those who visit Mount St. Helens this year and all of 
those who visit the mountain in the next 20 years will make even 
greater strides in reawakening the beauty of Mount St. Helens, and will 
make Washington State an even greater place to live, work and visit.
  I invite people from throughout this country to come see what is an 
amazing geological marvel. You will find friendly, helpful local 
natives, willing to assist you, to make sure your visit is pleasurable 
and enjoyable, and you will see one of the most incredible sites in 
North America, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.

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