[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 19, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S3369]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          100TH ANNIVERSARY OF LEHMAN CAVES NATIONAL MONUMENT

  Ms. CORTEZ MASTO. Mr. President, I come forward today to recognize 
the 100th anniversary of Lehman Caves National Monument, the precursor 
to Great Basin National Park. Today, Great Basin National Park is a 
77,000-acre expanse known for its natural beauty and wonderful trails. 
The Lehman Caves Monument has been managed by the National Park Service 
for more than half a century, prior to the creation of the larger park. 
Lehman Caves attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year, 
providing them with the opportunity to explore underground wonders.
  The caves themselves were first used by Native Americans and later 
``rediscovered'' by settlers in the late 1880s before President Warren 
Harding established Lehman Caves National Monument on January 24, 1922. 
This declaration provided for custodians of the caves to make 
improvements, including much-needed repairs and the creation of safer 
routes for tourists to explore the caves' beauty. In the 1930s, 
President Franklin Roosevelt transferred control of Lehman Caves to the 
National Park Service, enhancing work to repair and rehabilitate the 
caves. The caves were then added to the larger National Park 
legislation that officially created Great Basin National Park, which 
was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan 
on October 27, 1986. As a part of Great Basin National Park, Lehman 
Caves remains accessible today through tours led by park rangers.
  Further, the quarter-mile long cavern is filled with spectacular 
geological formations, including stalactites, stalagmites, popcorn, and 
a wavy rock pattern of colorful flowstone, commonly referred to as 
``cave bacon.'' The cavern is also home to a number of unique species. 
The Great Basin cave pseudoscorpion and the Lehman Caves millipede, for 
example, were first found in Lehman Caves and exist only in Great Basin 
National Park. From its geology to its ecosystem, Lehman Caves has 
provided visitors with an experience unlike any other in the world.
  The joy that outdoor recreation brings Nevada's residents and 
visitors is invaluable, and the ongoing success of monuments and parks 
like Lehman Caves is yet another reason that we must work to keep our 
natural resources healthy and available for future generations. From 
Lehman Caves to Lake Tahoe, Nevada's public lands are treasured by 
visitors and locals alike.
  I am pleased to recognize Lehman Caves' 100 years of official service 
to our great State, and I wish Great Basin National Park staff well in 
continuing their work to preserve and enhance the park for many years 
to come. Nevadans are fortunate to have this precious natural wonder in 
our State, and we will continue to protect it as a part of our home.

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