[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 92 (Tuesday, June 5, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H4748-H4750]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        NORTH COUNTRY NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL ROUTE ADJUSTMENT ACT

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 1026) to revise the authorized route of the North 
Country National Scenic Trail in northeastern Minnesota and to extend 
the trail into Vermont to connect with the Appalachian National Scenic 
Trail, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1026

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``North Country National 
     Scenic Trail Route Adjustment Act''.

     SEC. 2. ROUTE ADJUSTMENT.

       Section 5(a)(8) of the National Trails System Act (16 
     U.S.C. 1244(a)(8)) is amended in the first sentence--
       (1) by striking ``thirty-two hundred miles, extending from 
     eastern New York State'' and inserting ``4,600 miles, 
     extending from the Appalachian Trail in Vermont''; and
       (2) by striking ``Proposed North Country Trail'' and all 
     that follows through ``June 1975.'' and inserting `` `North 
     Country National Scenic Trail, Authorized Route', dated 
     February 2014, and numbered 649/116870.''.

     SEC. 3. LAND ACQUISITION.

       Neither the Secretary of Agriculture nor the Secretary of 
     the Interior may acquire for the North Country National 
     Scenic Trail land in Minnesota or Vermont that was obtained 
     through condemnation by a State or local government.

     SEC. 4. ENERGY.

       Nothing in the amendments made by this Act that change the 
     authorized route of the North Country National Scenic Trail 
     in Minnesota or Vermont shall prohibit the development, 
     production, conveyance, or transmission of energy in those 
     States, with reasonable efforts made to preserve the nature 
     and purpose of the North Country National Scenic Trail, and 
     to mitigate any damage to that trail and its associated 
     resources caused by such activities.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Bishop) and the gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands 
(Mr. Sablan) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  The North Country National Scenic Trail is about 4,000 miles and 
links scenic, national, historic, and cultural areas across seven 
States. It goes from basically North Dakota through New York and will 
eventually end up in Vermont.
  The issue at hand here is a section in Minnesota which is about 93 
miles that has not been built because it is a swamp. You can't build it 
there.

                              {time}  1645

  So what this would do--and it is strange we have to pass legislation 
to do it--is simply authorize to build a trail and go around the swamp 
which may add some additional miles to it, maybe around 400. It also 
authorizes at the other end about, maybe 66 miles of potential road 
from Vermont so that they can all connect to the Appalachian Trail 
which will create one of the most significant trails, the longest trail 
that we have to be able to use in this country.
  I should say the National Park Service has studied this, they have 
approved it; and nonetheless, it is still a good idea. I urge its 
adoption, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Nolan).
  Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Bishop for his thoughtful

[[Page H4749]]

