[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 133 (Monday, October 23, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H10513-H10514]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SPANISH PEAKS WILDERNESS ACT OF 2000

  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the Senate bill (S. 503) designating certain land in the San 
Isabel National Forest in the State of Colorado as the ``Spanish Peaks 
Wilderness''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                 S. 503

       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 ``Spanish Peaks Wilderness Act 
     of 2000''.

     SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF SPANISH PEAKS WILDERNESS.

       (a) Colorado Wilderness Act.--Section 2(a) of the Colorado 
     Wilderness Act of 1993 (Public Law 103-77; 107 Stat. 756; 16 
     U.S.C. 1132 note) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(20) Spanish peaks wilderness.--Certain land in the San 
     Isabel National Forest that--
       ``(A) comprises approximately 18,000 acres, as generally 
     depicted on a map entitled `Proposed Spanish Peaks 
     Wilderness', dated February 10, 1999; and
       ``(B) shall be known as the `Spanish Peaks Wilderness'.''.
       (b) Map; Boundary Description.--
       (1) Filing.--As soon as practicable after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture (referred 
     to in this Act as the ``Secretary''), shall file a map and 
     boundary description of the area designated under subsection 
     (a) with--
       (A) the Committee on Resources of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (B) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
     Senate.
       (2) Force and effect.--The map and boundary description 
     under paragraph (1) shall have the same force and effect as 
     if included in the Colorado Wilderness act of 1993 (Public 
     Law 103-77; 107 Stat. 756), except that the Secretary may 
     correct clerical and typographical errors in the map and 
     boundary description.
       (3) Availability.--The map and boundary description under 
     paragraph (1) shall be on file and available for public 
     inspection in the Office of the Chief of the Forest Service.

     SEC. 3. ACCESS.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall allow the continuation 
     of historic uses of the Bulls Eye Mine Road established 
     before the date of enactment of this Act, subject to such 
     terms and conditions as the Secretary may provide.
       (b) Privately Owned Land.--Access to any privately owned 
     land within the wilderness areas designated under section 2 
     shall be provided in accordance with section 5 of the 
     Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1134 et seq.).

     SEC. 4. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

       Section 10 of the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993 (Public 
     Law 103-77; 107 Stat. 756; 16 U.S.C. 1132 note) is repealed.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Alaska (Mr. Young) and the gentleman from California (Mr. George 
Miller) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young).
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 503, the Spanish Peaks Wilderness Act of 1999, was 
introduced by Senator Wayne Allard and will simply add the Spanish 
Peaks area to a list of areas designated as wilderness by the Colorado 
Wilderness Act of 1993.
  I would like to take a moment to commend my esteemed colleague, the 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. McInnis), for all his diligent work on the 
House version of this legislation, H.R. 898. H.R. 898 passed through 
the subcommittee and full committee by a voice vote. However, in the 
interest of time we are considering the Senate version today. 
Therefore, I urge all Members to support passage of S. 503, the Spanish 
Peaks Wilderness Act of 2000, under suspension of the rules.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as I 
may consume to join with the chairman in urging all Members to support 
this legislation.
  The lands contained in this legislation contain headwaters in two 
spectacular 13,000-foot peaks that have been studied and considered for 
wilderness designation for nearly two decades. We support this 
legislation and would note that the House passed the legislation of the 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. McInnis) and the gentleman from Colorado 
(Mr. Udall), H.R. 898, last year; and the Senate has now passed this 
amended version this last week. I want to commend our House colleagues 
for all the effort they put into working out some of the problems that 
were found in this legislation. We support this bill, Mr. Speaker.
  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, today we will consider S. 503, a companion 
to my bill H.R. 898, the Spanish Peaks Wilderness Act of 1999. This 
legislation will give permanent protection, in the form of wilderness, 
to the heart of the beautiful Spanish Peaks area in Colorado.
  The bill is supported by several of my colleagues from Colorado, 
including Mr. Schaffer, whose district includes the portion of the 
Spanish Peaks within Las Animas County. I am also pleased to be joined 
by Mr. Hefley, Mr. Tancredo and Mr. Mark Udall of Colorado. I greatly 
appreciate their assistance and support of this legislation.
  Also, across the Capitol, Senator Allard sponsored this legislation 
that we consider on the House floor today. I would like to extend my 
appreciation to the Senator for his active support of this worthwhile 
legislation. I would also like to thank Chairman Young and Subcommittee 
Chairman Chenoweth-Hage for their work in the Committee on Resources to

