[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 121 (Monday, September 25, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H6943-H6944]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  NEW HAMPSHIRE WILDERNESS ACT OF 2006

  Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5059) to designate the Wild River Wilderness in the White 
Mountain National Forest in the State of New Hampshire, and for other 
purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 5059

       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 ``New Hampshire Wilderness Act 
     of 2006''.

     SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF WILD RIVER WILDERNESS, WHITE MOUNTAIN 
                   NATIONAL FOREST, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

       (a) Designation.--In accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 
     U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), certain National Forest System land in 
     the White Mountain National Forest in the State of New 
     Hampshire, comprising approximately 23,700 acres, as depicted 
     on the map entitled ``Proposed Wild River Wilderness--White 
     Mountain National Forest'', dated February 6, 2006, is 
     designated as wilderness and and as a component of the 
     National Wilderness Preservation System, which shall be known 
     as the ``Wild River Wilderness''.
       (b) Map and Description.--As soon as practicable after the 
     date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, 
     acting through the Chief of the Forest Service (in this 
     section referred to as the ``Secretary''), shall file a map 
     and a legal description of the Wild River Wilderness with the 
     committees of appropriate jurisdiction in the Senate and the 
     House of Representatives. The map and legal description shall 
     have the same force and effect as if included in this Act, 
     except that the Secretary may correct clerical and 
     typographical errors in the map and legal description. The 
     map and legal description shall be filed and made available 
     for public inspection in the Office of the Chief of the 
     Forest Service.
       (c) Administration.--Subject to valid existing rights, the 
     Secretary shall administer the Wild River Wilderness in 
     accordance with laws applicable to the White Mountain 
     National Forest and the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et 
     seq.), except that, with respect to the Wild River 
     Wilderness, any reference in the Wilderness Act to the 
     effective date of the Wilderness Act shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the date of enactment of this Act.
       (d) Fish and Wildlife.--As provided in section 4(d)(7) of 
     the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(7)), nothing in this 
     section affects any jurisdiction or responsibility of the 
     State of New Hampshire with respect to wildlife and fish in 
     the State.
       (e) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, all 
     Federal land in the Wild River Wilderness are withdrawn 
     from--
       (1) all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under 
     the public land laws;
       (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and
       (3) disposition under the mineral leasing laws (including 
     geothermal leasing laws).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Mexico (Mr. Pearce) and the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Mexico.
  Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I commend Congressman Bass for introducing this legislation to 
designate within his district 23,700 acres of new wilderness in the 
White Mountain National Forest. The Wild River Wilderness created in 
this bill was developed with the Forest Service through their forest 
planning process and with substantial input and involvement from the 
public and local interest groups. Since it has the strong support of 
New Hampshire's citizens, environmental groups, the forest products 
industry, elected officials, the Forest Service, and the 
administration, it deserves our support as well.
  I urge you to vote in favor of H.R. 5059.
  I include an exchange of letters with Chairman Goodlatte of the 
Agriculture Committee on this bill and related H.R. 5062 and thank the 
chairman for his cooperation in scheduling this bill and H.R. 5062 
today.
                                         House of Representatives,


                                       Committee on Resources,

                               Washington, DC, September 25, 2006.
     Hon. Bob Goodlatte,
     Chairman, Committee on Agriculture,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: I ask your help in scheduling H.R. 5059 
     and H.R. 5062, two bills which establish wilderness areas in 
     the State of New Hampshire, for consideration by the House of 
     Representatives as soon as possible. H.R. 5059, authored by 
     Congressman Charles Bass, and H.R. 5062, authored by 
     Congressman Jeb Bradley, were both referred primarily to the 
     Committee on Resources and additionally to the Committee on 
     Agriculture. The bills implement two recent Forest Service 
     recommendations for wilderness areas in the White Mountains 
     of New Hampshire, H.R. 5059, the Wild River Wilderness, and 
     H.R. 5062, the Sandwich Range Wilderness.
       In hope that the Senate will be able to act on these bills 
     this Congress, I ask that you allow the Committee on 
     Agriculture to be discharged from further consideration of 
     the bills. This action would not be considered as precedent 
     for any future referrals of similar measures or seen as 
     affecting your Committee's jurisdiction over the subject 
     matter of the bills. Moreover, if the bills are conferenced 
     with the Senate, I would support naming Agriculture Committee 
     members to any conference committee.
       I look forward to your response and would be pleased to 
     include it and this letter in the Congressional Record during 
     Floor consideration of the bills by the House of 
     Representatives.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Richard W. Pombo,
                                                         Chairman.

[[Page H6944]]

     
                                  ____
                                         House of Representatives,


                                     Committee on Agriculture,

                               Washington, DC, September 25, 2006.
     Hon. Richard Pombo,
     Chairman, House Committee on Resources,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: I understand your wish to expedite H.R. 
     5059 and H.R. 5062, which establish the Wild River Wilderness 
     and the Sandwich Range Wilderness, respectively. The 
     Committee on Agriculture received referrals for H.R. 5059 and 
     H.R. 5062, both entitled the New Hampshire Wilderness Act of 
     2006.
       Because of your wish to expedite this legislation and the 
     history of cooperation between our Committees on these 
     matters, I will agree to discharge H.R. 5059 and H.R. 5062 
     from further consideration by the Committee on Agriculture. 
     The Committee on Agriculture will discharge the bill with the 
     understanding that discharge does not waive any future 
     jurisdictional claim over this issue or similar measures. 
     Furthermore, in the event a conference with the Senate is 
     requested on this matter, the Committee on Agriculture 
     reserves the right to seek appointment of conferees.
       Again, I am grateful for the cooperative spirit in which 
     you have worked regarding this matter and others.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Bob Goodlatte,
                                                         Chairman.

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Ms. BORDALLO asked and was given permission to revise and extend her 
remarks.)
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, since this bill was introduced in March, 
there has been no action on it by the Resources Committee. It would 
appear then that the impetus for movement on the legislation is the 
fact that the Senate last week passed S. 2463, which includes in part 
the wilderness designation provided for by H.R. 5059.
  The wilderness designation made by H.R. 5059 is clean and would 
result in the protection of 23,700 acres of national forest land. As 
such, we have no objection to the adoption of the legislation by the 
House today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Bradley).
  Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleagues 
from Guam and New Mexico for their support of this legislation.
  This legislation was sponsored by my colleague Congressman Bass, who 
is unable to be here today. As the gentleman from New Mexico stated, it 
has broad support in New Hampshire. In fact, we are not aware of any 
opposition whatsoever. It has the support of a number of environmental 
groups as well as interested businesses that are in the forest products 
industry. It was a result of consensus among all of the interested 
parties in New Hampshire, and I urge its adoption.
  Also, on a personal note, having hiked extensively in this area of 
the White Mountain National Forest, it is a worthy candidate for 
wilderness designation. It is one of the most beautiful areas of our 
State, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill unanimously
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 5059.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will 
be postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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