consideration of this legislation and his very apt, clear, and concise 
explanation of what it does. I also want to thank our ranking member, 
Mr. Grijalva, and thank the bipartisan sponsorship for this legislation 
adjusting, expanding, and finishing off this great North Country 
National Scenic Trail.
  As Chairman Bishop explained, it starts up here at Sakakawea State 
Park and then travels all the way through the Boundary Waters Canoe 
Area Wilderness, Superior National Forest through Wisconsin, Michigan, 
Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania, all the way up to beautiful Lake 
Champlain and will connect with the great Appalachian Trail, which my 
family and I have enjoyed hiking on as well in years past.
  So I want to now note with gratitude the fact that virtually all--I 
am not sure everyone--but most all of the Members, Democrats and 
Republicans, whose district this trail goes through are cosponsors on 
the legislation. It enjoys wonderfully good bipartisan support.
  Mr. Speaker, there are millions of people in this country who really 
enjoy hiking and the camaraderie, the exercise, and all the good things 
that go along with that. So with this in mind, Chairman Bishop has 
already explained the fact that it gets us through this 100 miles of 
bog. Hats off to the State and local officials and the private 
landowners. All have agreed to do this without any cost to the public 
and without any exercise of eminent domain.
  Also hats off to the volunteers who enjoy so much of this hiking. I 
have actually worked on some of the trails myself. Of course, coming 
out of the sawmill and the pallet construction business, why, I feel 
pretty good with an ax, a hatchet, and a chain saw, so I have been out 
myself and volunteered my services to expand these trails.
  So with that in mind, I want to thank my good friend from Vermont 
(Mr. Welch) for his work, help, and support in bringing this trail all 
the way up to that beautiful Lake Champlain and then connecting it with 
the great Appalachian Trail as well.
  I think it is important to note that this legislation is not just 
about trails. It is about good jobs, and it is about good economic 
development. The fact is that there are millions of Americans who are 
out here hiking on these trails all the time. They get hungry and they 
get thirsty. They want to stop somewhere, have a refreshment, have a 
bite to eat, and support all the local restaurants.
  Secondly, hiking causes some exertion, which is why it is good 
exercise. So they get a little tired along the way, and they want to 
stop and spend a night or two in local hotels along the way. Of course, 
they also need some additional equipment or repairs or a new pair of 
shoes.
  The American Hiking Society has determined that, applying the 
multiplier effect here, this reaches and results in about $196 billion 
a year and supports about 768,000 jobs. I explained here how that 
happens.
  So along with the good-paying jobs, there is this enormous health 
factor. Experts are telling us now that our youth have a nature deficit 
in their thinking. In fancy terms it means the kids just don't get out 
enough anymore. One study indicated that each day the average kid 
spends 7 minutes outdoors and 7 hours in front of a computer or a TV 
screen. So we need to get our kids outdoors so they can learn the 
values and appreciation of the great outdoors. They are probably not 
going to get a chance to spend any time at Walden Pond, but we can get 
them out and exercising.
  So it is a good bill for economic health; it is a good bill for 
business and economic development. I want to again thank the chairman 
for his support in his committee for this legislation.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).
  Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from 
Minnesota for introducing this bill. As he said, the North Country 
Trail is really a gem that goes across seven States.
  But I take particular interest in it because the 173 miles that we 
are adding today are so close to the State of Wisconsin. I know there 
are many outdoor enthusiasts in my district for whom it is very 
important to do what they can to complete the North Country Trail.
  As was mentioned right now, to go through the trail you would wind up 
in an area that would be very difficult to get through. So I am sure 
there is an economic benefit to this to Minnesota, but to me far more 
than the economic benefit is the huge benefit so many of our American 
citizens take and experience in the outdoors, particularly in the area 
that is relatively undeveloped.
  I encourage passage of the bill. Add the new 173 miles. I am sure 
there are plenty of constituents in Wisconsin's Sixth Congressional 
District who look forward to walking across each one of those miles.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time remains.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from the Northern Mariana 
Islands has 15 minutes remaining.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield the distinguished gentleman from 
Vermont (Mr. Welch) such time as he may consume.
  Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from the 
Northern Mariana Islands and my cosponsor, the lead sponsor, Mr. Nolan. 
I also want to thank Chairman Bishop.
  Chairman Bishop, I want to thank you as well. You did something for 
us in Vermont with the Missisquoi River, and everything is working out. 
You had your same skepticism of certain agencies, but Vermonters are 
very grateful. You helped us then, and you are helping us now.
  I will take issue with a little thing you said. You presented the 
fact that this is going to go into Vermont. I heard it as an 
afterthought. I may be a little sensitive, but the whole point of 
walking 4,600 miles is to get to Vermont. That is what it is about.
  This is covering all these States, starting up in the Plains and 
coming around that bog hopefully, and it is going to connect up to the 
Appalachian Trail that not only runs through Vermont, Mr. Nolan, but 
runs by my house. I am going to wave to you next year when you have the 
time of being a retired Member of Congress and you are marching across 
that trail, when you get to Vermont, we are going to say hello and 
invite you in.
  The points you made are true. The economic benefit of this is really 
substantial. It gets people out and around and into the communities. 
The spin-off economic benefit is very substantial. In Vermont, our 
whole trail system, which we are very proud of, as I note you are in 
Minnesota, we estimate that about one in seven Vermont jobs depends on 
outdoor recreation, about 51,000 jobs and about $5.5 billion in 
consumer spending. And that is a big deal.
  The other point you alluded to is something I really think is 
important. It is good for the bottom line, but it is good for the soul: 
the camaraderie, the family participation, the connection that people 
have to where they live and the beauty of where it is they live.
  It is interesting you have got sponsors from all of the States 
through which this trail goes, and it didn't matter if it was 
Republican or Democrat because all of us have so much engagement with 
our citizens and ourselves where they have a sense of place in that 
location where the trail goes through their land, and they get out 
there, like you say, with the chain saws, and the amount of volunteer 
work that goes into making these trails passable in winter and summer 
is extraordinary.
  So this whole effort on this trail and in all of our trails is 
something that I think Congress should be doing as much of as it 
possibly can. It is good for the economy, it is good for the heart, and 
it is good for the soul.
  This is very, very important to us in Vermont. The Appalachian Trail 
goes through part of Vermont. The Green Mountain Corridor goes through 
all of Vermont, and we have a number of other trails that sometimes 
link up with snowmobile byways, some of which go across the land my 
wife and I own. And your legislation I think is building on a very, 
very ambitious and wonderful trail, the North Country National Scenic 
Trail.
  When you think about it, a person--you showed it on the map--can walk 
all that way. Do you know what? There are people who are going to do 
it. They are doing the Appalachian Trail, they

[[Page H4750]]

are doing the Pacific Coast Trail, and it becomes a lifetime effort for 
them. They plan it, and they arrange with friends to meet and do it. 
Whether you can do all of it, like Mr. Bishop probably could, and you 
could, or some of it, which I could do, it is an opportunity out there 
that awaits us, our kids, our grandkids, and future generations.
  So, Mr. Nolan, I have got to say that it has been an enormous 
pleasure to serve with you in Congress. You are one of the most direct 
and forthright people whom I have seen here. I think as a piece of 
legislation to pass upon the soon departure of your second round here 
in Congress, this is really something that generations of Americans, 
generations of Minnesotans, and generations of Vermonters are going to 
have very, very fond feelings, look back and thank you, Rick Nolan, for 
taking up the leadership on this tribute to our land and to our people.
  I want to thank you for letting me be part of this effort.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will gently remind Members that 
they need to direct their remarks to the Chair.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask for support of this legislation. I 
just want to say if it is really 4,600 miles, then that is the 
equivalent of a round trip between San Francisco and Honolulu, a 
distance which I frequently fly and don't actually enjoy sitting down.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time I have no further speakers. I ask for 
support, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to have 
been able to work on a bill that makes the assumption that someone 
actually does want to walk to Vermont. If indeed you can find that 
individual, we will provide an opportunity for it to take place.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have five 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 Utah?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 1026, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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