[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 17, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1448-E1449]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    CELEBRATING WILDERNESS WEEK 2014

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DAVID E. PRICE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 17, 2014

  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise in celebration of 
our nation's public lands and wilderness and in honor of Wilderness 
Week, observed September 13-18, 2014.
   This year, Wilderness Week takes on special meaning, as this 
September marks the 50th anniversary of two enduring tools for American 
conservation: the Wilderness Act and the Land and Water Conservation 
Fund. Passed by Congress in 1964, these two acts remain vital to our 
efforts of conserving the best of America's natural lands.
   On September 3, 1964, President Johnson signed into law the Land and 
Water Conservation Fund Act, landmark legislation that established a 
dedicated and permanent funding stream for the purpose of protecting 
and conserving our nation's irreplaceable outdoor recreational, 
natural, historic and cultural landmarks.
   Paid for by royalties collected from oil and gas companies, the Land 
and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) has financed generations of projects 
to bring parks and clean, green spaces to the hearts of our urban 
areas. The suite of LWCF programs is critical for protecting natural 
lands, outdoor recreation opportunities, and working forests at the 
local, state and federal levels. Since its creation, the LWCF program 
has conserved more than 5 million acres of parks, recreation, forests, 
and other lands through the federal program and more than 2.6 million 
acres in communities throughout every state in the nation.
   But LWCF does more than simply add to our public lands. Investing in 
LWCF is also an important way to grow our economy. The Outdoor Industry 
Association states that outdoor recreation contributes more than $1.06 
trillion annually to the U.S. economy, supports more than 9.4 million 
jobs, and stimulates 8 percent of all consumer spending. And The Trust 
for Public Land found that every $1 invested in LWCF returns $4 in 
economic value. Without LWCF funding to stimulate matching investments 
from state, local and private entities, this crucial economic driver 
will be lost.
   These numbers prove the program's success, and I am pleased that the 
program is also extremely popular. In recent polls, more than 80 
percent of voters expressed support for continuing to deposit fees from 
offshore oil and gas drilling into LWCF--this broad support extends 
from every geographic region of the country and every political 
persuasion. Supporters include governors, mayors, sportsmen, industry 
leaders, conservationists, Civil War enthusiasts, historians, 
recreationists, small businesses, forest owners, and the many Americans 
who see firsthand the tangible benefits this program has had on their 
communities and families.
   Although LWCF has a dedicated revenue stream from offshore drilling 
royalties and takes no taxpayer money from the general fund, large 
portions of this funding have been diverted over the years to non-
conservation purposes. Even at last year's appropriated level of $306 
million, we were a far cry from the $900 million that is annually 
authorized for conservation work. In addition, LWCF's authorizing 
legislation is set to expire in September 2015, and it is imperative 
that we reauthorize this successful program before that date. I believe 
Congress should uphold its decades long commitment to land and water 
conservation and reinvigorate LWCF, thereby expanding opportunities for 
all Americans to have access to parks and natural areas for outdoor 
recreation.
   Along with the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act, President 
Johnson also signed into law the Wilderness Act. The Wilderness Act 
allows Congress to designate some public lands as ``wilderness.'' These 
wilderness areas are designed to remain unchanged by humans--to allow 
ecological and evolutionary processes could be carried out without 
human intervention and give future generations a ``glimpse of the world 
as it was in the beginning.'' As such, these areas are off-limits to 
commercial ventures, such as logging and mining, and permanent 
structures (roads and lodges), but they remain available for public 
exploration.
   Just as our government had established the first national parks in 
the world almost a century earlier, the Wilderness Act made the United 
States the first country in the world to designate and protect 
wilderness. When it was first signed, the Wilderness Act designated 54 
wilderness areas, protecting about 9.1 million acres in 13 states. 
Since that time, the number of wilderness areas has increased to more 
than 750, covering about 110 million acres of wilderness in 44 states. 
Our wilderness areas include some of the highest points of the Rockies 
to places like Linville Gorge in my home state of North Carolina's 
mountains. Sadly, some opponents of conservation in Congress would like 
to see this hard work undone. In 2012, for the first time, Congress 
actually took 222 acres out of the wilderness designation.
   John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club, once said, ``Wilderness is a 
necessity . . . There must be places for human beings to satisfy their 
souls.'' Today, in an increasingly urban nation, wilderness areas are 
ever more important as we need a place to get away, to enjoy and 
restore ourselves. Wilderness areas also serve to provide biological 
diversity, clean air and water, and baseline data for research as we 
deal with issues like climate change. We need to protect connected 
landscapes to sustain our fish and wildlife and other natural resources 
for the future.
   So, while the 50th anniversary of each of these landmark bills is an 
occasion for celebration, it must also serve as a reminder of the work 
we have to do. I once heard it said that ``America's public lands are 
like unfinished works of art; incomplete masterpieces.'' LWCF and the 
Wilderness Act will help to complete this work. In fact, that was the 
promise made to the American people 50 years ago when these bills were 
enacted. President Johnson wisely observed, ``True leadership must 
provide for the next decade and not merely the next day.'' So, let us 
celebrate wilderness week and honor the 50th anniversary of the 
Wilderness Act and LWCF by renewing our commitment to protect our 
nation's wild places.
    

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