[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 30, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H7382-H7383]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


             BUFFALO BAYOU NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA STUDY ACT

  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 1776) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
study the suitability and feasibility of establishing the Buffalo Bayou 
National Heritage Area in west Houston, Texas, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H. R. 1776

       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 ``Buffalo Bayou National 
     Heritage Area Study Act''.

     SEC. 2. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE STUDY REGARDING BUFFALO BAYOU, 
                   TEXAS.

       (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
       (1) The area beginning at Shepherd Drive in west Houston, 
     Texas, and extending to the Turning Basin, commonly referred 
     to as the ``Buffalo Bayou'', made a unique contribution to 
     the cultural, political, and industrial development of the 
     United States.
       (2) The Buffalo Bayou is distinctive as the first spine of 
     modern industrial development in Texas and one of the first 
     along the Gulf of Mexico coast.
       (3) The Buffalo Bayou played a significant role in the 
     struggle for Texas independence.
       (4) The Buffalo Bayou developed a prosperous and productive 
     shipping industry that survives today.
       (5) The Buffalo Bayou led in the development of Texas' 
     petrochemical industry that made Houston the center of the 
     early oil boom in America.
       (6) The Buffalo Bayou developed a sophisticated shipping 
     system, leading to the formation of the modern day Houston 
     Ship Channel.
       (7) The Buffalo Bayou developed a significant industrial 
     base, and served as the focal point for the new city of 
     Houston.
       (8) There is a longstanding commitment by the Buffalo Bayou 
     Partnership, Inc., to complete the Buffalo Bayou Trail along 
     the 12-mile segment of the Buffalo Bayou.
       (9) There is a need for assistance for the preservation and 
     promotion of the significance of the Buffalo Bayou as a 
     system for transportation, industry, commerce, and 
     immigration.
       (10) The Department of the Interior is responsible for 
     protecting the Nation's cultural and historical resources. 
     There are significant examples of such resources within the 
     Buffalo Bayou region to merit the involvement of the Federal 
     Government in the development of programs and projects, in 
     cooperation with the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Inc., the 
     State of Texas, and other local and governmental entities, to 
     adequately conserve, protect, and interpret this heritage for 
     future generations, while providing opportunities for 
     education and revitalization.
       (b) Study.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall, in consultation with 
     the State of Texas, the City of Houston, and other 
     appropriate organizations, carry out a study regarding the 
     suitability and feasibility of establishing the Buffalo Bayou 
     National Heritage Area in Houston, Texas.
       (2) Contents.--The study shall include analysis and 
     documentation regarding whether the Study Area--
       (A) has an assemblage of natural, historic, and cultural 
     resources that together represent distinctive aspects of 
     American heritage worthy of recognition, conservation, 
     interpretation, and continuing use, and are best managed 
     through partnerships among public and private entities and by 
     combining diverse and sometimes noncontiguous resources and 
     active communities;
       (B) reflects traditions, customs, beliefs, and folklife 
     that are a valuable part of the national story;
       (C) provides outstanding opportunities to conserve natural, 
     historic, cultural, or scenic features;
       (D) provides outstanding recreational and educational 
     opportunities;
       (E) contains resources important to the identified theme or 
     themes of the Study Area that retain a degree of integrity 
     capable of supporting interpretation;
       (F) includes residents, business interests, nonprofit 
     organizations, and local and State governments that are 
     involved in the planning, have developed a conceptual 
     financial plan that outlines the roles for all participants, 
     including the Federal Government, and have demonstrated 
     support for the concept of a national heritage area;
       (G) has a potential management entity to work in 
     partnership with residents, business interests, nonprofit 
