[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 111 (Thursday, September 5, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S8294]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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               THE 38TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WILDERNESS ACT

 Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, today, I commemorate the 38th 
Anniversary of the Wilderness Act of 1964, which was signed into law on 
September 3, 1964, by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The Wilderness Act 
of 1964 established a National Wilderness Preservation System ``to 
secure for the American people of present and future generations the 
benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness.'' The law reserves to 
Congress the authority to designate wilderness areas, and directs the 
Federal land management agencies to review the lands under their 
responsibility for their wilderness potential.
  The original Wilderness Act established 9.1 million acres of Forest 
Service land in 54 wilderness areas. Now, the wilderness system is 
comprised of more than a 100 million acres that are administered by 
four Federal agencies: the Forest Service in the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, and the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife 
Service, and the National Park Service in the Department of the 
Interior.
  As we in this body know well, the passage and enactment of 
legislation of this type is a remarkable accomplishment. It requires 
steady, bipartisan commitment, institutional support, and direct 
leadership. The United States Senate was instrumental in shaping this 
very important law, and this anniversary gives us the opportunity to 
recognize this role.
  I have been very pleased to see this body return to the tradition of 
designating wilderness since the 35th anniversary of the act in 1999. 
The 106th Congress passed, and President Clinton signed, a total of 
eight wilderness bills adding more than 1 million acres of public land 
to the National Wilderness Preservation System. This is the largest 
number of acres of wilderness added to the system since 1994 and is a 
stark contrast to the 105th Congress, which did not enact any 
wilderness designations.
  While the 107th Congress may not surpass the wilderness achievements 
of the 106th, there are a number of wilderness bills pending in the 
107th Congress, several of which are likely to become law before the 
end of the year. The designation of the James Peak Wilderness in 
Colorado and additions to the Black Elk Wilderness in South Dakota have 
already been approved by Congress and signed into law by President 
Bush. Bills designating new wilderness areas in Washington, Nevada, and 
Puerto Rico are likely to move forward this fall, while others, such as 
those to designate wilderness in Washington State and California, may 
see hearings or other congressional action.
  Many would agree that more must be done to protect our wild places, 
but much has been done already. In commemoration of anniversaries like 
this one, the Senate should celebrate our accomplishment, on behalf of 
the American people, in the protection of these wild places.

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