[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 94 (Monday, June 9, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H5048-H5050]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK WILDERNESS ACT OF 2008

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 3022) to designate the John Krebs Wilderness in the State of 
California, to add certain land to the Sequoia-Kings Canyon National 
Park Wilderness, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3022

       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 ``Sequoia and Kings Canyon 
     National Parks Wilderness Act of 2008''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (2) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of 
     California.

     SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF WILDERNESS AREAS.

       In accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et 
     seq.), the following areas in the State are designated as 
     wilderness areas and as components of the National Wilderness 
     Preservation System:
       (1) John krebs wilderness.--
       (A) Designation.--Certain land in Sequoia and Kings Canyon 
     National Parks, comprising approximately 69,500 acres of 
     land, and 130 acres of potential wilderness additions as 
     generally depicted on the map numbered 102/60014a, titled 
     ``John Krebs Wilderness'', and dated March 10, 2008.
       (B) Limitations.--The designation of the wilderness under 
     subparagraph (A) does not preclude operation and maintenance 
     of the existing Hockett Meadow Cabin and Quinn Patrol Cabin 
     in the same manner and degree in which the cabins were 
     operated and maintained on the day before the date of 
     enactment of this Act.
       (C) Effect.--Nothing in this paragraph affects--
       (i) the cabins in, and adjacent to, Mineral King Valley; or
       (ii) the private inholdings known as ``Silver City'' and 
     ``Kaweah Han''.
       (D) Potential wilderness additions.--The designation of the 
     potential wilderness additions under subparagraph (A) shall 
     not prohibit the operation, maintenance, and repair of the 
     small check dams and water impoundments on Lower Franklin 
     Lake, Crystal Lake, Upper Monarch Lake, and Eagle Lake. The 
     Secretary is authorized to allow the use of helicopters for 
     the operation, maintenance, and repair of the small check 
     dams and water impoundments on Lower Franklin Lake, Crystal 
     Lake, Upper Monarch

[[Page H5049]]

     Lake, and Eagle Lake. The potential wilderness additions 
     shall be designated as wilderness and incorporated into the 
     John Krebs Wilderness established by this Act upon 
     termination of the non-conforming uses.
       (2) Sequoia-kings canyon wilderness addition.--Certain land 
     in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California, 
     comprising approximately 45,186 acres as generally depicted 
     on the map titled ``Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness 
     Addition'', numbered 102/60015a, and dated March 10, 2008, is 
     incorporated in, and shall be considered to be a part of, the 
     Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness.

     SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION OF WILDERNESS AREAS.

       (a) In General.--Subject to valid existing rights, each 
     area designated as wilderness by this Act shall be 
     administered by the Secretary in accordance with the 
     Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), except that any 
     reference in the Wilderness Act to the effective date of the 
     Wilderness Act shall be considered to be a reference to the 
     date of enactment of this Act.
       (b) Map and Legal Description.--
       (1) Submission of map and legal description.--As soon as 
     practicable, but not later than 3 years, after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall file a map and 
     legal description of each area designated as wilderness by 
     this Act with--
       (A) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
     Senate; and
       (B) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
     Representatives.
       (2) Force and effect.--The map and legal description filed 
     under paragraph (1) shall have the same force and effect as 
     if included in this Act, except that the Secretary may 
     correct any clerical or typographical error in the map or 
     legal description.
       (3) Public availability.--The map and legal description 
     filed under paragraph (1) shall be on file and available for 
     public inspection in the Office of the Secretary.
       (c) Hydrologic, Meteorologic, and Climatological Devices, 
     Facilities, and Associated Equipment.--The Secretary shall 
     continue to manage maintenance and access to hydrologic, 
     meteorologic, and climatological devices, facilities and 
     associated equipment consistent with House Report 98-40.
       (d) No Buffer Zones.--
       (1) In general.--Nothing in this Act creates a protective 
     perimeter or buffer zone around an area designated as 
     wilderness by this Act.
       (2) Activities outside wilderness.--Nothing in this Act 
     precludes authorized activities conducted outside of the 
     areas designated as wilderness by this Act by cabin owners 
     (or their designees) in the Mineral King Valley area, or the 
     property owners (or their designees) or lessees in the Silver 
     City private inholding (as identified on the map titled 
     ``John Krebs Wilderness'' and dated March 10, 2008).
       (e) Horseback Riding.--Nothing in this Act precludes 
     horseback riding in, or the entry of recreational or 
     commercial saddle or pack stock into, an area designated as 
     wilderness by this Act.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
     necessary to carry out this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Costa) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Nunes) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognize the gentleman the California (Mr. Costa).