     organizations, and local and State governments to develop a 
     national heritage area consistent with continued local and 
     State economic activity; and
       (H) has a conceptual boundary map that is supported by the 
     public.
       (c) Boundaries of the Study Area.--The Study Area shall be 
     comprised of sites in Houston, Texas, in an area roughly 
     bounded by Shepherd Drive and extending to the Turning Basin, 
     commonly referred to as the ``Buffalo Bayou''.
       (d) Submission of Study Results.--Not later than 3 years 
     after funds are first made available for this section, the 
     Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Resources of the 
     House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and 
     Natural Resources of the Senate a report describing the 
     results of the study.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Walden) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. 
Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden).
  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  H.R. 1776, introduced by my friend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Green), authorizes the Secretary of Interior to complete a study on the 
suitability and feasibility of establishing the Buffalo Bayou National 
Heritage Site in Houston, Texas. The designation would highlight the 
cultural, historic, political and economic significance that Buffalo 
Bayou played in the formation of modern day Houston.
  The Buffalo Bayou, nicknamed the ``Highway of the Republic,'' played 
an important role in the history and development of the City of Houston 
and the State of Texas, particularly as an immigration and navigation 
route beginning in the 1820s. It was the most reliable route for 
navigation into the interior of Texas, which eventually led to the 
Houston Ship Channel. In addition, a multitude of historic sites, early 
ethnic neighborhoods, several segments of the Great Coastal Texas 
Birding Trail, and some of Houston's oldest park areas line the banks 
of the Buffalo Bayou.
  Madam Speaker, this bill was amended at the subcommittee proceedings 
which specified criteria the Secretary shall consider in the 
development of the study, removed the appropriations authorization, and 
added the standard 3-year time limit for completing the study. The bill 
now has been agreed to by the minority and the administration. I urge 
my colleagues to support H.R. 1776, as amended.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 1776 would authorize a study of an area in 
Houston, Texas known as Buffalo Bayou to determine whether it would be 
suitable and feasible to designate it as a National Heritage Area. The 
study would be governed by well-established criteria for making such 
determinations and the results would be presented back to the relevant 
committees in the House and Senate. Finally, the bill authorizes 
funding to complete the study.
  Madam Speaker, the Buffalo Bayou is an important waterway both 
economically and historically. According to the findings in the 
legislation, the area played a significant role in the fight for Texas' 
independence as well as in the development of the petrochemical 
industry in Texas and in the Nation as a whole. Given this history, the 
area certainly sounds promising, but only a formal study can determine 
if Buffalo Bayou retains the kinds of resources required for addition 
to our National Park System.
  We commend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green) on his hard work on 
this legislation and look forward to the results of this important 
study.
  Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Green).
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, as the author of this legislation, 
I would like to thank my colleague the gentlewoman from the Virgin 
Islands (Mrs. Christensen), also the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen), 
also former chairman of the subcommittee the gentleman from Colorado 
(Mr. Hefley) and also the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) and 
the staff of the Committee on Resources for their great work on this 
bill.
  H.R. 1776, the Buffalo Bayou National Heritage Area Study Act, begins 
a process of helping the people of Houston and east Harris County 
recognize the cultural significance of our community. The Buffalo Bayou 
waterway was the starting point for what is now the City of Houston.
  The Allen brothers, Houston's original founders, first came through 
this stretch of water on their way to a new settlement that would 
eventually become Houston, Texas. As Houston grew, Buffalo Bayou grew 
with it as the heart of the early Gulf Coast industrial complex. The 
legislation being considered before us today authorizes the National 
Park Service to study whether this waterway should be designated as a 
National Heritage Area.

