[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]]
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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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