[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 17691-17692]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK EXTENSION ACT OF 2007

  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Natural Resources be discharged from further consideration of the 
Senate bill (S. 277) to modify the boundaries of Grand Teton National 
Park to include certain land within the GT Park Subdivision, and for 
other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from West Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the Senate bill, as follows:

                                 S. 277

       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 ``Grand Teton National Park 
     Extension Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Park.--The term ``Park'' means the Grand Teton National 
     Park.
       (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (3) Subdivision.--The term ``Subdivision'' means the GT 
     Park Subdivision, with an area of approximately 49.67 acres, 
     as generally depicted on--
       (A) the plat recorded in the Office of the Teton County 
     Clerk and Recorder on December 16, 1997, numbered 918, 
     entitled ``Final Plat GT Park Subdivision'', and dated June 
     18, 1997; and
       (B) the map entitled ``2006 Proposed Grand Teton Boundary 
     Adjustment'', numbered 136/80,198, and dated March 21, 2006, 
     which shall be on file and available for inspection in 
     appropriate offices of the National Park Service.

     SEC. 3. ACQUISITION OF LAND.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary may accept from any willing 
     donor the donation of any land or interest in land of the 
     Subdivision.
       (b) Administration.--On acquisition of land or an interest 
     in land under subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
       (1) include the land or interest in the boundaries of the 
     Park; and
       (2) administer the land or interest as part of the Park, in 
     accordance with all applicable laws (including regulations).
       (c) Deadline for Acquisition.--It is the intent of Congress 
     that the acquisition of land or an interest in land under 
     subsection (a) be completed not later than 1 year after the 
     date of enactment of this Act.
       (d) Restriction on Transfer.--The Secretary shall not 
     donate, sell, exchange, or otherwise transfer any land 
     acquired under this section without express authorization 
     from Congress.

     SEC. 4. CRAIG THOMAS DISCOVERY AND VISITOR CENTER.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) Craig Thomas was raised on a ranch just outside of 
     Cody, Wyoming, near Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton 
     National Park, where he--
       (A) began a lifelong association with those parks; and
       (B) developed a deep and abiding dedication to the values 
     of the public land of the United States;
       (2) during his 18-year tenure in Congress, including 
     service in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, 
     Craig Thomas forged a distinguished legislative record on

[[Page 17692]]

     issues as diverse as public land management, agriculture, 
     fiscal responsibility, and rural health care;
       (3) as Chairman and Ranking Member of the National Parks 
     Subcommittee of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
     of the Senate and a frequent visitor to many units of the 
     National Park System, including Yellowstone National Park and 
     Grand Teton National Park, Craig Thomas was a strong 
     proponent for ensuring that people of all ages and abilities 
     had a wide range of opportunities to learn more about the 
     natural and cultural heritage of the United States;
       (4) Craig Thomas authored legislation to provide critical 
     funding and management reforms to protect units of the 
     National Park System into the 21st century, ensuring quality 
     visits to units of the National Park System and the 
     protection of natural and cultural resources;
       (5) Craig Thomas strongly supported public-private 
     partnerships and collaboration between the National Park 
     Service and other organizations that foster new opportunities 
     for providing visitor services while encouraging greater 
     citizen involvement in the stewardship of units of the 
     National Park System;
       (6) Craig Thomas was instrumental in obtaining the Federal 
     share for a public-private partnership with the Grand Teton 
     National Park Foundation and the Grand Teton Natural History 
     Association to construct a new discovery and visitor center 
     at Grand Teton National Park;
       (7) on June 4, 2007, Craig Thomas passed away after 
     battling cancer for 7 months;
       (8) Craig Thomas is survived by his wife, Susan, and 
     children, Patrick, Greg, Peter, and Lexie; and
       (9) in memory of the distinguished career of service of 
     Craig Thomas to the people of the United States, the 
     dedication of Craig Thomas to units of the National Park 
     System, generally, and to Grand Teton National Park, 
     specifically, and the critical role of Craig Thomas in the 
     new discovery and visitor center at Grand Teton National 
     Park, the Grand Teton Discovery and Visitor Center should be 
     designated as the ``Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor 
     Center''.
       (b) The Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center.--
       (1) Designation.--The Grand Teton Discovery and Visitor 
     Center located in Moose, Wyoming, and scheduled for 
     completion in August 2007 shall be known and designated as 
     the ``Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center''.
       (2) Reference.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     Grand Teton Discovery and Visitor Center referred to in 
     paragraph (1) shall be deemed to be a reference to the 
     ``Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center''.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

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

  The Senate bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the 
third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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