[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 109 (Tuesday, July 10, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H7440]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     LAND GRANT PATENT MODIFICATION

  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2121) to modify a land grant patent issued by the Secretary 
of the Interior.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2121

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

     SECTION 1. AMENDMENTS TO LAND GRANT PATENT ISSUED BY 
                   SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR.

       Patent Number 61-2000-0007, issued by the Secretary of the 
     Interior to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, 
     Chippewa County, Michigan, pursuant to section 5505 of 
     division A of the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
     1997 (Public Law 104-208; 110 Stat. 3009-516) is amended in 
     paragraph 6, under the heading ``subject also to the 
     following conditions'' by striking ``Whitefish Point 
     Comprehensive Plan of October 1992, or a gift shop'' and 
     inserting ``Human Use/Natural Resource Plan for Whitefish 
     Point, dated December 2002, permitted as the intent of 
     Congress''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes) and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
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 Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. Speaker, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum on 
Michigan's Upper Peninsula sits on land jutting out into Lake Superior 
near the Canadian border. The museum collection presents the history of 
and preserves artifacts from the many shipwrecks that occurred in the 
area, including perhaps the most famous, the Edmund Fitzgerald, which 
went down in 1975, along with her crew of 29 men.
  The museum sits on land originally obtained from the Department of 
the Interior under a land grant patent. A new management plan developed 
by the museum would improve visitor services. This legislation amends 
the original patent to reference the new management plan.
  Representative Stupak is to be commended for his diligence on behalf 
of this legislation. An earlier version of this measure was approved by 
the House in the last Congress, and we urge our colleagues to support 
H.R. 2121 today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. COLE of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  H.R. 2121 is a simple measure that updates a land patent reference to 
an outdated management plan currently being used by the Great Lakes 
Shipwreck Historical Society. This 8-acre property was obtained in 1992 
from the Department of the Interior under a land grant patent. Under 
the new resource management plan, the museum will be able to greatly 
improve its visitor access to wildlife areas and to expand its 
facilities to accommodate additional shipwreck exhibits.
  I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to yield such time as he may 
consume to my colleague, Mr. Stupak to speak to the bill.
  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the author of H.R. 2121, and 
I'd like to thank Chairman Rahall and ranking member Young and their 
staff on the Natural Resource Committee for assisting and moving this 
legislation forward.
  H.R. 2121 is a straightforward bill that would allow the Great Lakes 
Shipwreck Historical Society to implement a new Human Use/Natural 
Resource Management Plan for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in 
Chippewa County, Michigan.
  While this legislation was approved by the House of Representatives 
in September of 2006 in the 109th Congress, but the 109th Congress 
ended before the Senate had time to consider the bill. By acting on 
this bill now, I am hopeful the House will allow the Senate ample time 
to consider and approve this legislation.
  The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society is a nonprofit 
organization dedicated to preserving the history of shipwrecks in the 
Great Lakes. Since 1992, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society 
has operated the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum to educate the public 
about shipwrecks in the region.
  The museum provides exhibits on several shipwrecks in the area, 
including an in-depth exhibit on the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, 
which was lost with her entire crew of 29 men near Whitefish Point, 
Michigan on November 10, 1975. Among the items on display is a 200-
pound bronze bell recovered from the wreckage in 1995 as a memorial to 
her lost crew.
  In 2002, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, working with 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Michigan Audubon Society, and 
the local community, finalized a new management plan to improve the 
experience at the museum.
  The new management plan, which was signed and agreed upon by all the 
parties, will allow the Historical Society to expand the museum 
exhibits while addressing concerns about parking and access to 
surrounding wildlife areas.
  However, because the original land grant patent references the 
previous management plan, legislation to amend the patent is necessary 
before the new management plan can be implemented. In response, I've 
introduced this legislation, H.R. 2121, to amend the land grant patent 
to allow the new plan to be implemented.
  Congressman Dave Camp from Michigan has joined me in cosponsoring 
this legislation, and I thank him for his support.
  The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society has continuously 
improved the experience at the museum since it was established in 1992. 
With the approval of H.R. 2121, Congress will allow the Great Lakes 
Shipwreck Museum to further develop this cultural and historical 
resource.
  I urge my colleagues to support this simple legislation which will 
improve the opportunities available to visitors of Chippewa County, 
Michigan, and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
  I thank all Members for their cooperation with this legislation.
  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I 
yield back.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2121.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________