[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 100 (Wednesday, June 30, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S5704]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 66--TO COMMEMORATE THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF 
                         THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

  Mr. WARNER (for himself, Mr. Webb, Mrs. Hagan, and Mr. Burr) 
submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources:

                            S. Con. Res. 66

       Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway links the Great Smoky 
     Mountains National Park to the Shenandoah National Park, 
     providing 469 scenic miles for motor recreation along the 
     crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina and 
     Virginia;
       Whereas North Carolina state geologist Joseph Hyde Pratt 
     first proposed a scenic road along the Blue Ridge Mountains 
     in 1906;
       Whereas on November 24, 1933, at the recommendation of 
     Virginia Senator Harry Byrd, Secretary of the Interior Harold 
     Ickes approved construction of the new highway to connect the 
     Great Smoky Mountains National Park with the Shenandoah 
     National Park;
       Whereas on September 11, 1935, construction began on the 
     first 12.5 mile section of the Blue Ridge Parkway near 
     Cumberland Knob in North Carolina;
       Whereas Stanley L. Abbott is widely remembered as the 
     ``father of the Blue Ridge Parkway'' for his work to oversee 
     planning of the project;
       Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway was established by Congress 
     as a unit of the National Park Service on June 30, 1936;
       Whereas the National Park Service development program, 
     ``Mission 66'', oversaw the completion of most remaining gaps 
     along the Blue Ridge Parkway during the 1950s and 1960s;
       Whereas the final stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway was 
     completed in 1987 with the construction of the Linn Cove 
     Viaduct;
       Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway provides recreational 
     opportunities for families in the United States at picnic 
     areas and campgrounds and on scenic drives through the 
     Appalachian mountain passes;
       Whereas the diverse topography and numerous vista points 
     along the Blue Ridge Parkway make the road the most 
     accessible way to visit and experience the Southern 
     Appalachian rural landscape and mountains;
       Whereas the Parkway is world-renowned for biodiversity, 
     including 74 species of mammals, 50 species of salamanders, 
     35 species of reptiles, 159 species of birds, and 25 species 
     of fish;
       Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited unit of 
     the National Park Service with nearly 20 million visitors 
     each year;
       Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway promotes regional travel and 
     tourism by unifying the 29 counties through which the road 
     passes, engendering a shared regional identity, providing a 
     common link of interest, and contributing to the economic 
     vitality of the area;
       Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the strongest 
     economic engines in the Southern Appalachian region, 
     generating an estimated $23,000,000,000 in North Carolina and 
     Virginia annually;
       Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway has received volunteer 
     support from thousands of North Carolinians and Virginians, 
     including 1,400 volunteers in 2008 who provided a total of 
     more than 50,000 hours of service;
       Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway is a great public works 
     achievement that maintains natural, historic, and cultural 
     significance for the people of North Carolina and Virginia; 
     and
       Whereas this crown jewel of the National Park Service 
     deserves the support of Congress to preserve the ecological 
     and cultural integrity, maintain the infrastructure, and 
     protect the famously scenic views of the Parkway: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Blue Ridge 
     Parkway; and
       (2) acknowledges the historic and enduring scenic, 
     recreational, and economic value of this unique national 
     treasure.

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