                             General Leave

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which 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 California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today to introduce H.R. 3022, the Sequoia and Kings Canyon 
National Parks Wilderness Act of 2008. This bill adds nearly 115 acres 
of wilderness in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in 
California, two parks that are among the crown jewels of our Nation's 
national park system. Coupled with existing wilderness areas in the 
parks, this bill will expand the wilderness to about 97 percent on the 
land base that is included within the park area.
  About 45,000 acres of the wilderness created by this bill will be 
incorporated into currently existing Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness 
Area. The other 70,000 acres will comprise a new wilderness area, which 
will be named after former Congressman John Krebs.
  Congressman John Krebs served in this House from 1974 until 1978. He 
immigrated to this country when he was 17 years old. Like immigrants 
before him and immigrants since, he came here to find a better life for 
himself and his family. And in that effort, he contributed mightily, as 
all immigrants have, over the history of our Nation's years.
  He served in this House with distinction and honor. He was tenacious, 
and one of the areas that he worked on was this area of wilderness 
within the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness Area.
  So therefore it is appropriate that we designate this act by 
including this as a namesake, because within the Sequoia and Kings 
Canyon National Parks, we have California's and some of our country's 
most beautiful areas. The Redwood Canyon area contains Redwood Mountain 
Grove, the largest stand of giant sequoia within the parks. The Redwood 
Canyon also includes over 75 known caves, include the longest cave in 
California with over 21 miles of surveyed passage. The Hockett Plateau 
includes vast rolling forests of lodgepole pine surrounding spectacular 
subalpine meadows. The area is a favorite designation for equestrians, 
backpackers and anglers, people who, like all of us, like to enjoy our 
mountains.
  This bill is obviously important not only to me but for my colleague, 
Congressman Nunes, and all that have been a part of this effort, for 
preserving our natural areas for future generations is a responsibility 
that we all share in common. And it gives us an opportunity to honor 
Congressman John Krebs, whom I first went to work for back in the 1970s 
when he served in Congress. He was a mentor and still today is a friend 
and is living well in Fresno, California, at the young, tender age of 
82.
  So it is fitting and appropriate that we recognize the people who 
deserve credit for making this bill a reality. Among those, I want to 
thank Chairman Rahall, subcommittee Chairman Grijalva of the Natural 
Resources Committee for their support, their staffs, as well as the 
committee's minority staff that worked so hard on this bill, and the 
National Park Service.
  In addition, there is a companion measure over in the Senate carried 
by Senator Boxer. I would very much like to thank her and her staff for 
their hard work, including most notably, the State director, Tom 
Bohigian, who devoted a great deal of time and energy to make this bill 
a reality.

                              {time}  1415

  Finally, I want to thank my colleague and dear friend, Congressman 
Devin Nunes, and his Deputy Chief of Staff, Damon Nelson, for their 
work on this bill. This is a sensitive issue. The land we are talking 
about resides within Congressman Nunes' congressional district. The 
wilderness created by H.R. 3022 there is important to Congressman 
Nunes, as well as to all of us, and I want to thank him for his hard 
work on this bill and for ensuring that he protects the interests of 
his district and the local communities and the folks that live and work 
and recreate in the wilderness and surrounding areas.
  Mr. Speaker, I request my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 
3022, as amended.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity to express my support for H.R. 
3022, the Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park Wilderness Act. I would 
also like to thank my good friend Mr. Costa and Senator Boxer for their 
willingness to work in a bipartisan manner to secure protections for my 
constituents.
  When the idea of this designation was proposed, my constituents had 
three main concerns: Specifically, continued access to the 
hydroelectric facilities in the area; continued access for private and 
commercial horse stock users; and, finally, the cabin owners in the 
Mineral King and Silver City area needed assurances that they will 
continue to have access to their cabins in accordance with their Park 
Service permits. In each case, Congressman Costa and Senator Boxer 
agreed to add language to the bill that would resolve these concerns.
  First the cabin owners were provided a half-mile buffer zone around 
the cabins in order to ensure that management of the wilderness does 
not impact their access to and their maintenance of the cabins.
  Second, operators of the hydroelectric facilities were ensured they 
will continue to have access to their facilities to conduct maintenance 
and inspections as necessary. They will continue to be allowed 
motorized access, including helicopters, if non-motorized access is not 
reasonably feasible.

[[Page H5050]]

  Finally, the private and commercial horse stock users were provided 
strong assurances that nothing in the act precludes access to the areas 
that are designated wilderness. There have been recurring problems with 
such access to surrounding wilderness areas, and the language in this 
bill intends to ensure that those issues will not be repeated in this 
wilderness.
  Again, these were hard-fought protections, and the work of my 
colleagues during the drafting period was invaluable and much 
appreciated.
  At this time, I would like to yield to my colleague Mr. Costa and 
would appreciate any comments he may have about these specific 
provisions that I mentioned.
  Mr. COSTA. First I would like to thank Congressman Nunes for your 
hard work and efforts on this. Without your support, I don't believe 
this measure would be a reality. The bipartisan effort I think is a 
commendation on how we ought to be working on all of our efforts here 
in the House.
  Protecting the local interests was a concern of mine, as it was of 
yours, and I am glad that we were able to find ways to satisfy the 
existing uses within the wilderness and the park area, because having 
been one who has utilized that park and have enjoyed it over the years, 
I want to be able to continue to use it myself in those ways, as do all 
of our constituents from the valley, who believe this, as I said, is 
one of our crown jewels.
  It was always a goal of mine that this be a bipartisan effort, and I 
am glad that Congressman Nunes feels comfortable with supporting the 
legislation and proud you were able to help make it a reality.
  Mr. NUNES. Reclaiming my time, I want to thank the gentleman for his 
statements. I think this is a fitting tribute to Mr. Krebs, who 
dedicated his life to public service. He served on the Fresno County 
Board of Supervisors and also in the United States Congress honorably. 
Hopefully this wilderness bill ends up being something that is really 
done in a bipartisan manner, that after it is passed is also enacted in 
such a way that ensures use by all of our constituents, because really 
these are America's parks and resources and we want to make sure that 
access is granted to those that want it.
  So, thank you, Mr. Costa and Senator Boxer for honoring Mr. Krebs in 
this way, and I strongly urge passage of this bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. COSTA. In closing, I just again want to thank Congressman Nunes 
and thank Senator Boxer. I think it is fitting and appropriate that we 
name this additional wilderness area on behalf of a gentleman who 
dedicated a large part of his time to protect and preserve our heritage 
for future generations to come and was one of my mentors. It is a proud 
day for me to be here today to in fact make this happen.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Costa) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3022, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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