[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 67 (Wednesday, April 25, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5095-S5096]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mrs. Boxer):
  S. 1209. A bill to provide for the continued administration of Santa 
Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, in accordance with the laws 
(including regulations) and policies of the National Park Service, and 
for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I am pleased to join my colleague 
Senator Boxer in introducing the Channel Islands National Park 
Management Act of 2007.
  This legislation seeks to clarify the future use and management of 
the park, and specifically protects Santa Rosa Island for the use of 
the public.
  The taxpayers paid approximately $30 million to acquire Santa Rosa 
Island in 1986 to restore its native ecology and provide public access.
  Unfortunately, late last year during conference negotiations a 
provision was slipped into the fiscal year 2007 Defense Authorization 
bill seeking to overturn a court-approved settlement agreement which 
requires the phasing out of private hunting on Santa Rosa Island.
  Under a binding court settlement in the late 1990s, non-native deer 
and elk must be removed from Santa Rosa Island over a phased, 4-year 
period beginning in 2008.
  Today, from mid-August through mid-November, a large portion of the 
island is closed to the public so that the island's prior owners can 
run a trophy hunting operation targeting the deer and elk on the 
island.
  Under the settlement, this hunting operation was to end in 2011 
allowing the island to be completely open to the public year round.
  Now, under last year's provision, the prior owners will seek to 
continue charging $16,000 or more for their privately operated hunting 
trips.
  Even though the Government purchased the island from them for $30 
million in taxpayer money, the prior owners would seek to keep 
essentially everything they had before--and that's simply not in the 
public interest.
  Some may be interested in learning a little history and background on 
this gem of an island: Santa Rosa Island is approximately 53,000 acres 
and lies about 50 miles west of Ventura Harbor. It is the second 
largest of the five islands making up the Channel Islands National 
Park. It is extremely rugged and pristine, with terrain ranging from 
grassy hills to steep, wind-carved canyons to white sandy beaches. 
Craggy, steep cliffs overlook rocky tide pools along its coast. 
Wildflowers cover many parts of the island during the spring and 
summer. It is ecologically sensitive and includes several endemic 
plants and species. For example, it is the only place in the world to 
see the island fox and spotted skunk in their natural habitat. A 
variety of shore birds--like the snowy plover--and sea mammals--such as 
seals and sea lions--breed on its beaches. It is seen by many 
scientists as one of the nation's most unique places. In addition to 
being the home of rare flora and fauna, it is an archaeological and 
paleontological treasure, with some sites dating back 11,000 years or 
to the Pleistocene-era. In fact, in 1994, the world's most complete 
skeleton of a pygmy mammoth was excavated on the island. It offers 
incredible recreational opportunities for the public, including hiking, 
camping, kayaking, fishing, sea sports, and wildlife watching.
  The limitation of public access to the island to accommodate 
privately run hunting trips would be a tragedy. This is the public's 
land. It's a national park, and the public should be able to visit it 
and enjoy its breath-taking beauty and remoteness.
  I also want to address one issue the provision in last year's Defense 
Authorization bill purportedly seeks to address: enhancing hunting 
opportunities for disabled veterans.
  While no one opposes providing hunting opportunities for our 
veterans, it is clear that it is neither a practical nor viable option 
to use Santa Rosa Island as a hunting reserve for injured and disabled 
veterans.
  This view is now supported by the Paralyzed Veterans of America, PVA, 
an organization which previously expressed support for the provision 
overturning the settlement.
  Notably, in July 2006, the PVA reached the conclusion following an 
investigative visit to Santa Rosa that the ``numerous obstacles 
inherent to the island, including ingress and egress, logistics, 
personal safety and cost, far outweigh the possible, limited benefit it 
could provide.''
  Furthermore, it should be pointed out that in California today, there 
are already 9 military installations that permit hunting--five that can 
accommodate disabled servicemembers.
  Two of these military installations, Camp Pendleton and Vandenberg 
Air Force Base, are relatively close to the Channel Islands National 
Park, and allow disabled veterans to hunt a variety of animals, 
including deer, waterfowl, quail, feral pigs, small game, and coyote.
  Altogether there are over 100 U.S. military installations where 
hunting is permitted, over 70 of which are currently accessible to 
disabled servicemembers and veterans.
  Naturally, the Park Service is firmly opposed to the provision 
seeking to overturn the settlement. But it is also important to note 
that neither the Department of Defense nor the Veterans Administration 
asked for the language.
  Consequently, I strongly believe that the Park Service should 
continue managing this National Park for the benefit of the general 
public. To allow any less would be a waste of taxpayer dollars and 
wrongly limit the public's access to this national treasure.
  I strongly believe that we must do everything to protect the island 
for the public and oppose any measures that could continue to restrict 
access to the island.
  This legislation we are introducing today would safeguard the island 
in just this manner. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation 
and I ask unanimous consent that the text of this proposed legislation 
be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1209

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

[[Page S5096]]

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Channel Islands National 
     Park Management Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) 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);
       (2) 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;
       (3) 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;
       (4) Santa Rosa Island contains numerous prehistoric and 
     historic artifacts and provides important habitat for several 
     threatened and endangered species;
       (5) 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
       (6) 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.

     SEC. 3. MANAGEMENT OF SANTA ROSA ISLAND, CHANNEL ISLANDS 
                   NATIONAL PARK.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, the Secretary of the Interior shall manage Santa Rosa 
     Island, Channel Islands National Park (referred to in this 
     section as the ``Park'')--
       (1) in accordance with--
       (A) the National Park Service Organic Act (16 U.S.C. 1 et 
     seq.);
       (B) title II of Public Law 96-199 (16 U.S.C. 410ff et 
     seq.); and
       (C) any other laws generally applicable to units of the 
     National Park System; and
       (2) in a manner that ensures that--
       (A) the natural, scenic and cultural resources of Santa 
     Rosa Island are protected, restored, and interpreted for the 
     public; and
       (B) visitors to the Park are provided with a safe and 
     enjoyable Park experience.
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 1077(c) of Public Law 
     109-364 (120 Stat. 2406) is repealed.
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