[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 25 (Tuesday, March 2, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E281]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           THE 132ND ANNIVERSARY OF YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                  in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 2, 2004

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize that yesterday was the 
132nd anniversary of the founding of Yellowstone National Park, the 
world's first national park and the crown jewel in America's national 
park system and the model of parks for the world.
  The most remarkable thing about Yellowstone is that it offers modern-
day visitors a chance to experience the same sense of wonder and 
disbelief that the first European American explorers did back in the 
late 1860s.
  Although Yellowstone has been a model for parks around the world, no 
other country has the splendor that Yellowstone has. These explorers 
came upon such astonishing sights that they were skeptical that anyone 
would actually believe their descriptions of the area we now know as 
Yellowstone National Park. They though that their tales of gushing 
geysers, bubbling mud pots, towering waterfalls, and dramatic canyons 
would be dismissed as the fantastical delusions of people who had spent 
too much time out in the wilderness.
  Thankfully, their stories did eventually capture the nation's 
imagination, and on March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed 
into law a bill establishing Yellowstone as our first national park, 
comprising an area of approximately two million acres near the 
headwaters of the Yellowstone River. Yellowstone, which preceded the 
founding of the National Park Service by 44 years, has become the image 
of national parks across the country and throughout the world.
  I have visited Yellowstone myself from time to time during different 
seasons and am always astounded by its spectacular beauty. Old 
Faithful, the reliable geyser that represents the park for most 
Americans, is but one of the 300 geysers there, which account for two-
thirds of the world's geysers. Yellowstone boasts a total of over 
10,000 thermal features, including bubbling mudpots, steaming 
fumaroles, and brightly colored hot springs.
  These thermal features are fueled by a giant volcanic caldera, the 
remains of a tremendous eruption of tens of thousands of years ago. 
Surrounding this caldera are majestic peaks rising over 11,000 feet. 
Within the caldera is Yellowstone Lake, the largest freshwater lake 
above 7000 feet in North America.
  Nearby, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone astounds visitors to 
nearly the same degree as the canyon that shares its name further south 
in Arizona. In the canyon and across the backcountry are Yellowstone's 
famous waterfalls, numbering around 290 and in some cases towering over 
300 feet.
  Yellowstone is also home to large populations of some of the animal 
species that best represent the United States. The only remaining wild 
American bison herd makes its home in the park, accompanied by 
countless elk. Bald eagles nest throughout the park, and the endangered 
gray wolf has been reintroduced, becoming a real treat for wildlife 
watchers.
  In short, Yellowstone is a place where fantasy becomes reality, where 
some of the most majestic lands in the world have become the embodiment 
of America's natural splendor. It's no accident that the park gets 
around three million visitors every year, coming from just about every 
one of our districts.
  I urge all of my colleagues to visit this park if they have not 
already had the chance, and to remember the legacy and value of this 
spectacular parcel of land. It will be a reminder of why Congress has 
designated Yellowstone and other natural parks for future generations 
to enjoy.
  Mr. Speaker, protecting Yellowstone and all of our natural parks is a 
noble and patriotic duty. These parks are repositories of our national 
heritage and preserve our most precious natural and cultural resources. 
Too often, unfortunately, the Park Service has found itself lacking the 
funds it needs to protect and ensure visitor access to everything from 
Revolutionary and Civil War sites to the most majestic public lands 
across the country. NPS is currently facing a $600 million shortfall in 
operations alone, to say nothing of a continuing maintenance backlog 
that is approaching $5 billion.
  As we move through this legislative session and begin the process of 
determining our funding priorities, I hope my colleagues will remember 
our national parks and see fit to support them and the men and women 
who work there.