[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 96 (Tuesday, July 13, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8031-S8032]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ENZI (for himself and Mr. Campbell):
  S. 2641. A bill to recognize conservation efforts to restore the 
American bison from extinction by placing the image of the American 
bison on the nickel, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, today I join with my friend and colleague 
from the State of Colorado to introduce the Bison Nickel Restoration 
Act of 2004 to bring the image of the American bison back to the 5-cent 
coin.
  The American bison is one of the most powerful symbols of the 
American West. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark encountered many 
bison on their western expedition. Native Americans in the Great Plains 
States have held the American bison as one of the most sacred animals, 
as it represents a spiritual being supplying everything necessary to 
survive. The bison also is an enduring symbol of the growth of the 
United States westward. The symbol of the bison is so powerful that the 
State of Wyoming has put its image on the State flag and the U.S. 
Department of the Interior uses the bison image on its official seal.
  Many don't realize how close we came to losing this important animal. 
At one time, the American bison population was conservatively estimated 
at 60,000,000 strong. In the early 1900's, the worldwide bison 
population fell below 1000 and was virtually extinct. At that time, 
less than 100 free-range bison existed and there remained only 29 bison 
under Federal Government control, 21 in Yellowstone National Park and 
eight in the National Zoo in Washington, DC.
  However, the restoration of the bison herds is one of the most 
shining examples of conservation efforts of our Nation's history. From 
the dwindling number of bison in the early 1900's, it is anticipated 
that the North American bison herd will surpass half of a million in 
the next year. In addition, the bison herd of 21 in Yellowstone 
National Park has now grown to more than 4,000 bison. It is the largest 
free-range bison herd in the United States.

  The conservation effort of the bison began in the early 1900's. At 
that time, the American Bison Society was formed with President Teddy 
Roosevelt as its honorary president. Soon, we will be celebrating the 
centennial anniversary in 2008 of the signing into law by President 
Roosevelt of the creation of the National Bison Range. While Federal 
efforts to restore the bison have been beyond our expectations, a very 
large part of the successful restoration of the bison herd is due to 
the private sector. Today, bison can be found in all 50 States, 
including Hawaii. Many anticipate that the bison population may pass 1 
million by the end of the decade.
  Today, the bison ranching sector has become a viable business for 
many small- and medium-sized ranchers. According to a recent U.S. 
Department of Agriculture census, Wyoming ranches raised 12,580 bison 
for agricultural purposes during 2002. Restoring the bison to our 
coinage is a fitting tribute, especially during this July, which is 
National Bison Month.
  A fitting honor for the American bison would be to restore the image 
on the back of the nickel. This not only would honor the restoration of 
the bison herd but it would be a symbol of the West. It is my hope that 
the millions of bison nickels would inspire school children to 
recognize the importance of our western heritage, the importance of the 
bison in Native American culture, and the importance of the public/
private efforts to restore the American bison. While our Nation's 
symbol is the bald eagle, there is little doubt that the symbol of the 
west is the American bison.
  The Bison Nickel Restoration Act of 2004 would restore the American 
5-Cent Coin Design Continuity Act of 2003 to its original three-year 
time frame. Due to the late passage of this law, the U.S. Mint was 
unable to mint newly designed nickels for 2003. In addition, our bill 
would require that one of the new images on the reverse of the nickel 
be of an American bison. I can think of no more fitting tribute to the 
restoration of the American bison herd than to restore the image of the 
bison on the back of the nickel.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2641

       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 ``Bison Nickel Restoration Act 
     of 2004''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) the American bison is one of the most enduring symbols 
     of the expedition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark;
       (2) Native Americans in the Great Plains States have held 
     the American bison as one of the most sacred animals, as it 
     represents a spiritual being supplying everything necessary 
     to survive;
       (3) the American bison continues to be a symbol of Western 
     States and the growth of the United States westward in the 
     19th century;
       (4) the population of the American bison herd has been 
     restored from near extinction levels due to exceptional 
     conservation efforts;
       (5) the American bison herd, which once numbered 
     approximately 60,000,000 fell below 100 for free-range bison 
     in the early 1900s;
       (6) at the time, only 21 American bison were living in 
     Yellowstone National Park, and 8 in the National Zoo in 
     Washington, DC;
       (7) the conservation efforts to restore the American bison 
     officially began with the efforts of President Theodore 
     Roosevelt with the American Bison Society in 1905, the first 
     United States conservation effort to restore a single species 
     from extinction;
       (8) the centennial of the signing into law by President 
     Roosevelt of the creation of the National Bison Range in 
     Montana will take place on May 23, 2008; and
       (9) in 2004, the bison herd in North America is anticipated 
     to surpass 500,000, and the American Bison has been restored 
     and has become a viable commercial ranching enterprise for 
     many small- and medium-sized ranchers.

     SEC. 3. BISON COIN AUTHORITY EXTENSION.

        Section 101 of the American 5-Cent Coin Design Continuity 
     Act of 2003 (31 U.S.C. note) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and 2005'' each place that term appears, 
     other than in subsection (b)(2), and inserting ``, 2005, and 
     2006''; and
       (2) in subsection (b)(2), by adding at the end the 
     following: ``If the Secretary of the Treasury elects to 
     change the reverse of the 5-cent coins issued during 2006, 
     one of the designs selected shall depict the image of an

[[Page S8032]]

     American bison as part of such emblematic images.''.

     SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF THE AMERICAN 5-CENT COIN DESIGN 
                   CONTINUITY ACT OF 2003.

       Section 5112(d)(1) of title 31, United States Code, is 
     amended in the 5th sentence, by striking ``December 31, 
     2005'' and inserting ``December 31, 2006''.
                                 ______