[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 16200]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        COMMEMORATING 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree 
to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 294) commemorating the 75th 
Anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 294

       Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway links the Great Smoky 
     Mountains National Park to the Shenandoah National Park, 
     providing 469 scenic miles for motor recreation along the 
     crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina and 
     Virginia;
       Whereas North Carolina state geologist Joseph Hyde Pratt 
     first proposed a scenic road along the Blue Ridge Mountains 
     in 1906;
       Whereas, on November 24, 1933, at the recommendation of 
     Virginia Senator Harry Byrd, Secretary of the Interior Harold 
     Ickes approved construction of the new highway to connect the 
     Great Smoky Mountains National Park with the Shenandoah 
     National Park;
       Whereas, on September 11, 1935, construction began on the 
     first 12.5-mile section of the Blue Ridge Parkway near 
     Cumberland Knob in North Carolina;
       Whereas Stanley L. Abbott is widely remembered as the 
     ``father of the Blue Ridge Parkway'' for his work to oversee 
     planning of the project;
       Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway was established by Congress 
     as a unit of the National Park Service on June 30, 1936;
       Whereas the National Park Service development program, 
     ``Mission 66'', oversaw the completion of most remaining gaps 
     along the Blue Ridge Parkway during the 1950s and 1960s;
       Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway's final stretch of road was 
     completed in 1987 with the construction of the Linn Cove 
     Viaduct;
       Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway provides recreational 
     opportunities for American families at picnic areas, 
     campgrounds, and on scenic drives through Appalachian 
     mountain passes;
       Whereas the diverse topography and numerous vista points 
     along the Blue Ridge Parkway make it the most accessible way 
     to visit and experience Southern Appalachian rural landscapes 
     and mountains;
       Whereas the Parkway is world-renowned for its biodiversity, 
     which includes 74 species of mammals, 50 salamander species, 
     35 reptile species, 159 species of birds and 25 species of 
     fish;
       Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited unit of 
     the National Park Service with nearly 20 million visitors 
     each year;
       Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway promotes regional travel and 
     tourism by unifying the 29 counties through which it passes, 
     engendering a shared regional identity, providing a common 
     link of interest, and contributing to the economic vitality 
     of the area;
       Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the strongest 
     economic engines in the Southern Appalachian region, 
     generating an estimated $2.3 billion in North Carolina and 
     Virginia annually;
       Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway has received volunteer 
     support from thousands of Virginians and North Carolinians, 
     including 1,400 volunteers in 2008 who provided more than 
     50,000 hours of service;
       Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway is a great public works 
     achievement that maintains natural, historic, and cultural 
     significance for the people of Virginia and North Carolina; 
     and
       Whereas this crown jewel of the National Park Service 
     deserves the support of Congress to preserve its ecological 
     and cultural integrity, maintain its infrastructure, and 
     protect its famously scenic views: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) commemorates the 75th Anniversary of the Blue Ridge 
     Parkway; and
       (2) acknowledges the historic and enduring scenic, 
     recreational, and economic value of this unique national 
     treasure.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) and the gentleman from Washington 
(Mr. Hastings) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands?
  There was no objection.

                              {time}  1520

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 294 was 
introduced on June 30, 2010, by Representative Tom Perriello of 
Virginia and is cosponsored by Members on both sides of the aisle from 
Virginia and North Carolina.
  The resolution celebrates the 75th anniversary of the most visited 
unit of the national park system, the Blue Ridge Parkway, which links 
Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Shenandoah National Park.
  Mr. Speaker, it is fitting that we recognize this great public works 
achievement and its significance to the American people. I commend 
Representative Perriello for bringing this resolution before us and 
urge the House to approve this measure.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time 
as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with the measure's many sponsors 
recognizing the anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which was first 
proposed by Senator Harry Byrd in 1933, but was completed under 
President Ronald Reagan in 1987.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 
294.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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