[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.
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