[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17399]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

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                         HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 29, 2010

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 120th 
birthday of Yosemite National Park. Yosemite National Park was 
designated a national park by an Act of Congress on October 1, 1890. 
Yosemite was the third national park to be designated as such in the 
United States, following Yellowstone in 1872 and Sequoia in 1890. 
Friday, October 1, 2010 marks the 120th birthday of the park.
  Although Yosemite was the third official national park, it was the 
history of Yosemite Valley that gave birth to the national park 
concept. In the 1860s, when commercial interests began to take a 
foothold in Yosemite, prominent citizens and politicians who were 
concerned about the effects of these interests began lobbying for 
Federal protection for the area. A park bill creating the Yosemite 
Grant passed both houses of Congress and was signed by President 
Abraham Lincoln on June 30, 1864. The Grant, which set aside the 
Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove, stated that the lands be held ``. . 
. for public use, resort and recreation . . . inalienable for all 
time.'' It was the first time in history that land was set aside purely 
for preservation and recreation for all people by action of the U.S. 
Federal Government. The Grant's creation set the precedent for the 
eventual creation of the first national park, Yellowstone, in 1872. The 
Yosemite Grant was ceded to and administered by the State of California 
as a State park until 1906. The Grant was then ceded to the Federal 
Government and included in Yosemite National Park.
  Today, Yosemite National Park encompasses 747,959 acres, stretching 
across 3 counties and the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada 
Mountains. Almost 95 percent of the park is Federally designated as 
wilderness. The park is home to thousands of species of plants and more 
than 400 species of vertebrates, including fish, amphibians, birds, 
reptiles, and mammals. Approximately 4 million people from around the 
world visit Yosemite every year. With endless opportunities for outdoor 
recreation, most visitors spend their time in the Yosemite Valley, 
where they hike the John Muir Trail, wander under the canopy of the 
Giant Sequoias and breathe in the mist of Bridalveil Fall. Other 
visitors backpack through the wilderness, ascend the granite peaks of 
Half Dome and El Capitan, or simply enjoy the beauty of Yosemite's 
nature and wildlife. It is no wonder that Yosemite, with its 
spectacular waterfalls, high country lakes, meadows and granite domes, 
is often referred to as the crown jewel of the national park system.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 120th birthday of 
Yosemite National Park. I invite my colleagues to join me in honoring 
the history and beauty of Yosemite National Park.

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