[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 52 (Thursday, May 4, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4077-S4078]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 468--SUPPORTING THE CONTINUED ADMINISTRATION OF 
    CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK, INCLUDING SANTA ROSA ISLAND, IN 
 ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS (INCLUDING REGULATIONS) AND POLICIES OF THE 
                         NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mrs. Boxer) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources:

                               S. Res 468

       Whereas Channel Islands National Monument was designated in 
     1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt under the authority 
     of the Act of June 8, 1906 (16 U.S.C. 431 note);
       Whereas the Monument was expanded to include additional 
     islands and redesignated as Channel Islands National Park in 
     1980 to protect the nationally significant natural, scenic, 
     wildlife, marine, ecological, archaeological, cultural, and 
     scientific values of the Channel Islands in California;
       Whereas Santa Rosa Island was acquired by the United States 
     in 1986 for approximately $29,500,000 for the purpose of 
     restoring the native ecology of the Island and making the 
     Island available to the public for recreational uses;
       Whereas Santa Rosa Island contains numerous prehistoric and 
     historic artifacts and provides important habitat for several 
     threatened and endangered species;
       Whereas under a court-approved settlement, the nonnative 
     elk and deer populations are scheduled to be removed from the 
     Park by 2011 and the Island is to be restored to management 
     consistent with other National Parks; and
       Whereas there have been recent proposals to remove Santa 
     Rosa Island from the administration of the National Park 
     Service or to direct the management of the Island in a manner 
     inconsistent with existing legal requirements and the sound 
     management of Park resources: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That--
       (1) Channel Islands National Park, including Santa Rosa 
     Island, should continue to be administered by the National 
     Park Service in accordance with the National Park Service 
     Organic Act (16 U.S.C. 1 et seq.) and other applicable laws;
       (2) the National Park Service should manage Santa Rosa 
     Island in a manner that ensures that--
       (A) the natural, scenic, and cultural resources of the 
     Island are properly protected, restored, and interpreted for 
     the public; and
       (B) visitors to the Park are provided with a safe and 
     enjoyable Park experience; and
       (3) the National Park Service should not be directed to 
     manage Santa Rosa Island in a manner--
       (A) that would result in the public being denied access to 
     significant portions of the Island; or
       (B) that is inconsistent with the responsibility of the 
     National Park Service to protect native resources within the 
     Park, including threatened and endangered species.

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to submit a Senate 
resolution concerning Channel Islands National Park, with Senator Boxer 
as an original cosponsor.
  We firmly believe that Channel Islands National Park, including Santa 
Rosa Island, should continue to be administered by the National Park 
Service in accordance with the laws, regulations, and policies of the 
National Park Service, including the National Park Service Organic Act.
  Channel Islands National Monument was designated in 1938 by President 
Franklin D. Roosevelt under the authority of the Antiquities Act.
  The monument was expanded to include additional islands and 
redesignated as Channel Islands National Park in 1980 in order to 
protect the nationally significant natural, scenic, wildlife, marine, 
ecological, archaeological, cultural, and scientific values of the 
Channel Islands in California.
  Santa Rosa Island was acquired by the United States in 1986 for 
approximately $30 million for the purpose of restoring its native 
ecology and making the island available to the public for recreational 
uses. The previous owners of the Island retained only an agreement for 
the non-commercial use and occupancy of a 7.6-acre parcel of land 
through 2011.
  The non-native elk and deer population are to be removed from the 
park by 2011 under a court-approved settlement and the Island restored 
to management consistent with other national parks.
  We introduce this resolution to express our concern with a provision 
that the House Armed Services Committee has included in the House 
version of the Defense authorization bill.
  The provision would prohibit the Park Service from carrying out the 
court-approved settlement's direction to remove the population of non-
native deer and elk.
  To the contrary, we believe that Congress should not direct the 
National Park Service to manage Santa Rosa Island in a manner that 
would result in the public being denied access to significant portions 
of the Island for any substantial period of time.
  If the Park Service is unable to manage the non-native deer and elk 
population, the population will likely be managed through the present 
practice of privately organized hunting editions that currently require 
the closure of about 90 percent of the Island to the general public for 
4-5 months out of the year. The national parks belong to the American 
people, and the parks should remain freely open to the people.
  We also believe that Congressional direction for Santa Rosa Island 
should not be inconsistent with the requirement to protect and enhance 
native park resources, including threatened and endangered species.
  There are 11 endangered or threatened plant and animal species on the 
Island, many of which would be harmed by the proposal.
  In particular, the bald eagle is at risk from eating carcasses 
containing lead bullets used by the hunters; the Santa Rosa Island fox 
is preyed upon by golden eagles attracted by fawns and other deer; and 
the Island's endangered plants are threatened by the deer and elk.
  In addition, there are substantial archaeological resources on the 
Island

[[Page S4078]]

which could be at risk, including potentially the oldest discovered 
human remains in North America, 13,000 years old, and remains of the 
rare pygmy mammoth.
  In summary, we believe that the National Park Service should manage 
Santa Rosa Island to ensure that the Island's natural, scenic, and 
cultural resources are properly protected, restored, and interpreted 
for the public, and that park visitors are provided with a safe and 
enjoyable park experience.
  I urge my colleagues to support this Senate resolution.

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