[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 155 (Tuesday, December 6, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H11049-H11051]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK PAYMENT AUTHORIZATION

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 136) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
provide supplemental funding and other services that are necessary to 
assist certain local school districts in the State of California in 
providing educational services for students attending schools located 
within Yosemite National Park, to authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior to adjust the boundaries of the Golden Gate National 
Recreation Area, to adjust the boundaries of Redwood National Park, and 
for other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                 S. 136

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       The table of contents of this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Table of contents.

          TITLE I--YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK AUTHORIZED PAYMENTS

Sec. 102. Payments for educational services.
Sec. 103. Authorization for park facilities to be located outside the 
              boundaries of Yosemite National Park.

TITLE II--RANCHO CORRAL DE TIERRA GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL RECREATION AREA 
                          BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT

Sec. 201. Short title.
Sec. 202. Golden Gate National Recreation Area, California.

          TITLE III--REDWOOD NATIONAL PARK BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT

Sec. 301. Short title.
Sec. 302. Redwood National Park boundary adjustment.

          TITLE I--YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK AUTHORIZED PAYMENTS

     SEC. 101. PAYMENTS FOR EDUCATIONAL SERVICES.

       (a) In General.--(1) For fiscal years 2006 through 2009, 
     the Secretary of the Interior may provide funds to the Bass 
     Lake Joint Union Elementary School District and the Mariposa 
     Unified School District in the State of California for 
     educational services to students--
       (A) who are dependents of persons engaged in the 
     administration, operation, and maintenance of Yosemite 
     National Park; or
       (B) who live within or near the park upon real property 
     owned by the United States.
       (2) The Secretary's authority to make payments under this 
     section shall terminate if the State of California or local 
     education agencies do not continue to provide funding to the 
     schools referred to in subsection (a) at per student levels 
     that are no less than the amount provided in fiscal year 
     2005.
       (b) Limitation on Use of Funds.--Payments made under this 
     section shall only be used to pay public employees for 
     educational services provided in accordance with subsection 
     (a). Payments may not be used for construction, construction 
     contracts, or major capital improvements.
       (c) Limitation on Amount of Funds.--Payments made under 
     this section shall not exceed the lesser of--
       (1) $400,000 in any fiscal year; or

[[Page H11050]]

       (2) the amount necessary to provide students described in 
     subsection (a) with educational services that are normally 
     provided and generally available to students who attend 
     public schools elsewhere in the State of California.
       (d) Source of Payments.--(1) Except as otherwise provided 
     in this subsection, the Secretary may use funds available to 
     the National Park Service from appropriations, donations, or 
     fees.
       (2) Funds from the following sources shall not be used to 
     make payments under this section:
       (A) Any law authorizing the collection or expenditure of 
     entrance or use fees at units of the National Park System, 
     including--
       (i) the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (16 
     U.S.C. 460l-4 et seq.); and
       (ii) the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 
     U.S.C. 6801 et seq.).
       (B) Any unexpended receipts collected through--
       (i) the recreational fee demonstration program established 
     under section 315 of the Department of the Interior and 
     Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1996 (16 U.S.C. 460l-6a 
     note; Public Law 104-134); or
       (ii) the national park passport program established under 
     section 602 of the National Parks Omnibus Management Act of 
     1998 (16 U.S.C. 5992).
       (C) Emergency appropriations for flood recovery at Yosemite 
     National Park.
       (3)(A) The Secretary may use an authorized funding source 
     to make payments under this section only if the funding 
     available to Yosemite National Park from such source (after 
     subtracting any payments to the school districts authorized 
     under this section) is greater than or equal to the amount 
     made available to the park for the prior fiscal year, or in 
     fiscal year 2005, whichever is greater.
       (B) It is the sense of Congress that any payments made 
     under this section should not result in a reduction of funds 
     to Yosemite National Park from any specific funding source, 
     and that with respect to appropriated funds, funding levels 
     should reflect annual increases in the park's operating base 
     funds that are generally made to units of the National Park 
     System.

     SEC. 102. AUTHORIZATION FOR PARK FACILITIES TO BE LOCATED 
                   OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARIES OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL 
                   PARK.

