[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 17743-17744]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 679--COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WEEKS 
                                  LAW

  Mr. GREGG (for himself and Mrs. Shaheen) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry:

                              S. Res. 679

       Whereas the 100th anniversary of the Act of March 1, 1911 
     (commonly known as the ``Weeks Law'') (16 U.S.C. 552 et 
     seq.), marks 1 of the most significant moments in 
     conservation and Forest Service history;
       Whereas New Hampshire, along with the southern 
     Appalachians, was at the center of efforts to pass the Weeks 
     Law;
       Whereas John Wingate Weeks, sponsor of the Weeks Law, was 
     born in Lancaster, New Hampshire, and maintained a summer 
     home there that is now Weeks State Park;
       Whereas, in 1903, the Appalachian Mountain Club, and the 
     newly formed Society for the Protection of New Hampshire's 
     Forests, helped draft a bill for the creation of a forest 
     reserve in the White Mountains;
       Whereas passage of the Weeks Law on March 1, 1911, was made 
     possible by an unprecedented collaboration of a broad 
     spectrum of interests, including the Appalachian Mountain 
     Club, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire 
     Forests, industrialists, small businesses, and the tourist 
     industry;
       Whereas, in 1914, the first 7,000 acres of land destined to 
     be part of the White Mountain National Forest were acquired 
     in Benton, New Hampshire, under the Weeks Law;
       Whereas national forests were established and continue to 
     be managed as multiple use public resources, providing 
     recreational opportunities, wildlife habitat, watershed 
     protection, and renewable timber resources;
       Whereas the forest conservation brought about by the Weeks 
     Law encouraged and inspired additional conservation by State 
     and local government as well as private interests, further 
     protecting the quality of life in the United States;
       Whereas the White Mountain National Forest continues to 
     draw millions of visitors annually who gain a renewed 
     appreciation of the inherent value of the outdoors;
       Whereas the multiple values and uses supported by the White 
     Mountain National Forest today are a tribute to the 
     collaboration of 100 years ago, an inspiration for the next 
     100 years, and an opportunity to remind the people of the 
     United States to work together toward common goals on a 
     common landscape; and
       Whereas President Theodore Roosevelt stated ``We want the 
     active and zealous help of every man far-sighted enough to 
     realize the importance from the standpoint of the nation's 
     welfare in the future of preserving the forests'': Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the significance of the 100th anniversary of 
     the Act of March 1, 1911 (commonly known as the ``Weeks 
     Law'') (16 U.S.C. 552 et seq.), to the history of 
     conservation and the power of cooperation among unlikely 
     allies;

[[Page 17744]]

       (2) encourages efforts to celebrate the centennial in the 
     White Mountain National Forest with a focus on the future as 
     well as to commemorate the past; and
       (3) encourages continued collaboration and cooperation 
     among Federal, State, and local governments, as well as 
     business, tourism, and conservation interests, to ensure that 
     the many values and benefits flowing from the White Mountain 
     National Forest today to the citizens of New Hampshire, and 
     the rest of the United States, are recognized and supported 
     in perpetuity.

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