[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 16135-16138]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



   SANTA ROSA AND SAN JACINTO MOUNTAINS NATIONAL MONUMENT ACT OF 2000

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3676) to establish the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains 
National Monument in the State of California, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3676

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Santa Rosa 
     and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Act of 2000''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act 
     is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Establishment of Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National 
              Monument, California.
Sec. 3. Management of Federal lands in the National Monument.
Sec. 4. Development of management plan.
Sec. 5. Existing and historical uses of Federal lands included in 
              Monument.
Sec. 6. Acquisition of land.
Sec. 7. Local advisory committee.
Sec. 8. Authorization of appropriations.

     SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF SANTA ROSA AND SAN JACINTO MOUNTAINS 
                   NATIONAL MONUMENT, CALIFORNIA.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
       (1) The Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains in southern 
     California contain nationally significant biological, 
     cultural, recreational, geological, educational, and 
     scientific values.
       (2) The magnificent vistas, wildlife, land forms, and 
     natural and cultural resources of these mountains occupy a 
     unique and challenging position given their proximity to 
     highly urbanized areas of the Coachella Valley.
       (3) These mountains, which rise abruptly from the desert 
     floor to an elevation of 10,802 feet, provide a picturesque 
     backdrop for Coachella Valley communities and support an 
     abundance of recreational opportunities that are an important 
     regional economic resource.
       (4) These mountains have special cultural value to the Agua 
     Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, containing significant 
     cultural sites, including village sites, trails, petroglyphs, 
     and other evidence of their habitation.
       (5) The designation of a Santa Rosa and San Jacinto 
     Mountains National Monument by this Act is not intended to 
     impact upon existing or future growth in the Coachella 
     Valley.
       (6) Because the areas immediately surrounding the new 
     National Monument are densely populated and urbanized, it is 
     anticipated that certain activities or uses on private lands 
     outside of the National Monument may have some impact upon 
     the National Monument, and Congress does not intend, directly 
     or indirectly, that additional regulations be imposed on such 
     uses or activities as long as they are consistent with other 
     applicable law.
       (7) The Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service 
     should work cooperatively in the management of the National 
     Monument.
       (b) Establishment and Purposes.--In order to preserve the 
     nationally significant biological, cultural, recreational, 
     geological, educational, and scientific values found in the 
     Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains and to secure now and 
     for future generations the opportunity to experience and 
     enjoy the magnificent vistas, wildlife, land forms, and 
     natural and cultural resources in these mountains and to 
     recreate therein, there is hereby designated the Santa Rosa 
     and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument (in this Act 
     referred to as the ``National Monument'').
       (c) Boundaries.--The National Monument shall consist of 
     Federal lands and Federal interests in lands located within 
     the boundaries depicted on a series of 24 maps entitled 
     ``Boundary Map, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto National 
     Monument'', 23 of which are dated May 6, 2000, and depict 
     separate townships and one of which is dated June 22, 2000, 
     and depicts the overall boundaries.
       (d) Legal Descriptions; Correction of Errors.--
       (1) Preparation and submission.--As soon as practicable 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
     the Interior shall use the map referred to in subsection (c) 
     to prepare legal descriptions of the boundaries of the 
     National Monument. The Secretary shall submit the resulting 
     legal descriptions to the Committee on Resources and the 
     Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and 
     to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the 
     Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the 
     Senate.
       (2) Legal effect.--The map and legal descriptions of the 
     National Monument shall have the same force and effect as if 
     included in this Act, except that the Secretary of the 
     Interior may correct clerical and typographical errors in the 
     map and legal descriptions. The map shall be on file and 
     available for public inspection in appropriate offices of the 
     Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service.

     SEC. 3. MANAGEMENT OF FEDERAL LANDS IN THE NATIONAL MONUMENT.

       (a) Basis of Management.--The Secretary of the Interior and 
     the Secretary of Agriculture shall manage the National 
     Monument to protect the resources of the National Monument, 
     and shall allow only those uses of the National Monument that 
     further the purposes for the establishment of the National 
     Monument, in accordance with--
       (1) this Act;
       (2) the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 
     U.S.C. 1701 et seq.);
       (3) the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning 
     Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq.) and section 14 of the 
     National Forest Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 472a); and
       (4) other applicable provisions of law.
       (b) Administration of Subsequently Acquired Lands.--Lands 
     or interests in lands within the boundaries of the National 
     Monument that are acquired by the Bureau of Land Management 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act shall be managed 
     by the Secretary of the Interior. Lands or interests in lands 
     within the boundaries of the National Monument that are 
     acquired by the Forest Service after the date of enactment of 
     this Act shall be managed by the Secretary of Agriculture.
       (c) Protection of Reservation, State, and Private Lands and 
     Interests.--Nothing in the establishment of the National 
     Monument shall affect any property rights of any Indian 
     reservation, any individually held trust lands, any other 
     Indian allotments, any lands or interests in lands held by 
     the State of California, any political subdivision of the 
     State of California, any special district, or the Mount San 
     Jacinto Winter Park Authority, or any private property rights 
     within the boundaries of the National Monument. Establishment 
     of the National Monument shall not grant the Secretary of the 
     Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture any new authority on 
     or over non-Federal lands not already provided by law. The 
     authority of the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary 
     of Agriculture under this Act extends

