[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 23859]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 NONSUITABILITY OF THE SQUIRREL RIVER IN ALASKA AS AN ADDITION TO THE 
 NATIONAL WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS SYSTEM--MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF 
                THE UNITED STATES (H. DOC. NO. 108-235)

  The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following message 
from the President of the United States; which was read and, together 
with the accompanying papers, without objection, referred to the 
Committee on Resources and ordered to be printed:

To The Congress of the United States:
  I transmit herewith the enclosed study, findings, and report for the 
Squirrel River in Alaska. The report and my recommendations are 
submitted pursuant to my authority under Article II, section 3, of the 
Constitution of the United States, and consistent with section 5(a) of 
the Wild and Scenic Rivers (WSR) Act, Public Law 90-542, as amended. 
The Squirrel River suitability study was authorized by Public Law 96-
487 (Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act).
  The study conducted by the Bureau of Land Management determined that 
all 100 miles of the river are nonsuitable for inclusion in the 
National WSR System. Consistent with the study, I recommend that the 
Congress take no action to designate the river. The withdrawal provided 
by section 5(a) of the WSR Act would expire within 3 years of the date 
of this message (unless other action is taken by the Congress). 
Approximately 81,501 acres of State-selected lands would be opened to 
mineral entry although mineral potential has been assessed as very low 
and there are no past or active mining claims.
                                                      George W. Bush.  
The White House, November 17, 2004.

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