[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 61 (Tuesday, May 14, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H2398-H2399]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               WACO MAMMOTH SITE AREA INTERIOR STUDY ACT

  Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1925) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the 
suitability and feasibility of designating the Waco Mammoth Site Area 
in Waco, Texas, as a unit of the National Park System, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 1925

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. STUDY AND REPORT REGARDING WACO MAMMOTH SITE AREA.

       (a) Study.--The Secretary of the Interior, in consultation 
     with the State of Texas, the city of Waco, and other 
     appropriate organizations, shall carry out a special resource 
     study regarding the national significance, suitability, and 
     feasibility of designating the Waco Mammoth Site Area located 
     in the city of Waco, Texas, as a unit of the National Park 
     System.
       (b) Study Process and Completion.--Section 8(c) of Public 
     Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5(c)) shall apply to the conduct and 
     completion of the study required by this section.
       (c) 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 
Indiana (Mr. Souder) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. 
Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder).
  Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 1925, introduced by my friend and colleague, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Edwards), would direct the Secretary of the Interior to 
study the suitability and feasibility of designating the Waco Mammoth 
Site Area in Waco, Texas, as a unit of the National Park System.
  Located near the confluence of the Brazos and Bosque Rivers, the 
Mammoth Site has become internationally known, as it contains the 
remains of the largest known herd of Colombian mammoths, warm weather 
cousins to the wooly mammoth, dying from the same event. To date, 22 
mammoths have been found at the site that date back 28,000 years.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill is supported by the majority and minority of 
the committee. In addition, the bill is supported by the 
administration, with the ongoing caveat that the maintenance backlog be 
addressed first.
  I would like to add my personal congratulations and interest in this. 
When I was student body president at Indiana Purdue, Fort Wayne, 
through the geology club they promoted the nickname ``The Mastedons.'' 
It was my honor to drive through, over the objection of many, mastedons 
as the school name, which has stood for over 30 years. They are kind of 
big cousins to the mammoths.
  So I am glad to see we are working to preserve this site so that we 
can have this for future generations to understand better the natural 
processes that occurred in this country and the creatures that were 
here before us. So, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 
1925, as amended.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1925, introduced by my good friend and colleague, 
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards), directs the Secretary of the 
Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the 
Waco Mammoth Site in Waco, Texas, as a unit of the National Park 
System.
  The Waco Mammoth Site is believed to contain the remains of the 
largest concentration of mammoths killed during a single event. The 
site is located close to the confluence of the Brazos and Bosque Rivers 
near the city of Waco, Texas. The discovery of these mammoth remains 
has received international attention and Baylor University in the City 
of Waco have been working to protect the site.
  In hearings before the Committee on Resources, we received testimony 
on the unique paleontological resources found on this site. The study 
called for by H.R. 1925 will examine what role, if any, that the 
National Park Service can play in the protection and interpretation of 
these unique resources.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to commend my colleague, the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Edwards). I support the bill, as amended, and look forward to its 
passage by the House today.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the sponsor of 
the bill, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards).
  Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I want to first thank the gentlewoman from 
the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) for yielding me this time and for 
her courtesy and leadership on this legislation. I also want to commend 
and thank my colleague, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder), for 
his courtesies, his comments, as well as his leadership and long 
understanding of the importance of these types of historic sites in our 
country as a way to educate future generations of young people in 
America about our history.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1925 is called the Waco Mammoth Site Study Bill; 
and as mentioned, it authorizes the study by the National Park Service 
to consider including the Waco Mammoth Site as a unit in the National 
Park System. Since there are numerous different designations in the 
National Park System, one of the goals of this study would be to 
determine the best fit for this historic site.
  Mr. Speaker, as we have also heard, the Waco Mammoth Site is the 
largest concentration in the world of prehistoric mammoths dying from 
the same event. That is what makes this particular site unique and so 
historically significant. It is located within the city limits of Waco, 
Texas, my hometown, which also happens to be a suburb of the community 
of Crawford, Texas, a well-known central Texas community today. It is 
located at the confluence of the Brazos and Bosque Rivers.
  The site was first discovered in 1978; and since 1984, Calvin Smith, 
director of the Strecker Museum at Baylor University, has been leading 
the effort to discovering the bones of now, I think there are even up 
to 24 mammoths so far. We would not be here today had it not been for 
the vision and dedication of Calvin Smith, and I want to thank him for 
his role in this legislation.
  What makes this site unique, as I mentioned, is the fact that so 
many, in fact this could be twice the size of any previous mammoth 
deaths at any one site for any one given cause. What I find absolutely 
fascinating about it is that in the mud, again considering this was 
28,000 years ago, we now have the remains of a 55-year-old bull and a 
45-year-old female mammoth as they tried to lift their young calves 
above the flood that consumed them all. It is my understanding that 
this is the first known recording in history of parental instincts 
being shown in a prehistoric setting such as this.
  This discovery has received worldwide attention. Experts such as Dr. 
Gary Haynes at the University of Nevada at Reno have said this site is 
a valuable and unique treasure that should not be lost. Dr. Haynes 
states the mammoth site, and I quote, ``is a

[[Page H2399]]

part of America's rich heritage from the far past, when a much more 
diverse animal community populated the continent.''
  This site can be valued as a learning tool for school children across 
Texas and our country, as well as a site for study by professionals. 
Mr. Speaker, I ask the House to approve this bill, thus bringing an 
invaluable archeological find one step closer to being part, as I hope, 
and as it should, a unit of the National Park System.
  I thank all of my colleagues for their courtesy, again, their 
leadership; and finally, Mr. Speaker, if I could just say that nothing 
ever happens positive in this country or in this Congress without a 
real team effort, and there were a lot of folks back home as well as 
here in Washington that worked on this. I want to thank the gentleman 
from Utah (Mr. Hansen), the chairman of the Committee on Resources, for 
his support; the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall), the ranking 
member, for his support; the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Radanovich); the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley); the gentlewoman 
from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen); and the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Souder). Again, we would not be here today without their 
leadership.
  And back home, those who first had this vision and have worked to 
protect this site for years without Federal help so far, the city of 
Waco, its leadership, represented by Mayor Linda Etheridge and the Waco 
City Council and staff; people such as Margaret Mills; my friend Sam 
Jack McGlassen, now diseased, who originally donated this property to 
the city of Waco, Baylor University, for its important role in this 
effort; and people such as Allen Samuels and Mr. and Mrs. Buddy Bostick 
and so many others, who care about preserving our important history for 
future generations.
  I urge, Mr. Speaker, the House to vote in support of H.R. 1925.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to 
conclude by saying that we are looking forward to seeing the continuing 
development and study by the National Park Service. Our National Park 
Service is not just great wild places; it is also important cultural 
and archeological finds, such as Dinosaur National Park, such as Mesa 
Verde, and other types of archeological finds.
  This also proves that Texas not only has the biggest cattle, they at 
one time had the big mammoths. Even before there were people, they had 
huge mammoth ranches, apparently.
  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 Indiana (Mr. Souder) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1925, 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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