[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''.
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