[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 64 (Thursday, April 19, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S2329]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 478--DESIGNATING THE WEEK OF APRIL 21, 2018, THROUGH 
               APRIL 29, 2018, AS ``NATIONAL PARK WEEK''

  Mr. DAINES (for himself, Mr. King, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Cotton, Mr. 
Whitehouse, Ms. Collins, Mr. Warner, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Brown, Mr. 
Wicker, Ms. Heitkamp, Mr. Cassidy, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Reed, 
Mr. Gardner, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Barrasso, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Boozman, 
Mr. Wyden, Mr. Portman, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Sanders, Mrs. 
Capito, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Enzi, and Mr. Hoeven) submitted the 
following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:
  Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the Senate Resolution, ``Designating the week of April 21, 2018, 
through April 29, 2018, as ``National Park Week'' introduced for 
myself, Senator King, and others be printed in the Record.

                              S. Res. 478

       Whereas, on March 1, 1872, Congress established Yellowstone 
     National Park as the first national park for the enjoyment of 
     the people of the United States;
       Whereas, on August 25, 1916, Congress established the 
     National Park Service with the mission to preserve unimpaired 
     the natural and cultural resources and values of the National 
     Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of 
     current and future generations;
       Whereas the National Park Service continues to protect and 
     manage the majestic landscapes, hallowed battlefields, and 
     iconic cultural and historical sites of the United States;
       Whereas the units of the National Park System can be found 
     in every State and many territories of the United States and 
     many of the units embody the rich natural and cultural 
     heritage of the United States, reflect a unique national 
     story through people and places, and offer countless 
     opportunities for recreation, volunteerism, cultural 
     exchange, education, civic engagement, and exploration;
       Whereas the national parks of the United States attracted 
     record-breaking visitation during the National Park Service 
     Centennial, with over 330,000,000 recreational visits to 
     these incredible places both in 2016 and 2017;
       Whereas visits and visitors to our national parks are 
     important economic drivers for the economy responsible for 
     $18,400,000,000 in spending in 2016;
       Whereas the dedicated employees of the National Park 
     Service carry out their mission to protect the national parks 
     of the United States so that the vibrant culture, diverse 
     wildlife, and priceless resources of the parks will endure 
     for perpetuity; and
       Whereas the people of the United States have inherited the 
     remarkable legacy of the National Park System and are 
     entrusted with the preservation of the National Park System 
     throughout its second century: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That Congress--
       (1) designates the week of April 21, 2018, through April 
     29, 2018, as ``National Park Week''; and
       (2) encourages the people of the United States and the 
     world to visit and experience the treasured national parks of 
     the United States.

  Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, as a fifth generation Montanan who grew up 
just a short drive from our Nation's first National Park, Yellowstone 
National Park, and as Chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources 
Subcommittee on National Parks, I am excited to introduce this 
resolution to reassure the public that Congress recognizes the 
remarkable value that our National Parks bring to our national 
heritage. I am happy to be joined by Ranking Member Angus King and 
Senator Hirono and nearly 30 of our bipartisan colleagues in 
introducing this resolution. The support of this resolution is a 
reflection that our National Parks bridge political divides and make 
our Nation uniquely American. I am hopeful that Congress, the Trump 
Administration and future Administrations will continue to invest in 
our National Parks to ensure their legacy endures for our children and 
generations to come.

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