[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 40 (Thursday, March 18, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H1619-H1621]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1530
ALPINE LAKES WILDERNESS ADDITIONS AND PRATT AND MIDDLE FORK SNOQUALMIE 
                         RIVERS PROTECTION ACT

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1769) to expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in the State of 
Washington, to designate the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River and Pratt 
River as wild and scenic rivers, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1769

       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 ``Alpine Lakes Wilderness 
     Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers 
     Protection Act''.

     SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF ALPINE LAKES WILDERNESS.

       (a) In General.--There is designated as wilderness and as a 
     component of the National Wilderness Preservation System 
     certain Federal land in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National 
     Forest in the State of Washington comprising approximately 
     22,173 acres that is within the Proposed Alpine Lakes 
     Wilderness Additions Boundary, as generally depicted on the 
     map entitled ``Proposed Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions'' 
     and dated December 3, 2009, which is incorporated in and 
     shall be considered to be a part of the Alpine Lakes 
     Wilderness.
       (b) Administration.--
       (1) Management.--Subject to valid existing rights, the land 
     designated as wilderness by subsection (a) shall be 
     administered by the Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in 
     this section as the ``Secretary''), in accordance with the 
     Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), except that any 
     reference in that Act to the effective date of that Act shall 
     be considered to be a reference to the date of enactment of 
     this Act.
       (2) Map and description.--
       (A) In general.--As soon as practicable after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall file a map and a 
     legal description of the land designated as wilderness by 
     subsection (a) with--
       (i) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (ii) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
     Senate.
       (B) Force of law.--A map and legal description filed under 
     subparagraph (A) shall have the same force and effect as if 
     included in this Act, except that the Secretary may correct 
     minor errors in the map and legal description.
       (C) Public availability.--The map and legal description 
     filed under subparagraph (A) shall be filed and made 
     available for public inspection in the appropriate office of 
     the Forest Service.
       (c) Incorporation of Acquired Land and Interests in Land.--
     Any land or interests in land within the Proposed Alpine 
     Lakes Wilderness Additions Boundary, as generally depicted on 
     the map entitled ``Proposed Alpine Lakes Wilderness 
     Additions'' and dated December 3, 2009, that is acquired by 
     the United States shall--
       (1) become part of the wilderness area; and
       (2) be managed in accordance with subsection (b)(1).

     SEC. 3. WILD AND SCENIC RIVER DESIGNATIONS.

       Section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 
     1274(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(__) Middle Fork Snoqualmie, Washington.--The 27.4-mile 
     segment from the headwaters of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie 
     River near La Bohn Gap in NE \1/4\ sec. 20, T. 24 N., R. 13 
     E., to the northern boundary of sec. 11, T. 23 N., R. 9 E., 
     to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture in the 
     following classifications:
       ``(A) The approximately 6.4-mile segment from the 
     headwaters of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River near La Bohn 
     Gap in NE \1/4\ sec. 20, T. 24 N., R. 13 E., to the west 
     section line of sec. 3, T. 23 N., R. 12 E., as a wild river.
       ``(B) The approximately 21-mile segment from the west 
     section line of sec. 3, T. 23 N., R. 12 E., to the northern 
     boundary of sec. 11, T. 23 N., R. 9 E., as a scenic river.
       ``(__) Pratt River, Washington.--The entirety of the Pratt 
     River in the State of Washington, located in the Mount Baker-
     Snoqualmie

[[Page H1620]]

     National Forest, to be administered by the Secretary of 
     Agriculture as a wild river.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam.