       (a) Funding Authority for Transportation Systems and 
     External Facilities.--Section 814(c) of the Omnibus Parks and 
     Public Lands Management Act of 1996 (16 U.S.C. 346e) is 
     amended--
       (1) in the heading by inserting ``AND YOSEMITE NATIONAL 
     PARK'' after ``ZION NATIONAL PARK'';
       (2) in the first sentence--
       (A) by inserting ``and Yosemite National Park'' after 
     ``Zion National Park''; and
       (B) by inserting ``for transportation systems or'' after 
     ``appropriated funds''; and
       (3) in the second sentence by striking ``facilities'' and 
     inserting ``systems or facilities''.
       (b) Clarifying Amendment for Transportation Fee 
     Authority.--Section 501 of the National Parks Omnibus 
     Management Act of 1998 (16 U.S.C. 5981) is amended in the 
     first sentence by striking ``service contract'' and inserting 
     ``service contract, cooperative agreement, or other 
     contractual arrangement''.

TITLE II--RANCHO CORRAL DE TIERRA GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL RECREATION AREA 
                          BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT

     SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.

       This title may be cited as the ``Rancho Corral de Tierra 
     Golden Gate National Recreation Area Boundary Adjustment 
     Act''.

     SEC. 202. GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL RECREATION AREA, CALIFORNIA.

       Section 2(a) of Public Law 92-589 (16 U.S.C. 460bb-1(a)) is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking ``The recreation area shall comprise'' and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(1) Initial lands.--The recreation area shall comprise''; 
     and
       (2) by striking ``The following additional lands are also'' 
     and all that follows through the period at the end of the 
     subsection and inserting the following new paragraphs:
       ``(2) Additional lands.--In addition to the lands described 
     in paragraph (1), the recreation area shall include the 
     following:
       ``(A) The parcels numbered by the Assessor of Marin County, 
     California, 119-040-04, 119-040-05, 119-040-18, 166-202-03, 
     166-010-06, 166-010-07, 166-010-24, 166-010-25, 119-240-19, 
     166-010-10, 166-010-22, 119-240-03, 119-240-51, 119-240-52, 
     119-240-54, 166-010-12, 166-010-13, and 119-235-10.
       ``(B) Lands and waters in San Mateo County generally 
     depicted on the map entitled `Sweeney Ridge Addition, Golden 
     Gate National Recreation Area', numbered NRA GG-80,000-A, and 
     dated May 1980.
       ``(C) Lands acquired under the Golden Gate National 
     Recreation Area Addition Act of 1992 (16 U.S.C. 460bb-1 note; 
     Public Law 102-299).
       ``(D) Lands generally depicted on the map entitled 
     `Additions to Golden Gate National Recreation Area', numbered 
     NPS-80-076, and dated July 2000/PWR-PLRPC.
       ``(E) Lands generally depicted on the map entitled `Rancho 
     Corral de Tierra Additions to the Golden Gate National 
     Recreation Area', numbered NPS-80,079E, and dated March 2004.
       ``(3) Acquisition limitation.--The Secretary may acquire 
     land described in paragraph (2)(E) only from a willing 
     seller.''.

          TITLE III--REDWOOD NATIONAL PARK BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT

     SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE.

       This title may be cited as the ``Redwood National Park 
     Boundary Adjustment Act of 2005''.

     SEC. 302. REDWOOD NATIONAL PARK BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT.

