[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 42 (Tuesday, April 16, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2695-S2696]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           THE ANWR AMENDMENT

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, it is my understanding today is finally the 
day, after 18 days, that we are going to have the great amendment on 
ANWR. After all this time and all the promises, I think it is finally 
coming up. We are looking with anticipation to this amendment and this 
debate because this is really what we have been waiting for on the 
bill. We have been told that if we focus on what the Republicans want 
on this bill, we will finally get the opportunity to debate it.
  The reason I say that--and the Chair recognizes I am being a little 
facetious--is that I have been out here many different days asking, 
When? Today? If you don't offer it, we are going to offer it--and all 
of these different things we have tried to do to get something moving 
forward on this legislation. But I do say I am glad it is finally going 
to be offered. It is my understanding it will be offered momentarily.
  I say that because even though the Alaska wilderness is far removed 
from the State of Nevada where I was born and raised, the two climates 
are much alike in the sense that they are both delicate. People think 
that Nevada deserts can be easily disturbed and that it doesn't matter. 
In the past, our beautiful deserts have been treated that way in many 
respects. Right near Searchlight where I was born and raised, during 
the Second World War when we had the South African campaign, the troops 
who were going overseas trained right below Searchlight. You can still 
see today the tank tracks through some parts of that country. Even 
though it is very arid, disturbance takes a long time to get rid of in 
the desert.
  We have in the desert what was called Camp Ibis. In that whole area, 
there were about 2 million men training for the Second World War and 
for campaigns around the world. We had, of course, the gunnery range. 
It was called the Las Vegas Gunnery Range, which is now Nellis Air 
Force Base. We had Indian Springs Air Force Base, Stead Air Force Base, 
the Fallon Naval Training Center, and the Hawthorne Ammunition Depot. 
Then of course in the high desert in Nevada, we had the Nevada Test 
Site where, to this point, almost 1,000 nuclear devices have been set 
off above ground and underground.

  People have come to recognize that the desert is not a place you can 
easily disturb without having a long-lasting impact.
  Outside the home I have in Searchlight, there are old Joshua trees 
and yucca trees. We also have creosote bushes, or greasewood trees. 
They are especially beautiful when it rains because of the smell. The 
aroma that comes off those bushes is interesting. You have bushes of 
all sizes, and those that are high off the ground are more than 100 
years old. Sometimes they are older than that. They grow little by 
little because there is no water in the desert.
  My point in comparing the Alaska wilderness to what we have in Nevada

[[Page S2696]]

is that we have to be very careful how we handle and protect it. A 
majority of the people in America do not want the ANWR disturbed 
because they believe there are areas that we should leave pristine and 
untouched. People thought that in Nevada it didn't matter that the 
desert tortoise needs lots of open space. We call them turtles, but the 
proper name is desert tortoise. There was a time when they were placed 
on the endangered list. To protect these turtles, we have had to really 
do lots of things differently. Because of the press of population, we 
are killing these animals. And extinction is forever. That is what we 
have to recognize.
  I will say what I have said here on a number of occasions. Out of 100 
percent of the total oil reserves in the world, America, including 
ANWR, has 3 percent of the oil reserves; 97 percent of the oil reserves 
are elsewhere. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have about 47 percent. As you 
know, not only do they have large quantities of oil, but it is very 
easy to get out of the ground.
  My point is that we must maintain some of our pristine wilderness 
areas. One of those we are going to protect is ANWR.
  Eighty-seven percent of the land in the State of Nevada is owned by 
the Federal Government. We are a very densely populated State. People 
do not understand that. Most say that we are the most densely populated 
State in America. Why? Because 90 percent of the people live in two 
metropolitan areas--Reno and Las Vegas.
  Eighty-seven percent of Nevada is owned by the Federal Government. 
What does that mean? It means that 87 percent is as much yours as it is 
mine. I think we should do what we can to get more of that land into 
the private sector. But I recognize that federal lands are as much 
yours as they are mine. That is the same as the ANWR wilderness. That 
land is as much mine as it is the Senator from Alaska.
  I am going to do everything I can to protect that pristine wilderness 
because we don't have many areas in the whole world that are pristine, 
let alone in the United States.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Carper). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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