                             General Leave

  Ms. BORDALLO. 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 
gentlewoman from Guam?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1769, sponsored by Representative 
Dave Reichert of Washington, would expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness 
area and designate two rivers as components of the National Wild and 
Scenic Rivers System. The Alpine Lakes Wilderness area, originally 
designated by Congress in 1976, sits 45 minutes east of downtown 
Seattle and has became one of the most visited wilderness areas in the 
country.
  The proposed wilderness additions are low elevation lands that 
provide important habitat for wildlife when high elevation lands are 
covered by snow. Elk, deer, cougars, and bobcats live in the mountain 
valleys that comprise the proposed wilderness additions.
  Mr. Speaker, we support passage of H.R. 1769, and we urge its 
adoption by the House today.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, in a moment, I'm going to yield time to Dave Reichert, 
the lead sponsor and proponent of this legislation, but before doing 
so, I want to recognize what a diligent and persuasive advocate Dave 
Reichert has been for this bill. He developed it by working closely 
with local leaders. He introduced it and has gained the support of 
Washington State's two Democratic Senators.
  While the bill does not take the approach that I personally believe 
is best for protecting our Federal forests and public lands, this bill 
only affects lands in Washington State's Eighth Congressional District, 
which Dave Reichert has been elected to represent.
  Due to the leadership and hard work of Mr. Reichert, this bill was 
advanced out of the Natural Resources Committee, and I fully expect it 
will pass the full House of Representatives today.
  So to my friend and colleague from Washington State, I offer my 
congratulations on his success, and I yield him whatever time he may 
consume.
  Mr. REICHERT. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  I am proud to stand here today on behalf of my constituents and my 
community throughout the region of western Washington, and especially 
those working hard in the Eighth District, to finally bring this 
legislation to the floor today. I just happen to be the conduit to 
bring this legislation to the United States House of Representatives, 
so all the hard work was really done by the people who live in our 
region.
  The Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork 
Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act is the product of teamwork, 3 years of 
careful collaboration, consultation, and consensus building with local 
stakeholders. Since 2007, we've worked with scores of local officials, 
conservation enthusiasts, recreation groups, public safety advocates, 
and parties interested in land use issues to develop this bipartisan 
proposal.
  And I would like to particularly thank King County Councilman Reagan 
Dunn, whose mother actually held this seat prior to my arrival here, 
who has always worked tirelessly throughout the State of Washington, 
and especially in our western Washington area, for our environment.
  I thank the community for taking the long view and for not letting 
politics get in the way of doing what's right for Washington State. 
Because of these efforts, we will have a spectacular wild area to leave 
behind for our children and grandchildren to use and enjoy.
  H.R. 1769 builds on the proud Washington State tradition pioneered by 
Senators Warren Magnuson, Scoop Jackson, and Dan Evans, who have all 
worked together over the years to protect our public lands and preserve 
our recreational opportunities for all Washingtonians.
  This bill also builds on another important Washington State 
tradition, that of collaborative consensus-based, environmental 
stewardship. And I want to thank Senator Patty Murray for introducing 
companion legislation on the Senate side.
  My bill provides a unique opportunity to permanently protect key 
additions to the existing Alpine Lakes Wilderness, which reaches the 
crest of the Cascade Mountains just east of the Seattle-Bellevue 
metropolitan area in my district. It also preserves wildlife habitats, 
existing recreational opportunities, and local economies that rely on 
both.
  Alpine Lakes was first designated by Congress in 1976, and it's one 
of the most visited and most popular wilderness areas in our country. 
My legislation embraces important lower elevation lands, completes 
watersheds, protects two rivers with wild and scenic designations, and 
provides clean water and flood control for the valleys those rivers run 
through.
  The proposed additions have been carefully crafted, taking into 
consideration existing recreational opportunities for hiking, camping, 
rafting, kayaking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and wildlife 
viewing, also taking care to protect a large area to preserve for 
hunting and fishing opportunities.
  These additions my bill makes to this Alpine Lakes Wilderness area do 
not infringe on any private property issues and will not cost the 
Federal taxpayers a single cent.
  I hope today that we realize that protecting this wilderness will 
serve our future generations. And as a grandfather--now as my staff 
wrote this thing and I'm reading through part of this bill today, I 
noticed in this sentence right here they have shortened my life a 
little bit, because they have said that I won't have the opportunity to 
see my great-grandchildren enjoy this wilderness area. I have a 15-
year-old grandson, so I'm hoping in the next, maybe, 10 years or so, I 
might be able to watch my great-grandchild walk through this park.
  I've had the opportunity to work with, again, as I said, all the 
people in our community, and it's just a joy to take my grandchildren 
today, my sons and daughters before that, walking through the 
wilderness, looking at wildlife and seeing the excitement in their eyes 
as they see wildlife pass right in front of them in some of our 
wilderness areas in Washington State. So, this wilderness area will be 
right in the backyard of Bellevue and Seattle, 40, 45 minutes away.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation today.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Lance).
  Mr. LANCE. I thank the gentleman from California and the gentlelady 
from Guam.
  Madam Speaker, I certainly rise in support of the legislation under 
discussion. I also rise today as a proud cosponsor of H.R. 2788, the 
Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial Act.
  The creation of a memorial to honor Distinguished Flying Cross medal 
recipients is long overdue. These brave men and women are being honored 
for their heroic and extraordinary achievements during flight.
  This diverse group of service men and women includes pilots from all 
five military branches and veterans from every U.S. military conflict 
from World War I to the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I'm 
honored to represent several of these heroes who have received the 
Distinguished Flying Cross medal.
  One of the awardees is James Pressman of Clark, New Jersey. Born in 
Elizabeth and raised in Rahway, Mr. Pressman served as a U.S. Army 
pilot and has been decorated with three Distinguished Flying Crosses 
for his valiant efforts.
  In 1967, he graduated from the Army ROTC program at Rutgers 
University, where he was enrolled in the Army