[[Page 16136]]

     only to Federal lands and Federal interests in lands included 
     in the National Monument.
       (d) Existing Rights.--The management of the National 
     Monument shall be subject to valid existing rights.
       (e) No Buffer Zones Around National Monument.--Because the 
     National Monument is established in a highly urbanized area--
       (1) the establishment of the National Monument shall not 
     lead to the creation of express or implied protective 
     perimeters or buffer zones around the National Monument;
       (2) an activity on, or use of, private lands up to the 
     boundaries of the National Monument shall not be precluded 
     because of the monument designation, if the activity or use 
     is consistent with other applicable law; and
       (3) an activity on, or use of, private lands, if the 
     activity or use is consistent with other applicable law, 
     shall not be directly or indirectly subject to additional 
     regulation because of the designation of the National 
     Monument.
       (f) Air and Water Quality.--Nothing in this Act shall be 
     construed to change standards governing air or water quality 
     outside of the designated area of the National Monument.

     SEC. 4. DEVELOPMENT OF MANAGEMENT PLAN.

       (a) Development Required.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 3 years after of the date 
     of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior and 
     the Secretary of Agriculture shall complete a management plan 
     for the conservation and protection of the National Monument 
     consistent with the requirements of section 3(a). The 
     Secretaries shall submit the management plan to Congress 
     before it is made public.
       (2) Management pending completion.--Pending completion of 
     the management plan for the National Monument, the 
     Secretaries shall manage Federal lands and interests in lands 
     within the National Monument substantially consistent with 
     current uses occurring on such lands and under the general 
     guidelines and authorities of the existing management plans 
     of the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management for 
     such lands, in a manner consistent with other applicable 
     Federal law.
       (3) Relation to other authorities.--Nothing in this 
     subsection shall preclude the Secretaries, during the 
     preparation of the management plan, from implementing 
     subsections (b) and (i) of section 5. Nothing in this section 
     shall be construed to diminish or alter existing authorities 
     applicable to Federal lands included in the National 
     Monument.
       (b) Consultation and Cooperation.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretaries shall prepare and 
     implement the management plan required by subsection (a) in 
     accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
     (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and in consultation with the local 
     advisory committee established pursuant to section 7 and, to 
     the extent practicable, interested owners of private property 
     and holders of valid existing rights located within the 
     boundaries of the National Monument. Such consultation shall 
     be on a periodic and regular basis.
       (2) Agua caliente band of cahuilla indians.--The 
     Secretaries shall make a special effort to consult with 
     representatives of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians 
     regarding the management plan during the preparation and 
     implementation of the plan.
       (3) Winter park authority.--The management plan shall 
     consider the mission of the Mount San Jacinto Winter Park 
     Authority to make accessible to current and future 
     generations the natural and recreational treasures of the 
     Mount San Jacinto State Park and the National Monument. 
     Establishment and management of the National Monument shall 
     not be construed to interfere with the mission or powers of 
     the Mount San Jacinto Winter Park Authority, as provided for 
     in the Mount San Jacinto Winter Park Authority Act of the 
     State of California.
       (c) Cooperative Agreements.--
       (1) General authority.--Consistent with the management plan 
     and existing authorities, the Secretaries may enter into 
     cooperative agreements and shared management arrangements, 
     which may include special use permits with any person, 
     including the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, for the 
     purposes of management, interpretation, and research and 
     education regarding the resources of the National Monument.
       (2) Use of certain lands by university of california.--In 
     the case of any agreement with the University of California 
     in existence as of the date of enactment of this Act relating 
     to the University's use of certain Federal land within the 
     National Monument, the Secretaries shall, consistent with the 
     management plan and existing authorities, either revise the 
     agreement or enter into a new agreement as may be necessary 
     to ensure its consistency with this Act.

     SEC. 5. EXISTING AND HISTORICAL USES OF FEDERAL LANDS 
                   INCLUDED IN MONUMENT.