       Section 2(a) of the Act of Public Law 90-545 (16 U.S.C. 
     79b(a)) is amended--
       (1) in the first sentence, by striking ``(a) The area'' and 
     all that follows through the period at the end and inserting 
     the following: ``(a)(1) The Redwood National Park consists of 
     the land generally depicted on the map entitled `Redwood 
     National Park, Revised Boundary', numbered 167/60502, and 
     dated February, 2003.'';
       (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) (as designated by 
     paragraph (1)) the following:
       ``(2) The map referred to in paragraph (1) shall be--
       ``(A) on file and available for public inspection in the 
     appropriate offices of the National Park Service; and
       ``(B) provided by the Secretary of the Interior to the 
     appropriate officers of Del Norte and Humboldt Counties, 
     California.''; and
       (3) in the second sentence--
       (A) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(3) The Secretary;''and
       (B) by striking ``one hundred and six thousand acres'' and 
     inserting ``133,000 acres''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Radanovich) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 136, introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein of 
California, would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to adjust the 
southern boundary of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and 
adjust the boundary of the Redwood National State Park to include new 
lands acquired by the State of California. In addition, S. 136 contains 
a provision providing supplemental funding and other services necessary 
to assist three schools in my congressional district located within 
Yosemite National Park.
  These three schools serve the children of Yosemite National Park, the 
Park Service, and concession employees, and the schools are located a 
significant distance from other public schools in Mariposa and Madera 
counties. Because the schools are small, and California bases its State 
funding on the number of students, the schools do not receive 
sufficient State funds to operate.
  S. 136 addresses this problem by giving the Yosemite National Park 
superintendent the authority to use a portion of its existing budget to 
help provide funds for the education of these children whose parents 
work in the Park. As the author of the House version of this language, 
I know firsthand that it will mean a great deal to the lives of the 
families in Yosemite National Park.
  Also with respect to S. 136, I would like to extend my appreciation 
to Senator Dianne Feinstein for her commitment and assistance in 
helping pass this bill in the Senate, and I do urge adoption of the 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. UDALL of Colorado asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, my good friend, the gentleman 
from California, has already explained the purpose of Senate bill 136, 
which passed the Senate on July 26, 2005, and includes two measures 
that were sponsored in the House by my Democratic colleagues from 
California, Congressman Tom Lantos and Congressman Mike Thompson.
  The boundary adjustment at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area 
has involved considerable time and effort. I want to commend my 
colleague from California (Mr. Lantos) for his leadership and 
persistence in making

[[Page H11051]]

this important boundary addition a reality, and also note the help and 
support Leader Pelosi and the other members of the Bay Area delegation.
  Likewise, I would commend my colleague from California (Mr. Thompson) 
for his efforts on behalf of that portion of the legislation involving 
Redwood National Park. Mr. Speaker, we support Senate bill 136 and urge 
adoption of the legislation by the House today.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my great privilege to yield such time as he may 
consume to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos).
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, first I want to thank my distinguished 
colleague and good friend from Colorado for yielding and for his 
extraordinary work on all environmental and similar issues.
  I rise in strong support of S. 136 and its provisions for the Rancho 
Corral de Tierra Golden Gate National Recreation Area Boundary 
Adjustment Act. Our bill adds approximately 4,700 acres to the Golden 
Gate National Recreation Area, and it also has provisions for the 
Redwood National Park and Yosemite National Park.
  Mr. Speaker, I first introduced the GGNRA bill in the 107th Congress 
with the support of my friends, Senators Feinstein and Boxer, and the 
entire Bay Area Congressional delegation.
  One of the Nation's most visited national parks, GGNRA, includes 
well-known places like Alcatraz, the Marin Headlands, Fort Funston, 
Fort Mason, the Muir Woods National Monument, the Fort Point National 
Historic Site, and, of course, the Presidio of San Francisco.
  Our Rancho Corral de Tierra addition includes one of the largest 
undeveloped parcels of the San Mateo County coast south of the City of 
San Francisco. It is spectacularly beautiful territory.
  Our permanent protection will preserve unique coastal habitats of 
threatened, rare, and endangered plant and animal species. It will curb 
future disruptive development along the Pacific coast. It will provide 
important scenic and recreational opportunities for millions of our 
residents and visitors from all across the globe.
  The Rancho Corral de Tierra parcel, with its relatively untouched 
upper elevations, preserves habitat for several threatened and 
endangered plant and animal species. It contains four important coastal 
watersheds that provide riparian corridors for steel head trout, coho 
salmon, and other aquatic species.

