[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 186 (Thursday, December 6, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14998-S14999]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent we proceed to S. 
Res. 392, submitted earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 392) recognizing the 60th anniversary 
     of the Everglades National Park.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the 
preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid on the table, 
and any statements be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 392) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 392

       Whereas Everglades National Park will celebrate its 60th 
     anniversary on December 6, 2007;
       Whereas when President Harry S. Truman dedicated Everglades 
     National Park on December 6, 1947, he stated: ``Here is land, 
     tranquil in its quiet beauty, serving not as the

[[Page S14999]]

     source of water, but as the last receiver of it. To its 
     natural abundance we owe the spectacular plant and animal 
     life that distinguishes this place from all others in our 
     country'';
       Whereas Marjory Stoneman Douglas gave the Everglades the 
     name ``River of Grass'' stating, ``There are no other 
     Everglades in the world'';
       Whereas Everglades National Park has been designated an 
     International Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site, and a 
     Wetland of International Importance, in recognition of its 
     significance to all the people of the world;
       Whereas the Everglades ecosystem encompasses 3,000,000 
     acres of wetlands and is the largest subtropical wilderness 
     in the United States featuring slow-moving freshwater that 
     flows south from Lake Okeechobee through sawgrass and tree 
     islands to the mangroves and seagrasses of Florida Bay;
       Whereas Everglades National Park is home to rare and 
     endangered species, such as the American crocodile, the 
     Florida panther, and the Western Indian manatee and more than 
     350 species of birds, including the Great Egret, Wood Stork, 
     Swallow-tailed Kite, and Roseate Spoonbill;
       Whereas the greater Everglades ecosystem is also an 
     international center for business, agriculture, and tourism, 
     with a rapidly growing population of varied ethnic, economic, 
     and social values, all of which are dependent on a fully 
     functioning ecosystem for an adequate freshwater supply, a 
     healthy and sustainable economy, and overall quality of life;
       Whereas Everglades National Park is the subject of the most 
     extensive ecosystem restoration plan in the history of 
     mankind, the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan; and
       Whereas this restoration plan must succeed in order for the 
     treasures of Everglades National Park to be passed on to our 
     children and grandchildren: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the 60th anniversary of Everglades National 
     Park; and
       (2) dedicates itself to the success of the Comprehensive 
     Everglades Restoration Plan.

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