[[Page H7383]]

 Although the National Park Service feasibility study does not in 
itself mark Buffalo Bayou as a National Heritage Area, it is the first 
step in that process.
  As a lifetime Houston resident, I believe that designating Buffalo 
Bayou as a National Heritage Area would further the redevelopment of 
the community by bringing more Federal resources to our area. Such a 
designation would highlight the historic significance of this waterway 
and the surrounding community.
  Buffalo Bayou is the original industrial spine of Houston and was the 
building block for what is now the Port of Houston, the Nation's second 
largest port. In addition, the numerous historic sites and events which 
have taken place in and around Buffalo Bayou makes this waterway a 
perfect candidate for a National Heritage Area designation.
  All these facts will be borne out as the National Park Service begins 
to contact our local sponsor, the Buffalo Bayou Partnership. Anne 
Olson, Executive Director of the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, brings 
tremendous organizational and fund-raising abilities to this effort, 
and I will continue to work closely with her organization to 
incorporate this designation into the overall master plan for east 
Harris County. It is the strong public-private partnership already in 
place that will help gain a positive recommendation from the National 
Park Service on our designation request.
  I believe local support is vital for making a National Heritage Area 
work. Madam Speaker, I am working in close collaboration with our local 
elected officials to map out an action plan that will provide maximum 
local flexibility in determining how our local history will be told if 
we receive such a National Heritage Area. This legislation has the 
strong support of both our Harris County Judge Robert Eckles and our 
Houston Mayor Lee Brown, both of whom recognize that our community has 
a historic story to tell our visitors. Their help has been invaluable. 
I would like to thank them for their assistance in this endeavor.
  Madam Speaker, I again thank the committee and the staff for their 
efforts.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise in stong support of 
H.R. 1776, The ``Buffalo Bayou National Heritage Area Study Act.'' This 
legislation is a welcome recognition of the historical background of my 
fair city, Houston, TX, and an opportunity to expand the rich cultural 
landscape of the American Southwest.
  The Buffalo Bayou area in Texas helped to establish an economic 
foothold for settlers of the gulf coast region. Without this early 
industry, which included both shipping and refining petroleum, the 
Buffalo Bayou area might not have developed into the thriving 
metropolis it has become.
  Madam Speaker, though the factual importance of Buffalo Bayou is 
clear, its significance to the socioeconomic landscape at place in 
America is not as fully known. This legislation will remedy that 
situation by authorizing the Department of the Interior to study the 
feasibility of establishing the Buffalo Bayou National Heritage Area in 
Houston. Passage of this legislation will allow this agency to analyze 
and document the area's natural, historic, and cultural resources. As I 
am confident that such a studies will lead to a full recognition of the 
wealth of Americana associated with what we now know as Houston, TX.
  Madam Speaker, many Americans are unaware that many of this nation's 
most significant events have taken place in Texas. For example, 
Juneteenth, which is recognized by several States as the official 
holiday of Black emancipation, is based on events that took place in 
Texas. H.R. 1776 will help to discover and publicize other significant 
places and events in the development of our nation and way of life. By 
cooperating with local residents, public and private concerns, all 
relevant parties will be given an opportunity to work together to shape 
the collective memory of this historical treasure.
  H.R. 1776 is an excellent example of the effective use Interior 
Department funds, and I encourage all Members to support this 
legislation.
  Mr. BENTSEN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1776, 
which authorizes a National Park Service study of a Buffalo Bayou 
National Heritage Area in Houston, Texas. I applaud our colleague 
Congressman Gene Green for introducing it. The City of Houston was 
founded on the banks of Buffalo Bayou by the Allen brothers and there 
Houston's future as a world shipping center was born. With the help of 
the U.S. Congress and the determination of early local leaders like 
Congressman Joseph C. Hutcheson, Congressman Thomas Henry Ball, and 
Mayor H. Baldwin Rice, the Houston Ship Channel was born out of the 
mouth of Buffalo Bayou.
  Although Houston has achieved great prominence in maritime trade, 
Buffalo Bayou has means more to Houston than just commerce. Buffalo 
Bayou retains a great scenic beauty as it flows across Harris County 
through Memorial Park and Downtown to the San Jacinto River and has the 
potential to provide a great deal more scenic, open space, and historic 
community value.
  This legislation will allow the National Park Service to investigate 
the potential for a Buffalo Bayou national heritage area. I 
congratulate my colleague and friend Gene Green for his hard work on 
the bill, and I believe the Park Service will find the Buffalo Bayou a 
unique historic cultural area deserving of financial and planning 
assistance for historic preservation, revitalization, and 
beautification efforts. If the Park Service and Congress both approve 
the Buffalo Bayou Heritage Area, Houston communities will have access 
to $10 million in improvement funds along with Park Service planning 
expertise. Today is the first step towards obtaining a Park Service 
commitment to enhancing the birthplace of Houston, our Nation's fourth 
largest city.
  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 1776, 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.

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