                              {time}  1500

  The owner of Rancho Corral de Tierra is the Peninsula Open Space 
Trust, or POST, a remarkable organization which paid $29.75 million to 
save the site from development. POST is a land conservancy trust with a 
remarkable track record of protecting open space in the Bay Area. POST 
will help preserve the area by donating from public and private 
contributions a substantial amount of the Federal acquisition costs of 
Rancho Corral de Tierra.
  Our bill also authorizes the National Park Service to include over 
500 acres of land in the Devil's Slide section of our coastal highway, 
the scenic highway that winds along the entire California coast.
  It will include approximately 300 acres of the Martini Creek-Devil's 
Slide Bypass right-of-way originally purchased by Caltrans to build a 
highway across Montara Mountain. When San Mateo County voters 
overwhelming decided to build the Devil's Slide Tunnel rather than the 
bypass in 1996, the right-of-way became obsolete. This property 
contains approximately 300 acres that Caltrans will now be able to 
donate to the National Park Service.
  Preserving our unique natural areas for our children, and in my case 
our grandchildren, is one of the highest priorities that I have as a 
Member of Congress. I would like to thank all those who have helped 
bring this important legislation to the House for consideration today: 
my dear friend and distinguished colleague, Senator Feinstein, has been 
and continues to be an unfailing advocate and leader for protecting 
valuable land in our State. She has been a tremendous partner for me to 
work with on this matter. The Bay Area congressional delegation has 
been united and unwavering in their support, including the Democratic 
leader, Ms. Pelosi, Senator Boxer, and my colleagues Ms. Eshoo, Mr. 
Honda, Ms. Zoe Lofgren, Mr. Stark, Mrs. Tauscher, Ms. Lee, Mr. George 
Miller, Ms. Woolsey, and Mr. Thompson.
  I would also like to thank the Committee on Resources for their long 
efforts on this legislation, including Chairman Pombo and the ranking 
member, Mr. Rahall. On the National Parks Subcommittee, the former 
chairman, Mr. Radanovich, and the current chairman, Mr. Pearce, and the 
ranking member, Mrs. Christensen, have been enormously helpful.
  I would like to extend a special thank you to Audrey Rust, president 
of the Peninsula Open Space Trust, a prominent leader on preservation 
issues in the Bay Area and across the Nation. Without her leadership 
and her accomplishments, we certainly would not be in a position to be 
here today to protect this property.
  I also want to thank the many government officials who have actively 
participated in support of this work including the San Mateo County 
Board of Supervisors, the California Department of Transportation, the 
National Park Service and Brian O'Neill General Superintendent at the 
Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
  Many members of the professional staff have also dedicated their 
expertise to bringing us here today and I to want acknowledge and thank 
Rick Healey and Rob Howarth of the House Resources Committee, David 
Brooks of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Nicole 
Brownlee and John Watts of Mrs. Feinstein's staff, Chris Walker of my 
staff, Daphne Muehle of the Peninsula Open Space Trust, and Chris 
Powell of the National Park Service.
  And most importantly, in conclusion, I want to thank my friends and 
neighbors of the Bay Area, particularly those in the 12th Congressional 
District, who envision a future that includes the protection of the 
park for generations yet unborn. Without their enlightened support for 
preservation, we would be unable to accomplish this incredible success 
that we have achieved here today.
  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 136, the Rancho 
Corral de Tierra Golden Gate National Recreation Area Boundary 
Adjustment Act, which will add approximately 4,700 acres to the Golden 
Gate National Recreation Area, also known as the GGNRA.
  There has been a long journey in the effort to secure the passage of 
this bill. I was proud to cosponsor the legislation when Congressman 
Lantos first introduced it in May of 2001 and testified in the Senate 
Subcommittee on National Parks in support of the bill 5 long years ago.
  The bill sets aside precious environmental spaces for the benefit of 
the broader community. It has undergone changes over the years to 
safeguard local agriculture in San Mateo County, and as a result, there 
is broad local support for this legislation.
  These efforts don't just happen, it takes people of vision at the 
local level to recognize the need, to develop a response, and rally 
support. We have the best, Audrey Rust, the President of the Peninsula 
Open Space Trust, POST.
  Ms. Rust has demonstrated great determination and flexibility in the 
many years of working on this bill, and she and POST deserve our 
thanks, recognition, and gratitude.
  Acquiring this land is an environmental victory because it is habitat 
for several rare, threatened, endangered species. Future generations 
will respect and enjoy the fruits of our efforts and that's why I urge 
all my colleagues to vote for this critical legislation.
  I salute Representative Lantos for his work and thank Senator 
Feinstein and Representative Radanovich for their efforts to see this 
legislation through.
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Boozman). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich) that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 136.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________