[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 8, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H4876]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   LET'S FIX OUR PARKS, NOT ADD MORE

  (Mr. SMITH of Nebraska asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express concern 
about continued acquisition of private lands by the Federal Government.
  The Federal Government currently owns about 30 percent of the land in 
our country but is unable to properly maintain this land, as evidenced 
by the Park Service's staggering $11.5 billion backlog of maintenance 
projects, yet the Federal Government continues to spend limited 
taxpayer dollars and resources on more land. For example, many of my 
constituents are facing a push by the government to take over 
historically private land.
  A June 30 New York Times article, entitled, ``Let's Fix Our Parks, 
Not Add More,'' further illustrates the scope of this problem, 
criticizing the administration's decision to add seven new parks to the 
system.
  I urge my colleagues to oppose future land purchases and instead 
focus the Interior Department's attention on properly maintaining 
existing Federal lands to ensure access for generations to come.

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