[[Page H10514]]

bring this bill to final passage and hopefully on to signature by the 
President.
  Finally, I would offer a note of appreciation and thanks to the 
former Members of Congress whose efforts made today's legislation 
possible. First, approximately twenty years ago, Senator William 
Armstrong of Colorado began this worthwhile process by proposing 
wilderness in Colorado, and in 1986 Senator Armstrong proposed 
protected status and management for the Spanish Peaks. His efforts set 
in place the foundation upon which today's bill is built. Second, I 
would like to thank the former Congressman from the Second District, 
Mr. Skaggs. Together, he and I introduced this legislation in the 104th 
Congress and again in the 105th Congress, which passed the House but 
due to time constraints did not pass the Senate. The efforts by both of 
these individual legislators helped make this bill possible.
  The mountains known as the Spanish Peaks are two volcanic peaks in 
Las Animas and Huerfano Counties. The eastern peak rises to 12,683 feet 
above sea level, while the summit of the western peak reaches 13,626 
feet. The two served as landmarks for Native Americans as well as some 
of Colorado's other early settlers.
  With this history, it's not surprising that the Spanish Peaks portion 
of the San Isabel National Forest was included in 1977 on the National 
Registry of Natural Landmarks. The Spanish Peaks area has outstanding 
scenic, geologic, and wilderness values, including a spectacular system 
of over 250 free standing dikes and ramps of volcanic materials 
radiating from the peaks. The lands covered by this bill are not only 
beautiful and part of a rich heritage, but also provide an excellent 
source of recreation. The State of Colorado has designated the Spanish 
Peaks as a natural area, and they are a popular destination for hikers 
seeking an opportunity to enjoy an unmatched vista of southeastern 
Colorado's mountains and plains.
  The Forest Service originally reviewed and recommended the Spanish 
Peaks area for possible wilderness designation in 1979. The process 
since then has involved several steps, and during that time, the Forest 
Service has been able to acquire most of the inholdings within Spanish 
Peaks area. So the way is now clear for Congress to finish the job and 
designate the Spanish Peaks area as part of the National Wilderness 
Preservation System.
  The bill before the House today would designate as wilderness about 
18,000 acres of the San Isabel National Forest, including both of the 
Spanish Peaks as well as the slopes below and between them. This 
includes most of the lands originally recommended for wilderness by the 
Forest Service, but with boundary revisions that will exclude some 
private lands. I would like to note that Senator Allard and I have made 
significant efforts to address local concerns about the wilderness 
designation, including: (1) adjusting the boundary slightly to exclude 
certain lands that are likely to have the capacity for mineral 
production; and (2) excluding from the wilderness a road used by locals 
for access to the beauty of the Spanish Peaks. Senator Allard and I did 
not act to introduce this bill until a local consensus was achieved on 
this wilderness designation.
  The bill itself is very simple. It would just add the Spanish Peaks 
area to the list of areas designated as wilderness by the Colorado 
Wilderness Act of 1993. As a result, all the provisions of that Act--
including the provisions related to water--would apply to the Spanish 
Peaks area just as they do to the other areas on that list. Like all 
the areas now on that list, the Spanish Peaks area covered by this bill 
is a headwaters area, which for all practical purposes eliminates the 
possibility of water conflicts. There are no water diversions within 
the area.
  Mr. Speaker, I close my statement by thanking all of my fellow 
members for your time and by urging all Members of the House to vote 
yes in support of passage of S. 503.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I have no further 
requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the Senate bill, S. 503.
  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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