[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 76 (Thursday, June 9, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H4321-H4322]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF IMMEDIATELY REOPENING THE FAMOUS BEARTOOTH
ALL-AMERICAN HIGHWAY
Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure be discharged from further
consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 309) expressing the importance
of immediately reopening the famous Beartooth All-American Highway from
Red Lodge, Montana, to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, and ask
for its immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
Mr. REHBERG. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, although I
am not going to, I would like to sincerely thank the gentleman from
California (Mr. Pombo) of the Committee on Resources and the gentleman
from Alaska (Mr. Young) of the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure. I am sincerely grateful that they were willing to move
this through on a unanimous consent as quickly as possible.
A crisis has occurred in Montana one more time. It seems like it is
feast or famine for us. We were just going into our eighth year of
drought, no rain, well beyond the opportunity to recover. And the
prediction was it was going to take as much as 16 feet of snow in the
mountain to get us caught up in the moisture. We began getting the
rains and, unfortunately, the next thing that happened were mudslides
closing off the Beartooth Pass.
Some Members might remember the Beartooth Pass was considered to be
the crown jewel on the part of Charles Kuralt. As he traveled around
the 50 States, he made the determination that of the 50 States that was
the most beautiful part of the entire Nation. I am sure there are a lot
of Members in this audience that might object to that definition. But
if you look at the recorded list that he put together, the Beartooth
Pass was something special.
Feast or famine in that area is nothing new. Cooke City,
unfortunately, was the site of the 1988 fires in Yellowstone Park.
Unfortunately, a forest fire came down within hundreds of feet of the
community. They were able to withstand that economic devastation. This
is going to create another economic devastation.
The detour that is going to be required to get to the community of
Cooke City until this road is reopened probably is about the size of
Illinois by the time you get around that detour. It is not just like
taking a different route. It is like taking several different States. I
know my colleague, the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin), and my
colleagues, the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson) and the gentleman
from Idaho (Mr. Otter), know the importance of Yellowstone Park to the
[[Page H4322]]
economy of our region. So we really need it.
The sense of urgency shown on the part of the gentleman from
California (Chairman Pombo) just cannot be underestimated, and I thank
the gentleman for that.
This severely impacts the economy of Carbon County, of Red Lodge, of
Cooke City, of Billings, the surrounding area. It is going to be a very
complicated fix because it is a switch back. If you have not been
there, it ends at the top at about 10,000 feet, a chain of lakes, it is
flat, and it is the north entrance to Yellowstone Park. As the
mudslides occurred, it took several layers of that switchback out. I
think the estimate I heard was about 500 tons of material are sitting
on that road.
I will be flying that on Saturday by helicopter, taking a look at the
devastation, but it has been an incredible effort, a community effort
on the part of the Federal, State, and local jurisdictions as well as
the communities coming together.
Again, I thank the gentleman from California (Chairman Pombo) for
giving us the opportunity to move this very quickly.
Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. REHBERG. I yield to the gentlewoman from Wyoming.
Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I too would like to thank the chairman and
encourage passage of this resolution.
The Beartooth Highway connects two cities in Montana, but it passes
through Wyoming; and many people need to travel on the Beartooth
Highway in order to get into Yellowstone National Park. For many, many
years this highway has been sorely neglected. It is not safe in its
current condition, but it has not been safe for a long time.
Yellowstone National Park is the crown gem of the park system, and it
is important to the whole country. So this is something that the
country needs to do at this time. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. REHBERG. I yield to the gentleman from California.
Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, during the days of May 16 and May 17 of this
year, devastating mudslides bisected six sections of the scenic
Beartooth All-American Highway between Red Lodge, Montana and
Yellowstone National Park. Consequently, visitors to Yellowstone
National Park coming from the States of Montana and Wyoming are now and
for the foreseeable future required to take a detour to get to the
northeast entrance of our Nation's oldest park. This detour could be in
place for the entire summer season. Annually, an average of 190,000
visitors come to the park through the northeast entrance.
Mr. Speaker, my resolution acknowledges the importance of the highway
in accessing the park and requests that the President take all
necessary action to assist the State of Montana in reopening the road.
I thank the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young) for allowing this
bill to be scheduled. The following is an exchange of letters with him:
House of Representatives,
Committee on Resources,
Washington, DC, June 9, 2005.
Hon. Don Young,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
2165 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter dated 9 June
2005 regarding House Resolution 309. I appreciate your
willingness to allow the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure to be discharged to allow it to be considered
on the Floor today. I will include a copy of your letter and
my response to the Congressional Record during deliberations
on the bill.
Thank you again for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Richard W. Pombo,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure,
Washington, DC, June 9, 2005.
Hon. Richard W. Pombo,
Chairman, Committee on Resources,
1324 Longworth Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to you concerning the
jurisdiction interest of the Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee in matters being considered in H.
Res. 309, expressing the importance of immediately reopening
the Beartooth All-American Highway from Red Lodge, Montana,
to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. As you know, the
legislation was also referred to the Transportation
Committee.
Our Committee recognizes the importance of H. Res. 309 and
the need for the legislation to move expeditiously to the
House Floor. Therefore, I am willing to have the
Transportation Committee discharged from consideration of the
resolution. I would appreciate if it you would include a copy
of this letter and your response to the Congressional Record.
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
Sincerely,
Don Young,
Chairman.
I would like to thank the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Rehberg) and
the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin) for working with me to move
this resolution so quickly through the House.
Mr. REHBERG. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman not only for his sense
of urgency but his kind consideration in letting me go out of turn in
my statement. I thank the chairman. I thank the House of
Representatives for its positive consideration of this piece of
legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Montana?
There was no objection.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 309
Whereas on March 1, 1872, Yellowstone was established as
the world's first national park;
Whereas Yellowstone National Park encompasses over 2
million acres and is one of America's Crown Jewels of the
National Park System;
Whereas over 2.8 million people visit Yellowstone National
Park annually to admire its world famous geysers, hot
springs, and remarkable wildlife, and to hike its more than
950 miles of backcountry trails;
Whereas on May 16-17, 2005, a major mudslide bisected the
scenic Beartooth Highway in 6 sections requiring visitors
from Montana to undertake a detour to the Northeast Entrance
to Yellowstone National Park;
Whereas the scenic Beartooth Highway provides on average
190,000 visitors annually easy access to the Northeast
Entrance to Yellowstone National Park;
Whereas the scenic Beartooth Highway has been recognized as
one of the most scenic drives in the United States; and
Whereas the scenic Beartooth Highway is the economic artery
for the citizens of the gateway communities of Red Lodge,
Cooke City, and Silver Gate, Montana: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the critical importance of ensuring
unfettered access to visitors of Yellowstone National Park
and preserving the economy of Red Lodge, Montana; and
(2) urges the President to take, without hesitation, all
necessary actions to assist the Governor of Montana in
reopening, as quickly as possible, the scenic Beartooth
Highway that provides access to Yellowstone National Park.
The resolution is agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________