[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 121 (Tuesday, October 3, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H8720-H8721]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      EL CAMINO REAL DE TIERRA ADENTRO NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL ACT

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 366) to amend the National Trails System Act to 
designate El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro as a National Historic 
Trail.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                 S. 366

       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 ``El Camino Real de Tierra 
     Adentro National Historic Trail Act.''

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds the following:
       (1) El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (the Royal Road of the 
     Interior), served as the primary route between the colonial 
     Spanish capital of Mexico City and the Spanish provincial 
     capitals at San Juan de Los Caballeros (1598-1600), San 
     Gabriel (1600-1609) and then Santa Fe (1610-1821).
       (2) The portion of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro that 
     resided in what is now the United States extended between El 
     Paso, Texas and present San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico, a 
     distance of 404 miles;
       (3) El Camino Real is a symbol of the cultural interaction 
     between nations and ethnic groups and of the commercial 
     exchange that made possible the development and growth of the 
     borderland;
       (4) American Indian groups, especially the Pueblo Indians 
     of the Rio Grande, developed trails for trade long before 
     Europeans arrived;
       (5) In 1598, Juan de Onate led a Spanish military 
     expedition along those trails to establish the northern 
     portion of El Camino Real;
       (6) During the Mexican National Period and part of the U.S. 
     Territorial Period, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro 
     facilitated the emigration of people to New Mexico and other 
     areas that would become the United States;
       (7) The exploration, conquest, colonization, settlement, 
     religious conversion, and military occupation of a large area 
     of the borderlands was made possible by this route, whose 
     historical period extended from 1598 to 1882;
       (8) American Indians, European emigrants, miners, ranchers, 
     soldiers, and missionaries used El Camino Real during the 
     historic development of the borderlands. These travelers 
     promoted cultural interaction among Spaniards, other 
     Europeans, American Indians, Mexicans, and Americans;
       (9) El Camino Real fostered the spread of Catholicism, 
     mining, an extensive network of commerce, and ethnic and 
     cultural traditions including music, folklore, medicine, 
     foods, architecture, language, place names, irrigation 
     systems, and Spanish law.

     SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION.

       Section 5 (a) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 
     1244 (a)) is amended--
       (1) by designating the paragraphs relating to the 
     California National Historic Trail, the Pony Express National 
     Historic Trail, and the Selma to Montgomery National Historic 
     Trail as paragraphs (18), (19), and (20), respectively; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(21) El camino real de tierra adentro.--
       ``(A) El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (the Royal Road of 
     the Interior) National Historic Trail, a 404 mile long trail 
     from the Rio Grande near El Paso, Texas to San Juan Pueblo, 
     New Mexico, as generally depicted on the maps entitled 
     `United States Route: El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro', 
     contained in the report prepared pursuant to subsection (b) 
     entitled `National Historic Trail Feasibility Study and 
     Environmental Assessment: El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, 
     Texas-New Mexico', dated March 1997.
       ``(B) Map.--A map generally depicting the trail shall be on 
     file and available for public inspection in the Office of the 
     National Park Service, Department of Interior.
       ``(C) Administration.--The Trail shall be administered by 
     the Secretary of the Interior.
       ``(D) Land acquisition.--No lands or interests therein 
     outside the exterior boundaries of any federally administered 
     area may be acquired by the Federal Government for El Camino 
     Real de Tierra Adentro except with the consent of the owner 
     thereof.
       ``(E) Volunteer groups; consultation.--The Secretary of the 
     Interior shall--
       ``(i) encourage volunteer trail groups to participate in 
     the development and maintenance of the trail; and
       ``(ii) consult with other affected Federal, State, local 
     governmental, and tribal agencies in the administration of 
     the trail.
       ``(F) Coordination of activities.--The Secretary of the 
     Interior may coordinate with United States and Mexican public 
     and non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, 
     and, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the 
     government of Mexico and its political subdivisions, for the 
     purpose of exchanging trail information and research, 
     fostering trail preservation and educational programs, 
     providing technical assistance, and working to establish an 
     international historic trail with complementary preservation 
     and education programs in each nation.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Hansen) and the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. 
Faleomavaega) 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, S. 366 amends the National Trails System Act to 
designate El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro as a component of the 
National Trails System. The bill directs the Secretary of the Interior 
to administer the trail, to encourage volunteer groups to develop and 
maintain the trail, and also to consult with affected Federal, State, 
local governmental and tribal agencies in its administration. The bill 
requires owner consent for any Federal land acquisition along the 
trail. Additionally, S. 366 authorizes the Secretary to coordinate 
trail activities and programs with the Government of Mexico as well as 
Mexican nongovernmental organizations and academic institutions.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, or 
the Royal Road of the Interior, covers more than 400 miles from El 
Paso, Texas to San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico. The trail was established 
as a trade route by Native Americans more than 300 years ago and played 
an important role in the exploration, settlement and economic 
development of a large section of the American Southwest.
  The 103rd Congress commissioned a study of the trail to determine 
whether or not it met the criteria to be included as part of the 
National Historic Trails System. The study was completed in 1997 and 
concluded that such a designation would be appropriate. The final step 
in this process is the adoption of this legislation now before us 
today.
  The discussion of this trail may seem familiar to some Members. That 
is because the House has already passed H.R. 2271, sponsored by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes), legislation to complete the 
designation of this historic trail. However, at the last minute an 
amendment to the gentleman from Texas' bill was forced through that 
significantly weakened the bill and created controversy over what had 
been a noncontroversial piece of legislation to begin with.

[[Page H8721]]

  Now that cooler heads have prevailed, Mr. Speaker, we are forced to 
consider the Senate-passed companion version of this legislation as a 
means of undoing the damage that was done to the gentleman from Texas' 
bill. This is good legislation, Mr. Speaker. It is unfortunate that my 
friends in the majority's insistence on a pointless amendment to the 
House bill has resulted in delaying its enactment.
  I urge my colleagues to support the bill. I want to thank my good 
friend from Utah, the chairman of the Subcommittee on National Parks 
and Public Lands, for pushing for this legislation to be brought to the 
floor.
  Mr. Speaker, 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 Senate bill, S. 366.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________