[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 158 (Thursday, October 18, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13074-S13075]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               SHERIDAN CONSERVATION EASEMENT DEDICATION

  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, recently I got to participate in the 
dedication of the first conservation easement in Sheridan County, WY. I 
attended grade school in Sheridan and graduated from high school there. 
I earned the Boy Scout merit badges I needed to become an Eagle Scout 
while I lived there. One of the badges was bicycling. It required 
several 25-mile rides. My first ride of that length went from Sheridan 
to Big Horn and beyond. That ride was on the highway. Today it would be 
much more dangerous as the area has developed and more people drive. So 
I am glad for this new conservation easement--what I hope will be the 
first of many conservation easements--that will make it possible to go 
from Sheridan to Big Horn on a scenic path by the river that will 
provide safety and great views.
  I want to congratulate the Volunteers of America for their great role 
in this achievement and ``first.'' I want to thank and congratulate the 
Sheridan County Commission and the city of Sheridan, mayor and council 
for their great cooperation. I especially want to thank the members of 
the Sheridan Land Trust for their effort and vision. This is the kind 
of community, the kind of people, I remember growing up in Sheridan.
  I was glad to play a small role in getting the 501c(3) certification 
for nonprofit status pushed through the system. I also did some work 
for conservation easements in, of all places, the pension bill last 
year. I got to chair the conference committee for the pension bill last 
year. At the end of the process, leadership from both sides of the 
aisle brought me a small tax package to include. I mentioned that I had 
a couple of small provisions I wanted included. One was a provision to 
get Wyoming abandoned mine land money released back to Wyoming. I found 
the power of a chairmanship. The abandoned mine land money will amount 
to $1.6 billion for Wyoming. Another provision included was for 
conservation easements--conservation easements that would make it 
possible for the average person to participate as well as those with a 
lot of money. The bad news is that act is available only until Dec 31 
of this year--unless it gets extended. The good news is this bicycle-
hiking-running-nature path could be finished from Sheridan to Big Horn 
this year with some tax incentives. I will be working to extend the 
incentive.
  It is very important that I share with the Nation the words of Mayor 
Kinsky at the dedication of this first conservation easement in 
Sheridan County. It is the finest description of what we are trying to 
do that I have heard. Here is what he said:

       Look about you--the mountains, the creek, the wildlife. It 
     is as God made it. This is how it was before we came. Because 
     of what we do here today--preserving this place as it is, 
     unspoiled--it will be here for those who follow us.
       There are those who say we inherited this place from our 
     grandparents. I believe we are borrowing it from our 
     grandchildren.
       As such, we have a duty to preserve--for them--the beauty 
     that had drawn us here, and holds us here.
       Fifty years from now, the town will have changed. Coffeen 
     Avenue will look different, our downtown will look different. 
     But this area will look as we see it today.
       Future generations will not recall who we are, or what we 
     say. But they will recap the benefit of what we do here 
     today. We may hope that they will look out on what we have 
     left them and say, ``These were people of vision. These were 
     people who cared about the future.''
       It is proper that this be done in a manner fitting of the 
     character of our people. This easement comes about not as a 
     mandate of government, but as a gift--given with love--to the 
     community and future.
       The purpose of the Sheridan Community Land Trust is to hold 
     such gifts, preserving them for our heirs. It is our hope 
     that many more in the community may be moved to make similar 
     gifts to generations to come.

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       With history the final judge or our deeds, we ask God's 
     blessing and help, but knowing here on earth God's work must 
     truly be our own.

  Mayor Kinsky, thank you for those words. May they serve as a 
challenge and example to everyone to do what you and the greater 
Sheridan community have done.

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