[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 113 (Wednesday, July 13, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5086-S5087]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 532--CELEBRATING THE 140TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STATE 
                              OF COLORADO

  Mr. GARDNER (for himself and Mr. Bennet) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 532

       Whereas Colorado joined the Union as the 38th State on 
     August 1, 1876, when President Ulysses S. Grant signed a 
     statehood proclamation;
       Whereas statehood was granted to Colorado after Colorado 
     became a territory in 1861 and Jerome Chaffee, a 
     Representative for the territory, convinced Congress that the 
     population had increased enough for statehood to be approved;
       Whereas the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado 
     Springs, Colorado, educates and trains brave men and women in 
     the Air Force;
       Whereas Colorado has 6 military bases that are home to the 
     honorable men and women who serve the United States;
       Whereas there are more than 36,000 farms in Colorado, 
     located on more than 31,000,000 acres, which grow a variety 
     of crops, including barley, grapes, sunflowers, and beans;

[[Page S5087]]

       Whereas Colorado ranks fifth in the United States for 
     potato production and produces 2,000,000,000 pounds of 
     potatoes;
       Whereas Colorado produces 8,000,000 bushels of barley each 
     year and ranks third in the United States in breweries per 
     capita with a total of 285 breweries;
       Whereas Golden, Colorado, is home to the National Renewable 
     Energy Laboratory (commonly referred to as ``NREL''), which 
     is transforming the ways the people of the United States use 
     and develop energy through research;
       Whereas Colorado is ranked twelfth in the United States for 
     installed solar energy capacity and eighth in the United 
     States for the number of wind turbines located within the 
     State;
       Whereas, with an average of more than 300 days of sunshine 
     per year, Colorado is one of the sunniest States in the 
     United States;
       Whereas Colorado is home to the Southern Ute Tribe and the 
     Ute Mountain Ute Tribe;
       Whereas Colorado is home to 58 mountain peaks rising 14,000 
     feet above sea level;
       Whereas Colorado has world renowned skiing and 
     snowboarding, with 25 resorts for Coloradans and out-of-State 
     visitors to enjoy;
       Whereas Colorado has 4 National Parks, including the Black 
     Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, the Great Sand Dunes 
     National Park and Preserve, Mesa Verde National Park, and 
     Rocky Mountain National Park;
       Whereas Colorado is also home to numerous monuments, 
     wilderness areas, recreation areas, and historic trails, all 
     of which ensure that beautiful landscapes are preserved and 
     provide recreation opportunities for all;
       Whereas Colorado is a national leader in aerospace, where 
     companies develop cutting edge technology to propel the 
     United States into the future; and
       Whereas Colorado is a symbol of the beauty and opportunity 
     America has to offer, and Katherine Lee Bates wrote the poem 
     ``America the Beautiful'' after being inspired during a hike 
     up Pikes Peak: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate commends and celebrates Colorado 
     and the people of Colorado on the 140th anniversary of the 
     State of Colorado.

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