[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 12, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H4255-H4256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXTENDING THE AUTHORITY TO COLLECT SHASTA-TRINITY MARINA FEES THROUGH
FISCAL YEAR 2029
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3324) to extend the authority to collect Shasta-Trinity
Marina fees through fiscal year 2029.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3324
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHASTA-TRINITY MARINA FEES.
Section 422 of the Department of the Interior, Environment,
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law
110-161; 121 Stat 2149) as amended, is further amended by
striking ``and each subsequent fiscal year through fiscal
year 2019'' and inserting ``and each subsequent fiscal year
through fiscal year 2029''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.
General Leave
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on H.R. 3324, the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Arkansas?
There was no objection.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3324. This is a good
bipartisan effort being led by Representatives Huffman and LaMalfa and
will help to improve recreation opportunities to their constituents in
northern California.
This bill extends the authority of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest
to collect and retain existing marina fees for the purpose of enhancing
recreation opportunities and improving access at the Whiskeytown-
Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area, which is located within
Congressmen LaMalfa and Huffman's districts.
The Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area encompasses
large reservoirs and abundant mountain terrain. This area is very
popular with hunters, anglers, and outdoor recreationists.
The authority to collect and retain marina fees expired in 2019 but
has been temporarily extended through appropriations legislation. The
marina fees retained by the Forest Service are spent on recreation
enhancement projects such as boat ramp improvements, lake cleanup
efforts, maintaining recreational facilities, and improving access for
visitors with disabilities. The Forest Service also provides
educational programs with these funds.
This bill would not increase or otherwise affect the price of the
current marina fees. H.R. 3324 simply continues a current authority
that has yielded positive results for families who enjoy visiting this
idyllic destination. I commend Representatives Huffman and LaMalfa for
their collaborative work on this effort.
Mr. Speaker, I support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3324, introduced by my friend from California,
Representative Huffman, would extend the Forest Service's existing
authority to collect and retain marina fees in the Shasta-Trinity
National Forest.
The chairman has outlined the content of the legislation, and I won't
repeat that again. It is a good bill and it is essential to the
operation and the management of the recreation area. It is a critical
tool that needs to be extended.
The continuation of this authority has been an ongoing priority for
the Forest Service and the surrounding communities. I thank and
congratulate Mr. Huffman for his leadership on the issue.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from California (Mr. Huffman).
Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding
time, and I thank the chairman and the ranking member for supporting
this bill.
I appreciate the chance to just take a moment to talk a little more
about the importance of this bill to my district.
The Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area is in northern
California, part of it in my district and part of it in Mr. LaMalfa's
district. It spans 246,000 acres and includes the Shasta, Trinity,
Lewiston, and Whiskeytown lakes.
It is a recreation paradise. Every year, more than 3\1/2\ million
people visit this area for all manner of outdoor activities, such as
fishing, camping, horseback riding, swimming, paddling, backpacking,
and more.
The area is a fundamental part of our regions' identity and our
economy. It is one of our most popular tourist attractions, and it is
obviously a very vital economic driver.
The U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service manage the
Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area and support a large variety of
these recreation opportunities and improvement projects, such as boat
ramp upgrades, public service announcements about boating and water
safety, enhancing accessibility to the lakes for those with
disabilities, floating restrooms, and interpretive and educational
programs.
The marina fees that they use to complete this work also support fire
prevention patrols and fund 15 permanent staff members and 9 seasonal
employees who make it possible for everyone to enjoy the recreation
area.
It is clear how important these fees are to the continued operation
of this regional treasure. My bipartisan bill on the floor today will
extend the Department of Agriculture's ability to collect and hold
these marina fees through the year 2029, allowing them to continue
enhancing recreation and improving access.
This fee retention authority was initially granted back in 2008, and
we have been fortunate enough to extend it through annual
appropriations. That is pretty tenuous funding, and it is not a good
basis on which to plan and implement important, longer-term projects.
The authority we are providing in this bill will provide that long-
term stability. It will go a long way toward ensuring certainty and
consistent funding for future projects.
Most of Trinity County is made up of Federally owned public lands,
and its local economy is heavily reliant on the success of this
national recreation area. It is essential that we extend this authority
to collect marina fees and carry out the significant services that they
support.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, especially Mr. LaMalfa, who has
partnered with me on this legislation several years in a row now. I am
grateful to colleagues on both sides of the aisle for working with us
to support outdoor recreation in northern California.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of the bill.
[[Page H4256]]
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I commend Mr. Huffman and Mr. LaMalfa for
bringing this legislation forward. I think this could actually be a
model that could be expanded on across the country so that recreation
fees collected in a certain area could be retained and used to reinvest
back into that area to provide Americans more access to our public
lands.
Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3324.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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