[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 116 (Tuesday, September 26, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H8136-H8137]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EFFIGY MOUNDS NATIONAL MONUMENT ADDITIONS ACT
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3745) to authorize the addition of certain parcels to the
Effigy Mounds National Monument, Iowa, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 3745
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Effigy Mounds National
Monument Additions Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled
``Proposed Boundary Adjustments/Effigy Mounds National
Monument'', numbered 394/800 35, and dated May 1999.
(2) Monument.--The term ``Monument'' means the Effigy
Mounds National Monument, Iowa.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
SEC. 3. ADDITIONS TO EFFIGY MOUNDS NATIONAL MONUMENT.
(a) In General.--The Secretary may acquire by purchase,
from willing sellers only, each of the parcels described in
subsection (b).
(b) Parcels.--The parcels referred to in subsection (a) are
the following:
(1) Ferguson/kistler tract.--The parcel consisting of
approximately 1054 acres of undeveloped, privately-owned land
located in portions of secs. 28, 29, 31, 32, and 33, T. 95
N., R. 3 W., Fairview Township, Allamakee County, Iowa, as
depicted on the map.
(2) Riverfront tract.--The parcel consisting of
approximately 50 acres of bottom land located between the
Mississippi River and the north unit of the Monument in secs.
27 and 34, Fairview Township, Allamakee County, Iowa, as
depicted on the map.
(c) Boundary Adjustment.--On acquisition of a parcel
described in subsection (b), the Secretary shall modify the
boundary of the Monument to include the parcel. Any parcel
included within the boundary of the Monument pursuant to this
subsection shall be administered by the Secretary as part of
the Monument.
(d) Availability of Map.--The map shall be on file and
available for public inspection in appropriate offices of the
National Park Service.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this Act $750,000.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Utah (Mr. Hansen) and the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Romero-
Barcelo) 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, H.R. 3745, introduced by the gentleman from Iowa (Mr.
Nussle), authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to purchase two
tracts of land from willing sellers for addition into the Effigy Mounds
National Monument. The gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nussle) deserves credit
for crafting this legislation which protected the rights of property
owners while also helping to expand the Effigy Mounds for the public
enjoyment.
Mr. Speaker, Effigy Mounds is located in northeastern Iowa along the
Mississippi River and borders Wisconsin. Currently, the 1,481-acre
Monument protects approximately 200 mound sites built by Eastern
Woodland Indians from about 500 BC to 1300 AD. Although prehistoric
mounds are common from the Midwest to the Atlantic Seaboard, they
seldom are found in an effigy outline of mammals, birds, or reptiles.
The 200 mounds, including the 29 effigy mounds, are thought to have
served a variety of purposes such as territory markers, burials, or
other cultural activities.
H.R. 3745 authorizes the acquisition of two parcels of land from
willing sellers in order to expand the boundaries of the existing
monument. The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has negotiated the
purchase of the Ferguson-Kistler Tract which represents the largest of
the parcels. This tract also contains two effigy mounds and numerous
other historic and prehistoric sites. The State of Iowa owns the second
parcel.
Mr. Speaker, an amendment was passed during committee proceedings on
this bill which excluded those landowners not wanting to be within the
boundaries. The gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nussle) worked hard to make
sure these property owners are protected. Now this bill is ready to
move forward.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3745, as amended.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. Mr. Speaker, the National Park Service has
identified several parcels of land near the existing boundaries of the
Effigy Mounds National Monument in Northeastern Iowa that would be
valuable additions to the Monument.
H.R. 3745, as introduced by the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nussle)
would have authorized the Secretary to purchase all of these parcels
from willing sellers only and to adjust the boundaries of the Monument
to include these lands, once they were acquired. As introduced, the
bill was identical to legislation sponsored by Senator Grassley.
[[Page H8137]]
However, members of the majority staff of the Subcommittee on
National Parks and Public Lands contacted the owners of the tracts
included in the legislation; and after those contacts, three of these
owners no longer wish to be included in the legislation. As a result,
an amendment was adopted by the committee striking these parcels from
the bill.
It is unfortunate that this change was made. It is difficult to
imagine what could have caused these landowners concerns given that the
bill specifies that the properties may only be purchased if the owners
want to sell and may only be added to the Monument after they are
acquired.
The only effect of passage of the bill as introduced would have been
to add the Federal Government to the list of potential buyers if and
when these landowners decided to sell their property. Adoption of the
committee amendment, however, means that approval of a second measure
allowing the Federal Government to bid on these properties if they ever
come on the market will be required.
As introduced, H.R. 3745 was a straightforward bill allowing the
Federal Government to bid on significant lands near a national
monument. We continue to support this legislation, but the changes made
to the bill make it more likely that lands which might have been
preserved will someday be developed.
We urge our colleagues to support H.R. 3745 as well as the future
legislation that will be required to complete the process of adding
these important parcels to this national monument.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nussle), the author of this
bill.
(Mr. NUSSLE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to first thank the gentleman
from Utah (Chairman Hansen) who has been a strong advocate and
supporter of this legislation, who has held hearings. As my colleagues
can tell by his opening statement here today, as well as the gentleman
from Puerto Rico (Mr. Romero-Barcelo), the ranking member, they know
quite a bit about this very small, yet very significant historical
monument in northeast Iowa.
This year we have the opportunity to expand this monument and
preserve more mounds. This is a project that the Iowa Natural Heritage
Foundation has put together. It is a plan to purchase 1,000 acres, as
has been said.
This parcel of land that we talk about today has been sought after by
the National Park Service since the Monument's establishment by
proclamation by President Truman back in 1949. So this has been a long
time in coming. This is a very significant day.
Anthropologists estimate that there were thousands of these Indian
burial mounds built on the North American continent. However, effigy
mounds are primarily located today in northeast Iowa, southeastern
Minnesota, and western Wisconsin. They were constructed, by some
estimates, over the course of the last 2,500 years.
The mounds inside the Effigy Mounds National Monument are a
representative and very outstanding example of a significant phase of
prehistoric American Indian mound-building culture. The tract that we
talked about here today would be a valuable addition to the monument
because not only of its natural beauty and historical significance, but
this tract is known to contain four additional mounds, two linear forms
as well as two bears, the outline of a bear. It includes not only
endangered plant and animal species along the Yellow River, but
additionally, and interestingly enough, this property was the site of
Iowa's first sawmill, which was powered by water and managed by none
other than Jefferson Davis.
I believe that expanding the Monument's current boundaries to include
the Ferguson-Kistler Tract would be a wise step.
Mr. Speaker, I am a very strong supporter of private lands and
private ownership. Iowa has less than 2 percent of its land in other
than privately owned hands. We do not come to this floor without
concern for private property, and that is why this bill has been
crafted for willing sellers only. But we have willing sellers.
This is a strong piece of legislation to enhance the beauty and
historical significance of this park. I ask my colleagues to support
H.R. 3745. I thank the committee and the gentleman from Utah (Chairman
Hansen) for their diligent work on this.
Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. Mr. Speaker, I have no requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, 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. 3745, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________