[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 15 (Monday, January 30, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H717-H718]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DELAWARE WATER GAP NATIONAL RECREATION AREA IMPROVEMENT ACT AMENDMENT
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 560) to amend the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation
Area Improvement Act to provide access to certain vehicles serving
residents of municipalities adjacent to the Delaware Water Gap National
Recreation Area, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 560
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. VEHICULAR ACCESS AND FEES.
Section 4 of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation
Area Improvement Act (Public Law 109-156) is amended to read
as follows:
``SEC. 4. USE OF CERTAIN ROADS WITHIN THE RECREATION AREA.
``(a) In General.--Except as otherwise provided in this
section, Highway 209, a federally owned road within the
boundaries of the Recreation Area, shall be closed to all
commercial vehicles.
``(b) Exception for Local Business Use.--Until September
30, 2021, subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to the
use of commercial vehicles that have four or fewer axles and
are--
``(1) owned and operated by a business physically located
in--
``(A) the Recreation Area; or
``(B) one or more adjacent municipalities; or
``(2) necessary to provide services to businesses or
persons located in--
``(A) the Recreation Area; or
``(B) one of more adjacent municipalities.
``(c) Fee.--The Secretary shall establish a fee and permit
program for the use by commercial vehicles of Highway 209
under subsection (b). The program shall include an annual fee
not to exceed $200 per vehicle. All fees received under the
program shall be set aside in a special account and be
available, without further appropriation, to the Secretary
for the administration and enforcement of the program,
including registering vehicles, issuing permits and vehicle
identification stickers, and personnel costs.
``(d) Exceptions.--The following vehicles may use Highway
209 and shall not be subject to a fee or permit requirement
under subsection (c):
``(1) Local school buses.
``(2) Fire, ambulance, and other safety and emergency
vehicles.
``(3) Commercial vehicles using Federal Road Route 209,
from--
``(A) Milford to the Delaware River Bridge leading to U.S.
Route 206 in New Jersey; and
``(B) mile 0 of Federal Road Route 209 to Pennsylvania
State Route 2001.''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
Section 2 of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation
Area Improvement Act (Public Law 109-156) is amended--
[[Page H718]]
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as
paragraphs (2) through (6), respectively; and
(2) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so redesignated
by paragraph (1) of this section) the following:
``(1) Adjacent municipalities.--The term `adjacent
municipalities' means Delaware Township, Dingman Township,
Lehman Township, Matamoras Borough, Middle Smithfield
Township, Milford Borough, Milford Township, Smithfield
Township and Westfall Township, in Pennsylvania.''.
SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENT.
Section 702 of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands
Management Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-333) is repealed.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. McClintock) and the gentleman from the Northern Mariana
Islands (Mr. Sablan) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. McCLINTOCK. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 560, introduced by Congressman Tom Marino, amends
the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Improvement Act to
allow a highway through the national recreation area to continue to be
used by small commercial vehicles that serve the local communities
adjoining this federally designated land. It is entirely in keeping
with one of our principal objectives for Federal land use policy: to
restore the Federal Government as a good neighbor to the communities
impacted by the Federal lands.
In 1981, a portion of highway 209 was transferred from the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to the National Park Service. Two years
later, Congress closed the National Park Service segment of highway 209
to commercial traffic except for commercial vehicular operations
serving businesses or persons located in or contiguous to the
boundaries of the recreation area. Congress also authorized the Park
Service to collect and retain fees from commercial use of the road. A
10-year transition period was established to accommodate impacts on the
surrounding communities until alternative trucking routes could be
built. Congress later passed two additional extensions of the
commercial vehicle permitting authority through September 30, 2015.
As the third extension permitting commercial vehicle use of highway
209 neared expiration, local elected officials requested that Congress
enact legislation to permit access for smaller class commercial
vehicles for businesses physically located in towns adjacent to highway
209. H.R. 560 provides for such an extension, establishes up a fee
structure, and exempts certain vehicles from the fee, thus protecting
residents of these communities from additional disruption and
inconvenience.
Congressman Marino should be commended for his efforts to resolve
this vexing issue for his constituents.
A nearly identical version of this legislation passed the House by
voice vote in the 114th Congress. I urge adoption of this bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
This bill, H.R. 560, amends the Delaware Water Gap National
Recreation Area Improvement Act to extend a waiver for certain
commercial traffic on U.S. Route 209, a federally owned highway that
runs through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
When Congress decided to restrict commercial traffic on the portion
of the highway that runs through the recreation area, the law included
an exemption for certain vehicles that belong to nearby businesses and
municipal governments. This bill provides a 5-year extension of that
exemption in order to facilitate continued access for local residents.
The National Park Service, which manages the area, supports the bill;
and it passed the House, as my colleague from California mentioned,
last year by voice vote. I urge my colleagues to support the adoption
of this bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Marino), the author of the
measure.
Mr. MARINO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 560, my bill
to reauthorize limited commercial vehicle traffic along Route 209
through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Tomorrow marks
16 months during which uncertainty has reigned over this 21-mile
stretch of road running through my district.
Over 30 years ago, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania transferred Route
209, then a State road, to the National Park Service. As commercial
vehicle traffic is banned on roads within our national parks, it would
ultimately be restricted on this stretch of Route 209. But at that
time, a 10-year exemption was made to support the local freight
transport industry and because acceptable alternative routes were
unavailable.
After multiple extensions, the most recent commercial vehicle
authorization expired at the end of September 2015. To address the
problem, county and township officials from the surrounding areas met
with the National Park Service and my staff to negotiate a new plan.
They recognized a continuing need to allow some commercial vehicles
access and settled on the carefully crafted language we are considering
today.
The work to produce this extension acknowledges the continued need of
the employers, businesses, and homeowners in Pike and Monroe Counties.
Unfortunately, although the House passed identical language in the
114th Congress and the Senate moved it to the floor, this important
legislation failed to become law. The resulting uncertainty created
hardship for families and businesses in the communities neighboring the
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
The lack of access to this stretch of road has cast a cloud on a wide
range of local businesses from heating fuel and package delivery to
plumbers and electricians. Homeowners cannot access the services they
need and countless jobs are in jeopardy. This is a critical piece of
legislation for my constituents. We must pass it today and urge the
Senate to act just as quickly.
I want to thank Chairman Bishop and Federal Lands Subcommittee
Chairman McClintock, and I want to thank my colleagues on the other
side of the aisle for their support and work with my staff to bring
this bill to the floor as quickly as possible.
I urge my colleagues to support it.
Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague, Mr.
Marino, for his leadership and his effort in the introduction and
efforts towards the hopeful passage of H.R. 560. I want to also thank
my good friend from California for this afternoon's wonderful time
managing these six bills.
I urge the passage of H.R. 560.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. McCLINTOCK. I would just add that this and all the bills we heard
today authored by both Republicans and Democrats, which passed this
House in the last session, unanimously, were all stalled in the Senate.
I would only express the hope that the Senate, this year, will act on
these measures and do its duty as the coequal branch of the legislative
department of this government.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 560.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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