[[Page H1621]]

flight program. Upon graduation, Mr. Pressman attended Infantry Officer 
Basic School and Flight School and then served in Vietnam from March 
1969 to March 1970.
  Mr. Pressman flew UH-1H helicopters as a member of C Troop in the 1st 
Squadron, 9th Cavalry of the 1st Air Cavalry Division in Phuoc Vinh, 
Vietnam. After safely returning home, he taught for a year as a flight 
instructor at Fort Wolters, Texas. Once Mr. Pressman retired from the 
Army, he served 6 years in the Army National Guard in Westfield, New 
Jersey.
  Mr. Pressman resides in Clark as a retired real estate agent and 
substitute history teacher at Westfield and Arthur L. Johnson high 
schools. It is my privilege, Madam Speaker, to recognize him today 
along with all of the other courageous servicemen and -women who have 
been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
  I thank the sponsor of the legislation, Congressman Ken Calvert of 
California, as well as the chairman and ranking member of the Natural 
Resources Committee, for bringing this legislation to the floor.
  With that, I encourage all of my colleagues to vote for passage of 
the legislation.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. 
Boswell) such time as he may consume. And before he begins, I would 
like to mention that he is a recipient of the Distinguished Flying 
Cross.
  Mr. BOSWELL. I do rise in support.
  I understand you had the debate, but I would feel remiss if I didn't 
make a few comments for my fellow airmen that have served and serve 
with great distinction.
  It has probably been said, but Congress established the Distinguished 
Flying Cross 80 years ago, and today it is America's oldest military 
aviation award. The medal was created to symbolize sacrifice and 
heroism.
  I applaud Mr. Calvert for introducing this legislation, which will 
finally give Distinguished Flying Cross recipients the national 
recognition they deserve. Many may know that I served in the U.S. Army 
for 20 years, including a couple tours in Vietnam. I had the 
opportunity to serve with many great aviators who were also awarded the 
Distinguished Flying Cross.
  I was truly honored to not only serve with these aviators but, in 
some cases, to supervise them. I had the opportunity to recommend brave 
individuals for the Distinguished Flying Cross. Their heroism and valor 
oftentimes inspired me and kept me going in the face of adversity.
  This bill today honors my fellow aviators I served with during my 20 
years, in addition to the men and women who now are protecting us in 
the skies domestically and abroad. My experience in the Army has a 
strong influence on me and added to many positives in the rest of my 
life.
  When I look back at that time, I remember those I served with who 
gave the ultimate sacrifice to our country, those who served and gave 
their lives for our freedom. And I feel honored I had the opportunity 
to serve. Because of this experience, I truly relish what a tremendous 
gift and what a privilege it is to be an American.
  Today I am extremely pleased to honor those aviators and all 
aviators. I strongly urge my colleagues to join in supporting H.R. 
2788.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I again urge Members to support the 
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Edwards of Maryland). The question is on 
the motion offered by the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1769, 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.

                          ____________________