       (a) Recreational Activities Generally.--The management plan 
     required by section 4(a) shall include provisions to continue 
     to authorize the recreational use of the National Monument, 
     including such recreational uses as hiking, camping, mountain 
     biking, sightseeing, and horseback riding, as long as such 
     recreational use is consistent with this Act and other 
     applicable law.
       (b) Motorized Vehicles.--Except where or when needed for 
     administrative purposes or to respond to an emergency, use of 
     motorized vehicles in the National Monument shall be 
     permitted only on roads and trails designated for use of 
     motorized vehicles as part of the management plan.
       (c) Hunting, Trapping, and Fishing.--
       (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
     Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture 
     shall permit hunting, trapping, and fishing within the 
     National Monument in accordance with applicable laws 
     (including regulations) of the United States and the State of 
     California.
       (2) Regulations.--The Secretaries, after consultation with 
     the California Department of Fish and Game, may issue 
     regulations designating zones where, and establishing periods 
     when, no hunting, trapping, or fishing will be permitted in 
     the National Monument for reasons of public safety, 
     administration, or public use and enjoyment.
       (d) Access to State and Private Lands.--The Secretaries 
     shall provide adequate access to nonfederally owned land or 
     interests in land within the boundaries of the National 
     Monument, which will provide the owner of the land or the 
     holder of the interest the reasonable use and enjoyment of 
     the land or interest, as the case may be.
       (e) Utilities.--Nothing in this Act shall have the effect 
     of terminating any valid existing right-of-way within the 
     Monument. The management plan prepared for the National 
     Monument shall address the need for and, as necessary, 
     establish plans for the installation, construction, and 
     maintenance of public utility rights-of-way within the 
     National Monument outside of designated wilderness areas.
       (f) Maintenance of Roads, Trails, and Structures.--In the 
     development of the management plan required by section 4(a), 
     the Secretaries shall address the maintenance of roadways, 
     jeep trails, and paths located in the National Monument.
       (g) Grazing.--The Secretaries shall issue and administer 
     any grazing leases or permits in the National Monument in 
     accordance with the same laws (including regulations) and 
     executive orders followed by the Secretaries in issuing and 
     administering grazing leases and permits on other land under 
     the jurisdiction of the Secretaries. Nothing in this Act 
     shall affect the grazing permit of the Wellman family 
     (permittee number 12-55-3) on lands included in the National 
     Monument.
       (h) Overflights.--
       (1) General rule.--Nothing in this Act or the management 
     plan prepared for the National Monument shall be construed to 
     restrict or preclude overflights, including low-level 
     overflights, over lands in the National Monument, including 
     military, commercial, and general aviation overflights that 
     can be seen or heard within the National Monument. Nothing in 
     this Act or the management plan shall be construed to 
     restrict or preclude the designation or creation of new units 
     of special use airspace or the establishment of military 
     flight training routes over the National Monument.
       (2) Commercial air tour operation.--Any commercial air tour 
     operation over the National Monument is prohibited unless 
     such operation was conducted prior to February 16, 2000. For 
     purposes of this paragraph, ``commercial air tour operation'' 
     means any flight conducted for compensation or hire in a 
     powered aircraft where a purpose of the flight is 
     sightseeing.
       (i) Withdrawals.--
       (1) In general.--Subject to valid existing rights as 
     provided in section 3(d), the Federal lands and interests in 
     lands included within the National Monument are hereby 
     withdrawn from--
       (A) all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under 
     the public land laws;
       (B) location, entry, and patent under the public land 
     mining laws; and
       (C) operation of the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing 
     laws and the mineral materials laws.
       (2) Exchange.--Paragraph (1)(A) does not apply in the case 
     of--
       (A) an exchange that the Secretary determines would further 
     the protective purposes of the National Monument; or
       (B) the exchange provided in section 6(e).

     SEC. 6. ACQUISITION OF LAND.

       (a) Acquisition Authorized; Methods.--State, local 
     government, tribal, and privately held land or interests in 
     land within the boundaries of the National Monument may be 
     acquired for management as part of the National Monument only 
     by--
       (1) donation;
       (2) exchange with a willing party; or
       (3) purchase from a willing seller.
       (b) Use of Easements.--To the extent practicable, and if 
     preferred by a willing landowner, the Secretary of the 
     Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall use permanent 
     conservation easements to acquire interests in land in the 
     National Monument in lieu of acquiring land in fee simple and 
     thereby removing land from non-Federal ownership.
       (c) Valuation of Private Property.--The United States shall 
     offer the fair market value for any interests or partial 
     interests in land acquired under this section.

