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




      RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF BOTH THE LAND AND WATER 
                CONSERVATION FUND AND THE WILDERNESS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 17, 2014

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 50th 
Anniversary of both the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the 
Wilderness Act, two momentous accomplishments for the environmental 
movement at both the time of their signing and today.
   The technology sector in my district is booming. People come to 
Seattle not just because of our vibrant technology ecosystem or our 
business- and worker-friendly environment. They also come because 
smart, forward-thinking people for the past 50 years have set aside 
open space--preserving farmland, building parks, and conserving 
habitat.
   The Land and Water Conservation Fund helped conserve iconic natural 
treasures in all fifty states, including Mount Rainier National Park in 
the great state of Washington. I am a frequent visitor to the beautiful 
San Juan Islands, another Washington gem protected by the LWCF. The 
Wilderness Act enabled the highest levels of protection for the 
stunning Alpine Lakes Wilderness, a natural landscape Seattleites are 
fortunate to have in their backyard.
   Programs like the Land and Water Conservation Act and the Wilderness 
Act are not just good for the environment; they are good for people and 
the economy. I commend those who enacted these programs half a century 
ago and those working to promote this work today. It is imperative that 
we continue the legacy of preserving America's rich and diverse natural 
heritage.

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