[[Page 16137]]

       (d) Incorporation of Acquired Lands and Interests.--Any 
     land or interest in lands within the boundaries of the 
     National Monument that is acquired by the United States after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act shall be added to and 
     administered as part of the National Monument as provided in 
     section 3(b).
       (e) Land Exchange Authorization.--In order to support the 
     cooperative management agreement in effect with the Agua 
     Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians as of the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior may, 
     without further authorization by law, exchange lands which 
     the Bureau of Land Management has acquired using amounts 
     provided under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 
     1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l-4 et seq.), with the Agua Caliente Band 
     of Cahuilla Indians. Any such land exchange may include the 
     exchange of federally owned property within or outside of the 
     boundaries of the National Monument for property owned by the 
     Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians within or outside of 
     the boundaries of the National Monument. The exchanged lands 
     acquired by the Secretary within the boundaries of the 
     National Monument shall be managed for the purposes described 
     in section 2(b).

     SEC. 7. LOCAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

       (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of the Interior and the 
     Secretary of Agriculture shall jointly establish an advisory 
     committee for the National Monument, whose purpose shall be 
     to advise the Secretaries with respect to the preparation and 
     implementation of the management plan required by section 4.
       (b) Representation.--To the extent practicable, the 
     advisory committee shall include the following members:
       (1) A representative with expertise in natural science and 
     research selected from a regional college or university.
       (2) A representative of the California Department of Fish 
     and Game or the California Department of Parks and 
     Recreation.
       (3) A representative of the County of Riverside, 
     California.
       (4) A representative of each of the following cities: Palm 
     Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, La Quinta, Palm 
     Desert, and Indian Wells.
       (5) A representative of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla 
     Indians.
       (6) A representative of the Coachella Valley Mountains 
     Conservancy.
       (7) A representative of a local conservation organization.
       (8) A representative of a local developer or builder 
     organization.
       (9) A representative of the Winter Park Authority.
       (10) A representative of the Pinyon Community Council.
       (c) Terms.--
       (1) Staggered terms.--Members of the advisory committee 
     shall be appointed for terms of 3 years, except that, of the 
     members first appointed, \1/3\ of the members shall be 
     appointed for a term of 1 year and \1/3\ of the members shall 
     be appointed for a term of 2 years.
       (2) Reappointment.--A member may be reappointed to serve on 
     the advisory committee upon the expiration of the member's 
     current term.
       (3) Vacancy.--A vacancy on the advisory committee shall be 
     filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
       (d) Quorum.--A quorum shall be 8 members of the advisory 
     committee. The operations of the advisory committee shall not 
     be impaired by the fact that a member has not yet been 
     appointed as long as a quorum has been attained.
       (e) Chairperson and Procedures.--The advisory committee 
     shall elect a chairperson and establish such rules and 
     procedures as it deems necessary or desirable.
       (f) Service Without Compensation.--Members of the advisory 
     committee shall serve without pay.
       (g) Termination.--The advisory committee shall cease to 
     exist on the date upon which the management plan is 
     officially adopted by the Secretaries, or later at the 
     discretion of the Secretaries.

     SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
     necessary to carry out this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) and the gentleman from California (Mr. 
George Miller) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen).
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3676 establishes the Santa Rosa and the San Jacinto 
Mountain National Monument. This bill was introduced by the gentlewoman 
from California (Mrs. Bono), and the work she showed in moving this 
legislation forward is really quite remarkable. Legislation dealing 
with land designations and uses can be very difficult, and the 
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Bono) deserves congratulations in 
creating a bill which is agreeable to everyone involved. She has 
garnered tremendous support for this bill, including the very important 
local governments and private property owners.
  This monument created by H.R. 3676 consists of approximately 280,000 
acres and would be managed jointly by the Secretary of the Interior and 
the Secretary of Agriculture.
  Mr. Speaker, although establishing a national monument, this bill has 
many private property protections that otherwise probably would not 
have been available if the President decided to proclaim this area a 
national monument in yet another of his administration's fiats.
  H.R. 3676, for example, assures that Congress does not intend for the 
designation of the monument to lead to the creation of any protective 
boundaries or to change authorized use of Federal land. Furthermore, 
all valid existing rights shall continue. Private land within the 
boundaries of the monument are only to be acquired if the land is 
donated, purchased from a willing seller, or exchanged with a willing 
party.
  H.R. 3676 also contains provisions which direct the Secretary to use 
conservation easements to the maximum extent possible rather than 
outright acquisitions of land.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a carefully crafted bill which gives additional 
protections to Federal land while also protecting the foundation of 
this county, private property. I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 
3676, as amended.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) has explained, 
this is legislation that has been worked out in extensive negotiations 
between the sponsor, our colleague, the gentlewoman from California 
(Mrs. Bono), and the Secretary of the Interior.
  The Secretary believes that the bill before us will adequately 
protect this area.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the 
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Bono), the sponsor and author of this 
bill.
  Mrs. BONO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, H.R. 3676, 
the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Act.
  Congress has an opportunity to enact legislation which was originated 
by the constituents of California's 44th Congressional District. When 
these residents came to me and suggested that I introduce legislation 
to designate our local mountains a National Monument, I decided it was 
an idea well worth pursuing.
  For years my family has enjoyed these scenic wonders and recreational 
opportunities that are abundant in this remarkable range. I have often 
hiked the hills and the canyons above our home in Palm Springs, sharing 
with my children, Chianna and Chesare, the beauty of an ecosystem that 
continues to thrive despite its close proximity to a highly urbanized 
community.
  I have developed a profound respect for the people who over the past 
century have served as stewards of these lands. They have done a 
remarkable job in balancing the preservation of these mountains with 
the inevitable development that has occurred in Southern California.
  It is appropriate that we also recall the original caretakers of this 
land, the Cahuilla people. For centuries, the Agua Caliente Band of 
Cahuilla Indians made the canyons and hills above Palm Springs their 
home. And the Cahuilla people roamed throughout the desert and 
mountains of this entire region living in harmony with the unique 
environment. Their culture and heritage is an integral part of this 
region. And even today, the Indian canyons near Palm Strings offer a 
welcome respite from the hectic pace of the urban areas of the 
Coachella Valley.

[[Page 16138]]

  One of the tangible benefits that will be derived from this Monument 
designation is the preservation of tribal land and historic artifacts. 
The Agua Caliente Tribe has been a partner in this process from the 
start, and I would like to thank the Tribal Council and all the 
Cahuilla people in support of this legislation.
  In crafting this bill, I was confronted with a similar challenge, to 
balance traditional uses and private property rights that the people of 
the region enjoy with the need to preserve these mountain vistas.
  So we returned to the fundamental concept of how our system of 
government should work. I went directly to the people of the 44th 
district and sought their participation and input on how best to draft 
legislation that would reflect their commitment to both environmental 
preservation and private property rights protection. The result of 
their efforts is contained in the bill before us today.
  Mr. Speaker, the best way our constituents can be heard on matters 
such as these is if Congress and not the administration takes this 
action. With all due respect to those who serve in Washington, the 
people who live in this area know better than any Federal worker how to 
resolve these issues. Therefore, it was encouraging that very early on 
the Secretary of the Interior took a personal interest in this effort 
and publicly supported the congressional process as the preferred 
vehicle for this designation.
  I thank the Secretary and the Bureau of Land Management offices out 
of Washington, Sacramento, and Palm Springs for working with me on this 
issue.
  With this bill, we are able to protect private property rights with 
strong buffer zone language, willing seller provisions, and clearly 
worded access language. And we are able to further protect these 
mountains by prohibiting further withdrawals, curbing motorized vehicle 
use, and controlling cattle grazing.
  I have said many times that I would not go forth with a bill which 
does not protect the rights of those individuals who live within the 
proposed boundary lines and those who live right at the foot of the 
mountains. This bill strikes an appropriate balance by protecting the 
rights of affected constituents as well as these unique mountains.
  I wish to thank the gentleman from Utah (Chairman Hansen) and his 
able staff, Allan Freemyer and Tod Hull, for assisting me in this 
process so that I can achieve this balance.
  In addition, I would like to thank the Coachella Valley Mountains 
Conservancy under the direction of Bill Havert, the Desert Chapter of 
the Building Industry Association and its executive director, Ed 
Kibbey, and the local branch of the Sierra Club and its head Joan 
Taylor.
  Too often environmentalists and private property rights advocates are 
at odds with each other. In my heart, I believe that we can work to 
achieve the goals of each group for the betterment of all. It may be 
the more difficult course to choose, but one well worth taking.
  So I would like to thank my many colleagues, my legislative director, 
Linda Valter, and the rest of my staff who have helped me along the 
way.
  Mr. Speaker, as a child, my parents drove our family all over this 
wonderful country visiting national parks and awe-inspiring land 
throughout the West. Now my constituents have given me the opportunity 
to do something that will allow future families the same privilege. I 
hope they will all join me to achieve this worthy goal.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and 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. Hansen) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 3676, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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